The eastern island, and the archipelago's diving capital. Kicker Rock (Leon Dormido), Espanola and Punta Pitt all leave from Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. Snorkelers and certified divers share the same waters here.
Guided snorkel days for anyone comfortable in the water.

Two 45-minute snorkel sessions at the sheer lava tower off San Cristobal: first through the channel between the two rocks, then the west corner. Galapagos sharks, hammerheads and turtles move below you. A beach landing follows.
Gear fitting the day before

A two-hour crossing to Espanola, a two-hour walk at Punta Suarez among albatross and marine iguanas, then a 45-minute snorkel session in Gardner Bay with reef sharks, turtles and sea lions.
Gear fitting the day before

Two 45-minute snorkel sessions at Bajo Pitt and Pitt islet, then a two-hour walk up Cerro Pitt, where the red-footed booby nests.
Gear fitting the day before

A full circuit of San Cristobal taking in five sites: Rosa Blanca, Punta Pitt, Bahia Sardina, Cerro Brujo and Kicker Rock. Snorkeling, beaches, red-footed boobies and a natural stone arch in one day.
Gear fitting the day before

A short crossing to Isla Lobos for a guided walk among marine iguanas and blue-footed boobies, then lunch and snorkeling off Playa Ochoa with sea lions, turtles and octopus.
Gear fitting the day before

One 45-minute snorkel session in the channel at Kicker Rock, then a landing at Punta Pitt and a two-hour walk up to Cerro Pitt for the red-footed booby. Two of the island's signature sites in a single day.
Gear fitting the day before

A 45-minute snorkel session in Darwin Bay, then two panga rides: along the Pared de Tijeretas wall for seabirds, and out to the Carawa, a cargo ship wrecked roughly a century ago.
Gear fitting the day before
From a first-time Discovery Scuba Dive to certified dive sites. Every dive tour states its requirement.

Two 45-minute dives at Kicker Rock, the volcanic tower standing off San Cristobal. The first descent runs through the channel between the two walls, where Galapagos sharks, hammerheads and rays pass.
Open Water required

A two-hour crossing to Espanola, a walk at Punta Suarez among albatross and marine iguanas, then a single 45-minute dive at Gardner Bay with reef sharks, turtles and rays.
Open Water required

Two 45-minute dives at the far northeast corner of San Cristobal, at Bajo Pitt and Pitt islet, followed by a walk up Cerro Pitt to the red-footed booby colony.
Open Water required

Two 45-minute dives close to town: the reef life of Darwin Bay, then a full circuit of the Carawa, a cargo ship that went down about a hundred years ago and now carries its own reef.
Open Water required

For certified divers who have been out of the water six months or more. A full skills review with an instructor, then two 45-minute dives at Darwin Bay and the Carawa wreck.
Open Water required

A deep cave dive to 35 meters, entered one diver at a time on the instructor's signal, then a second 45-minute dive along Pared de Tijeretas. Dive lights included.
Advanced Open Water required

Hammerheads and Galapagos sharks patrol Roca Ballena on the first 45-minute dive. The second is a full circuit of the Carawa, a century-old wreck now covered by reef.
Open Water required

A program built for people who have never dived. No Open Water certification needed. Surface practice, a guided descent on a line, then two 45-minute dives with a maximum depth of 12 meters.
No certification needed

One 45-minute dive at Darwin Bay after dark. Lights pick out reef sharks, cat sharks and octopus, and phosphorescent plankton lights up the water around you as you move.
Advanced Open Water required

Two 45-minute dives: the shark ground at Roca Ballena, then the wall at Pared de Tijeretas. Hammerheads, Galapagos sharks, turtles and rays are all possible.
Open Water required

Two 45-minute dives at San Cristobal's outer sites. Roca Ballena brings hammerheads and Galapagos sharks; Bajo Cerro Mundo, 45 minutes further out, can hold visibility to 30 meters.
Open Water required

A deep cave dive to 35 meters, entered one diver at a time, paired with a full circuit of the Carawa, a ship that sank a century ago and now carries its own reef. Dive lights included.
Advanced Open Water required
Beaches, highlands and tortoises on the island itself.

A natural beach on San Cristobal where sea lion colonies rest on the sand and rocks, with marine iguanas and seabirds along a quiet stretch of coast.

Three sites in the highlands and on the far coast of San Cristobal: the freshwater lake of El Junco inside a volcanic crater, giant tortoises at the Galapaguera, and the white sand of Puerto Chino.