Tour 180° from Santa Cruz Island,
Galápagos 2026
The 180° Santa Cruz Island Tour will take you on a semicircular route around the Santa Cruz Island, departing from Puerto Ayora, with exciting stops at specific points on the Pinzón and Daphne Mayor Islands; disembarking at Eden Beach or Borrero Bay. This adventure consists mainly of snorkeling in crystal-clear waters, with the possibility of observing sea turtles, sea lions, tropical fish, starfish, white-tipped reef sharks, manta rays, marine iguanas, and, in Dahpne, stingrays and eagle rays from August to November. In addition, it allows you to photograph iconic birds such as blue-footed boobies, magnificent frigatebirds, pelicans, gulls, and tropical birds.
Information about Pinzón Island: Located in the center of the Galapagos archipelago, it is just 25 km from Santa Cruz Island. It has an area of 18 km² and a maximum altitude of 458 meters above sea level.
Information about the Daphne Mayor Island: It is located north of Santa Cruz Island, very close to Baltra Airport and North Seymour Island. It has an area of approximately 0.32 km². The volcanic crater rises to 120 meters above sea level.
Trip details:
• Departure time: 08:45 am.
• From: Puerto Ayora - Santa Cruz Island.
• Duration: 7 - 8 hours.
• Boat capacity: 12 people.
• Sailing time: 2 hours per route.
• Activities: 90% snorkeling and 10% hiking.
What can you see on the 180° tour?
• Rays
• Manta ray (from August to December)
• Marine iguanas
• Sea Turtles
• Sea Lions
• Whitetip reef and blacktip sharks
• Tropical fish
• Coral reefs
• Starfish
• Blue-footed boobies
• Frigatebirds
• Red-billed Tropicbird
Prices:
$204 Economic Boat
$245 Standard Boat
Itinerary for the 180° Santa Cruz Island Tour
How do you get to Pinzón and Daphne Island ?
At 08:20, our team will be waiting for you at the offices of Grupo Galápagos, from where you will go to the pier of Puerto Ayora. There, a certified naturalist guide will accompany you during the boarding process and accompany you as you sail for approximately 1 hour to the first destination, the spectacular Pinzón Island, one of the best snorkeling spots in the Galapagos for its abundant marine life.
¿Qué actividades se realizan?
• Fotografía fauna silvestre y submarina
• Snorkeling (90 %)
• Caminata en playa (10 %)
Fotografía
El recorrido semicircular alrededor de Santa Cruz ofrece vistas únicas de: acantilados volcánicos, aguas turquesas y playas vírgenes, perfectas durante la luz dorada del día.
Snorkeling
Isla Pinzón
Isla Pinzón
La primera parada será en la Bahía Pingüino, un sitio ideal para practicar snorkeling y observar
de cerca la increíble biodiversidad marina: tiburones de punta blanca o negra, tortugas marinas,
lobos marinos y peces tropicales de colores.
Caminata en playa
Como segundo destino del tour, y tras unos 20 minutos de navegación, se anunciará la siguiente
parada: Playa Edén o Bahía Borrero, dependiendo del itinerario asignado para ese día. En
cualquiera de estos sitios podrás descansar y relajarte en aguas cristalinas y tranquilas,
rodeado de paisajes únicos y abundante vegetación típica de Galápagos
Almuerzo
Disfrutarás de un delicioso almuerzo a bordo y de un placentero descanso mientras te preparas
para la siguiente actividad.
Fotografía
Isla Daphne
El recorrido continúa con una navegación hacia la Isla Daphne. Durante el paseo por los
alrededores de esta isla volcánica, podrás observar una gran diversidad de aves marinas como:
piqueros de patas azules, piqueros de Nazca, gaviotas de cola bifurcada, fragatas magníficas,
pelícanos y aves tropicales.
Snorkeling
Reconocido como uno de los mejores lugares para practicar snorkel en Galápagos. En este sitio
podrás nadar en aguas cristalinas y disfrutar de la observación de una asombrosa diversidad
marina, entre la que destacan lobos marinos, tortugas marinas, tiburones de punta blanca o
negra, rayas stingray y eagle rays.
Entre los meses de agosto a noviembre, existe alrededor de un 50% de probabilidad de avistar
majestuosas mantarrayas, que suelen alimentarse en estas aguas ricas en plancton.
Nota: No necesitas experiencia previa en snorkeling, la tripulación del barco estará
siempre
para asistirte.
Retorno
Después de esta emocionante experiencia de snorkeling, el bote emprenderá el regreso hacia el
Canal de Itabaca, donde un transporte terrestre te llevará cómodamente de vuelta a Puerto Ayora,
finalizando así una jornada llena de aventura, naturaleza y biodiversidad única de
Galápagos.
Tour 180 Itinerary from Santa Cruz Island
In the morning at 08:20 am, you must be at the Grupo Galapagos offices, so that
our staff can take you to the pier in Puerto Ayora. There, a guide will be waiting for you to
board the yacht that will take you to Pinzón Island.
Pinzón Island
In this island, you will visit Penguin Bay, where you will snorkel and see a
diversity of fish with unique colors, starfish, stingrays, eagle rays, turtles, sea lions,
marine iguanas, black tip sharks and white tip reef sharks.
After twenty minutes of navigation, the captain will give the order to head to Eden Beach
or Bahía Borrero, here you will enjoy this enchanted place full of vegetation and
you will relax in its wonderful waters.
- You will visit in Santa Cruz island Eden Beach or Bahía Borrero depending on
the yacht's
itinerary that day.
Daphne Island
After enjoying lunch on board of the yacht, you will sail to Daphne Island. You
will get to know the surroundings of the island and observe blue-footed boobies, Nazca boobies,
seagulls, frigatebirds, pelicans, and other tropical birds.
From August to November there is a 50% chance of spotting manta rays.
Piedra ahogada
After the visit to Daphne Island, you will go to "Piedra Ahogada" where you
will snorkel and observe sea lions, black tip sharks, whitetip reef sharks, sea turtles,
stingrays, and eagle rays. Finally, the yacht will go to the Itabaca Channel and a land
transportation will take you to Puerto Ayora.
The 180° Tour from Santa Cruz Island includes:
• Transfer to the meeting point from the Grupo Galápagos office.
• Certified guide (English - Spanish).
• Lunch.
• Snacks.
• Towel.
• Full wetsuit.
• Snorkeling equipment.
The tour does not include:
• Soft drinks.
• Tips.
What other day tours can I take from Santa Cruz Island?
Departing from Puerto Ayora you can take the following tours:
Tour to Bartolome island
Tour to Seymour island
Tour to Isabela island
Tour to Cormorant Point
Tour 180° Santa Cruz
Tour to Santa Fe island
Tour to Pinzón island
Tour to Floreana island
Tour to El Chato Reserve
Tour to South Plazas island
Bay Tour
Can I take more tours on other islands?
Yes, you can take tours and excursions departing from other islands such as:
What do other travelers think?
Read the reviews and experiences of those who have enjoyed our tours.