Galapagos Islands

Where to surf in Galapagos Islands

Nine hundred kilometres due west of mainland Ecuador, the Galapagos Islands sit in splendid isolation, offering unique wildlife and waves on the two main surfing islands of San Cristóbal and Santa Cruz while keeping other islands off limits from tourism including surfing.

It was through observing the unique and diverse wildlife of the Galapagos Islands that led Charles Darwin to begin building his theory of evolution. These 17 isolated, oceanic oases have been declared a national park and even today, only five of the islands are inhabited.

The archipelago is the result of fairly recent volcanic surges from the sea floor that remain very active, particularly Isabela Island. The coastal fringe is made up of lava reefs and boulders, because the water is too cold for coral formation. Some islands don’t have that many good spots thanks to steep and broken-up lava outcrops, while other islands have a concentration of top-quality waves in a small area.

The predominant S-SE trade winds mean that the most consistent spots are to be found on the northwest-facing shores during the Northern Hemisphere winter, but there are also options to ride swells that have made the long journey from the Southern Ocean throughout the year. One thing is for sure - these islands are much more consistent than the mainland on any given swell.

Isla Isabela

Isla Isabela does receive large surf on the south-facing shore, but most spots are only accessible by dinghy and no NW swells make it to this stretch of coast. Some beachbreaks are regularly surfed around the hotels at Puerto Vilamil, where the reefs and skerries break up the swell into a low-quality affair. Some better reefbreaks can be accessed by walking SW of town otherwise, find a boat to take you out to Cabo Rosa and La Botella where the dark lava reefs are sharp and spooky. The best time to explore this area is April to June as the SE winds are slower or glassy because the rest of the year usually blows stronger and directly onshore.

Further exploration may reveal more breaks, but many islands are off-limits and permits are required to leave the main tourist areas.