Las Tintoreras Snorkeling Tour, Isabela Island [Rated + Reviewed]

Rating: 🤿 🤿 

A 2 from us.

And honestly, if we had seen even a handful of whitetip sharks in that channel or snorkeled with a few of them, this would climb to a 3 without hesitation and be a completely different review.

We had seen so many images of whitetips stacked on top of each other in the narrow channel, so we were surprised to see nothing. And we went at low tide, as suggested. Our day just did not deliver it. 

The visibility was affected by an overcast sky and afternoon winds. Several turtles were there but by this point in our trip we had seen so many at Los Tuneles and Concha de Perla that the novelty had worn off.

The solo penguin moment was genuinely extraordinary. Everything else was average.

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Tour company used: Book through Agora Tours.

Alicia is the contact person, and she is wonderful to work with. She booked our Los Tuneles tour and our ferry tickets to Santa Cruz as well.

She co-owns the company with Carlos. They own the boats that go out to Los Tuneles but not the Las Tintoreras boats.

Cost: $70 per person, a meaningful difference from the $160 Los Tuneles tour, which uses a premium double decker boat. If budget is a consideration, Las Tintoreras is the more affordable way to experience Isabela’s marine life.

Duration: Approximately 3 hours

Also available: Las Tintoreras can also be explored by kayak, though that option does not include snorkeling.

Taxi pick up was at our hotel, the Cormorant Beach House, at 2:05 pm. They dropped us off at the day tour pier in Puerto Villamil, different from the ferry pier.

Las Tintoreras is also super close to Concha de Perla, where we snorkeled four times during our stay on Isabela. Thrilling every single time!

To reach our boat, we navigated through a colony of sea lions on the path. You will walk right between them. They are unbothered. Just move carefully and enjoy the craziness of it.

Our boat: The Mantarraya. A typical water taxi style vessel, perfectly suitable for the short crossing. Banquette seating lines both sides of the boat with everyone facing each other.

Our crew: Guide Sandra, Captain Walter, Assistant Fabrizio. Professional and knowledgeable throughout.

On group size: The standard capacity is 16. We happened to have only 8 on our day, which made navigating the tight lava spaces and snorkel areas much more comfortable. That is not typical.

We cruised about 15 minutes across a calm channel and then arrived at Las Tintoreras, a series of small black lava islets just off the coast of Isabela.

Dry landing. Your feet will not get wet getting off the boat.

• 2:05 pm: Pick up at hotel
• 2:30 pm: Depart day tour pier
• 2:45 pm: Arrive at Las Tintoreras
• 2:45 to 3:15 pm: Rocky bay exploration: penguins and birds on rocks
• 3:15 to 4:00 pm: Walk to the lava channel: lots of marine iguanas
• 4:00 to 5:00 pm: Snorkeling across multiple spots
• 5:15 pm: Return to Puerto Villamil

The tour starts along the rocky bay where penguins perch on the rocks alongside blue-footed and Nazca boobies.

This was actually where we saw the most penguins of any boat-based experience on the trip, even more than at Los Tuneles.

Had we not already snorkeled with lots of penguins at Playa Isabela on multiple occasions, this alone would have felt pretty cool.

From the bay, an easy flat walk across the lava leads to the main attraction: the Tintoreras channel.

Marine Iguanas

Las Tintoreras is also a primary nesting site for marine iguanas. The trail cuts right through a massive colony. 

During breeding season, the islet becomes a nursery with hatchlings emerging and scurrying across the lava. From what I read, hatchlings typically emerge between February and April. 

The ones we saw looked noticeably different from the iguanas at Concha de Perla and along the Isabela beaches. Much smaller. Worth noticing.

Watch every single step throughout this tour. The iguanas are everywhere and are alarmingly easy to miss because they blend into their surroundings.  

The Channel

A narrow inlet carved into the lava where, at low tide, whitetip reef sharks reportedly gather and rest in the shallow water, stacking next to and on top of each other.

Las Tintoreras literally means “sharks” in Spanish. The name sets the expectation clearly.

We hiked to the channel. There were no sharks.

Whether that is a timing issue, a seasonal thing, or just bad luck on our day, we cannot say.

We also saw very few whitetips at Los Tuneles. The cooler months when the Humboldt Current brings in more nutrients may be when shark activity picks up across the board.

If you see that channel full of sleeping sharks, please drop a comment below and tell us what month you went! 

One more thing worth noting: if the sharks are there, you view them from above on the lava rock edge. You do not snorkel with them. Probably still cool to see. Just not an in-water experience.

We also spotted one lone sea lion at the end of the trail and a few lava lizards.

What to wear: I wore a long sleeve rash guard and swim leggings since the hike portion is short before getting into the water. Flip flops were perfectly fine for the lava walk.

Spot 1: Turtles + Lone Ray

We saw one stingray on the sandy ocean bottom and several turtles around the rocks.

Visibility was cloudy, affected by the overcast sky and afternoon wind. The turtles were lovely but after Los Tuneles where we counted at least 10 at once, the novelty had worn off a little.

Manage expectations here.

Spot 2: Coral Restoration and Canyon

We snorkeled over an area where coral transplantation efforts are actively underway. You can clearly see the coral pockets that have been established.

Several parrotfish and yellowtail damselfish were seen along the way.

Then we snorkeled along a canyon-like section.

I happened to be in the right position at the right moment when a solo penguin came torpedoing through the underwater passage at full speed. One of the most unexpected and thrilling wildlife moments of the tour.

Spot 3: Lava Tunnel

The final area was a lava rock tunnel where the rock came up out of the water on both sides.

Sandra guided us along to a section where Sally Lightfoot Crabs were clustered on the rocks right at eye level. Their vivid red against the grey and black backdrop was genuinely striking.

One of those moments where the contrast makes the color almost look unreal.

• Book through Agora Tours
• $70 per person, approximately 3 hours
• Dry landing. No wet feet getting off the boat.
• Flip flops are perfectly fine for the short lava walk
• We brought our favorite underwater camera. You never know when a penguin will torpedo past you.
• Overcast days affect visibility significantly. 
• Watch every step. Marine iguanas are everywhere.
• The sharks in the channel are not guaranteed. Go in knowing that.

Las Tintoreras is a tour with a very specific asterisk. The channel full of sleeping whitetip sharks is one of the most compelling wildlife draws in the Galapagos. We just did not get to see it.

And even when the sharks are there, you view them from the lava rock edge above. You do not snorkel with them.

The only reason to book this tour is if you love turtles and the Los Tuneles tour is outside your budget. At $70 versus $160, that is a real consideration. But even then, you can see plenty of turtles at Concha de Perla for free.

Marine iguanas are another draw, especially if the hatchlings have just emerged. You can also see them at Concha de Perla and Playa Isabela, but the ones at Las Tintoreras did look noticeably different and smaller, which was interesting.

If you have already snorkeled at Concha de Perla and Playa Isabela and done Los Tuneles, Las Tintoreras adds limited incremental value on the snorkeling front.

What we did get: a solo penguin torpedo through a canyon that I will not forget, Sally Lightfoot Crabs blazing red against black rock, and a dramatic landscape unlike anywhere else on the islands.

If the sharks show up on your visit, this review gets rewritten entirely. Drop a comment below and let me know if you saw the tintoreras (and if so, which month)!

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Questions about our snorkeling experience at Las Tintoreras? If you have been, did you see the whitetip reef sharks? And if you did, which month was it?

Let me know in the comments below!