tour santa fe galapagos

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• Santa Cruz Tours
• Santa Fe Island

Santa Fe Island | Tour price $140 | Galapagos

Christian Echeverria

Santa Fe Island, is one of the most famous tours in Galapagos. You will snorkel with turtles, sharks and with luck the sea lions will swim. I can help you book the tour to Santa Fe Island for *$140

Chokotrip unlike Viator and other websites

Reserves your tour directly with the boat operators when you send your first payment. This is why our prices are not inflated and why when you reserve with us you recieve, the name and information of your tour operator so you can follow up directly with the tour operator and have the security of knowing that the tour is confirmed the moment you pay for it.

Santa Fe Island (Galapagos – Ecuador) is one of my ultimate favorites and you can visit it on an experiential fishing tour or on a land tour. The best part is when you’re snorkeling in the bay and sea lions start to playfully approach you (sea lions’ behavior may change during mating season).

Santa Fe Island in daily tour

Santa Fe Island:

• How to get there

Trip itinerary

• Tour information
• Check availability
• ES: Isla Santa Fé

How to get to Santa Fe Island?

There are two ways to get to Santa Fe Island in the Galapagos. The first is on a Galapagos cruise that includes this stop in its itinerary. The second is by taking a day tour from Santa Cruz Island.

Santa Fe Island bay

Santa Fe Island Bay

Once on the yacht, you’ll sail for 45 minutes until you reach the bays around Santa Fe Island to do some snorkeling . Since the island is located between San Cristobal, Floreana and Santa Cruz Islands, you’ll observe a variety of marine life, like: tropical fish, rays, Tintonera sharks, and sea turtles. This is a wonderful snorkeling experience!

The sea lions tend to be harmless, they’ll swim alongside you in a playful way. There’s always an alpha sea lion present, and you should keep your distance. Before ending the tour without landing, you’ll observe some sea fishing in action. Get ready to see a 30 lb fish battling the rod.

Stories on Instagram Santa Fe Island

Stories on Instagram from Santa Fe Island

• ? ENTER AND ENJOY IT!

Included in the itinerary of the tour without landing, you’ll visit Playa Escondida which is located on Santa Cruz Island. It’s surrounded by a volcanic arm, ideal for swimming, hiking, observation of baby Galapagos sharks and colonies of marine iguanas.

Meanwhile, in the itinerary with landing, you’ll visit South Plazas Island , which has an incredible landscape and is home to a mix of marine and land iguanas. The cost for this tour is much higher since it is on a luxury yacht and because it stops on both islands as well as snorkeling on Santa Fe.

SANTA FE ISLAND VIDEO

Information on Santa Fe Island

› Does not include: Alcoholic drinks, soda, tip, and neoprene suit (I recommend renting this from June-Nov at any local operator).

DON’T MISS OUT!

I can help you reserve a tour to Santa Fe Island with local operators that own the vessels. Instead of wasting time wandering around each island looking for tours, you should be enjoying the places you can visit on your own while at the Galapagos Islands.

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I can help you reserve a tour to Santa Fe Island with local operators that own the vessels. Instead of wasting time wandering around each island looking for tours, you should be enjoying the places you can visit on your own while at the Galapagos Islands.  

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POLITICAS DE USO

• Al reservar hospedaje en cada isla, obtendras 10 dolares por isla, es decir si reservas en las 3 islas hospedajes obtendrias 30 dolares de descuento por persona al contratar tours diarios en las 3 islas.
• Al usar el descuento en los tours contratados con ChokoTrip, las reservas de hospedajes no podran ser canceladas ni se aplicaria ninguna politica de cancelacion ni cambio de fecha de los hoteles.
• Para acceder al descuento, la compra de los tours debe ser realizar por la misma persona que reservó en el siguiente formulario de la pagina de ChokoTrip
• Solo para reservas del 2024

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My name is Christian but you came call me Choko. Together with my wife we have created this blog to help all travelers going to Galapagos. I am from Ecuador, born in Guayaquil. Passionate about traveling and everything related to social media. In my free time I travel the americas. I have given conferences and workshops revolving around my work and tourism 2.0 // WRITE ME USING WHATSAPP: +593978990910 - BLOG EN ESPAÑOL ChokoTrip

15 Comments

I only had 3 full days at the Galápagos Islands and booking with Chokotrip ensured that I had a spot on the tours I wanted to do. The process was easy and the prices are similar to what is offered when booking in person on the island.

The Santa Fe tour was incredible! the boat was comfortable and the guide very friendly and knowledgeable. We saw so much amazing sea life including sea turtles, eagle rays, star fish, sea snakes, plenty of colourful fish, and swam with sea lion pups 🙂

Tour to Santa Fe was amazing! Due to limited of time to do research, I simply write to chokotrip what tours I’d like to join! They are also very responsive through email.

The trip we booked included visits both to Santa Fe and South Las Plazas islands. While more expensive than the “traditional” Santa Fe excursion, we wanted the opportunity for both snorkeling and hiking while experiencing the diversity of two different islands. The guide and crew were friendly and helpful. The food was exceptional. I was a bit disappointed with the hike on Santa Fe (very short) and limited, but we were still able to see the Barrington land iguana. Our time snorkeling near Santa Fe was amazing. The sea lions were so playful and our guide showed us how to safely engage with them. Next we went to South las Plazas where we had a great land based experience that allowed us to capture the breadth of the flora and fauna. Christian was great with getting this setup and helping on the day of the excursion with some clarity around meeting times and location when the crew wasn’t immediately there.

My dad and I went to Galapagos at the end of March, and that is definitely the best time to go. Chokotrip made things searching for tours very easy for us to do, and they were very easy to get in contact with to book things. The engine on the tour boat was damaged the day before our tour. Chokotrip gave us another tour that same day and time going to pinzón instead of Santa Fe. We thought that Santa Fe would have been much better. The companies were very accommodating, friendly, and followed all safety rules. The food was also very good.

Christian m’a parfaitement aidé dans l’organisation et la réservation de mes différentes activités aux Galápagos.

Hi Christian,

I very much enjoyed the two tours that you arranged for me. First the 360 around San Cristobal and then the Santa Fe/South Plazas out of Santa Cruz. At my age I don’t snorkel however I enjoyed the landings and treks that came with the tours and watching everyone else be super happy with the interaction they had with the sea lions and turtles. My joy was photography and I took over 900 photos. After arriving back home I prepared a flash drive and commentary of all the animals that I photographs and sent it on to my grandchildren. They receive it today and I know they will be overjoyed. Even though I have traveled the world over I was amazed at the number of families that travel to the Galapagos. Generations better understand what has and is happening by experiencing Galapagos. They go home knowing the change they must be part of in the future. The very best regards and success that you will have in being part of this in the future.

Had an amazing trip!! ChokoTrips was easy to book and communication was great. The trip to Santa Fe was amazing we had the opportunity to swim with sea lions! They were amazing to watch in their natural habitat!

Santa Fe was probably the best snorkeling we encountered while in Galapagos. The water was quite cold though even in late December. I would recommend renting a wetsuit if one is not provided.

I will be there in November and was looking for a Tour of Santa Cruz Island without landing. Will you be offering? thanks

Sure. you can do it here http://www.choko.tours/book-tours

What a tour. Best snorkeling with sea lions. Two spots and tons of sea lions playing right in your face. And with you. Such an amazing experience. If you want to snorkel with sea lions this is trip to take. Thanks choko and to the guide for a great trip.

My daughter and I had a wonderful day of snorkeling and fishing. While there was no landing on Sante Fe island, we stopped first at “Hidden Beach” on the end on Santa Cruz. Gorgeous beach and much wildlife. Well organized with friendly captain, crew and guide. Well worth the money. A highlight of our trip to the Galapagos.

It was amazing snorkeling on this tour. Thank you, Choko, for making reservations for us and arranging all.

The trip to Santa Fe was amazing. Firstly Christian helped us find a spot on the boat in a time of the year where it soon gets very busy. It can be hard finding spots for the daily trips and whilst no other tour operator seemed to be able to help us, Christian really managed to get us onboard. The boat was amazing and the crew very helpful. The trip itself was fantastic; Visiting Santa Fe from both land and sea is a great opportunity to spot lots of different animals amongst which sea lions, turtles, school of fish. The guide we had was very knowledgeable and could speak both English and Spanish. He really took his time to explain lots of things about wildlife and the interaction with the environment. It was like being in a BBC documentary. I highly recommend this trip and Christian as organiser. He is truly great, always available and super efficient!

All six of us enjoyed the snorkeling trip to Santa Fe on yacht. The tour included deep water snorkeling in a scenic bay and fishing. The trip was very well organized, the boat was fast, food was great, and snorkeling was excellent. First spot with the sea lions had pretty strong currents for our group, and the guide decided to move us to a safer area. On the way back we caught 2 pretty big fish. Just make sure you understand that landing on the island and hiking are not part of this trip.

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Daily Tour Galapagos

Santa fé island daily tour, santa fé island (snorkeling day).

• Hotel pick-up in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island.
• Boarding Time: 08:00 am.
• Sailing time from Santa Cruz to Santa Fé Island (1 hour).
• Arrival at Santa Fe Island at approximately 09:00 am.
• Enjoy 3 snorkeling sessions, each lasting 45 minutes.
• Lunch break.
• Visit Playa Escondida (Hidden Beach).
• Return to Santa Cruz at 15:00 pm.
• Arrival to Santa Cruz at approximately 16:00 pm.
• Transfer back to your hotel.

Places to Visit:

Santa Fé Island: Santa Fé Island is named after the Capitulations of Santa Fe, where Christopher Columbus was granted titles and authority for his discoveries. The island pays homage to Admiral Samuel Barrington. With an area of 24 km² and a maximum altitude of 259 meters, Santa Fe boasts the largest forest of Opuntia cactus in the archipelago, along with palo santo trees. The island features a stunning turquoise lagoon and tranquil waters where you can snorkel alongside playful sea lions. Its coastal cliffs provide a habitat for swallow-tailed gulls, petrels, and other tropical bird species. Santa Fe is home to a large population of terrestrial iguanas, including the endemic Santa Fe land iguana, as well as lava lizards.

Playa Escondida (Hidden Beach): Playa Escondida, also known as Hidden Beach, is a picturesque destination on Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos. This beautiful beach is teeming with marine life, welcoming visitors with the presence of white-tip reef sharks, golden stingrays, eel rays, and sea turtles. Immerse yourself in the tranquility of Playa Escondida and discover the enchanting underwater world it has to offer.

• Animals to see: Sea lions, sea turtles, reef fish, rays, reef sharks.
• Activities: Snorkeling
• What do you bring: Sunscream, Repellent, Light clothing, Binoculars, Camera, swimsuit.
• Include: Professional bilingual guide, Transport, Lunch,Snack, Water and Snorkeling Equipment.
• Not Included: Dinner, Tips and Additional Expenses.
• We can’t guarantee that you will see all the animals, since they are in wildlife.
• The main activitie in this tour is snorkeling.

We are Galapagos!

We focus on our growth and on providing an unforgettable experience to our customers.

Galapagos is Unique

Wonderful, incredible, it is simply a natural enchantment, a paradise on earth, that's galapagos..

Day Tour to Santa Fe Island and Hidden Beach with snorkeling and fishing

• Use of Snorkelling equipment
• All Fees and Taxes
• Coffee and/or Tea
• Bottled water
• Wetsuit (short or long one, as you prefer)
• Alcoholic Beverages
• Propinas para la tripulación y el guía
• Guiding Galapagos Expeditions, Calle Enrique Fuentes 106 Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island, Puerto Ayora 200350, Ecuador Please be at the meeting point at 8:00am - Our office is located only 2 minutes by foot from the pier, right next to the cybercafe "sistemasgalapagos" - there is a big sign with our company logo "Guiding Galapagos" and you can also find us on Google Maps
• Not wheelchair accessible
• Near public transportation
• Infants must sit on laps
• No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
• Most travelers can participate
• This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
• This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
• This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travelers
• All sales are final and incur 100% cancellation penalties.

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• MonicaLynnejoh 0 contributions 2.0 of 5 bubbles Disappointing and overpriced We were disappointed as it was one of our more expensive excursion but it didn’t feel like it. The office staff were good. However, the snorkeling lasted only an hour and the boat ride was crowded with no place for gear etc. although we did see sea tortoises and penguins, the snorkeling wasn’t particularly good re the fish. The snorkeling portion felt really crowded. I think there were about 16 others on the boat. We didn’t see the wetlands advertised. Our “wetlands tour” was a 100 m, 5 minute walk right beside the boat station which we could have seen on our own. We saw two flamingos. I was expecting a more extensive walk given that the wetlands are something Isabella is known for. We did see the coconut beach but it was during lunch. The lunch was good though. Our guide wasn’t particularly engaged with us. The tortoise breeding centre isn’t as nice as some of the others we’ve seen. I would probably skip it going to the turtle breeding centre. The one on San Cristobal is much better. It felt like the tour was outsourced to a number of different operators and wasn’t the experience we were hoping for. Read more Written April 14, 2024
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• NaliniM 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles An amazing experience with Stephanie of Guiding Galapagos On a scale of 5, I would give Stephanie of GG a 10!!!! She was that amazing. From a very long time, Galapagos has been high on my bucket list . However, I was reluctant to make that trip because I had the misconception that the only way to tour the Galapagos was to sign up with a cruise company but we are NOT a cruise loving family:-(. This spring, while holidaying in Jordan, we met a young couple who had done their Galapagos trip through the GG tour company and they waxed eloquent about the company and their whole experience. Based on their reco, I decided to plan/book our Galapagos trip for this Dec thru GG. Right from my first contact with Stephanie, I knew I had hit gold. She was incredibly warm, thoughtful, detailed oriented, and patient as we worked through many iterations of our schedule till I was totally satisfied with the itinerary. And then, we bought our flt tickets and paid the 50% advance to GG. then suddenly, in early Sept, a thunderbolt struck our lives! My husband was diagnoses with an aggressive form of cancer and there was no way we could make our Galapagos trip :-(. When I contacted Stephanie, the remarkable person that she is, she immediately told me not to worry one bit and that she would take care of reselling our spots (for the various tours we had signed up for, hotel reservation etc.). She was true to her word. She took care of all the resale and some of it involved lengthy negotiations with the resort on Isabella island. She refund my full advance less the Ecuador govt. taxes that are non refundable. As per the GG contract, she would have been perfectly within her rights to hold on to the full advance that I had paid. Instead, she walked that extra long mile to help me out during a time of great stress for our family. I have asked Stephanie to hold on to our itinerary because as soon as my husband recovers fully, we want to make that promised trip to Galapagos and meet Stephanie and thank her in person. You are the best Stephanie. Wouldn't think of doing this with an other tour group. Read more Written December 22, 2023
• miocat7 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Isabela Island Excellent tour, we saw iguanas, flamingos, penguins, the blue-footed booby (blue-feet bird), turtles and sea lions swimming while we were snorkeling, magnificent frigatebird and baby sharks sleeping. Lunch is included, note the ride is two hours boat ride each way from Santa Cruz island. Read more Written December 5, 2023
• l7kooooma 0 contributions 1.0 of 5 bubbles A bad experience I would like to say that the operater ( omar ) contact me before the tour and he explained yo me everything , but when i went to the isabela , I suppose to meet 1 guy his name jonathan , and this guy hes the worst Cant speak english , always delay ( mot on time ) Dont explain anything and also trying to send you with other group “ imagine “ Even the other tour guides know him and was complaining against him By the way , i booked this tour 12 days in advanced and i payed 400USD FOR THIS I DONT RECOMMEND THIS TOUR WITH THIS COMPANY Read more Written November 23, 2023

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Day Tour to Santa Fe Island and Hidden Beach with snorkeling and fishing provided by Guiding Galapagos Expeditions

Santa Fe Tour

From santa cruz, kicker rock tour, from san cristobal island, santa fe island tour description.

Duration : 7 hours

Departure time: 8am

Departure point: Puerto Ayora

Playa Escondida. Snorkeling Tour

Santa Fe Tour Itinerary

Santa Fe Tour is the perfect day tour to enjoy snorkeling and relaxing on the amazing Galapagos beaches.

The tour will start by us picking you up at the hotel and taking you towards the Puerto Ayora Port. From there, we will start the navigation to Playa Escondida. After laying there for a while taking a refreshing bath and walking around, we continue the navigation heading towards Santa Fe Islands.

Santa Fe is located in the middle of several islands ( San Cristobal , Floreana , Santa Cruz ) and because of this it has a good mix of amazing sealife and different species coming from those different places. You will get to appreciate this first hand while snorkeling there.

After snorkeling, we will start returning back to Puerto Ayora. While we are returning, part of the crew that is authorized to fish will do a demonstration where you can closely see how they perform this activity and the big size of the marine species.

Important: There is also the option to do this tour with disembark on Santa Fe Island, meaning you get to actually explore it and not just snorkel there. In this format, after the snorkeling session instead of going back to Puerto Ayora, we will have a 1 hour walk around the island. During the walk you will see endemic iguanas   and our certified bilingual guide will tell you all about the story of the island and its animals.

Playa Escondida

Playa Escondida is located in Santa Cruz Island and ranked as one of the best beaches in Galapagos. At Playa Escondida you will enjoy 1 hour laying and relaxing and taking a bath on this amazingly beautiful beach. The water is cristal clear and there are a few of marine iguanas and sea lions laying there swimming with you.

Payment Method

Credit Card (7% extra charge)

Azimo  (free of charges. EU countries)

Bank Transfer

Cash in our offices

Paypal (10% extra charge)

TransferWise  ($15 charge)

Kicker rock route

Questions? Drop us a line!

[email protected]

Aditional information and recommendations

• Navigation may be a little shaky, so if you tend to get sick on boats we recommend to take a pill for seasickness before the tour.
• The boat is for a maximum of 12 people
• The tour includes lunch. We usually serve it at the boat after the snorkeling session.
• This tour is available all year, everyday.

WHAT’S INCLUDED?

Bilinguial Authorized Guide

Snorkel equipment, neoprene suit, book santa fe tour.

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Santa Fe Island - Galapagos Travel Guide

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• The island is known for its unique and diverse wildlife, including the Santa Fe land iguana, which is endemic to the island. It's one of the largest and most colorful species in the Galapagos, with vibrant yellow and green markings.
• Santa Fe is also home to a variety of bird species, including Galapagos hawks, blue-footed boobies, and frigatebirds. The Galapagos hawk is considered the archipelago's apex predator. There is evidence that giant tortoises were once native to Santa Fe, but they seem to have gotten extinct when whaling expeditions haunted them for food.
• Santa Fe is one of the oldest islands of the archipelago, geologically speaking. Rock formations below the water surface date back 3.9 million years.
• The island's beaches are a popular destination for snorkeling and diving, with clear waters and abundant marine life, including sea lions and sea turtles.
• Santa Fe's rugged terrain can be explored by foot. Hiking trails take visitors through rocky landscapes and cactus forests. The island has a relatively flat surface, unlike the other Galapagos Islands.
• Observe one of the most famous landmarks on Santa Fe, the impressive Opuntia cactus, which can grow up to 33 feet tall and is a vital food source for the island's land iguanas.
• Santa Fe has four major visitor sites including Barrington Bay, the only land site on the island, and the marine sites of El Fondeador, La Encanada and Costa Este that are only accessible through diving.
• The island was first discovered by European explorers in the 16th century, and was later used as a base for whaling and fishing expeditions.

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Santa Fe Island Day Tour

San Fe island is a 24 Km2 (2.4Ha) located to the South-east of Santa Cruz Island . The visit site is Santa Fe Bay, a beautiful shallow bay with two sandy beaches and one islet.  There you will have the opportunity to find two endemic species: the Santa Fe prickly pear cactus and the pale iguana plus one of the biggest sea lion colony, Galapagos hawks , Galapagos mockingbirds , and other species. The snorkel take place on this turquoise waters with good chances of swimming with sea lions, observing rays, white tip sharks and sea turtles . 

Naturalist guide

Key Features

Santa Fe Iguana

Santa Fe Prickly Pear actus

Galapagos Hawk

Galapagos Sea Lions

Description

Santa Fe is one of the oldest islands of the Archipelago (3.5 to 4 M-y.o.) with its own species of land iguana, the Santa Fe iguana , also known as the pale variety. Santa Fe Bay is at the Eastside of Santa Fe island. There you will disembark on one of the two beaches. The trail goes along the coast where the sea lions rest or play, then you will go a little uphill to look for the pale iguana and the giant cactus , the tallest (reaching 15 m or 45 ft) of the Opuntia cactus in the islands. During the walk you can see the famous Galapagos hawk . On the dingy ride you will look after sea turtles , rays and sharks .

There are three possible areas for snorkel activity in this island. The guide will decide which will be the best site to get in the water.  The chances to see wildlife is similar in the three places, sea lions , tropical fishes , rays and even some sea turtles or sharks . 

This iguana is one of the largest. The pale-yellow males could reach 3.5ft and the light green females are smaller about 2 ft only and with smaller dorsal spines. One of the characteristics of this species is the side bend spine crest. Like the other species of land iguanas, the males keep a territory with at least one prickly pear cactus on it, since it is the main resource of food. The land iguanas sleep inside of burrows, not in group as the marine iguanas.

Opuntia megasperma is the tallest of all the varieties, but also the one that produce the largest fruit. This prickly pear might look familiar to the sweet fruits, that you had try before. Well is not sweet at all, the best way to describe its flavor is sticky-sour with large seeds a very little water, and full of tiny spines. So, these iguanas have to roll and scratch them before eat them.

Most of the people that visit or live in the island don't have the opportunity to see this species. The reason is not the behavior like, the Galapagos rail (an elusive bird). This rat is actually very curious, but they are mostly nocturnal. The are herbivorous, feeding mostly on grass. Santa Fe island is the one of the two islands, where they had survived even with the presence of introduce rats. There were a total of seven endemic rats on the Galapagos, nowadays only four of them survived: two species in Fernandina, one in Santiago and one in Santa Fe.

This bird is the main land predator of the islands, although can act as a scavenger. The female is bigger than the males, reaching 45cm of 1.2 ft. She is the one that holds a territory and share it with two or three males, they mate with the female and contribute fletching the chicks. Once the juveniles are big enough, they need to go and find a new area. This hawk includes several preys in their menu: baby iguanas, sea lion placenta, lava lizards, to mention some.

The Galapagos sea lion is considered a sentinel species, since they can reflex how healthy is the environment, during extreme events like El Niño South Oscilation, the sea lions are one of the first species to show stress signals like miscarriages. This species had shown an incredible resilience in comparison with the Galapagos fur seal, one of the key factors apparently is diversify of nichs and preys that they can include in their diet, about 34 species. While the Galapagos fur seals are mostly nocturnal divers and feed mostly on squids and lanternfish.

Santa Fe Full Day Tour

• Amazing Landscapes
• Unique Fauna
• Opuntia Forest

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Santa Fe Island

The tour operator will pick you up in the hotel or you may be asked to meet the group in the Main duck in Puerto Ayora. You will be taken to the boat by a dingy or a “panga”. The navigation to Santa Fe takes approximately 2 hours, and to reach Santa Fe Bay 15 to 20 minutes. The order of the activities (hike and snorkel) will depend on the boat itinerary that is authorized by the GNPS. After the first activity you will have a snack and after the second activity you will have a lunch on board. For the hike you will have a wet landing on the sandy beach, you will need to take your shoes to wear them before the hike, they provide towels to dry your feet. Before or after the disembark you will have a dingy ride on the bay. The snorkel will be take of the dingy, not from the beach.

Checking a local forecast helps to decide your outfit, however no matter how cloudy it could be, you need to use sunblock and taking with you a hat, sunglasses and a light jacket. Don’t forget your camera and your water bottle, you can refill it on board.

For the cold season (June to November) beside the jacket you might need a 2.5 wetsuit.

During the navigation there are good chances to observe wildlife: seabirds, sea lions, rays or even whales or dolphins.

Santa Fe trails is 1.1 km or 0.68 miles, the walk takes normally 1 hour and a half. 

The snorkel takes normally 45 minutes to one hour.

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Tour details.

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Transportation

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Santa Fé Daily Tour

Disembark on a bay with crystal clear water and observe colonies of sealions playing around

Tour Description

Santa Fe Island (Barrington) is situated southeast of Santa Cruz island. You will have a wet bay landing in crystal clear water, where a sealion colony will welcome you. Your naturalist guide will take you on a trail through a forest of giant ‘Opuntia’ prickly-pear cactus where you can spot land iguanas and different types of birds like blue-footed boobies, frigate birds and Galapagos gulls.

Snorkeling in Santa Fe is a very special experience, young sealions will be happy to show off their swimming abilities while you can see lots of different fish, turtles and more.

*Departure Time between 7-8 am

*Navigation Time aprox. 40 minutes

*Arrival Time around 4:30 pm

Included: Lunch, Snacks, towels, snorkeling equipment and bilingual naturalist guide (Spanish/English)

Not included: volunteer tips, alcoholic beverages, wetsuit.

Santa Fe Island Tour

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– The tours are with shared departures, if you want a private tour, the values ​​change. – Tours are subject to date and time availability. – The complete information of each person is needed to make the reservation of the tours. – Tours are paid 100% to be booked.

Ya reunidos en el muelle principal de Puerto Ayora para abordar el yate. La navegación a Santa Fe tomará dos horas. En esta isla encontrarán iguanas terrestres endémicas que viven solo en este lugar, leones marinos en la playa de arena blanca descansando, esperando ser fotografiados, además de posar ante sus cámaras. Entrarán en un gigante bosque de cactus mientras que el halcón de Galápagos sobrevuela en el cielo azul claro. En la isla de Santa Fe se ven a menudo, cangrejos, garzas nocturnas, iguanas marinas, sinsontes y palomas de galápagos. Esta bahía te ofrece agua turquesa y cristalina para nadar y bucear; tortugas marinas, rayas, leones marinos, peces y otros animales marinos en este arrecife rocoso son atracciones únicas de este lugar.

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Santa fe island tour, a sea lions’ kingdom, swim with sea lions, tour description, our santa fe island tour  is the ultimate destination to see galapagos sea lions and a prime opportunity to swim with these amazing animals.  young sea lions are very friendly and they love to imitate swimmers. often they play and do tricks under the water and they offer a very unique wildlife experience..

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Other tours you might be interested in., pinzon island is the perfect place for snorkeling lovers. the calm crystalline waters attract both, amateur and professional snorkelers…, very similar to fernandina, the youngest island of the archipelago, la fe ecosystem is ruled by marine iguanas, lava rocks, red mangroves…, daphne mayor is located at santa cruz northern shore and only 15 minutes away from itabaca channel and baltra airport. it is recommended….

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Santa Fe Island, Galapagos

Fernandina Island, Galapagos

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Santa Fe Island is one of the oldest in the Galapagos Islands archipelago. It is thought to be at least four million years old. The island is also sometimes known as Barrington Island and it was named after an admiral called Samuel Barrington.

Santa Fe Island is relatively small, covering an area of 9.3 square miles (24 square kilometers). It is in relatively close proximity to Santa Cruz Island , and it is found to the south east of this island. The island is characterized to some degree by its vegetation. It has palo santo trees, a pear cactus that is called Optunia Echios and brush land. The cactus is particularly noteworthy as it is large, and there is a thick forest of these on the island. The island has a relatively flat surface when compared with some of the other Galapagos Islands.

Santa Fe Island weather is the same as that elsewhere in the Galapagos Islands. You may expect relatively warm, and sometimes hot weather. As with the other islands, there is also some rain during the wet season, but this rarely lasts all day long.

Getting to Santa Fe Island

Santa Fe Island is located not too far from Santa Cruz Island . This is good news for visitors who opted for land-based Galapagos options , as it means that the island can be visited on a day trip from Santa Cruz Island. Day trips to Santa Fe Island are likely to last around eight hours in duration, leaving early in the morning, and the journey to the island will take around 40 minutes. Typically these trips include walking and snorkeling option as well as lunch and snacks on board the boat. There are no public transportation options for Getting to Santa Fe Island because it is unpopulated and there is no infrastructure there. Most commonly Santa Fe Island will be accessed by those visitors that decided to take a Galapagos Islands cruise . If you have your heart set on visiting Santa Fe Island be sure to check that your cruise includes the central islands, and specifically this one, since not all cruises and not even all cruises to the central Galapagos Islands go to Santa Fe.

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Tour a la Isla Santa Fe 2024

En este tour a la isla Santa Fe puede observar una gran cantidad de lobos marinos porque hay una colonia cerca, además se visualizan piqueros patas azules, gaviotines, gaviotas de cola bifurcada. La isla Santa Fe es una de las más antiguas de Galápagos, tiene una superficie de 24km llena de una densa cantidad de cactus gigantes.

DETALLES DEL TOUR: Hora de salida: 08:00 am Desde: Puerto Ayora – Isla Santa Cruz. Duración: 6 - 7 horas. Navegación: 1 hora. Capacidad del bote: 12 personas. Actividades: 80% Snorkeling y 20% Caminata en playa. Incluye: Traje de neopreno largo.

Pague con tarjeta de crédito.

$145 Bote Económico. $185 Bote Estándar.

Mapa con la ruta del tour a la isla Santa Fe desde la isla Santa Cruz.

Itinerario de viaje a la isla Santa Fe

El punto de encuentro es en nuestra oficina y de ahí te trasladaremos hasta el muelle donde parte el bote que te lleva a la isla Santa Fe en un recorrido de aproximadamente 1 hora.

Al llegar a la isla se hará un recorrido por las costas en donde se podrá apreciar los peces multicolores desde la superficie, piqueros patas azules, gaviotines, gaviotas de cola bifurcada y muchas aves más. Este sitio es ideal para observar la vida marina, aquí podrá hacer snorkeling junto a los juguetones lobos marinos , hay varios de ellos porque hay una colonia asentada en la isla.

Además podrás observar a las Tintoreras de punta blanca que se encuentran nadando o descansando sobre las rocas. Posteriormente harán una visita a la Playa Escondida para descansar y relajarse. Esta playa tiene aguas color turquesa y arena color crema, podrá ver varias tortugas marinas nadando cerca de ahí.

Para regresar el capitán decidirá si podrán colocar las cañas de pescar y tratar de atrapar algún pez durante el recorrido. Esta actividad es opcional. ¡Si te gustan los lobos marinos y nadar con ellos, esta isla es tu mejor opción!

El Tour a la isla Santa Fe incluye

• Traslado al punto de encuentro desde la oficina de Grupo Galápagos. • Guía Certificado (inglés - español) • Almuerzo. • Snacks. • Traje de neopreno largo. • Equipo de snorkel.

El Tour no Incluye

• Gaseosas. • Propinas.

Tours desde la isla Santa Cruz

Tour a Bartolomé

Tour a Seymour Norte

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Tour Punta Cormorant e islote Enderby

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Tour a Pinzón

Tour a Floreana

Tour de Bahía

Tour parte alta Reserva El Chato

Tour a Plaza Sur

Copyright © 2024 Grupo Galápagos | Desarrollado por VISUM Términos y Condiciones

Santa Fe Island Tour, Galapagos Islands

Santa Fe Island is a popular destination for Galapagos travelers. The environment at Santa Fe is breathtaking, with a lovely blue lake bay and giant prickly pear cactus woodlands. Santa Fe Island has the greatest number of indigenous animal species of any Galapagos island . Among the tourism activities offered on the island are trekking, snorkeling, and diving.

The vegetation on the island contributes to its uniqueness. There are palo santo trees, a pear cactus named Optunia Echios, and a bush area. The cactus is especially notable since it is enormous, and there is a dense forest of them on the island. When compared to other Galapagos Islands , the island has a comparatively flat terrain.

Table of Contents

How to Get to Santa Fe Island

Santa Fe Island is situated nearby Santa Cruz Island . This is fantastic news for those who picked land-based Galapagos options since it means the island may now be visited on a day trip from Santa Cruz Island. There are no public transportation options for traveling to Santa Fe Island because it is unpopulated and lacks infrastructure.

Day tours to Santa Fe Island are available and they are anticipated to span roughly eight hours— beginning early in the morning with a journey lasting approximately 40 minutes. These excursions often include walking and snorkeling options, as well as lunch and snacks on board the boat. 

Attractions and Activities in Santa Fe

Visitors to Santa Fe Island can participate in a wide range of activities. There is just one visitor site, although there are two trekking paths. Snorkeling and canoeing are additional options in Barrington Bay’s calm waters, and there are three dive sites. Continue reading for additional information on each Santa Fe island visitor spot.

Barrington Bay

Barrington Bay Santa Fe is a lovely, sheltered cove with clear blue water. Visitors are greeted by raucous Galapagos sea lions as they unload onto the beach. There are two tourist trails: a short coastal loop along the beach and a longer hike up to the clifftop.

The brief loop allows visitors to get a close-up view of the massive Santa Fe cactus. These are the Galapagos’ tallest and thickest prickly pear plants. This is also an excellent location to look for land iguanas.

The second route ascends to the Santa Fe cliffs, where breeding Galapagos seabirds may be seen. The walk is fairly steep, but hikers are rewarded at the summit with spectacular views of the island. On the rock ledges, a variety of marine bird species nest. We saw swallow-tailed gulls, Petrels, boobies, and Frigates, which frequently fly overhead. Look for the lovely red-billed Tropicbird, which has exquisite long tail feathers.

Snorkeling on Santa Fe Island

Barrington Bay is also a popular Galapagos snorkeling destination, and one of the finest for snorkeling with playful Galapagos sea lions. These inquisitive critters are frequently interested in humans, so don’t be shocked if they swim straight up to you. They swim circles around tourists like joyful toddlers in the sea.

Diving on Santa Fe Island

Day diving trips from Santa Cruz island continue the underwater activity to Santa Fe island. The waters are quiet, making them ideal for beginning or intermediate divers, and visibility is typically excellent. El Fondeador, La Encanada, and Costa Este are the three diving sites in Santa Fe.

Above all the islands in Galapagos, Santa Fe is an incredible site to dive with sea lions! Black striped salemas, stingrays, marbled and mobula rays, white tip reef sharks, marine turtles, and crustaceans such as the Galapagos eel are also occasionally seen. It is also possible to see a Galapagos shark in Costa Este. 

Wildlife on Santa Fe Island

Some of the fauna on Santa Fe Island are endemic such as land iguana and rice rat. However, the island has become home to a plethora of new fauna, so there are lots to see.

Many different varieties of birds may be spotted on the cliffs. Swallow-tailed gulls, shearwater petrels, and red-billed tropicbirds are among what we have seen. Mockingbirds, finches, and the Galapagos hawk are also possible sightings. Lava lizards are also found on Santa Fe Island.

Weather on Santa Fe Island

The weather on Santa Fe Island is the same as it is across the Galapagos Islands . You should expect reasonably warm, if not scorching, weather. During the rainy season, there is occasional rain, like on the other islands, although it seldom lasts all day.

Bottom Line

Santa Fe Galapagos is a spectacular location for all ages. Rare species found nowhere else on the planet reside on a tiny, flat island. Even the prickly pear cactus grow larger on this island than on the others. So, if you have the opportunity, include Santa Fe Island in your Galapagos itinerary for an out-of-the-ordinary experience!

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About the author.

Oleg Galeev

I'm Oleg, and together with my wife, we've explored Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, journeying through more than 20 cities ( Quito , Cuenca , Banos , Tena , Puyo , Guayaquil , Riobamba , Otavalo , Mindo and more) and nearly every island in the Galapagos (including iconic ones such as Bartolome Island , San Cristobal Island , Isabela Island , Santa Cruz Island and more). In this blog, I give you my real thoughts about each place we visited. This info can help anyone planning a trip to the Galapagos Islands or mainland Ecuador . I'm just a traveler, not a tour company, so I'm not trying to sell anything. That means I'll tell you the truth—both the good and the bad — about traveling in Ecuador based on what we experienced.

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Santa Fe Galapagos Snorkeling Day Trip + Playa Escondida

Full day tour from Puerto Ayora

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• Galapagos Day Trips

Santa Fe Galapagos Snorkeling Day Trip and Playa Escondida | Day-Tour from Santa Cruz

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Take a snorkeling-focused trip to uninhabited Santa Fe Island and Playa Escondida
• Take a boat ride towards one of the prettiest landscapes in Galapagos
• Observe Galapagos iconic birdlife from your boat.
• Take a refreshing dip in the waters of Santa Fe beach and snorkel next to sea lions and sea turtles

Tour Description Santa Fe Galapagos Snorkeling Day Trip The trip begins at 8:00 am from Pueto Ayora Dock after the guide picks you up from your hotel of stay in Santa Cruz. Get ready 1 hour navigation (approx.) towards the snorkeling site of Santa Fe Island. A short 10 minute stop will allow you to observe the northern cliffs and beach of Santa Fe, and catch sigh of Blue Footed Boobies from the boat.

Afterwards, you will move on to the first snorkeling area on the east side of the island. This spot Is filled with colorful fish and sea lions are also common o the area. The rocky cliffs and the clear water of Santa Fe are a lovely submarine view of Galapagos wildlife. Rays, tuna, several large schools of fish and reef shark are also common to the area. After this fist dip in the water, you will get back on the boat for lunch.

After lunch, you will be on your way back to Santa Cruz Island and stop at Hidden Beach. This beautiful isolated spot can only be accessed by boat. This is the perfect spot to observe Galapagos marine iguanas, Blue Footed Boobies, Marine iguanas and Sally light foot crabs. You will start this part of the visit snorkeling on the water on Playa Escondida. Spotted eagle rays, golden rays, sea turtles and even white tipped sharks inhabit this area. You will then have some time to just relax or explore the beach before returning to Puerto Ayora.

IMPORTANT  NOTE : In order to fulfill this tour, you must be at Santa Cruz Island (Puerto Ayora) one day prior to departure.

What to Expect: Location : Santa Fe lies in the centre of the Galapagos archipelago, to the south west of Santa Cruz Island. Playa Escondida is located south-west of Playa El Garrapatero in Santa Cruz Island. Wildlife to See : Galapagos Blue Footed Boobies, sea turtles, white tipped sharks, rays, land iguanas. Difficulty Level : Moderate – Open water snorkeling. Activities : snorkeling, swimming, beach time. What to Birng : water sandals, water, hat, sunscreen, snorkeling gear, bathing suit/ dry clothes.

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