Short answer: Kicker Rock is a snorkel and dive site off the northwest coast of San Cristóbal that you reach only by boat. Day tours from Puerto Baquerizo Moreno take 6 to 9 hours and start from about $261 per person. In the water you can expect sea turtles, rays and sharks; boobies, frigatebirds and sea lions line the rock.
- IslandSan Cristóbal, off the northwest coast
- AccessBoat tour only
- GuideCertified naturalist guide required
- HeightAlmost 148 m out of the sea
What you will see
Kicker Rock is a vertical tuff cone that erosion has split into two parts. Circling it by boat gives the best view of the rock; then you snorkel or dive along the walls and in the channel between the halves, where manta rays, sea turtles and sharks are often spotted.
Green sea turtle
Often spotted in the channel and along the walls.
Whitetip reef shark
Usually seen here, often resting near the bottom.
Scalloped hammerhead shark
Occasional, more often in the cool season; never guaranteed.
Blue-footed booby
Lines the rock with Nazca boobies and frigatebirds.
Nazca booby
Seen on the rock with the blue-footed boobies.
Galápagos sea lion
Lines the shore of the rock.
How to get there and what it costs
There is no trail: you see Kicker Rock from the boat and from the water. Tours leave from Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, the town on San Cristóbal, and every boat trip to a national park site goes with a certified naturalist guide, so book a licensed tour rather than a private boat.
Some tours combine the rock with a beach stop or circle the whole island. Across the water from the rock is Sapho Bay (Puerto Grande), a cove where blue-footed boobies feed.
Tours that go to Kicker Rock start from about $261 per person (3 listings compared below). The national park entrance fee is paid once, on arrival in the islands: entrance fee and entry rules.
Best time to visit Kicker Rock
Kicker Rock works in every month. Hammerheads turn up more often in the cool season, roughly June to December, but the reliable schools are at Darwin and Wolf, which only liveaboard dive boats reach. The warm season, roughly December to May, brings warmer water for long snorkels.
- Jun to Dec Hammerhead sharks most abundant in the cool seasonDarwin and Wolf (liveaboard only); Kicker Rock sometimes
Weather, sea temperature and wildlife for every month: month-by-month guide.
Tours that go to Kicker Rock
Full-Day 360° Speedboat Tour around San Cristóbal
Kicker Rock & Beach Full-Day Tour
Wildlife and Snorkel at Kicker Rock (León Dormido)
Prices and ratings as listed in November 2026; the price at checkout is what counts. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Disclosure
Compare every day trip on all islands: day-tour finder.
See Kicker Rock on the 3D map →
Nearby: more visitor sites from San Cristóbal
San Cristóbal island guide · All visitor sites · Itinerary planner · Ferry board
Questions about Kicker Rock
How do you get to Kicker Rock?
Only by boat, on a day tour from Puerto Baquerizo Moreno on San Cristóbal. Tours take 6 to 9 hours, go with a naturalist guide and start from about $261 per person.
Can you see hammerhead sharks at Kicker Rock?
Sometimes. Hammerheads are seen there occasionally, more often in the cool season from about June to December. Sea turtles, rays and whitetip reef sharks are far more likely.
Why is Kicker Rock called León Dormido?
León Dormido means sleeping lion in Spanish, after the shape of the rock. The English name Kicker Rock is just as widely used.
Sources:Galápagos National Park and Governing Council, Galápagos Conservancy. More numbers:facts and figures.
Updated 2026-11-07. Fees, boat times and prices change, so confirm with the operator before you travel.