Sightseeing at Puerto Egas and Sullivan Bay

Santiago Island, in the Galapagos of Ecuador, is a place to sightsee by landscape: lava, shoreline and sea life. It is uninhabited, so there are no monuments, streets or viewpoints reached by road. A boat and a licensed naturalist guide are part of every visit. Here is what each stop is best for.

Puerto Egas: for wildlife

Best for: fur seals and young sea lions on a lava shelf, beside a black-sand beach in James Bay. The coastal walk is about 2 km, and some trips add swimming or snorkeling. Galapagos hawks can be seen here. A failed salt-mining venture in the 20th century is part of the site’s story.

Sullivan Bay: for geology

Best for: a young lava field, formed in the late 19th century and often dated to 1897. The walk crosses ropey pahoehoe, passes hornitos and reaches tree molds about 150 m from the start. Sullivan Bay sits opposite Bartolome, which is usually on the same day trip. It is not a beach.

Espumilla Beach: for turtles and birds

Best for: a reddish-gold beach and a lagoon with mangroves. Green turtles nest here, and the lagoon holds white-cheeked pintails and sometimes flamingos. Landing is wet.

Buccaneer Cove: for scenery from the water

Best for: steep eroded cliffs and sea stacks. It was once an anchorage for buccaneers and whalers, and most visitors see it from a panga.

Sombrero Chino: for the shape

Best for: a cone-shaped islet at Santiago’s south-east tip, with lava tubes and sea lions. Penguins are sometimes seen. It is a separate islet, but it usually appears on the same itineraries.

Cousins Rock: for divers

Best for: underwater sightseeing around a rock about 10 m high north-east of Santiago, where sharks and rays are commonly seen.

How these sights are reached

Cruises link the stops over several days. From Santa Cruz, a day trip leaves with a hotel pickup near 6:00, drives about 40 minutes to the Itabaca channel and sails about 2 hours, so only some of the stops above fit into one day. Ask the seller which Santiago sites the trip includes, since itineraries vary.

Seeing it responsibly

  • Go only with a park-authorised guide, on a cruise or a full-day boat trip from Santa Cruz.
  • Stay 2 m from wildlife and use no flash. No drones.
  • Wear closed shoes on lava, and bring sun protection.
  • Foreign visitors aged 12 and over pay a $200 park fee, collected at the airport.

The Galapagos park rules and fee tables are published by the Galapagos Conservancy and the Galapagos government .

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