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Is The Las Tintoreras Tour in Isabela Worth It? My Honest Review

ByLo Lee Posted on Last updated on

Tintoreras is one of the most affordable and famous tours in Isabela, but is it worth it? Based on my experience going on the Las Tintoreras tour, absolutely yes!

In fact, I saw almost as much wildlife in Tintoreras as in the much pricier (and a bit better) Los Tuneles Tour in Isabela.

Let’s dive into the tour details and my honest review of Tintoreras!

Tintoreras Tour in Isabela Overview

Man inside a boat looking into the ocean and spotting a ray swimming.

The Las Tintoreras tour is a 3-hour boat-based tour that explores the area just outside of the main port in Isabela. On this tour, you can expect to see penguins (depending on the season), sharks, sea lions, marine iguanas, and much more.

This tour is also available as part of a day trip from Santa Cruz, although I recommend spending at least one night in Isabela to enjoy the other incredible sights available on the island.

Important to note: Do not confuse the Tintoreras tour on Isabela Island with the many other “tintoreras” snorkeling spots in the Galapagos. “Tintoreras” is the Spanish word for whitetip shark, and many of the spots where you can see these creatures are named after them.

What is included in the Las Tintoreras Tour?

Although the Las Tintoreras Tour is quite short, it still has three components:

1. Birdwatching

Pair of blue footed boobies standing on top of a volcanic stone in the ocean.

The tour starts with a 2-minute boat ride to a rocky area to try spotting blue-footed boobies and penguins

2. Snorkeling

Underwater shot of a sea turtle swimming in a rocky environment.

Only a 5-minute boat ride away from the pier is the Las Tintoreras snorkeling site. There, you can find reef sharks, rays, turtles, and more.

3. Wildlife walk

Galapagos naturalist guide walking in a dry and flat volcanic landscape. The landscape is mostly black with just one short tree. It is a dirt trail that is well maintained and easy to walk on.

Just by the snorkeling spot, there is a walking trail filled with wildlife: marine iguanas, sea lions, and birds

Each tour package also includes a naturalist guide and snorkeling equipment.

Secret tip: If you do not have the budget or time to go on the Las Tintoreras tour, you can still do the birdwatching section (and potentially spot penguins) by renting a kayak near the port in Isabela. The birdwatching spot is very close to shore, so getting there is very easy! A good (and free) snorkeling alternative in Isabela is Concha de Perla, though you should not expect to observe as much wildlife there.

How Much Is the Las Tintoreras Tour?

In Isabela, you can find the Las Tintoreras tour for USD 40 per person, making it one of the most affordable tours in all of the Galapagos!

If you are in a big group or simply like having things booked in advance, you can book the Las Tintoreras Tour online for about USD 72.

The Las Tintoreras Tour can also be done as part of a day trip from Santa Cruz, and in this case, the cost is about USD 170, or USD 256 if you prefer booking it online.

My Las Tintoreras Tour Experience

I booked my Las Tintoreras Tour last minute with the Isabela Dive Center and had a great experience with them!

Let’s dive into the details of the tour experience!

Stop #1: Birdwatching From The Boat (And Seeing Penguins!)

Close shot of a Galapagos penguin standing on a volcanic rock in the ocean and looking directly at the camera. The penguing is completely black except for its white belly.

The first stop is just 2 minutes away from the port in Isabela! It is a mini volcanic island that is home to many birds, including a Galapagos penguin colony!

Important to note: The penguin colony is not there year-round! During my visit in November, which is off-season for penguins, there were only two penguins hanging out in the colony’s spot.

This is an amazing spot to see the diverse wildlife of the Galapagos peacefully existing together. In just one place, I could come across Galapagos penguins, blue-footed boobies, and a giant pelican!

Shot of a Galapagos Penguin, two blue footed boobies, and one pelican standing just a few meters apart from each other in a volcanic rock environment by the ocean.

Important to note: This section can also be accessed by kayak, so you can still get up close to the birds even if you decide to not go on the Las Tintoreras Tour. Renting a kayak and going to this area is the most budget-friendly way to spot penguins in the Galapagos!

Galapagos penguin swimming in the blue ocean.

Stop #2: Snorkeling

After the quick birdwatching stop, we ride about five more minutes on the boat before diving into the water for the much-anticipated snorkeling in Las Tintoreras — and it does not disappoint. The snorkeling conditions there are absolutely fantastic!

The water is relatively deep (5+ meters) at times, so fellow snorkelers do not accidentally lift sediment and ruin the visibility. In fact, Las Tintoreras has fantastic visibility.

Underwater shot of an eagle ray. The water visibility is great, and the eagle ray can be clearly seen from a distance. The bottom of the ocean has lots of rocky.

During the snorkeling portion of my tour, I spotted eagle rays, 3+ whitetip sharks, one marble ray, sea turtles, and lots of colorful fish.

Since it was the off-season for penguins, I didn’t encounter any during the snorkeling section of the tour. However, if you visit Las Tintoreras during certain months, you might get lucky and swim alongside several playful penguins at once!

White tip shark (tintorera in Spanish) swimming in between two walls of volcanic rock. Sunlight is hitting the shark's skin and making it shine.
Underwater shot of a large marble ray swimming in a rocky environment in the snorkeling site of the Tintoreras Tour.

The snorkeling in Las Tintoreras was truly amazing, and it was the only place in the Galapagos where I came across marble rays!

That said, one downside of the snorkeling portion was the group setup—we had to snorkel and stick together in a group of about 12 people, which made the experience feel a bit crowded.

Snorkeling tip: I love snorkeling freely, and almost meditate as I explore the underwater world. If, like me, you enjoy snorkeling independently, I recommend heading to Concha Perla in Isabela. It is a free snorkeling area where you might come across tons of wildlife!

Stop #3: Quick Wildlife Walk

View of the landscape visited during the tintoreras tour. It is mostly flat with lots of volcanic rock (less than 1 meter tall) throughout. The tops of the rock are covered in a wuite coat. Other islets can be seen in the horizon, as well as the large Isabela Island.

After the snorkeling activity, we walk a few meters (less than 15 minutes total) in the little islet.

There, we came across a beautiful landscape filled with wildlife!

From a distance, we could spot a sea lion colony, though we couldn’t get too close because the alpha male was present and quite territorial!

Close shot of a sea lion sitting inside the ocean.

There was also a sea lion corpse in decomposition, which was an unexpected and surprisingly interesting sight.

Sea lion corpse in decomposition amongst a black volcanic landscape.

In this little islet, we also spotted a few colonies of marine iguanas, and the groups there were larger in number than any other I came across in the Galapagos!

Two marine iguanas on top of each other sitting above a volcanic rock.

After this walk, we returned to the pier in Isabela, which was no more than 5 minutes away.

The tour company provided free transportation from the pier to downtown, but if you’re feeling energetic after the tour, you can choose to stay by the pier and snorkel at Concha Perla, one of Isabela’s awesome free snorkeling spots.

The Wrapup: Is The Las Tintoreras Tour Worth It?

An investment of $40 and 3 hours on the Las Tintoreras tour was absolutely worth it for me! However…

If you are short on time and can only do one snorkeling tour in Isabela, this tour might not be worth it. I highly recommend going on the Los Tuneles tour instead, as it takes you to one of the best snorkeling sites in all of the Galapagos!

If you are on a shoestring budget to the point that $40 seems like a large investment, this tour might not be worth it for you as you can see similar sights for a lot cheaper around Isabela by:

  • Renting a kayak near the port and paddling to the same islet that we visit for birdwatching.
  • Snorkeling in Concha Perla for free, though there is not as much wildlife there
  • Going to Puerto Villamil beach to see colonies of marine iguanas

Lo Lee is the lead author of carry oner, a blog that helps travelers find incredible destinations and travel tips through unfiltered posts. She has lived in 4 different countries and visited over 45!

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