The most epic three days of our Ecuador adventure were, without a doubt, our time in the Galapagos Islands. We stayed on the beautiful island of San Cristobal and had the opportunity to see so many incredible creatures, including sea lions, blue-footed boobies, giant tortoises, marine iguanas, sea turtles, and more! And many of these were because of our 360 snorkeling tour.
As soon as I found out that our itinerary would include the Galapagos Islands, I knew that we needed to go snorkeling. Our biggest regret in Costa Rica last year was that we didn’t have the appropriate equipment or time to enjoy the reefs and blue waters there, and we both wanted to remedy that situation with a real snorkeling experience. So, I immediately started looking into snorkeling tours on the San Cristobal.
However, I ended up being a bit overwhelmed by the plethora of choices I found online. And several of the blogs I read from other visitors told me that I’d find many more 360 snorkeling tour options as soon as we got to the island–but they had a tendency to book up fast, and some charged higher fees, knowing there was limited availability.
It ended up being quite a little adventure in the end, so I wanted to share how to find a tour, who we went with, and what it included so you know what to expect!
Booking a 360 Snorkeling Tour in Advance
Because of the warnings about on-site tours being in short supply, I wanted to book online well in advance to make sure that we got a spot. As I mentioned above, you’ll find plenty of 360 San Cristobal tours with a wide range of amenities and prices. However, you should be able to find a good tour that includes:
- 3 snorkeling spots
- Lunch and water
- Towels and snorkeling gear
- An English-speaking guide
- Boat transportation to each location
This seemed to be the standard tour “menu,” but I did notice that some tours charged extra for snorkeling gear/wetsuits or didn’t go to the best spots. So just be aware of what you’re getting for the price. (Pro-tip: If you find a tour that charges more than $5 for snorkeling gear, you can rent a tempered-glass mask, snorkel, and fins from pretty much any tour shop in town instead for $5 per day.)
I actually reached out to one company to book back in March for $230 per person, but when they sent the contract, it stated that they did not do any refunds for cancellations within the last 2 weeks–even if they canceled the trip. I was not comfortable with booking 2 months in advance without knowing what the weather would be like or if we’d get a last-second cancellation notice.
So I ended up booking a slightly more expensive tour through Viator ($260 per person), which had free cancellation up until 24 hours before. This gave me much better peace of mind about the whole ordeal. This particular tour offered all the same amenities as any of the other tours I was seeing, plus an additional stop for fishing (weather permitting), and was still about the same price as most others online.
Booking a 360 Snorkeling Tour on San Cristobal
When we arrived in San Cristobal with our tour group, we met up with a local naturalist guide, Christian, who was very knowledgeable about the tours in town. He took our group to several local agencies that specialized in different tours so that everyone could find something that fit their interests. We had our pick of full and half-day snorkeling adventures, fishing trips, and even excursions to different islands.
Some of them had already filled up their rosters two days in advance, while others had a couple of spaces available. However, we had enough people interested that two of the locations added an extra boat to their schedule to accommodate us.
So the blogs I read definitely weren’t wrong. If you plan to book on-site in the Galapagos Islands, you should do it at least 2 days in advance to make sure you can find something. And if you’re doing more of a quick in-and-out trip (which would be a real shame because it’s an amazing part of the world), I’d recommend booking online.
360 Snorkeling Tour with Galapagos Eco Fishing
Christian recommended us to a tour company that he works with part-time, Galapagos Eco Fishing. They offered the same tour as the Viator company but only charged $180 per person, saving us $160! Since it was more than 24 hours before our scheduled tour, we ended up canceling the Viator booking so that we could save some money and enjoy the excursion with our friends from the Exoticca tour we were on.
We did have to pay a 7% fee for using our credit card because we didn’t have that much cash on hand, but it was still completely worth the switch. So for $180 per person, we got:
- A full home-made lunch and water/soda, catered to our dietary preferences
- Snorkeling gear and wet suits
- An English-speaking naturalist guide (Christian decided to work on his day off to join our group on the tour, and he did a fantastic job!)
- Snorkeling and beach time at 3 of the island’s best spots: Bahia Rosa Blanca, Bahia Sardina, and Kicker Rock
- All transport around the island, including the water taxi to our boat
- Tentative fishing stop at Punta Pitt
The staff was great, and they scheduled an extra boat so that our Exoticca tour group could all go together on the trip rather than be split up between different tours. On the day of, they made sure everyone had gear that fit well, and the men on the boat were very attentive to making sure we were comfortable, helping us get on and off the boat, etc.
Overall, it was a fantastic experience, and I highly recommend that you book your 360 Snorkeling Tour with Galapagos Eco Fishing if you have the chance!
The Fine Print for Galapagos Eco Fishing
While we had a great time, I also wanted to point out a couple of things to be aware of when you book.
- You will need to provide your passport number to book your trip (this is pretty standard for all tours).
- You need to pay in full in advance to reserve your spot.
- If you are unable to make your tour, let them know as soon as possible if you want a refund–not the day of. (A couple of people in our group got sick and couldn’t make the tour. One person let the tour know the night before and received a full refund. But the other person didn’t give advance notice, so they were required to pay the full amount since it was too late for the tour agency to fill that spot.)
None of these are out of the ordinary or unreasonable, but it’s best to know in advance so you’re not caught off guard.
Our 360 Snorkeling Experience in San Cristobal
All right, you know everything you need to know about booking a tour, but you’re probably wondering what makes this kind of trip 100% worth it! Here’s a brief summary of our 360 snorkeling tour:
Heading Out to Sea
Our trip started at the dock of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, where our guides directed us onto a water taxi that took us to our boat offshore. As soon as everyone was situated, we started our voyage around San Cristobal Island.
The initial trek takes anywhere from 60 to 90 minutes, depending on the weather. We had to fight against some rather rough waves, so it did take us a full hour and a half to get from the port to our first stop. However, the journey around the island was beautiful and allowed us to see a lot of the diverse landscape. A large pod of dolphins even joined us for several minutes to jump around in our wake!
Bahia Rosa Blanca
The first stop on our trip was Bahia Rosa Blanca, a white-sand beach located on the southeastern side of the island. Its crisp sand and bright-blue waters are picture-perfect, and it’s an ideal spot for some quiet beach time. But before we staked a spot on the sand, we headed inland for some prime snorkeling.
Bahia Rosa Blanca is very unique due to its rock pools and lakes combined with mangrove trees. The natural rock formations create sheltered areas from the ocean where creatures come to raise their young and rest. In some cases, small fish find their way into the pools during high tides and end up getting stuck in these pools as they grow.
A few of the areas are off-limits, so be sure to pay attention to the signs. But the ones that are open to the public are great for snorkeling! We saw multiple sea turtles, parrot fish, Sally Lightfoot crabs, and hundreds of other tropical fish in these waters! The water was a bit murky due to the previous night’s rain mixing with the salt water, but we were still able to see plenty of amazing creatures. Apparently, this area is also great for shark spotting, but we didn’t find any during our trip.
Back on the beach, we also spotted a few sea lions, and one was even swimming right next to people in the shallows! You’ll also find hundreds more of the Sally Lightfoot crabs on the beach, hopping from rock to rock. They are a stunning red color with blue underneath, and very fun to watch!
Bahia Sardina
The next leg of our tour led us around the northern tip of the island to Bahia Sardina. (We had a tentative stop scheduled at Punta Pitt for fishing, but the waves were too rough.)
While only a few minutes’ boat ride from Bahia Rosa Blanca, the experience here was very different!
There is a lovely stretch of white sand beach, but I was more interested in the spectacular collection of seashells! Thousands of perfect seashells in all shapes, sizes, and colors cover the shore right along the water line. I have never seen so many unbroken shells–but I’m sure this is largely due to the fact that you’re not allowed to leave with them.
At the edge of the beach, a long outcropping made of large, black lava rock helps to shelter the beach and cove from the larger ocean waves. While at first glance it may seem inconsequential, it’s actually a fantastic place to find the elusive blue-footed boobies! These gorgeous birds nest on this spit of land, and we were privileged to spend several quiet minutes observing two of them on the rocks (from a safe distance, of course!).
Note: If you do decide to venture out to the rocks… 1) Keep your distance from the wildlife! This is a protected area, and your guide will probably tell you how far you can go. But regardless of where the birds are, be respectful and follow the conservation guidelines. 2) Wear shoes. I made the mistake of going out barefoot, and the lava rock cut me up. It wasn’t bad on the way in, but by the time I left, the combination of sharp rock and intense heat had me limping for the sands.
This area also had a noticeable pelican population, who enjoyed bobbing up and down on the waves in the shallows. They had absolutely no trouble being close to people, and I could’ve sworn one of them was following me around for a while, despite my best efforts to swim away, lol.
As far as snorkeling goes, the water here was far clearer and deeper than in Bahia Rosa Blanca. The cove floor begins as soft, white sand, then gradually becomes rock as you leave the shallows. These rocky, algae-covered formations provide shelter and food for thousands of tropical fish, so it’s not hard to spot something interesting at every turn. Some of the highlights for us included a spotted eel, pufferfish, sea urchins, and some cool black fish with bright yellow lips!
Kicker Rock
Kicker Rock is actually one of the best snorkeling spots in all of the Galapagos, so I was beyond excited for a chance to visit! This imposing rock formation juts into the sky several miles from shore, so it’s hard to miss from above. But while it looks rather barren and harsh from above, below the waters, it’s an aquatic wonderland!
A massive ecosystem exists along the sides of Kicker Rock: colorful coral, algae, and barnacles that create a welcoming environment for creatures of all kinds! And we can’t talk about Kicker Rock without mentioning the water–I have never seen water this clear and so deep a blue in my life! I couldn’t believe how far down into the depths I could see!
This stop was by far the most eventful for us, although it was unfortunately short due to the choppy waters this far out. We saw fish in all colors and sizes, plus multiple sea turtles and a number of sea lions! Although we’d already seen many of these creatures in other locations, the clear water and sheer numbers made this spot particularly special. And honestly, I couldn’t get enough of the colorful ecosystem growing along the walls. Kicker Rock is also a prime location to swim with sharks, but we couldn’t reach their primary haunt due to the rough waves.
Now, my #1 bucket list item for the Galapagos was to swim with sea lions. According to our guide, it’s rare (but not unheard of) for sea lions to get close at Kicker Rock. But we were blessed with multiple sea lion encounters, and in the very last one, they hung around for over a minute, close enough that I could have touched them. It was so magical and, by far, the highlight of my entire trip!
Quick Note on Kicker Rock
While Kicker Rock is absolutely amazing, it can be very dangerous here. The waves are constantly crashing against the rocky walls, and they can hit with quite a bit of force in some places. The water level rises and falls several feet with every wave, so you can imagine how much water is moving around you every second. Additionally, the rock is eroding due to the elements, and it’s not uncommon for chunks to fall from the sky. Our guide had to call us away from the rock at one point because he saw some falling debris. That’s also why it can be very dangerous to swim between the point and the main section of Kicker Rocker.
So if you do visit Kicker Rock, be smart, take a guide, and know your own limitations for strength and endurance while swimming.
Final Feelings About the 360 Snorkeling Tour
If you have a free day in San Cristobal, I 100% recommend a 360 snorkeling tour! Whether or not you do it with Galapagos Eco Fishing is up to you. I read many rave reviews for this type of tour with different companies, and I don’t know that I saw a negative one that didn’t involve weather. So if you are interested in the unique creatures of the Galapagos, this one is pretty much a no-brainer!
If we ever get back to the Galapagos Islands, I would honestly book this tour again in a heartbeat. It is just so unique, and you have the opportunity to see creatures that don’t exist anywhere else in the world.
I will say this kind of tour can tire you out, and you’ll be out in the sun all day. So know your limitations, don’t be afraid to ask for a floatation device (or take a break), and don’t forget to consistently apply reef-safe sunscreen. I am not a great swimmer by any means, but I didn’t have too much trouble getting around, even with the choppy waves. On the other hand, I did get sunburnt on my hands and was very tired by the end. But was it worth it? Without a doubt.
I hope you enjoyed this post and that it helps you decide whether or not a 360 snorkeling tour is for you! If you do have any questions or comments, drop them below, and I’ll get back to you asap. Be sure to check out my YouTube video for footage of this amazing adventure, and stay tuned for more Ecuador content coming in the weeks ahead!
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