San Cristobal is one of the three main islands in the Galapagos and it’s got some of the top beaches! Here are the best beaches in San Cristobal Galapagos for surfing, snorkeling, sunsets, sea lions and more.
Playa Lobería for surf and snorkel
Playa Lobería translates to sea lion beach. Despite the name, this was not a beach crowded with a raft of 1,500 sea lions like Playa de los Marinos in Puerto Baquerizo. Instead, Playa Lobería was a peaceful and relatively quiet beach just a 20-30 minute walk from town. The beach is a hotspot for surfers and snorkelers alike, making a great place to spend the day. Be mindful though: there is very little shade and no facilities apart from a small kiosk in the parking lot where you can buy water and snacks and rent snorkel gear. From the beach to the kiosk is about a 10-minute walk.
Playa de los Marinos & Playa de Oro for sea lions
If you arrive at San Cristóbal by sea, you’ll immediately see Playa de los Marinos, covered in sea lions. Come here in the evening to watch the rafts herd together. The sea lions were surprisingly smart, fun, playful and a joy to watch. We spent hours laughing and watching them on the shores at Playa de los Marinos, the main dock and Playa de Oro, just on the other side of the dock. If you want to swim with sea lions, Playa de Oro is a better choice. There are far too many stinky sea lions at Playa de los Marinos for you to go in the water. In fact, most of the beach is protected and people are restricted from entering.
Tips! Muyu Galapagos is an upscale restaurant on Playa de Oro. Stop by for dinner or drinks to enjoy the sunset. At Playa de los Marinos you can enjoy a flight of beer at the Post Office and laugh at the sea lions for hours.
Playa Mann for a local experience
From town it’s about a 15 minute walk to Playa Mann. We visited here on our way to Point Carola to watch the sunset. It was Friday afternoon and the beach was crowded with locals. Here, there are two small beach bars, a restaurant, changing facilities and toilets and a small path to a lighthouse. It’s a great spot to grab a beer and relax in the evening and get a glimpse into local life.
Pit stop for drinks at The Pier
On the walk between Playa Mann and Point Carola Beach there are a lot of beach bars and restaurants. We stopped at a cute one with seaside views, some swings and pretty average cocktails. I was a big fan of the free popcorn. They also have a fun mailbox outside with postcards written to people all over the world. The catch is, they don’t have postage. You open the box and check to see if there’s a postcard headed where you’re headed next. If so, you take it with you and deliver it. How cute is that?
The Pier Restaurant and Cevicheria
Point Carola Beach for sunsets
From Playa Mann we walked to Point Carola to get the best unobstructed sunset view in San Cristóbal. This was an exciting surprise as on Santa Cruz, we were facing the wrong direction to see the sunset in town. There is a small trail, about five minutes, that leads you to the beach. Here you’ll find more sea lions and a whole lot of marine iguana nesting sites. And the rumor was true, the sunset was perfect.
Playa Cerro Brujo for serenity
And, I saved the best for last. Playa Cerro Brujo was my favorite beach in all of the Galápagos – Tortuga Bay on Santa Cruz is a close second. After spending a day diving at Kicker Rock, we took the boat over to Playa Cerro Brujo to enjoy the pristine white sand and sparkling turquoise water. Sea lions played on the lava rocks and we spotted sea turtles from the shore.
Note: You must visit with a certified Galápagos guide, so booking the 360-tour is the easiest way to visit Playa Cerro Brujo if you’re not diving. Depending on the boat, the beach is about one and half hours from Puerto Baquerizo. It’s definitely worth it!
We got here on our dive trip to Kicker Rock with Chok’s.
After visiting the best beaches in San Cristobal, check out all the other incredible things to do in the Galapagos.
