Short answer: Santa Fe is a small, flat island southeast of Santa Cruz with a land iguana found nowhere else, living in a forest of giant prickly pear cactus. Visits start with a wet landing on the beach at Barrington Bay, crowded with sea lions, followed by a short trail and a snorkel in the bay. Day tours from Puerto Ayora take about 7 hours and start from about $220 per person.
- LocationSoutheast of Santa Cruz
- FromSanta Cruz, about 7 hours
- LandingWet landing at Barrington Bay
- Land iguanas6,500 to 7,000 (Santa Fe species)
What you will see
There is one land visitor site with two trails. The short loop near the beach gives a close look at the massive Santa Fe prickly pear cactus, with land iguanas and Galápagos hawks along the way; the second trail climbs a steep cliff for a view inland. The island also has its own rice rat, and since 2015 the park has released young Española tortoises to stand in for Santa Fe's own extinct tortoise.
Galápagos land iguana
Santa Fe has its own species, the Santa Fe land iguana.
Galápagos sea lion
Large numbers on the beaches of Barrington Bay, often surfing the waves.
Green sea turtle
Occasional on the snorkel and dive sites.
How to get there and what it costs
Santa Fe is reached on a day boat tour from Puerto Ayora, with a naturalist guide. The visit begins with a wet landing on the small beach in Barrington Bay on the northeast side of the island.
Bring shoes you can walk in after a wet landing, and keep the 2 m distance from the sea lions on the beach.
Tours that go to Santa Fe start from about $220 per person (1 listing compared below). The national park entrance fee is paid once, on arrival in the islands: entrance fee and entry rules.
Best time to visit Santa Fe
Santa Fe is good all year. Sea lion pups are about from roughly August to January.
- Aug to Jan Sea lion pupping season (pups present year-round)All islands; Playa Baquerizo / La Lobería (San Cristóbal), North Seymour, Mosquera
Weather, sea temperature and wildlife for every month: month-by-month guide.
Tours that go to Santa Fe
Santa Fe Island Snorkeling Day Tour
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.
Nearby: more visitor sites from Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz island guide · All visitor sites · Itinerary planner · Ferry board
Questions about Santa Fe
What is special about Santa Fe?
It has two species found nowhere else, the Santa Fe land iguana and the Santa Fe rice rat, and a forest of the largest prickly pear cactus in the islands.
Are there giant tortoises on Santa Fe?
Yes again. Santa Fe's own tortoise died out, and since 2015 the park has released young Española tortoises as a stand-in species.
How do you get to Santa Fe?
On a day boat tour from Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz, about 7 hours, from about $220 per person.
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.