Tortuga Bay Beach

In Santa Cruz, Galapagos

The Tortuga Bay beach in Santa Cruz island is for me the most beautiful beach that I’ve visited in the Galapagos islands.

This white-sanded paradise is home to many marine iguanas and baby reef sharks. Here you can surf, sunbathe, kayak and for sure relax.

Where is the Tortuga Bay Beach?

The Tortuga Bay beach is located roughly 3 km southwest of Puerto Ayora town on Santa Cruz island.

To reach it on foot you can leave the main pier and walk straight to Avenida Baltra. At the second crossroads (200m), turn left onto Charles Binford street and walk straight for 350 meters until you reach the beginning of the path. 

Alternatively, you can make a small detour and visit the Nymphs Lagoon, a beautiful turquoise-water lagoon surrounded by mangroves.

To reach it, at Charles Binford Street take a left turn at Hotel Crossman (orange hotel with arches) to Juan Montalvo street and walk straight for 130 meters.

Wooden path to the Nymphs Lagoon

Nymphs Lagoon in Santa Cruz

Tortuga Bay beach location

How To Get to Tortuga Bay Beach?

You can reach Tortuga Bay by foot or by taxi-boat:

By foot:

• • Distance: Around 3 km
  • Walking time: 45 minutes (starting at the main pier)
  • Price: Free 

By taxi-boat:

• • Duration: 20 minutes
  • Price: 10$ USD (per person and per direction)
  • Schedule: Ask at the pier. It might change according to the season/year.

The kiosk near the pier where you can buy taxi-boat tickets to Tortuga Bay beach

Tortuga Bay Beach: General Details

• Opening hours - From 6h to 17h (but when I was there the park guard kicked us out at 18h and we could watch the sunset).
  • Update 2026: The last time we were there, we registered at around 16h and arrived at around 17h at the beach, and got kicked out right as we arrived. We could jump in the water once in Playa Brava, and that’s it.
• Facilities: There are no facilities at the beach. (if you need to go to the bathroom go at the registration office).
• What can you do on each beach:
  • Playa Brava - Surf, sunbathe, relax, and watch marine iguanas.
  • Playa Mansa - Swim, kayak, relax and watch baby black-tip reef sharks and pelicans fishing.
• What you can’t do:
  • Go to the dunes.
  • Enter protected turtle nesting areas.
  • Swim in Playa Brava. (The guard let us swim there last time we went, as we were late.)
  • Leave garbage on the beach.
  • Touch any animal.
  • Overextend your stay (you must leave when the ranger/guard tells you to.

What to Bring to the Tortuga Bay Beach?

Clothing & Accessories:

• Tshirt: Breathable Tshirt (Tech or Merino), or a Lycra
• Jacket: Waterproof Jacket
• Shorts: Shorts, and Swimming Clothes
• Shoes: Hiking Shoes, and Flip Flops
• Hat: Cap
• Sunglasses
• Dry-fast Towel
• Earth Pak Waterproof Dry Bag
• Change of Clothes

Useful Extras:

• GoPro/Camera
• Snorkeling Gear: Mask, Tube, and Fins
• 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
• Surfboard: If you’re a surfer this is one of the best places to surf on the island.
• Food / Snacks: Bring some snacks and water since there isn’t any café or restaurant at the beach and it can get really hot during the day.
• 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.

What Can i See at the Tortuga Bay Beach?

You might see marine iguanas resting on the beach or swimming around in the water, exotic beautiful fish and turtles, and if you’re lucky perhaps some baby blacktip reef sharks.

For your own safety and for the animals, don’t touch any of the animals or corals as they are all living things and can get damaged if you do so.

If you want some more information please check the official Santa Cruz island website.

Playa Mansa in Santa Cruz Island

My Experience at the Tortuga Bay Beach

I already went two times to the Tortuga Bay beach, the first one in 2022, and the description here is based on that trip, and now again in 2026 with my wife. This last time, it was almost closing, so we didn’t even have time to reach Playa Mansa as the guard was kicking us out.

In 2022, this was my third day on Santa Cruz Island, and I went to Tortuga Bay after doing the Bay Tour in the morning.

I went alone but found three separate friends of mine on the beach from the dives I did to Gordon’s Rock the day before and Kicker Rock on San Cristóbal island. 

I went on foot and did the entire hike to get there. It is completely worth it. The path is paved up and it’s more or less the same time as the boat if you are used to walking.

Tortuga Bay entrance

Hiking to Playa Brava Beach in Tortuga Bay

Since this is a National Park, to start the hike you need to register at a small hut right on top of a set of stairs at the beginning.

Once there you have to give your information and they will explain to you how the beach works, where you can swim, kayak and surf, and what you can and cannot do on the beach. 

There is no café, kiosk, or drinking station on the beach and there isn’t any bathroom so be prepared.

This place is called Tortuga Bay and consists of two beaches, the longest one, with waves called Playa Brava (Brave beach), and a smaller and more quiet one without waves called Playa Mansa (Tame beach).

The bay is called Tortuga Bay since it’s where many turtles come and lay their eggs on the beach. Therefore there are many places marked with signs protecting the area so nobody can by accident destroy them.

There’s also a rule that you have to leave the beach before 18h because that’s when they come in onshore to nest.

You can find many marine iguanas here, especially under the mangrove on the right side of the beach that connects to Playa Mansa beach or at the little lagoon just in front, swimming.

The beginning of the hike to Tortuga Bay

The paved path to Tortuga Bay

Information about marine iguanas at Tortuga Bay

Turtle Nest Protected Area in Tortuga Bay

The entrance to the Tortuga Bay registration area

The registration office of Tortuga Bay

The final stretch of the way to Tortuga Bay beach

Playa Brava at Tortuga Bay

Playa Brava in Santa Cruz

Tortuga Bay’s Lifeguard relaxing

Tortuga Bay Lagoon at the end of Playa Brava

Sunbathing marine iguana at Tortuga Bay in Santa Cruz island

Marine iguana swimming in Tortuga Bay, Santa Cruz, Galápagos

Playa Mansa in Santa Cruz Island

Baby black tip reef sharks at Tortuga Bay

Me and my diving buddies in Tortuga Bay

My friend Sebas at Sunset in Tortuga Bay

Relaxing at Playa Mansa Beach and Sunset

Once I passed the lagoon at the end of Playa Brava beach I arrived at Playa Mansa beach, where I could finally swim.

Found a place in the shade and went for a swim. 

Once I laid down my towel I found Ivete one of my dive buddies from the previous day and we went swimming.

Inside the water, we started seeing groups of people with their cameras and we could understand the reason, there were multiple baby blacktip reef sharks playing around. 

Some seconds later many pelicans also started fishing around us and it felt like we were in a wildlife documentary. Absolutely incredible.

After some time on the beach, we started going back to Playa Brava and we met another of our dive buddies Sebas reading on the beach. What a coincidence. 

Luckily the park ranger didn’t force us out before sunset and we could watch it. You have to be lucky with the ranger but they tend to be nice people so don’t worry.

I then met another dive buddy of mine from San Cristóbal. Everybody comes here it seems. It’s gorgeous for sure.

And that’s about it after sunset we went back to Puerto Ayora and the Tortuga Bay afternoon was over.

Playa Mansa beach at Tortuga Bay in Santa Cruz

Black tip reef sharks at Playa Mansa in Santa Cruz

Tortuga Bay before sunset

Epic sunset at Tortuga Bay

Tortuga Bay after the sunset

People leaving Tortuga Bay after the closing time

What about you, have you already been to the Tortuga Bay beach in Santa Cruz?  Leave me a comment down here if you have and what was your opinion.

Thanks for reading through and I hope you have fun on the beach!

I’ll drop a couple of my other favourite photos from the beach down below, enjoy.

Photo Gallery

Hiking to Playa Brava Beach

Relaxing at Playa Mansa Beach, Sunset and Back Home