https://mad-traveller.com/tags/santiago-island/ Recent content in Santiago-Island on Mad Traveller Hugo -- gohugo.io en Sat, 31 Oct 2026 15:12:33 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/posts/what-to-see-on-santiago-island/?v=1 Sat, 31 Oct 2026 15:12:33 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/posts/what-to-see-on-santiago-island/?v=1 Santiago is one of the Galapagos Islands, part of Ecuador, and its sights are landscapes and wildlife rather than buildings. The island has about 585 square kilometres, no residents and no town, and it is seen only from a boat with a licensed naturalist guide. These are the places visitors are taken to. Puerto Egas and the fur-seal coast Puerto Egas, in James Bay, is a black-sand beach beside a lava shelf. https://mad-traveller.com/posts/day-trips-to-santiago-from-santa-cruz/?v=1 Sat, 31 Oct 2026 15:12:24 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/posts/day-trips-to-santiago-from-santa-cruz/?v=1 Santiago has no town, hotel or road, so a day trip means a boat from Santa Cruz, where the trips start in Puerto Ayora. The usual option is a full-day outing that combines Bartolome with a Sullivan Bay lava walk on Santiago. A naturalist guide goes with every group, and you cannot land on your own. How the day runs About 6:00: pickup at your Puerto Ayora hotel. About 40 minutes: by road across Santa Cruz to the Itabaca channel. https://mad-traveller.com/posts/walking-lava-and-coast-on-santiago/?v=1 Sat, 31 Oct 2026 15:12:24 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/posts/walking-lava-and-coast-on-santiago/?v=1 Santiago has no town, so there are no city walking tours, markets or self-guided routes. The walks that exist are guided trails inside Galapagos National Park, reached by boat and walked in a group with a park-authorised naturalist. Independent walking is not possible on Santiago. Sullivan Bay lava walk The trail crosses a young pahoehoe flow from the late 19th century, commonly dated to 1897. It runs roughly 1.5 km. About 150 m from the start you reach tree molds, hollow casts left where lava closed around tree trunks. https://mad-traveller.com/posts/guided-tours-of-santiago-island/?v=1 Sat, 31 Oct 2026 15:12:23 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/posts/guided-tours-of-santiago-island/?v=1 Tours of Santiago Island, one of the Galapagos islands in Ecuador, are all led by a licensed naturalist guide, because the island is uninhabited and independent landings are not possible. There are no city tours, bus tours, museums or theatres here. What you can book are boat-based shore visits, a long day trip from Santa Cruz, and dive outings. Naturalist-guided shore walks Cruise ships and day-tour yachts land groups at two main walking sites. https://mad-traveller.com/posts/romantic-cruise-travel-to-santiago-island/?v=1 Sat, 31 Oct 2026 15:10:56 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/posts/romantic-cruise-travel-to-santiago-island/?v=1 Santiago Island offers romance of the wild kind. It is an uninhabited island in Galapagos National Park, with no resorts, spas, bars or beach dinners, and no hotel at all. The way to share it as a couple is on a small-ship Galapagos cruise that anchors off its coast, with guided landings by day and your cabin as your base. Why a cruise suits two A cruise gives you the island without the logistics. https://mad-traveller.com/posts/galapagos-cruises-calling-at-santiago/?v=1 Sat, 31 Oct 2026 15:10:21 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/posts/galapagos-cruises-calling-at-santiago/?v=1 Staying overnight near Santiago means sleeping aboard a ship. The island is uninhabited, with no hotel, campsite for visitors or restaurant, so multi-day visits are Galapagos cruises that sail between islands and land groups with a naturalist guide. Santiago is a regular stop on central-island itineraries. Where Santiago fits in a cruise These Santiago stops appear on operator itineraries. Puerto Egas (James Bay): fur seals and young sea lions on a lava shelf, with swimming or snorkeling from the black-sand beach. https://mad-traveller.com/posts/santiago-island-with-children/?v=1 Sat, 31 Oct 2026 15:09:38 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/posts/santiago-island-with-children/?v=1 Santiago Island suits families with older children who are steady on their feet and comfortable around the sea. It is an uninhabited part of Galapagos National Park, so there are no playgrounds, shops, cafes or town facilities. Everything happens on a guided boat outing, either a full-day trip from Santa Cruz or a stop on a multi-day cruise. What children enjoy Sea lion and fur seal pups at Puerto Egas. The lava shelf on the James Bay coast is shared by Galapagos fur seals and young sea lions, and a guide helps children spot them from a respectful distance. https://mad-traveller.com/posts/santiago-island-activities-in-the-galapagos/?v=1 Sat, 31 Oct 2026 15:08:14 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/posts/santiago-island-activities-in-the-galapagos/?v=1 Santiago, also called San Salvador or James Island, lies inside Galapagos National Park in Ecuador. It covers about 585 square kilometres and has no residents, so every visit is a guided boat outing, either on a multi-day cruise or on a full-day trip from Santa Cruz. The activities below are the ones that run at its visitor sites. Walk the Sullivan Bay lava field Sullivan Bay is a young lava flow from the late 19th century, commonly dated to 1897.