Santa Fe Island Day Tour

Santa Fe Island Day Tour from Puerto Ayora

Our Santa Fe Island Day Tour from Puerto Ayora is a full day cruise to discover and explore one of the oldest and most isolated of Galapagos Island. Santa Fe lays in the waters of the Pacific and it will take us two hours to get to our destination and step on its land. The tour to Santa Fe begins in Puerto Ayora and there are two options how to get picked-up. We collect participants by coach in selected hotels located within Puerto Ayora, but if your hotel is located too far from one of the selected ones we will pick you up in front of 'Sumbawa Surf Shop' - this place is easy to get to and within walking distance to the pier where we get on board of our yacht.

Once onboard on the yacht, we commence our two-hour-long journey toward the South-East in direction of Santa Fe island. Santa Fe Island, also called Barrington Island because of British Admiral Samuel Barrington, is a smaller, relatively low and very remote island at the middle of the Galapagos Islands, to the southeast of Santa Cruz Island. Geologically Santa Fe belongs to the earliest volcanoes, along with rock formations beneath the surface of the water that are 3.9 million years.

There certainly is solid proof that giant turtles were once inhabiting the island of Santa Fe. A minimum two records of whale hunting boats taking giant turtles from Santa Fe are documented. Moreover, two informants of the California Academy of Sciences expedition throughout 1905-06 figured out of giant turtles having been on Santa Fe. The flora of the Santa Fe Island is generally represented with of a thick forest of the largest species of giant Opuntia cactus.

Typically visit on the island begins by having a shoring on the small beach in Barrington Bay on the northeast edge of the Santa Fe island. Lots of sea lions are found on the coastlines in the bay and can often be seen surfing in the waves.

There are two routes, one short loop which is fairly near to the bay and provides a close-up look at the massive Santa Fe Opuntia cactus. Santa Fe land iguanas, as well as Galapagos hawks, are actually often seen throughout the visitor path. The 2nd route goes up a steep cliff, offering a view of the central section of the island. In Santa Fe island you will find an endemic land iguana that lives only in this place. Sea lions in a white sand beach resting waiting for pictures, they pose to your cameras. The trail starts at the beach and leads you into a giant cactus forest while the Galapagos hawk overflies in the light blue sky. Crabs, nocturnal herons, marine iguanas, mockingbirds, and Galapagos doves are often spotted in this unique island.

The snorkeling is a part of our Santa Fe Island Day Tour and we will snorkel at the Fisherman Bay in Santa Fe Island. Opting for snorkeling you can spot sea turtles, rays, sea lions, fishes, Galapagos sharks and much more of marine life along this rocky reef. Later on, we make an hour of lunchtime after hiking, walking, and snorkeling - super-tasty lunch will be served on board of the yacht an hour before we take the course back to Santa Cruz island.

Discovering of Galapagos without exploring Santa Fe Island is definitely not complete, so, please, try to book Santa Fe Island Day Tour from Puerto Ayora as far in advance as you can, because of the daily number of visitors to the island is limited.

IMPORTANT! Booking Santa Fe Island Day Tour from Puerto Ayora you must understand that for this tour are special and non-standard conditions apply - right after paying the required booking deposit, you will have to pay also the remaining balance in advance. It because the trip is so popular. After the tour is booked and availability confirmed, we will contact you by TripsPoint Messenger or email providing payment details to pay the remaining balance - it could be paid with bank transfer or with PayPal (in the case of PayPal additional surcharge of PayPal commission applies). Once the booking deposit and remaining balance paid (so the booking is fully paid) you are getting the tour Voucher which you show on pick-up. Exact pick-up time from your hotel in Puerto Ayora depend on the hotel location and specified in your Voucher as the start time.

Before you book the Santa Fe Day Tour, please, read also the tour Itinerary section below.

Itinerary Important info

Itinerary of Santa Fe Island Day Tour from Puerto Ayora:

8:00 AM - Hotel Pick-Up or Meet up at 'Sumbawa Surf Shop' in Puerto Ayora
- Our shuttle will pick up all passengers from hotels in Puerto Ayora. Make sure to be ready at the designated time, remember that you can be the first ones or last ones to be picked up, so please give an extra fifteen minutes to that time.
8:10 AM - Gus Angermeyer Pier / Boarding
- After gathering all passengers, you will board the yacht in groups. Once in the yacht, safety instructions will be explained.
8:35 AM - Departure to Santa Fe island
- The captain will start engines and the journey will begin to the island after security checks with crew members.
10:30 AM - Arrival to Santa Fe island
- Engines will stop and guides will announce the arrival, you will have to prepare to disembark for hiking.
10:45 AM - Disembark and visit on the island
- The disembark will be in groups, make sure to bring water and a camera.
12:45 - Return to the yacht
- You will get back on board.
1:00 PM - Lunch on board
- Lunch will be served on board to all passengers in the lounge, bridge, and rooftop. You will be served fresh fish, salads, rice, and dessert afterward.
*Special meals under request only.
2:00 PM - Snorkel time on Fisherman Bay
3:00 PM - Return to the yacht and return to Santa Cruz / Itabaca Canal
- The captain will start engines and the journey back home will begin after security checks with crew members.
5:00 PM - Return to Puerto Ayora
- You will disembark the yacht in groups and board our shuttle. Make sure not to forget anything on board of the yacht or shuttle.
6:00 PM - Arrival at the hotel
- This is the estimated time of arrival at your hotel in Puerto Ayora.

WARNING:
- The tour is not wheelchair accessible.
- Children must be accompanied by an adult.
- Vegetarian/Vegan meal option is available, please advise right after the booking made.
- No Expectant Mothers!
- No Serious Medical Conditions!
- No Back Problems!