LAS TINTORERAS GALAPAGOS
What Las Tintoreras lacks in size, it more than makes up for in tourist experience! For visitors to Isabela island, this is one national park site that deserves serious consideration for your travel itinerary. Famous for whitetip reef sharks basking in shallow waters, Tintoreras is also home to a large marine iguana population, and much more Galapagos wildlife besides. There are also enough activities to keep everyone happy, from treking to snorkel and kayak.
Best of all, Las Tintoreras Galapagos is easy and cheap to visit once you know how. Keep reading for all of the information you’ll need to plan the perfect Tintoreras visit.
Where is Las Tintoreras at Galapagos?
Las Tintoreras is located at Isabela island, just 10 minutes boat ride offshore from Puerto Villamil town.
The entire Tintoreras islet network measures in at just 900 meters long by 100 meters wide, making it relatively small in Galapagos terms.
The area consists of a series of small, black lava islets. Visitors get to explore hidden coves with white sand beaches, and calm, turquoise waters. Lush mangroves (red, white and button species) throw an extra splash of color to the scene.
Las Tintoreras Tour and Activities
How to visit Las Tintoreras?
First and foremost, Las Tintoreras is an official Galapagos National Park visitor site, subject to park regulations. So, for reasons of conservation and safety, the only way to visit Las Tintoreras is as part of a guided tour.
The good news though is that Tintoreras tours are short, and will not break the bank if you are happy to join a shared, group excursion.
So, let’s check out the different ways to visit Tintoreras …
1. Las Tintoreras Standard Tour – departing daily, early morning and early afternoon, this tour lasts around 3 hours. The visit kicks off with wildlife spotting along the bay, before disembarking to walk a flat and easy trekking trail through the black lava to the Tintoreras channel. Finally, visitors have the opportunity to snorkel nearby. This standard Tintoreras tour includes an English-speaking naturalist guide, return boat transport, and use of snorkelling gear (fins, tube and mask).
2. For island hoppers, a trip to Las Tintoreras can easily be included into your land tour itinerary. Check out Happy Gringo’s popular 8-day Galapagos Explorer & 4-day Isabela Island Extension tours as examples. Just be sure to request a visit to Las Tintoreras with our sales team.
3. Many Galapagos cruise itineraries also stop by Las Tintoreras. Check your yacht itinerary carefully before booking to avoid disappointment.
4. Las Tintoreras Kakak Tour – another fantastic option is to paddle the crystalline waters by kayak. This trip works out a Little harder on the wallet, and needs to be pre-booked as daily departures are not guaranteed.
Things to do at las Tintoreras Galapagos
Las Tintoreras Wildlife Watching
What animals can be found at Las Tintoreras? Although small in size, the protected bays and coves are a wonderful haven for Galapagos animals and birds.
Las Tintoreras is most famous for (and in fact named after) the whitetip reef sharks that rest in the shallow waters. At low tide reef sharks become temporarily trapped, forced to hang out in the channel of a lava crevasse and surrounding pools. Fortunate visitors are rewarded with close-up views of these graceful sharks in clear waters.
Another animal that cannot be missed at Tintoreras Galapagos is the marine iguana. These unique creatures are the only iguana species on the planet to have developed the ability to swim. But it was not always so …. in fact, they had to adapt on arrival to the Galapagos islands. Without any food source on land, the marine iguana evolved the ability to dive for seaweed and algae in the sea. Today, the Tintoreras hiking trail leads right through a large marine iguana colony. Look out for them huddling together for warmth, whilst spitting salt from their nostrils (another quirk of evolution). In season (January to March) they also dig nests in the Tintoreras sand, often precariously close to the visitor trail … so be sure to watch your step.
Always crowd pleasing, noisy sea lions wait to greet tourists. Look for them swimming in the sea, or lazing the day away on the inviting white sand beach. Meanwhile, the bright colors of Sally Lightfoot crabs contrast the jet black lava rocks, and perfectly camouflaged lava herons stand motionless waiting for fish. Don’t forget to look to the skies, where Frigates and blue footed boobies glide, on the lookout for their next meal.
During the bay navigation it’s sometimes possible to spot a small group of Galapagos penguins. Now that’s a great photo to amaze your friends back home – penguins enjoying life at the equator!
Tintoreras Hiking
Boots on the ground is often the best way to experience the wildlife at Galapagos, so don’t turn down the chance to trek at Tintoreras.
Suitable for all fitness levels, the Tintoreras circular trail is just 1.4km in length, over flat terrain. The path is mostly sandy, leading through a field of black, aa lava.
The trail leads through a large, breeding marine iguana colony – one of the most important of the whole archipelago. Watch your step as these godzilla-esque creatures often sit right in the middle of the visitor path. Opportunities are endless for keen photographers to capture snaps of iguanas piled one on top of another, warming up under the sun’s rays. Cheeky lava lizards sometimes join the group, sharing warmth with their reptile friends, or perching atop an iguana’s head.
The trail also passes right by the famous Tintoreras lava channel, so hikers get up close views of reef sharks basking in the sun.
Las Tintoreras Snorkeling
There are various different snorkeling areas at Tintoreras. Your naturalist guide will choose the most suitable on the day, depending on local conditions. Mostly the Tintoreras waters are clear, offering good underwater visibility.
What wildlife to expect when snorkelling at Las Tintoreras?
Sea lions are often the number one highlight. They’ll approach snorkelers out of curiosity, swimming playful rings around them. Those with underwater camera can catch unbelievable shots of these cheeky fellas.
Marine iguanas take to the sea to feed, using their strong tail to swim crocodile-style through the waves, before diving deeper for algae. The Galapagos islands is literally the only place where one can witness this unusual behavior.
Whitetip reef sharks prefer to loiter on the sandy bottom, while colorful reef fish flit around the rocks and coral. Look out for sea turtles too, drifting gently with the currents in the bay.
Tintoreras Kayak Tour
The final fun activity to consider at Las Tintoreras is a kayak tour. Paddeling silently, it’s easy to to get up close to wildlife on the surface, as well as peering at colorful fish below. Another advantage of kayaking is the ability to explore a wider area of the hidden coves at Tintoreras.
Practicalities for visiting Las Tintireras Galapagos
• Las Tintoreras Galapagos is suitable for all levels of swimmers and snorkellers. The currents here are usually mild, although it is still important to consider local conditions, and check with your guide.
• Recommended items to to bring along: treking or regular sandals (suitable for land and water), swimwear, towel, change of clothes, light jacket, sun protection (sunglasses, hat, sunblock), water bottle, underwater camera / cellphone, mosquito repellent.
• The black aa lava along the length of the trail is extremely sharp. Visitors should take great care not to stub a toe, or stumble. Lava cuts are painful and require throrough medical attention to avoid infection.
• Stay on the trail at all times, and watch out for wildlife on the path. Las Tintoreras is an important Galapagos marine iguana breeding site. It’s easy to unintentionally walk right over a nest, destroying the eggs inside. So, please follow the instructions of your guide at all times.
Contact us to organise a Galapagos vacation that includes an unforgettable visit to Las Tintoreras. We’ll be happy to send you a free tour quote, with all of the very best Galapagos options for your dream trip.
In conclusion, Las Tintoreras Galapagos is a fun and easy visitor site, with something for everyone to enjoy. There are few places on the planet where reef sharks can be observed so closely without even getting your feet wet. La Tintoreras is also home to one of the largest marine iguana colonies of the archipelago. Galapagos islands visitors should definately consider including Las Tintoreras into their Isabela island itinerary.
