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Galapagos Beach at Tortuga Bay

Galapagos Beach at Tortuga Bay, Santa Cruz: Address, Galapagos Beach at Tortuga Bay Reviews: 4.5/5

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Galapagos Beach at Tortuga Bay

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Galapagos Beach at Tortuga Bay
4.5
3,421
#1 of 47 things to do in Santa Cruz
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The area
Best nearby
Restaurants
72 within 5 kms
Golden Prague Pub Galapagos
12
1.5 kmInternational • European • Czech
Agave Food Studio
7
1.5 kmMexican • South American • Ecuadorean
Island Deli Galápagos
2
1.5 kmCafe • Dining bars
Fraileana
1
1.5 km₹₹ - ₹₹₹ • American • Asian • Hawaiian
FraFre GastroBar
79
3.5 km₹₹ - ₹₹₹ • Seafood • Gastropub • Vegetarian Friendly
Finch Bay Restaurant
212
3.4 km₹₹₹₹ • Seafood • International • Ecuadorean
TJ Restaurant, Cocktail & Coffee
346
3.5 km₹₹ - ₹₹₹ • Dessert • Italian • Peruvian
Galapagos Deli
792
3.4 km₹₹ - ₹₹₹ • Pizza • Cafe • Diner
IslaGrill
978
3.6 km₹₹ - ₹₹₹ • Steakhouse • Fusion • Vegetarian Friendly
Lo&Lo Restaurant
209
3.4 km₹₹ - ₹₹₹ • Latin • Ecuadorean
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Attractions
20 within 10 kms
Rancho Primicias
223
3.9 kmRanches
Las Grietas
2,482
2.7 kmGeologic Formations
Santa Cruz Fish Market
874
3.7 kmPoints of Interest & Landmarks
Laguna las Ninfas
459
3.1 kmBodies of Water
Charles Darwin Research Station
3,329
4.6 kmNature & Wildlife Areas
Playa de los Alemanes
464
3.3 kmBeaches
Malecon de Puerto Ayora
103
3.3 kmPoints of Interest & Landmarks • Piers & Boardwalks
Samay Latin Art
96
4 kmArt Galleries
Playa de La Estacion
141
4.4 kmBeaches
Galería Exótico Ecuador
26
3.7 kmArt Galleries • Art Museums
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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
3,421 reviews
Excellent
2,590
Very good
679
Average
134
Poor
13
Terrible
5
Patricia Benavides
Santiago, Chile28 contributions
Beautiful beach
Family
Two very beautiful beautiful beaches - must take a 20 minute boat from the pier.
Lots of marine iguanas.
Written 27 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
SnappleSpice
New York City, NY448 contributions
Perfect Beach Day
Only one sea lion at the beach when we visited, but we saw a baby hammerhead shark just swimming around near the shore! Such an amazing sight, he returned to the area multiple times (at least I assume it was the same shark). The walk is fairly long, but easy, and the beach is beautiful (both the area where you shouldn't swim and the area right around the corner where you can swim easily - this is where we saw the baby shark). We decided to rent a kayak for an hour on the swimming beach and paddled out beyond the swimmers where we saw several birds, sea turtles, a couple of blue footed boobies, and the splashes of sharks hunting for food. Overall a great day!
Written 20 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Adam H
7 contributions
No tortugas to be seen at Tortuga Bay
The 3 kilometer hike to the beach was better than the time spent at the beach, where we didn't see any tortugas. We saw small sharks and iguanas, but no turtles. 🤨
The hike is better because the trail is very well made and passes through a unique dry, tropical forest.
Written 9 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
TrewinDorset
Christchurch250 contributions
A long beautiful walk to a stunning beach & along to the calm lagoon
Make sure to allow enough time for a 3+mile walk in the heat to and along te beach. Take plenty of water - and an umbrella or hat for sun protection.
The path starts at the side of Puerto Ayora town, well sign-posted and a really good path. It's through National Park so you are sometimes asked to sign in, and need to note the closing time.
Really good path to walk along, with plenty of birds and lizards to distract you along the way. You evenutaly get to the most stunning long, wide, white sand beach. No swimming!! Iguanas, pelicans to admire, and (protected) turtle nests.
Walking along the beach (at the end of the path as you face the sea, head right) you get to the lagoon, super shallow and safe for swimming, snorkelling and kayaking. Simply standing still in the warm knee-deep water I had 2 different herons to the side of me, various small fish all around. Plus a white-tip shark passing to and fro just a metre or so from me for a while - who kindly came back when my husband joined me to prove I hadn's imagined it! Fabulous.
Written 2 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Amy C
Arizona117 contributions
Beautiful Beach - Worth the walk!
As a bonafide beach bunny this is the most beautiful beach where I did not go in the water! A stunning view and worth the 1.25 mile, one way, walk to reach the beach. The walk is peaceful, serene (as long as others aren't being loud) and rolling, among trees and prickly pears with a few little lizards at play along the way. A must do if in Puerto Ayora.
Written 11 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Andrew G
Toronto, Canada3 contributions
Amazing Place
It was the prtties place I saw oin my life, wildlife was incredible, great beach, if you are going there try to walk the long path to this beach with pretty views and be ready to see sea lions, iguanas and more
Written 3 February 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
adriana z
5 contributions
Pristine white sand - keep it that way when you visit
Couples
The most pristine and gorgeous beach I’ve ever been!! Be prepared to walk a loooooooong path to the beach but the reward is worth every second!
Wear hat, spf clothing and comfortable shoes and there’s little shade and hot is intense.
When you come out of the walking
Path DO NOT SWIM THERE!! very strong currents and people have drowned there. Instead walk all the way to the left and discover the most pristine and quiet little lagoon where you can chill and swim to your hearts desire. You can take a boat back to town and walk back if you dare
Written 16 January 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
clark5662
Saint Louis, MO175 contributions
Not sure it's worth the hype
If you are looking for a beautiful beach to sit on and relax-then this is your beach! It's gorgeous!
If you are looking for a place to see and interact with animals, there are better choices. We walked to this beach in the morning (8:00 a.m.). It takes awhile because it's a good walk , but easy because it's on a paved pathway. There are lots of Lava Lizards and birds on the walk, as well as, marine iguanas and pelicans on the first beach you come to. As we walked to the swimming beach of Tortuga Bay, there were already many people on this beach when we arrived.
I snorkled a bit. There were only a couple of fish. Then I rented a kayak (which was $10 since I was a single) and paddled around the outside of the bay. I saw a heron and two turtles. Unfortunately, the turtles were skittish and I was only able to see their heads before they swam away. It was a nice enjoyable visit-but I think I was expecting more based on the previous reviews.
Written 24 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
William V
Charleston, SC12 contributions
Galapagos Beach and Lagoon
Our first foray for our trip was to Tortuga Bay. It was a nice beach with plenty of wildlife. We saw sea lions, iguanas, and sea turtle nests. The walk through town was easy and the entrance a little difficult to find. Once you found the entrance for the walkway, you sign in and walk about a mile to the beach through desert type vegetation with cacti and low thorny bushes. the walk is peaceful and you can see many birds. We especially enjoyed seeing the "pine tree" cactus since the bark made it look like a pine tree. Once at the beach, we walked down to Playa Peninsula and Tortuga Lagoon. We saw many iguanas. We did see 2 rats around some travelers' bags as they scampered into the mangrove bushes. Be careful with food and having it easily exposed or open. Beautiful scenes of the shoreline.
Written 19 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
henry M
Manabi Province, Ecuador19 contributions
The island of god
Family
The Galapagos Islands are a volcanic archipelago in the Pacific Ocean. It is known as one of the most famous destinations in the world for wildlife viewing. It is a province of Ecuador and is
Written 12 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Galapagos Beach at Tortuga Bay
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