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Darwin Bay – Galapagos Islands
El Cajas National Park Travel Guide
March 25, 2019
Galapagos Islands – Darwin & Wolf Islands
April 1, 2019Darwin Bay is an interesting Galapagos Islands visitor site which can be found on Genovesa Island. This island is also sometimes known as Tower. Darwin Bay is a stunning coral beach. There is a trail that runs along the beach which takes in tidal pools, and passes by bird colonies, with some pleasant views to be seen along the way too. In particular there is a great cliff view at the end of the trail. Here we will cover everything you need to know about your Darwin Bay trip, including things to do in Darwin Bay, how to visit, the best time to visit, wildlife to look out for here, and our Insider recommendations, especially for you.
Things to Do at Darwin Bay
There are several activities that you may potentially do at Darwin Bay. One of these is hiking along the trail. The trail is approximately 0.9 miles long, or 1.5 kilometers. You might also potentially go snorkeling in Darwin Bay, with opportunities to see some interesting marine life, under the water’s surface. In some cases, depending on your cruise, there may be the chance to do some snorkeling. One of the highlights with this is the potential chance to snorkel with sea lions. These creatures are very playful, and love to swim right up to your face when you are snorkeling. If you are lucky they may decide to play with you. This aside, some Galapagos Islands cruises to this visitor site might take you on a dinghy (panga) ride around the bay, to enable you to see more of the wildlife closer up.
Darwin Bay is accessed via a wet landing. Make sure you wear the right footwear accordingly, as advised by your guide. However, the landing is considered to be relatively easy to do.
How to visit Darwin Bay
Genovesa Galapagos tours are only possible if you take a Galapagos Islands cruise. It is not possible to visit Darwin Bay on a day tour, so those visiting the archipelago on a Galapagos land-based option will not get to visit this particular Island. Please be advised that not all Galapagos tours cover Darwin Bay or even Genovesa Island, so you will need to double check your itinerary and make sure to book a cruise that does cover this visitor site if it is a “must see” place for you. A highly recommended boat tour visiting this site is the Grand Majestic Yacht as well as the Cormorant cruise, two high end boats offering complete and well organized itineraries.
Best time to visit Darwin Bay
The best time to visit Darwin Bay depends very much on your personal preferences. The wildlife is much the same throughout the year, and so the only noteworthy difference at various times of the year is the weather. In the months between December and May, the weather is more likely to be warmer, but this can also bring some rain at times. This is nicer for snorkeling, in terms of sea temperature. Between the months of June to November, the weather can be cooler. This means that the sea is colder for snorkeling. However, the snorkeling is likely to be better in these months, as the Humboldt current brings more nutrients to the Galapagos Islands during this time. This means a greater variety of marine life. On the flip side, the currents can be a bit stronger in these months, and particularly in August and September.
Wildlife in Darwin Bay
Darwin Bay has some fascinating wildlife for you to keep an eye out for. This spot is particularly good for bird watchers, as there is a wide range of species here. In fact, Genovesa is sometimes known as “Bird Island” for this very reason. For starters, there is a colony of red footed boobies at this Galapagos visitor site. You may also have a chance to see Nazca boobies, swallow tailed gulls, tropicbirds, the Galapagos mocking bird, storm petrels and Darwin finches. Frigate birds are also commonly sighted in this area.
When you are snorkeling you have a decent chance of seeing a hammerhead shark in Darwin Bay. This is also a good place to spot rays, as well as to see plenty of pretty colored reef fish.
This aside, you are very likely to see sea lions as well, at this interesting spot.
Insider Recommendations for your tour at Darwin Bay
Our main Insider recommendation for your tour at Darwin Bay is to make sure that this spot if included on your itinerary if you want to visit. This visitor site is considered part of Genovesa Island. While snorkeling with sea lions is fabulous, we recommend you keep an eye out for the big males, which are not so playful.
Why not contact us and we can help you find out if your Galapagos cruise will stop at Darwin Bay. We are experts in Galapagos bookings and can help you find your ideal Galapagos Islands trip – get in touch to find out more!
