The Best Places to Go for Free in the Galápagos Islands
As budget tourists know, day tours can easily empty your wallet; cruises can empty your bank account. Luckily, a surprising number of sights are free to visit on your own. Check out these spots and keep an eye out for blue-footed boobies, marine iguanas, and sea lions.
Tortuga Bay, Santa Cruz
Most travelers don’t come to the Galápagos to lie on beaches but rather to watch animals lying on beaches. However, you may welcome the chance to sun yourself like a lazy iguana after a hard day of watching wildlife. The longest beach in the archipelago is a 45-minute walk from Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz. The first beach has strong currents and is popular with surfers, but walk to the end and soak in a sheltered, shallow lagoon at Playa Mansa. In between, there is a short rocky path where you can keep your eye out for marine iguanas and blue-footed boobies.
Cerro Tijeretas, San Cristóbal
A walking path from town winds through dry lava rock and cacti, ascending a steep hill with views of the beaches below. You can often spot frigate birds on the trees in the morning. The path then descends to a protected cove with clear water and good snorkeling.
La Lobería, San Cristóbal
Walk an hour out of town in San Cristóbal (or take a $4 taxi) and you will find yourself strolling among a huge colony of sea lions. The babies play in the sand while the moms sunbathe and the alpha males patrol the beach. The water is a bit murky and choppy, but that doesn’t stop tourists and locals from wading in to snorkel. The cliffs above the beach have beautiful views, and you can spot frigates and swallow-tailed gulls flying by.
Playa Grande and Los Humedales, Isabela
Puerto Villamil’s town is built along a beautiful white-sand beach that just keeps getting prettier the farther west you walk, until you reach the wetlands area with lagoons, flamingos, and marine iguanas.
Concha de Perla, Isabela
Walk just 15 minutes from town and you are ready to swim with lots of fish and occasional sea turtles in this protected, mangrove-fringed cove that is free to the public.
La Lobería, Floreana
Just a 20-minute walk from Puerto Velasco Ibarra is a rocky, lava-strewn path, fringed on either side by dramatic red vesuvium plants and cacti. At the end of the path is a protected area where snorkelers can float among sea turtles and a small sea lion colony. The west-facing point is one of the best places to watch the sunset in the Galápagos.
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