Is the San Cristobal 360 tour in the Galapagos worth it?
After flying into San Cristobal we had the afternoon to explore before our San Cristobal 360 tour the next morning. Since we decided to do a land based vacation in the Galapagos we did day trips each day instead of a cruise. Our tour started at 7:00 am at the Galapagos Excursions Agency in town. They fit us for wet suits and flippers before we embarked on our journey.
Pro Tip: Eat breakfast before the tour- it can be very physically demanding and you’ll want to fuel up before the activities begin.
Is the San Cristobal 360 tour in the Galapagos worth it?
Almost as soon as the boat started hitting the waves I became seasick. Our guide offered me a pill that he said was over the counter and helps with seasickness. What’s that saying? Never take candy from strangers? I didn’t care- I took the pill and wasn’t seasick the rest of the day. A few of the others on the tour took it after me so I figured it was fineee.
*I don’t condone taking medication/drugs from strangers, this was my personal decision and I am not a doctor so if you are in a similar situation proceed at your own risk*
Bahia Rosa Blanca
Along the way, we were greeted by a playful pod of dolphins. We watched them jump around the boat doing flips and showing off before Our first stop – Bahia Rosa Blanca, where we took a short walk and snorkeled. I decided not to wear a wetsuit because I hate them and I certainly regretted it because the water was chilly.
While we were snorkeling we saw giant green sea turtles that were decades old, white tipped sharks, manta rays, and even some puffer fish! When we got back to the boat we were handed out towels and some fresh watermelon for a snack. There was also coffee, tea, Coke, and orange juice available.
Kicker Rock
San Cristobal 360 Tour
The second stop on the San Cristobal 360 tour in the Galapagos was at Kicker Rock. I was a little disappointed by this “stop” because we just pulled up to a side of a cliff and saw a few blue-footed boobie birds that were there. But they were so far away you couldn’t make them out very well. We unfortunately did not get to snorkel here on our tour.
Sardina Bay
Before our next snorkel at Sardina Bay we were served lunch on the boat. Logan and I are vegetarian so we were served rice, veggies, and an egg/veggie omelette. The others received similar dishes except they had fish instead of the omelette.
recommended Read: 10 Things I Wish I Knew Before Visiting the Galapagos Islands
I was glad I wore my wetsuit this time around- because the water was even COLDER on this part of the island. This time we were lucky to catch sight of Galapagos sharks. As Logan went on the picture chase with his mad ocean skills- they went right underneath me. They were HUGE, almost as long as me! There were more ancient sea turtles, angel fish, and other colorful fish.
Back on the boat we stopped for this beautiful shot of Kicker Rock in between this arch on the way to the next stop on the Galapagos 360 tour on San Cristobal.
Punta Point
The final stop on the San Cristobal 360 Tour was at Punta Point. Another snorkel adventure, and by this point I’m starting to lose some steam. I opted for a life vest this round of snorkeling, hoping that it would conserve some of my energy. However I’m not sure if it worked or not but either way it made it easier for me to snorkel.
I don’t enjoy putting my whole head under the water, because getting water in my ears is the worst. So the life jacket was nice to float on. While snorkeling we saw colorful schools of fish, some hammerhead sharks, lots of sea turtles, and a playful sea lion. When we were back on the boat we were served sweet bread and watermelon to refuel our bodies. We certainly didn’t go hungry on this tour!
So is the 360 tour of San Cristobal worth it? I didn’t realize how much snorkeling, it would be. I would have liked to see more birds, but that’s not what this tour is about. It’s all about the sea life! The San Cristobal 360 Tour was mostly water-based, and Logan, who loves the water, said it was his favorite tour. If you don’t enjoy snorkeling and swimming- this is not the tour for you. But if you’re a water lover- you’ll be happy to know this tour is worth it.
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On the travel wish list! Would love to visit the Galapagos. Interesting that you did a land tour and not a cruise. If we get to San Cristobel, we would want to do the Cristobel 360 Tour. It is our kind of water fun.
Yeah, I get sea sick and have a slight fear of the open ocean so a cruise was out haha we ended up saving a lot of money and still saw 7 of the islands in our 10 days there. We missed a couple that we wanted to see but ran out of time, so we’re determined to go back one day.
Woooowza! This is such a good post. The 360 tour of San Cristobal looks incredible, especially with all your underwater videos – I guess you can see more birds on other days as this looks pretty perfect!
Such great info! It’s good to know this tour is heavily water focused. I get seasick easily and would have also taken the pill! 🙂
I love snorkeling and swimming, so it sounds like a great fit for me. Thanks for sharing!
I enjoyed this post because not many people cover the Galapagos Island! A beautiful experience and clear thought out post!