Los Galápagos

Isla San Cristóbal (Chatham)


At the northern end of San Cristóbal is Los Galápagos, where you can often see giant Galápagos tortoises in the wild, although it does takes some effort to reach the highland area where they live.

One way to reach Los Galápagos is to land in a bay at the north end of the island and then hike up – it takes about two hours to get to the tortoise area following the trail. Some visitors report seeing many tortoises, while others see none.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Isla San Cristóbal (Chatham) attractions

1. Turtle Bay

3.16 MILES

You can see flamingos, turtles and other wildlife here; both Turtle Bay and Cerro Brujo can be visited as part of a trip to Punta Pitt and Los Galápagos.

2. Puerto Grande

11.72 MILES

Smaller than its name suggests, Puerto Grande is a well-protected little cove on San Cristóbal’s northwestern coast. There is a good, sandy beach suitable…

3. León Dormido

14.31 MILES

About an hour’s boat ride northeast of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno is León Dormido (Kicker Rock), so named because of its resemblance to a sleeping lion. León…

4. Galapaguera

15.83 MILES

Galapaguera is part of the national park on the southeastern part of San Cristóbal, where giant tortoises live in semi-natural conditions. A taxi can take…

5. Cerro Brujo

15.94 MILES

Possibly one of the nicest beaches in the Galápagos, Cerro Brujo is a huge white expanse found on the west side of the island. The sand here feels like…

6. Puerto Chino

16.06 MILES

The road to El Junco continues across the island to the isolated beach of Puerto Chino. This is one of the better places for beginner surfers, since this…

7. El Junco Lagoon

16.33 MILES

Around 10km east of El Progreso along the main road, you'll find El Junco Lagoon – a freshwater lake some 700m above sea level. It’s one of the few…

8. Isla Lobos

19.45 MILES

A half-hour northeast of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno by boat is the tiny, rocky Isla Lobos, with the main sea-lion and blue-footed booby colonies for visitors…