Short answer: the Galápagos National Park opens 176 visitor sites, 91 at sea and 85 on land. Most are visited only with a certified naturalist guide, which in practice means a boat tour from Puerto Ayora, Puerto Villamil or Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. A few near the towns, such as Tortuga Bay and the Charles Darwin Research Station, you can walk into on your own.
How visitor sites work
- GuideMost sites only with a certified naturalist guide
- Near the townsOpen 06:00 to 18:00, sign in at the entrance
- LimitsBusy sites have a capacity, Las Grietas 32 people
- WildlifeKeep 2 m away, stay on the trail
A visitor site is a beach, trail or stretch of sea that the national park has opened to visitors, with marked paths and rules for each. The park requires a certified naturalist guide at its visit sites, except at the few it exempts; that is why most of the places below are booked as tours, with a small group and a guide on every boat.
The sites near the towns work differently. The park runs them as a separate network close to Puerto Ayora, Puerto Villamil and Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, open from 06:00 to 18:00 with registration at the entrance; Tortuga Bay is one of them. The Charles Darwin Research Station, run by the Charles Darwin Foundation, keeps its own hours, 08:00 to 18:00. The near-town sites are busy: Santa Cruz's sites near town counted about 433,000 visits in 2025. Some have a capacity: Las Grietas admits 32 people and is visited through the bay tour or by groups that book ahead.
Drones are not allowed for tourists anywhere in the park. Sites that only cruises reach, such as Genovesa and Fernandina, are not on this page; see land or cruise if those are on your list.
From Santa Cruz
Puerto Ayora is the base for most boat day trips and for the walk-in sites near town. Santa Cruz island guide.
Bartolomé
The classic view over Pinnacle Rock, then a snorkel with sea lions and, with luck, penguins.
Tortuga Bay
A long white beach an hour on foot from Puerto Ayora, with a calm bay for swimming.
Las Grietas
A swimming hole in a lava crevice across the bay from Puerto Ayora.
North Seymour
Blue-footed boobies, frigatebirds and land iguanas along one short trail.
Darwin Station
Free exhibits and the park's tortoise breeding centre, ten minutes on foot from town.
Santa Fe
Its own land iguana species under giant cactus, and a bay full of sea lions.
South Plaza
A tiny island of red sesuvium, land iguanas, sea lions and seabird cliffs.
Pinzón
A full day of snorkel stops with turtles and sea lions; no landing.
El Chato
Wild giant tortoises in the Santa Cruz highlands, plus lava tunnels.
From Isabela
From Puerto Villamil: the best snorkel of a land-based trip, the islets in the bay and the volcano. Isabela island guide.
Los Túneles
Lava arches in clear water off Isabela: turtles, sharks, seahorses and nesting boobies.
Sierra Negra
Walk the rim of a 10 km caldera to the fresh lava fields of Volcán Chico.
Tintoreras
Lava islets off Puerto Villamil: resting whitetip sharks, iguanas and a calm snorkel bay.
From San Cristóbal
From Puerto Baquerizo Moreno: Kicker Rock and the long day to Española. San Cristóbal island guide.
Kicker Rock
A split volcanic rock off San Cristóbal with a snorkel channel: turtles, rays, sharks.
Española
Waved albatross from April to December, booby colonies and a 2 km white beach.
Book the boat trips early
Boat day trips (Bartolomé, North Seymour, Santa Fe, Kicker Rock, Los Túneles) take small groups and fill up first; the walk-ins and highland trips can wait until you arrive. Compare every bookable trip by island and animal in the day-tour finder, then fit them into your days with the itinerary planner.
Questions about visitor sites
Do you need a guide to visit Galápagos visitor sites?
At most of them, yes: national park visitor sites are visited with a certified naturalist guide, so you book a tour with a licensed operator. A few sites near the towns, such as Tortuga Bay and the Charles Darwin Research Station, are walk-ins: you sign in at the entrance.
How many visitor sites are there in the Galápagos?
The national park lists 176 visitor sites: 91 marine sites and 85 land sites. Many can only be reached on a cruise; the sites on this page are the ones you can reach from a hotel on Santa Cruz, Isabela or San Cristóbal.
How close can you get to the animals?
Keep at least 2 metres from wildlife, cameras included, and stay on the marked trails.
Sources:Galápagos National Park and Governing Council, Charles Darwin Foundation. More numbers:facts and figures.
Updated 2026-11-07. Fees, boat times and prices change, so confirm with the operator before you travel.