Nymphs Lagoon

In Santa Cruz, Galapagos

The Nymphs Lagoon in Santa Cruz is a beautiful lagoon full of mangroves that you can visit just a short walk from Puerto Ayora’s city center and is a great stop on your way to Tortuga Bay beach.

You don’t have to pay for the entrance and is great for a family escape or romantic picnic.

Nymphs Lagoon: General Details

To reach the Nymphs Lagoon or Laguna de Las Ninfas, you can either go by taxi, bike or by foot. I advise you to go by foot as it’s almost literally in the middle of the city.

• Distance to the main pier: 450 meters
• Walking time: Around 6 minutes
• Opening hours: 7:30 h - 17:30 h

Important: It’s not permitted to swim, fish, kayak or disturb the animals around the lagoon. There’s a sign at the entrance. More information on the official Santa Cruz website here.

In 2026, it was closed with signs of being in maintenance for some years already. No information on when it’s opening again.

Nymphs Lagoon Location

How To Get to The Nymphs Lagoon?

To get to the Nymphs Lagoon just leave the main pier/port and walk straight to Avenida Baltra. At the first crossroads (100m), turn left onto Thomas de Berlanga street and then take the first right to Moisés Brito street. Once you reach Hostal Germania, turn left, into Juan Montalvo street, walk 85m and you’re at the lagoon.

Entrance to the Nymphs Lagoon

What to Bring to The Nymphs Lagoon?

Clothing & Accessories:

• • Tshirt: Breathable Tshirt (Tech or Merino), or a Lycra
  • Jacket: Waterproof Jacket
  • Shorts: Shorts
  • Shoes: Hiking Shoes
  • Hat: Cap
  • Sunglasses

Useful Extras:

• GoPro/Camera
• First-Aid Kit
• Mosquito Repellent: The beaches on the Galapagos islands, especially at sunset, have a lot of mosquitos and usually also horseflies or “Tabanos” as they are called in Spanish and they are silent and leave you with a huge unpleasant swollen bite.
• Sunscreen +50 SPF
• Food / Snacks
• Thermos or Water-filtering Bottle

Check out my complete guide on What’s in My Backpack - From photography gear, and clothing for Hiking, Mountaineering, Scuba Diving, Rainforest, and City-Street Photography.

My Experience at The Nymphs Lagoon

As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, the best thing to do is to coordinate the Nymphs Lagoon with the Tortuga Bay beach as it stays on the way to it and it’s absolutely gorgeous.

In my case, I had just a couple of hours left after scuba diving in Gordon’s Rock and seeing dozens of hammerhead sharks. I met some friends I had previously traveled with in San Cristobal Island, Maayan and Tal both from Israel, and of we went to the lagoon.

As it was already late around 4 pm we only had time to visit the lagoon and couldn’t reach the Tortuga Bay beach that day so we just had something to eat and went exploring.

Maayan and Tal at the Nymphs Lagoon

Wooden path to the Nymphs Lagoon

There we stood almost alone watching the beautiful nature. We saw some fish and some birds if I recall a grey heron, and that was it.

A beautiful short place to visit if you don’t have a lot of time or if you’re on your way for example to Tortuga Bay beach. 

Panoramic of the Nymphs Lagoon

What about you, have you already been to the Nymphs Lagoon in Santa Cruz?  Leave me a comment down here if you did and after you’ve been, your impression.

Thanks for reading through and I hope you have fun exploring the lagoon!