A waved albatross stands on rocky ground with its pale white head and long yellow beak visible. Seeing the waved albatross on land is one of the biggest reasons Española Island feels so special for bird lovers.
Enjoy this post? Save and share!

I booked this one to see the Waved Albatross, but then the snorkeling made this Galapagos tour unforgettable.

During our 30 days in the Galapagos, Bill and I did snorkeling tours from all three inhabited islands, and Española Island was one of the most complete wildlife days we experienced.

This tour leaves from San Cristobal and combines a rugged hike at Punta Suarez with epic snorkeling at Gardner Bay — the kind of land-and-sea wildlife day that makes the Galapagos feel like a true Bucket List destination.

It was not the easiest excursion we did, but if you want to see endemic birds and wildlife that you can’t see anywhere else in the Galapagos, combined with some of the most fantastic snorkeling we did in the Galapagos, then the Española Island Tour is absolutely worth considering.

Affiliate disclaimer telling readers that if they click on any of the red links on my website, I may receive a small bit of compensation at no additional cost to them.

If you decide to book this tour, I’d be thankful if you use the red booking links provided. It costs you nothing extra, but it lets me continue providing helpful resources to readers.

Quick Facts About the Española Island Tour

  • What It’s Known For: The Española Island Snorkeling Tour brings together standout Galapagos birding and snorkeling in one full-day trip. The island is best known for seasonal Waved Albatross, Blue-footed and Nazca boobies, the dramatic Punta Suárez blowholes, and snorkeling at Gardner Bay with sea lions, turtles, rays, and colorful fish.
  • Leaves from: San Cristobal Island
  • Tour Duration: About 10–11 hours
  • Boat Ride Duration: About 2.5 hours each way
  • Amount of Snorkeling Time: Approximately 1 hour
  • Who This Is Good For: Choose this tour if you want a true land-and-water experience where the wildlife walk feels just as memorable as the snorkeling. It’s especially strong for bird lovers.
  • Good to Know: The Galapagos National Park limits Española access to certain days of the week and controls visitor numbers. If Española is high on your list, I’d go ahead and book once you know you want to do it. Oh, and take a deep breath before you look at the price.
Click to Check Availability for the Española Island Tour

If you’re still trying to figure out which tours to book, start with my guide called How to Choose the Right Galapagos Snorkeling Tour for You.

Our Experience on the Española Island Snorkeling Tour

We met at the pier at 7:15 AM. Our tour had just six guests, and our guide Christian was excellent — knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful all day.

The boat ride from San Cristobal to Española took a little over two hours, mostly across open water. The boat was more basic than some of our other Galapagos tour boats, with hard wooden benches and thin cushions instead of comfortable seating areas. We used life jackets as backrests, which helped, but this was not cushy.

Travelers sit and rest on narrow blue benches inside the shaded tour boat while bright ocean water shows through the open side. Seeing the seating helps set realistic expectations for the comfort level on the Española Island boat ride.

The crossing was bouncy, but the crew offered snacks and pineapple. The boat also had good Wi-Fi, which surprised me because our fancier Kicker Rock boat did not.

Once we reached Española, we took a dinghy to shore for a wet landing and started the two-hour Punta Suárez hike. Honestly, this felt like a wildlife expedition as much as a snorkeling tour.

A large brown Galapagos hawk with yellow feet and a hooked beak perches on a white rooftop against a clear blue sky. Seeing a Galapagos hawk so early in the day made the Española Island tour feel like a wildlife expedition right away.

Almost immediately, we saw Galapagos Hawks, Española Mockingbirds, friendly sea lions, and Christmas Iguanas — the colorful marine iguanas with reddish and greenish coloring.

Red and green marine iguana stretched across sunlit stones with his black claws spread into 5 distinct fingers that look very sharp!

Then we reached the Nazca Booby nesting areas. The birds were right beside the trail, sitting on nests with chicks nearby, unfazed by us walking past. It was amazing for me from a photography standpoint and one of those Galapagos moments where you realize how protected these islands are.

A white Nazca booby with black wing edges shelters a small gray chick among pale rocks and dry brown branches. Nesting birds right beside the trail were one of the most memorable wildlife moments on Española Island.

We finally reached Punta Suárez, where we saw got to see a couple dozen Waved Albatross still hanging around late in the season. Since these birds are seasonal (here to breed and nest from April – November), seeing even a few in late December felt really special. There are hundreds of nesting pairs who return each year to Espanola.

A waved albatross stands on rocky ground with its pale white head and long yellow beak visible. Seeing the waved albatross on land is one of the biggest reasons Española Island feels so special for bird lovers.

They have an enormous 12 foot wingspan when fully extended.

A large waved albatross spreads its dark wings wide while standing among gray rocks and red coastal plants. Seeing even a few late-season Waved Albatross made the Española Island tour feel especially worthwhile.

The hike was harder than I expected. The footing was mostly flat, but very rocky, and you have to watch where to put your foot for every step. I regretted wearing my water shoes and was wishing I had brought my sturdy tennis shoes. One guy in our group did the whole thing barefoot!!

A trail full of gray rocks leads into the distance towards the top of the cliff with the Pacific Ocean in the distance. Green scrub vegetation lines the path.

By the time we headed back to the boat, the sun felt intense, and I was hot, thirsty, lightheaded, and mentally tired. Bring more water than you think you need.

Back on the boat, we had lunch, then continued about 30 minutes to Gardner Bay for snorkeling. That part of the day felt completely different.

Gardner Bay was calm, beautiful, and much easier than the rugged hike. The water felt warmer than our other Galapagos snorkeling stops, and the whole day immediately felt lighter and more fun. Guide Christian shared his GoPro footage with me.

A large sea turtle swims right up to the camera with Kari swimming along behind it.
Click to watch us swimming with sea turtles.

We swam with playful sea lions, sea turtles, and colorful fish, and that part was pure joy. After the heat and rocky hike, floating with sea lions twisting around us felt like the perfect reward.

Kari in a black wetsuit snorkeling in the clear water of Gardner Bay.
Playful Galapagos sea lion swimming past us during our snorkel.

Honestly, Gardner Bay alone would have made the Española tour worthwhile for me. The ride back took about two hours, and by then I was completely worn out.

This is a full, physical day — but if you want rare birds, dramatic scenery, and exceptional snorkeling in one tour, Española delivers.

What We Loved

Biggest highlights:

  • Some of the best birding we had in the Galapagos
  • Nazca Boobies nesting right beside the trail
  • Seeing the endemic Waved Albatross
  • Swimming with playful sea lions and turtles
  • Some of the most best snorkeling we had in the Galapagos
  • The contrast between dramatic hiking and relaxed snorkeling
  • An excellent naturalist guide who added so much to the day

This felt like one of the richest wildlife days of our whole trip.

Things to Know Before You Book the Espanola Island Tour

A few tips I wish I’d known:

  • Bring sturdy shoes for the hike – either tennis shoes or hiking boots. You can do the wet landing barefoot and then put your shoes on. My biggest regret!
  • Bring plenty of water — the hike is hot and exposed
  • Take seasickness meds if you’re prone to motion sickness
  • Don’t think of this as “just a snorkeling tour” — the hike is a major part of the experience
  • Check seasonality if seeing albatross matters to you (April – December)
  • Because Española is part of the protected Galapagos UNESCO World Heritage Site, access is controlled and tours only run on certain days.
  • Bring reef-safe sunscreen, a hat, and twice as much water as you think you need 

Our Final Take

If your idea of a perfect Galapagos day includes rare birds, fantastic snorkeling, dramatic landscapes, and swimming with sea lions… I think Española is absolutely worth doing.

It may have been one of the most complete wildlife days we had during our month in the Galapagos islands.

If I had to choose between this and another snorkeling-only day trip, I might pick Española again, just for how unique it felt.

Check Availability for the Española Island Tour

Still comparing San Cristobal tours? My Kicker Rock snorkeling review is better for a snorkeling-first day, while my Punta Pitt tour review is another strong option if rare birds and remote scenery are high on your list.  

Birds We Saw on Española Island

For my fellow bird lovers out there, here are the birds we saw during our Española tour:

  • Waved Albatross
  • Nazca Booby
  • Blue-footed Booby
  • American Oystercatcher
  • Red-billed Tropicbird
  • Galapagos Hawk
  • Española Mockingbird
  • Galapagos Dove
  • Galapagos Petrel
  • Magnificent Frigatebird
  • Yellow-crowned Night Heron

More Galapagos Travel Guides

Here are some more posts about visiting the Galapagos Islands. If you’d like to receive emails when I’ve posted new content to the site, please complete the short form above.

Overall Galapagos Planning Guides

San Cristobal Island Galapagos Guides

Santa Cruz Island Galapagos Guides

Isabela Island Galapagos Guides

Ad for Facebook Group Achieve Your Bucket List. Community of travelers helping each other achieve Bucket List travel dreams.

Enjoy this post? Save and share!