Day tour to Pinzón Island and La Fé/Palmitas Bay with snorkeling and fishing
Recommended by 95% of travelers
Santa Cruz, Ecuador
- 7 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
This day tour takes you snorkeling at two of the most spectacular locations in Galapagos where you can see a variety of species, including sharks, sea turtles, rays, sea lions and marine iguanas. You'll also get the chance to disembark the boat at La Fé Bay or Las Palmitas Bay for a discovery walk through mangroves and past prickly pair cactus and candelabra cactus to see Darwin finches, mockingbirds, pelicans, lava herons and blue-footed boobies.
- Wildlife filled day tour to Pinzón Island and La Fé/Las Palmitas
- Snorkel in tow of the best destinations in the Galapagos
- Learn all about the resident marine wildlife from your guide
- Small-group tour (maximum 10): A more personal experience
What's Included
- Use of Snorkeling equipmentUse of Snorkelling equipment
- LunchFreshly prepared lunch, fish or chicken, also often ceviche - vegetarian/vegan options available upon request
- Soda/Pop
- All Fees and Taxes
- Toallas
- Wetsuits (short or long ones, as you prefer)
- Water taxis before and after the tour
- Alcoholic Beverages
- Tips/Gratuities for the crew/guide
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Guiding Galapagos ExpeditionsCalle Enrique Fuentes 106 Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island, Puerto Ayora 200350, Ecuador
Our agency is located only a few meters from the pier from where the tour will depart; you can find us through Google Maps (Guiding Galapagos Expeditions); you cannot miss the agency as there is a big sign with the logo on the door.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Operating hours.8:00 am
What To Expect
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Near public transportation
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
This experience is non-refundable and cannot be changed for any reason. If you cancel or ask for an amendment, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Megan_E
The Pinzón tour was without a doubt the best day of my 9-day trip in the Galápagos and one of the coolest experiences of my life.
It’s a longer boat ride to get there (about 2 hours each way), but the ride was smooth and comfortable. I was traveling solo, so I listened to music/podcast and chatted with others in the group. The boat had a covered area, which was great because I wasn’t in direct sun for the whole ride. And honestly, in the Galápagos, every boat ride is gorgeous.
We weren’t able to do the beach portion due to time/seas, but I truly didn’t even care because the snorkeling was unreal. We saw EVERYTHING — turtles, rays, sea lions, tons of fish, blue-footed boobies, marine iguanas, and so many sharks. We saw over 30 white-tip and black-tip sharks and got to swim with them. It felt like a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Our guide Jamie (if I’m remembering correctly) was one of the biggest highlights. He spoke English and Spanish, and was friendly, funny, personable, and made sure everyone felt safe and comfortable the entire day. He also did a quick round of introductions at the beginning (which I know some people roll their eyes at lol), but honestly it was such a nice icebreaker — especially because people were from all over the world and we were spending the full day together. As a solo traveler, I loved that. I even ran into people from this tour later in my trip and ended up hanging out with them! This was only my second time snorkeling, and I felt completely safe and supported the entire time.
The sea lions were especially fun — they were super playful and swam right alongside us. Our guide did a great job of encouraging those moments while still keeping everyone safe and respectful (since they are wild animals).
The crew was equally fantastic — they helped everyone get fitted with equipment, and were so kind and helpful throughout the day. They even helped take a few photos of me on the boat since I was solo, which I really appreciated. The boat also provides wetsuits and snorkeling equipment, plus towels (though I recommend bringing an extra towel too). We snorkeled at two different locations, with a short boat ride between them. The crew provided drinks and snacks throughout the day (water, tea/coffee, cola, bananas, crackers, pastries/bread, fruit). Lunch on board was honestly great — rice, fish, and coleslaw, and it was perfect after all the swimming. There’s also a bathroom on the boat.
I booked this tour through Guiding Galapagos and I couldn’t recommend them more. The entire experience was seamless because of them — super easy to book, and they communicated clearly and thoroughly about everything I needed. I stopped by their office (right in the middle of Puerto Ayora) the day before and Omar was amazing — answered all my questions, gave me a clear rundown of what to expect, and fitted me with a wetsuit, flippers, and snorkel/goggles. The morning of the tour, you meet at their office and Omar walked me to the dock and coordinated me with the correct group/boat. This was extremely helpful because there are so many tours leaving from the same dock each morning, and it would’ve been easy to get confused without someone guiding me. They also meet you at the dock after your tour to collect your equipment, so you don’t have to go back to the office after a long full-day tour.
This day was genuinely one of my favorite days of my life and something I will never forget. If you do anything in the Galápagos, go to Pinzón!!
Reviews
4.9
based on 149 reviews
Megan_E, Jan 2026
The Pinzón tour was without a doubt the best day of my 9-day trip in the Galápagos and one of the coolest experiences of my life.
It’s a longer boat ride to get there (about 2 hours each way), but the ride was smooth and comfortable. I was traveling solo, so I listened to music/podcast and chatted with others in the group. The boat had a covered area, which was great because I wasn’t in direct sun for the whole ride. And honestly, in the Galápagos, every boat ride is gorgeous.
We weren’t able to do the beach portion due to time/seas, but I truly didn’t even care because the snorkeling was unreal. We saw EVERYTHING — turtles, rays, sea lions, tons of fish, blue-footed boobies, marine iguanas, and so many sharks. We saw over 30 white-tip and black-tip sharks and got to swim with them. It felt like a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Our guide Jamie (if I’m remembering correctly) was one of the biggest highlights. He spoke English and Spanish, and was friendly, funny, personable, and made sure everyone felt safe and comfortable the entire day. He also did a quick round of introductions at the beginning (which I know some people roll their eyes at lol), but honestly it was such a nice icebreaker — especially because people were from all over the world and we were spending the full day together. As a solo traveler, I loved that. I even ran into people from this tour later in my trip and ended up hanging out with them! This was only my second time snorkeling, and I felt completely safe and supported the entire time.
The sea lions were especially fun — they were super playful and swam right alongside us. Our guide did a great job of encouraging those moments while still keeping everyone safe and respectful (since they are wild animals).
The crew was equally fantastic — they helped everyone get fitted with equipment, and were so kind and helpful throughout the day. They even helped take a few photos of me on the boat since I was solo, which I really appreciated. The boat also provides wetsuits and snorkeling equipment, plus towels (though I recommend bringing an extra towel too). We snorkeled at two different locations, with a short boat ride between them. The crew provided drinks and snacks throughout the day (water, tea/coffee, cola, bananas, crackers, pastries/bread, fruit). Lunch on board was honestly great — rice, fish, and coleslaw, and it was perfect after all the swimming. There’s also a bathroom on the boat.
I booked this tour through Guiding Galapagos and I couldn’t recommend them more. The entire experience was seamless because of them — super easy to book, and they communicated clearly and thoroughly about everything I needed. I stopped by their office (right in the middle of Puerto Ayora) the day before and Omar was amazing — answered all my questions, gave me a clear rundown of what to expect, and fitted me with a wetsuit, flippers, and snorkel/goggles. The morning of the tour, you meet at their office and Omar walked me to the dock and coordinated me with the correct group/boat. This was extremely helpful because there are so many tours leaving from the same dock each morning, and it would’ve been easy to get confused without someone guiding me. They also meet you at the dock after your tour to collect your equipment, so you don’t have to go back to the office after a long full-day tour.
This day was genuinely one of my favorite days of my life and something I will never forget. If you do anything in the Galápagos, go to Pinzón!!
Lina_Z, Jan 2026
It was a wonderful experience, tour guide Ricado is very nice, we had lunch cooked out of fish we caught during the trip, which is so fresh. We visited 2 places, first stop to mostly see turtles, the second stop is perfect, we saw sharks, and many other types of fishes. The entire staff team is very professional, they gave clear instructions the day before my trip, and invited me to visit their agency the day before to try on wet suit, flips, and goggle and provide the chance for me to rent gopro, the underwater camera. After the trip, there is a staff waiting for me onshore so that i can return the camera and tools without difficulties. I enjoyed their professional services.
Cameron_L, Jul 2025
Not a ton to see on our day. Probably varies based on day to day.
Lunch was ok. We did a tour a few days later and the boat was more comfortable.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We're sorry to hear that your day didn't fully meet your expectations.
As you rightly pointed out, wildlife sightings in the Galápagos can vary from day to day - nature is wonderfully unpredictable, and while we do our best to guide you to the best spots, we can't guarantee which species will appear. That’s part of the magic of visiting such a unique and wild ecosystem.
Regarding the boat, we’d like to clarify that within the National Park, there are strict regulations about which vessels can operate in certain areas. For the Pinzón tour, for instance, only smaller boats are permitted to preserve the delicate environment, and we carefully select the most comfortable and reliable boats available for this route. For tours departing from the northern parts of the archipelago, larger yachts are allowed, which may offer a different level of onboard comfort — this can explain the variation you noticed between tours.
We truly appreciate your visit and hope the rest of your Galápagos experience was memorable. Should your travels bring you back, we’d be happy to help you choose the perfect tour to match your preferences.
Kristi_M, Jun 2025
While the photos of this tour were somewhat misleading, they gave the impression that a short hiking excursion to see birds was included, this was not the case. The tour was entirely boat-based, with no walking or land exploration.
That said, our guide Ricardo was outstanding during both snorkeling experiences. He ensured everyone’s safety and kept us together as a group. He also pointed out a wide variety of marine life, including fish, sharks, sea turtles, seals, and stingrays. The lunch provided was delicious, featuring freshly caught fish.
Jill_W, Jun 2025
This was an AMAZING trip! Starting with the great men who met us and helped us get organized- Omar and Felipe! The boat ride was fast and smooth and the food on board was excellent. As soon and we jumped into the water we saw Blue-Footed Boobies and a sea lion swam by. We were able to see tons of fish and had a smooth snorkeling experience. We were unable to see any sharks, but that not for lack of trying. I would highly recommend this tour and for sure recommend Guiding Galapagos for any of your tour needs!
Geoffrey_T, Feb 2025
Unbelievable tour that allowed us to get up close and personal with a ton of wildlife. Our passionate guide Jimmy who as fantastic.
Emily_G, Jan 2025
Unfortuantely I cannot rate the actual excursion as I was traveling with my father and he injured his knee requiring us to leave Ecuador before this tour. What I can review is the AMAZING customer service of Guiding Galapagos Expeditions! The tour was non refundable, but I reached out to the operator to see if there were any exemptions due to medical reasons. They helped me through the entire process even when Viator was not willing to budge on their end. Stephanie showed us such kindess and if that is any reflection on how the rest of the company operates then I know this must be an amazing tour.
Bethany_B, May 2024
This was one of the best snorkeling trips I have ever been on! I have snorkeled all over the world and all the things I saw, I was just in love! My husband even caught a 1.5 meter fish! I was a great day and I would do this tour over and over again!
Lowell_K, Feb 2024
Hands down one of the best places to go snorkeling or diving anywhere in the world. It's hard to describe the magical underwater environment around these islands. This tour included snorkeling with a small group where we saw sea turtles, swam with baby seals, sharks, sting rays, and blue footed boobies. It also included a delicious lunch served right on the boat.
Rachel_B, Nov 2023
We had the best day! Omar was really helpful pre tour and Cesar was a great guide! We saw lots of wildlife including white tipped sharks, marine iguanas, sea lions, Galapagos sharks, and more. I would highly recommend this tour and Guiding Galapagos.
Michelle_T, Oct 2023
I was hoping to see the birds, was just mostly just snorkeling. Very long boat ride, totaling 3.5hours ride just for snorkeling in two different areas. Tour guild was not the most enthusiastic, felt like she’s just there to do a job ( I had tour guilds who were more passionate and generally cared about the island and animals). I booked the tour because all the photos about the animals showing in their description, so I felt i didn’t get want I booked. The highlight of the trip was the people I met on the boat and a sea lion I saw during the snorkeling. If you just want to snorkel, it’s okay. But if you are hoping to see the birds, this is NOT the tour.
Response from Host, Nov 2023
Dear Michelle,
Thank you for taking the time to write this rewiew. The tour to Pinzon that you booked is clearly described as snorkel tour, focusing completely on the underwater world. We would have been happy to recommend you another tour (North Seymour for example) if you had let us know that your main interest was to see birds.
Also the tour guides of course have much more time and opportunity to explain things on a more land-based tour, so it is always difficult to compare the guidance of a land tour with the guidance in the water.
We are always happy to help to find the perfect tour for every client, which is why our main business is to customize itineraries - in your case unfortunately you booked this tour online through Viator without ever contacting us, which made it impossible to us to provide any guidance.
Kerri_O, Oct 2023
Simply the best snorkeling ever. Sharks, rays, sea turtles, sea lions, etc. We saw it all! Just a wonderful day out.
Do be forewarned if you go to Le Fé, the current was strong in a couple of spots and there is a part where you take a short hike with bare feet on lava rocks. The guide was very helpful with dealing with the current and helping people get over the rocks, just thought some people may want to know before booking.
Allen_Y, Aug 2023
Pros - well organized with good snorkeling in cool spots where you get to see schools of fish, sea lions, marine iguanas, and sea turtles. Excellent lunch on the boat
Cons - after the first snorkeling event, they make you walk on hot and sharp volcanic rock barefoot which torn up my soles. It was incredibly painful and I wish I had known so I could've worn water shoes or socks. The guide kept yelling at us to go faster when we were stumbling around the sharp rocks. One of the tourists even fell and cut her hand on the rocks trying to break her fall.
Response from Host, Aug 2023
Dear Allen,
Thank you for your review and we are glad to hear that you enjoyed the unique snorkel spots and got to see all the species Pinzon is famous for.
As it says in the tour description and as we always explain during the briefing, most of the time it is another snorkeling activity at La Fe Bay and no walk, however, if someone likes to do the walk then the guide of course can decide to do it - during the briefing we always recommend to bring water shoes / sandals with a decent sole but you are right, the guide could have told everyone on board again before disembarking.
We wish you would have told us about the guide yelling at you right away after the tour when we came to pick you up from the pier, as that way we could have asked the guide for an explanation of this totally unacceptalbe behaviour right away. We are very suprised to read this now as we only work with three boats out of all of them and they have excellent guides on board, it must have been a replacement guide that day, which unfortunately is something that happenas very rarely in case of sickness/personal issues of the contacted guide and unfortuantely this is something that is not in our hands - but of course we would have liked to solve this issue right away on that day if we only had know about it.
We are very sorry for the inconvenience with the guide and will definitely find out who was the guide that day on the boat you went on to make sure that none of our clients will be yelled at again.
Cassie_G, Jul 2023
The day tour to Pinzon island was an unforgettable experience. Guiding Galapagos is an extremely professional and organized company that will ensure you have a good time. The snorkeling at Pinzon was great, and we even saw a whale from the boat. The company fits you with fins, a snorkel and mask, and a wetsuit if you desire before you leave, so you don’t have to worry about having the wrong sized equipment once on the boat. The highlight of the trip was seeing a giant manta ray and reef sharks while snorkeling. Definitely take a Dramamine for the boat ride if you get seasick! Highly recommend this tour and company
Robert_B, Jul 2023
Excellent way to explore Santa Cruz. From start to finish, very professional.
The tour operator was a consummate professional. The captain and crew were courteous and professional.
Janine_S, Jun 2023
This was the most perfect day 🤩. Guiding Galapagos Expeditions escorted us to our boat and introduced us to our guide. There were 9 people in total on our tour which was just right for the size of the boat. In addition to our guide, we had the captain and his helper. The crew could not have been more hospitable. We had a snorkel experience in La Fe which was great and there were refreshments and snacks waiting for us on the boat when we returned. We then went to Pinzon Island and the snorkeling here was phenomenal….as good as I remember the Great Barrier Reef being!! It was just like putting your face in a tropical aquarium. Our guide was fantastic in pointing out all of the sea life, making sure we were safe and that we had the most amazing experience.
Lunch was waiting for us after our 2nd snorkel and it was really great food.
I cannot recommend this trip more highly!!!
Just one note of caution. Luckily, the boat ride did not make my husband or I sea sick but 4 of the 9 people on the boat were REALLY sick. I felt bad for them. So, if you get motion sick, definitely take something beforehand.
Ash_Y, Jul 2022
This is *the* must do tour! During this experience we swam with baby sharks, rays, huge sea turtles, and saw the beautiful marine iguanas resting on the shore. During our fishing, we caught TWO tuna and was served sashimi as a treat. It was such a delight and both snorkels resulted in beautiful fish and marine life! The boat ride was pretty easy and all snacks and food served tasted great!
Myles_H, Jun 2022
Pinzon is a great experience. The first part of the trip has sea turtles, sea lions, sharks, and schools of colorful fish. I thought the second part with the beach was a bit slower-paced area where you could swim around or lounge on the beach with the iguanas and sea lions.
Amy_L, Jun 2022
Had a great time snorkeling face-to-face with white-tipped reef sharks and sea turtles. Saw a marble ray as well, and probably my personal highlight - actually seeing the marine iguanas in the water eating. I saw them all over the islands lazing about in the sun, but never until this trip did I see them feasting underwater. Wonderful sea adventure, complete with 3 freshly caught tuna and lovely plate of tuna sashimi! The team putting the activities together was very organized and friendly. Easy-peasy place to find on Santa Cruz.
Rachel_W, Feb 2022
Can't say enough good things about this experience. It was one of the first excursions I went on, and I didn't realize how spoiled it would make me! The guide was fantastic and expertly selected the best locations and times for snorkeling to maximize our chances of seeing wildlife. And see wildlife we did, from sea turtles to sea lions, sharks, eagle rays, parrot fish, and marine iguanas grabbing lunch under the surface. 110% recommend this excursion and company!
karen_m, Dec 2021
Great covid precautions. Great boat. Great staff. Good lunch. They even washed my Panama hat after I had thrown up in it.
Isha_K, Dec 2021
Yazmany and the Guiding Galapagos crew were excellent! We did 2 tours with them to different islands and they were such great experiences. Yazmany knows so much about each island and took us to amazing spots to snorkel and check out various animals. He was also very patient and gave us ample time to explore and made sure that everyone in the group got to experience everything. The crew was also amazing - super helpful and the food on board was delicious! Would definitely recommend Guiding Galapagos for all their tours.
ANGEL_M, Apr 2021
This was the best day ever!! This tour and the Crew of Mein Steffi were EXCELLENT! They went over and beyond to make sure this trip was enjoyable and memorable. Chef Manny cooked up some delicious seafood and had refreshing drinks available. The snorkeling was unbelievable! We swam with Sharks and turtles and every fish you can think of! Yazmany was superb and was very knowledgeable about everything he showed us and explained. The Captain took us to the best snorkeling spots and Joy maintained the beautiful yacht and helped us in and out of our gear.I can’t say enough about this tour!
I booked two trips with them and both were outstanding. Don’t second guess this one! Just do it!
Angel Murray
Tiffany Harris
Cathy_C, Jan 2020
The boat and crew were wonderful. Great snorkeling spots. We swam with sea lions, marine iguanas, sharks, sea turtles and a large variety of fish. I enjoyed it so much that I decided to spend my last free day on Santa Cruz going back to Pinzon. The second trip was even better than the first as far as marine life.
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Day tour to Pinzón Island and La Fé/Palmitas Bay with snorkeling and fishing
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