If you find yourself on the island of Santa Cruz in Galapagos with a day or two to spare I suggest you head out for a relaxing beach day at Playa El Garrapatero.
Located approximately 30 minutes drive from Puerto Ayora, Playa El Garrapatero is a hidden gem of a beach on the eastern side of the island of Santa Cruz.
Before departing Puerto Ayora we organised ourselves with food and drinks for the day and arranged a taxi to take us out in the morning and collect us in the afternoon. Playa El Garrapatero is quite remote and if you don’t have a taxi already organised it might be difficult to make the return trip to Puerto Ayora unless you can hitch a ride in someone else’s taxi.
Upon arrival in Garrapetero we were greeted with a paved path through the mangroves and an easy 10 minute walk down to the beach.
Garrapatero is a small protected bay with beautiful aquamarine water and soft sand that draws visits from both locals and tourists. The beach is popular and can fill up quickly, so try and arrive earlier in the morning to secure a good spot.
An assortment of rocks fill the water in some places, making it possible to snorkel and try and see a couple of the famous Galapagos animals, however the marine animals are not as plentiful here as they are in other places throughout Galapagos.
If you walk towards the right of the beach there are a large cluster of volcanic rocks that are home to marine iguanas. As the beach is situated up against the mangroves we found a couple of places with shady spots under the trees to sit, relax and soak up the beautiful location we were spending the day in.
If you’re not interested in snorkelling, Playa El Garraptero is a great place to just swim in the cool blue water or lay on the sand soaking up the sun. Be aware however that due to it’s proximity to the equator the sun is extreme in Galapagos and sunscreen is an absolute requirement.
We had a great, fun day playing on the beach with a group of friends. If you’re a backpacker looking to visit, see if you can round up some fellow travellers to share a taxi. At a cost of approximately $30, Playa El Garrapatero can be a fun, inexpensive way to spend the day in the beautiful Galapagos Islands.
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