Explore Ecuador &
Galapagos

Travel Ecuador

Santiago

Area: 144 495 acres /

Highest point: 2 947 ft (907 meter)

The island consists of two overlapping volcanoes and is Galapagos’ largest uninhabited island.

James Bay and Puerto Egas
Once an inhabited harbor, Puerto Egas is located in beautiful James Bay. This rocky coast of black lava rock has already been explored by Darwin. South of the beach is the volcano Pan de Azucar (Sugarloaf Mountain). The crater contains a saltwater lake, which dries up in the summer and where salt extraction was done. Puerto Egas is an excellent place for swimmers and snorkel enthusiasts. You can also climb the 400 meter high volcano with a great view over the lava fields and often you can see the Galapagos hawk. There is a 2 km path along the coast in southern direction. You walk along the ruins of an old salt mine and the rocky coast is the stopping place for colonies of sea lions and sally lightfoot crabs. At the end of the trail, you will be greeted by curious sea bears, who hunt in the coves of the bay. You can snorkel here with these friendly animals, between the octopuses and many colorful tropical fish.

Sullivan Bay
This site is interesting from a geological point of view: a 1.5 km trail leads you past astonishing lava landscapes. There are a few smaller beaches where turtles come to nest.

Playa Espumilla
This is a brown lava beach on the north coast of Santiago Island in James Bay 5 km from Puerto Egas. It is an important breeding ground for sea turtles. There is a path going up and there is a forest of Palo Santo trees. With some luck you can find flamingos looking for crabs.

Buccaneer Cove
On the northwest coast of the island you will find Buccaneer Cove, once a popular hideout for pirates. The surrounding rocks are the breeding ground for many seabirds.

PHOTO GALLERY

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WHY TRAVEL WITH EXPLORE ECUADOR?

Tom, guide in EcuadorI’m Tom from Belgium and I’ll make sure your trip to Ecuador or cruise in Galapagos goes as smoothly and pleasantly as possible. I have been living in Ecuador for a decade and have been working in tourism for 8 years now. Before that, I obtained my guides diploma in Ecuador. Traveling and discovering new places is my passion.
Together with the local travel agency Descubre-Ecuador, we offer tailor-made tours in Galapagos and on the Ecuadorian mainland. Over the years, Descubre-Ecuador has built a reliable partnership with the best hotels and the best nature guides in Ecuador. Our small-scale way of working ensures easy accessibility and a lot of flexibility when traveling.
Customer satisfaction is the essence for us. And even in those rare moments of unforeseen difficult circumstances, we make sure that we are there to make sure your trip runs smoothly.
Explore Ecuador and Galapagos!

WHY TRAVEL TO ECUADOR?

Indian woman from SalasacasIn South America, Ecuador is one of the smaller countries, but the country is hugely diverse in terms of geography, climate and population. You can visit the Andes, the Amazon rainforest as well as the tropical coast without taking extremely long domestic flights or transfers. And then you have the Galapagos Islands, a once in a lifetime experience. The diversity of flora and fauna per square mile is enormous. Ecuador is South America in a nutshell. Moreover, the country is relatively safe and little visited. The national currency is the USD and you have a wide choice of direct flights to Quito and Guayaquil from Europe and the United States.

WAAROM REIZEN MET ONTDEK-ECUADOR?

Tom - guide in EcuadorIk ben Tom uit België en zorg ervoor dat jullie reis naar Ecuador of cruise in Galapagos zo vlot en aangenaam mogelijk kan verlopen. Ik woon al een tiental jaren in Ecuador en werk nu 8 jaren in toerisme. Daarvoor heb ik in Ecuador mijn gidsen-diploma behaald. Reizen en nieuwe plaatsen ontdekken is mijn passie. Samen met het lokale reiskantoor Descubre-Ecuador, bieden we reizen op maat in Galapagos en op het Ecuadoriaanse vasteland aan. Descubre-Ecuador heeft door de jaren heen een betrouwbare samenwerking opgebouwd met de beste hotels en de beste natuurgidsen van Ecuador. Onze kleinschalige manier van werken zorgt voor een vlotte bereikbaarheid en veel flexibiliteit bij het reizen. De tevredenheid van de klant is voor ons de essentie. En ook op die zeldzame momenten van onvoorziene moeilijke omstandigheden zorgen we dat we er zijn om jullie reis toch perfect te laten verlopen. Ontdek Ecuador en Galapagos!