San Cristobal Island Activities

Effort: Moderate.

Highlights: paddle the best kayaking route in Galapagos, observe marine iguanas, sea lions, blue-footed boobies, and many marine birds. Enjoy panoramic views of Kicker Rock and Wizard Hill.

Duration: 5 hours

What to bring: Long sleeve non-cotton shirt, sun hat, water bottle, bathing suit, sandals or water shoes, sunblock, camera.

Our kayak expedition starts at Playa de Oro in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. During our first strokes following the coast, we can enjoy the panoramic views of the main town and the beautiful highland of this island before we leave Wreck Bay to continue to the northern coast of San Cristobal. After our first native fauna encounters we´ll reach Darwin Bay, this is the place where the HMS Beagle disembarked for the first time in the islands. Here we´ll see the beautiful Frigate Hill called like this for the many frigate birds that fly around. Following one of the most beautiful volcanic coast of Galapagos, we´ll paddle in the way to Playa Ochoa while the frigate birds nest in the surrounding native vegetation, blue-footed boobies are diving as torpedos fishing sardines, marine iguanas, sea lions, and sea turtles circle our kayaks in the calm waters. After almost 2 hours on the water, we ´ll arrive at Playa Ochoa, a beautiful white sand beach where we are going to take a little time to relax. This beach is home of playful sea lions, marine birds and crabs, in the water is possible to see sea turtles, rays and tropical fishes. Then, after this amazing stop, we´ll paddle back to Puerto Baquerizo enjoying the landscapes of San Cristobal. Finally, we´ll finish our adventure where we started in the morning.

Highlights: snorkel with sea lions and sea turtles, learn about the natural and human history of Galapagos, and enjoy the panoramic views of Kicker Rock and Puerto Baquerizo Moreno.

Duration: 3 Hours

What to bring: light non-cotton clothes, sun hat, water bottle, bathing suit, sandals, sunblock, and a camera.

We start our SUP adventure in Playa de Oro in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. Following the coast, we can see blue-footed boobies, endemic gulls and more marine birds along the volcanic formations of Playa Mann and Punta Carola. Then we head out to Frigate hill, where Charles Darwin aboard the HMS Beagle set foot for the very first time in Galapagos. We will enjoy the company of the frigate birds that live and fly in this magical place. Playful sea lions will be always following us circle around our SUPs to call our attention. In this calm water bay is a perfect snorkeling spot on this island. We´ll jump into the water from our SUP to explore marine life such as sea turtles, rays and many more species of tropical fish. After this underwater experience, we paddle back to Puerto Baquerizo.
Heading to the south direction we can have a great panoramic view of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno and the beach of “Los Marinos” or the Navy beach, where the first lighthouse was settled a hundred years ago. The pier was also build on this area for the first time and was made of “matazarno” wood one of the endemic species of trees that we have in the dry forest in Galapagos, making possible to bring the crops like sugar cane and coffee from the highlands to the beach and export it even to mainland from this pier, back in the 19th century.