Description

Islands Plazas Tour

It`s a small islet of 13 hectares located east of Santa Cruz Island. It is home for the largest colonies of sea lions. In this place you will be able to see marine iguanas, land iguanas and hybrid iguanas and also observe birds such as tropical birds, swallow-tailed gulls, frigate birds and more.

How to get there?

This tour starts in Santa Cruz Island, the naturalist guide will pick you up at the hotel or they’ll let you know a meeting point.

Itinerary

Your naturalist guide will pick you up in a bus to take you to the north part of Santa Cruz Island until you reach the Itabaca Channel. The bus ride takes 45 minutes. Then you take a boat to Plazas Island.

The landing is dry and immediately you will observe sea lions playing on the shores, as well as resting on the rocks.

On the trail you can observe land iguanas walking near the cactus or simply resting on the rocks. During the warm season you will be able to see the nest of the land iguanas.

On the trail you can observe the succulent plant, which is green in the warm and rainy season and red in the dry season.

Near the cliffs at the southeast part of the island, there is a colony of bachelor’s sea lions, they are young males that have not yet established their own territory.

Once you reach the cliff you can enjoy a beautiful view, where you can observe swallow-tailed gulls, tropical birds, frigate birds and more.

Then you will return to the boat for lunch and immediately you will navigate to Punta Carrion for snorkeling, where you will have the chance to see white tip reef sharks, sea turtles, colorful fish, among others.