Playa Punta Carola
Playa Punta Carola
4.5
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Beach with snorkeling, wildlife, lighthouse
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43 within 5 kms
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15 within 10 kms
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
78 reviews
Excellent
37
Very good
31
Average
9
Poor
0
Terrible
1
Han
38 contributions
Jun 2022
I spent about seven hours here one day. I had no plans, and I spent the day going between playing in the water in my snorkel gear with the sea lions, reading, and napping. This is a very quiet spot and a really nice place to decompress.
Written 17 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Janine S
Temecula, CA10 contributions
Jan 2022
Great little place to snorkel and be with the sea lions not too far away from town. We rented gear and got in our first day here. We were able to see lots of fish, turtles, and the sea lions were playing with us.
Written 31 January 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Archie
Glenmoore, PA5,281 contributions
Jan 2022 • Family
This was such an amazing experience. We walked here after our hike around the area. We encountered so many sea lion colonys. Mamma and babies. They were absolutely incredible. We were amazed by the number of sea lions playing in the water. The male sea lion protecting his turf. The babies playing around with each other. You can all evening watching them. Its a must visit.
Written 9 January 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lee R
Caribbean15 contributions
Sep 2020
Lots of sea lions everywhere! We stopped here after a short hike up to Cerro Tijeretas. We knew San Cristobal had quite a few sea lions, but this place had the most sea lions of the places we saw. Lots of fun watching them, and at one point two bull sea lions got territorial with each other and were fighting. The bull sea lions can get aggressive if they feel their territory is being infringed upon, so it pays to be aware of your surroundings and walk away if one of them gets testy. Took lots of photos and wished we had brought some snorkel gear to get in the water!
Written 26 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The Weak Knee Traveler
Singapore, Singapore11,769 contributions
Sep 2019 • Solo
This beach is just approx. 10 mins' walk from the center. There's lots of sea lions here, including the baby ones. The beach is very clean and has soft sand. Great place to catch sunset.
Written 7 June 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
duhoz
Beroun, Czech Republic6,311 contributions
Mar 2020
The beach is nice but a little bit hidden as it is about 1,5 KM / 15-20 min from the town which is fantastic. First you have to go through the Interpretation Center wheres the trail starts. Sandy beach lined with iguana nestling area where you are not allow to enter. Apart from iguanas you can see plenty of playful sea lions. Beach is rather quite and relaxing. Nearly now shade and of course no possibility to get drinks, so you have to bring them.
Written 27 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mfjaramillo
Quito, Ecuador153 contributions
Jul 2019
This beach is about 2kms away from the city center. It's a big beach, so you won't feel as crowded as in playa Mann. You can swim close to sea lions and iguanas, just be careful no to swim too close to them.
Written 2 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bessie134
Vancouver Island, Canada129 contributions
Oct 2019
Beautiful beach full of sea lions. Busier beach with lots of sunbathers and snorkelers. La Loberia and Tijeretas are easier to swim, but still nice for snorkelling.
Written 14 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jia
Toronto, Canada242 contributions
Aug 2019
from the town, you can take a walk to here, not far. this is a long beach with 100 sea lions, 30 marine iguanas, and about 30 people, 10 people sleeping on the beach, 10 walk around taking photos, and 10 in the water swimming sea lions and marine iguanas. I wished we brought swimming suit to play. I like this play better than La Loberia is because, you can walk to here, but for La Loberia, you need to take a taxi, 3 us each way, and you have to tell the taxi driver what time to pick you up. Both beaches have more sea lions and marine iguanas than humans, but Playa Punta Carola is more close to facilities, such as washroom in Interpretation Center, and restaurant at Playa Mann, both within walk distance. There is also a light house in this beach which is make it photo photogenic.
Written 2 September 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
NYCnomads
New York City, NY57 contributions
Aug 2019 • Couples
Playa Carola was worth the walk. We like walking. It was a short, maybe 10 minute walk on a paved, hilly path, after the Interpretation Center. I waded in the water and a baby sea lion wanted to play with me. Was very relaxing, compared to the super busy Playa Mann. The water is shallow and was much warmer than the water near the other beach.
We visited in August, the coldest month, so we were dealing with crazy cold water temperatures. So for us, anything shallow was "warm". :)
We visited in August, the coldest month, so we were dealing with crazy cold water temperatures. So for us, anything shallow was "warm". :)
Written 13 August 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Claim your listingPlaya Punta Carola (San Cristobal) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos) - Tripadvisor
Frequently Asked Questions about Playa Punta Carola
- According to Tripadvisor travellers, these are the best ways to experience Playa Punta Carola:
- 8-Day Galapagos Island Hopping Tour-Explore 5 Islands-Snorkel,Hike & Wildlife (From ₹ 2,35,911.97)
- 5-Day Galapagos Hotel-based Tour in San Cristobal Island (From ₹ 1,18,789.60)
- 5-Day Galapagos Land-Based Tour: San Cristobal & Santa Cruz Islands (From ₹ 1,14,621.54)
- 6-Day Land Tour in San Cristobal & Santa Cruz: Kicker Rock, Floreana & Santa Fé (From ₹ 1,62,137.38)
- Day tour to San Cristobal Island with private Land Tour and snorkeling (From ₹ 20,756.92)
- Hotels near Playa Punta Carola:
- (0.79 km) Casa Playa Mann Galapagos
- (0.90 km) Golden Bay Galapagos
- (1.77 km) Galapagos Eco Friendly
- (0.96 km) Casa Opuntia Galapagos
- (1.30 km) Casa Iguana Mar y Sol
- Restaurants near Playa Punta Carola:
- (1.07 km) Muyu Galapagos
- (1.19 km) Midori Sushi
- (1.25 km) EL DESCANSO MARINERO
- (1.21 km) Cri's Burgers
- (1.19 km) Sabor Cuencano Bakery and Coffee Shop