Punta Pitt Tour

The tour begins with a morning hike to the Media Luna Cone. Keep in mind that this portion of the the tour lasts 3.5 hours, and covers 3.2 miles (5 km). Along the way, you’ll get to see Galápagos tortoises in their natural environment.

Toward the afternoon, you’ll begin your second hike. It leads to an area called Punta Pitt, on the northeastern end of the island. This trail will also take you to an olivine beach, named for its green-tinted volcanic rocks. Next to the beach, you’ll ascend to the top of volcanic tuff that offers a stunning vista. The trail is nearly a mile (1,400 m) long and takes about two hours.

Punta Pitt is known as the only site in the Galápagos where you can see three species of boobies, all of which are exceedingly rare sights on their own. This is possible because of the geography of the island, which provides unique nesting habitats for each species — the Nazca boobies stick to the cliffs, the red-footed boobies prefer the bushes, and the blue-footed boobies keep their blue-footed babies a bit farther inland. From the cliffs, you’ll have an impressive view of the sea lions that crowd the beach.