Tortuga Bay beach is located on the island of Santa Cruz in the Galapagos, Ecuador. Tortuga Bay Beach is a white sand beach located on the southern coast of the island of Santa Cruz, in the Galapagos Islands.
Tortuga Bay Beach is famous for its long, pristine shoreline that gradually slopes down to the Pacific Ocean. It is a great place to try your hand at surfing or just relax and sunbath with the marine iguanas that you will find on the beach. Here we will spend a relaxing morning at the beach, lying in the sun or swimming in its crystal clear waters.Tortuga Bay, according to a list published by TripAdvisor, places it among the 10 most beautiful Beaches in the world and in South America.
Access : Coordinates: -0.761884 -90.334543 / Tortuga Bay is located on Santa Cruz Island, approximately 20 minutes by water taxi from the main water taxi dock in Puerto Ayora. /By land through a path of around 2 km that connects the Port with the site and that only you can walk around.
Highlights :
- Being part of the Galapagos National Park, visitors must leave the area at 6pm. Swimming is only allowed in the mangrove that is separated from the beach.
- There is no type of facilities , shop or restaurant in the Park , here you can snorkel to discover the marine wealth of the Galapagos archipelago.
- Marine Life: Reef and Pelagic Fish, Sea Turtles, Rays, White Tip Reef Sharks, Sally Light-Foot Crabs and more. Land fauna : Marine iguanas, frigates, pelicans, blue-footed boobies and other birds.
- The bay divided into two inlets that give rise to the formation of 2 beaches, The first beach called “playa brava” is ideal for surfing, and the second called playa mansa, here you will see more marine iguanas resting and sunbathing on the sand.
Between the two beaches there is a circular path that runs through the intertidal zone and crosses through a prickly pear forest and ends with a mangrove forest, which is the beginning of the gentle beach. - This beach also has some trails with informational signs about the area. These trails lead to areas with incredible landscapes where you can see both flora and fauna of the Galapagos.
Note : Visitors must sign in and out at the start of the path with the Galapagos Park Service office / opening hours : from 6 am to 6 pm. / Entrance fees: free of charge.
Activities : Snorkel in its crystal clear waters. / Photo opportunities / Trekking, you can walk from the city center for around 40 minutes./ Rent a kayak.
Go next : La Lobería, a small island inhabited by sea lions / Canal del Amor, a natural fissure between large rock formations through which turquoise waters flow / Playa de los Perros,hosting the largest number of marine iguanas on the island of Santa Cruz. / beach of Punta Estrada.
