Snorkeling at Los Tuneles, Galapagos: Tour Review

Last Updated on 1 day by Victoria

Snorkeling at Los Tuneles in the Galapagos is one of the best day tours for travelers visiting the Galapagos without a cruise. You’ll get to see so many fish, birds, and other animals in just one place!

The Cabo Rosa lava tunnels, also known as Los Tuneles, were formed millions ago from the lava flows of the volcanoes on Isabela island. The lava solidified on the water, while the core remained vulnerable to erosion. Over time the tunnels collapsed and eroded, leaving a unique network of tunnels above and underwater. 

Los Tuneles is an amazing place to snorkel because the water here is calm, shallow, and clear. The tunnels also provide shelter to wildlife, making it an amazing place to see a wide variety of species.

The only way to visit Los Tuneles is with a guided tour from Isabela island. Because the tour takes 5 to 6 hours and starts in the morning you can usually only do it from Isabela island.

If you’re headed to the Galapagos and staying on Isabela, the Los Túneles tour is a must do!

Getting to Los Tuneles

You’ll start by meeting at the agency where you booked the tour and getting fitted for fins, snorkel gear, and wetsuits (unless you rented these elsewhere or brought your own). Wetsuit rentals range between $5-$10 a day. You can rent them directly from your tour provider or go to one of the shops in town.

From there you’ll head to the port and get in the boat. Our boat was about the size of the ferry we took to get to Isabela, but we saw other tours using smaller, 15 person boats that looked jam-packed.

TIP: make sure you take Dramamine before the tour if you’re prone to sea sickness!

The boat ride to Los Túneles takes about 30 to 40 minutes, with a stop at Union Rock along the way. At Union Rock you’ll usually spot Nazca Boobies resting, and maybe even some sea lions. 

After the boat ride you’ll arrive at your first snorkeling spot. As soon as we arrived we spotted two little penguins resting on the rocks! 

Snorkeling in Los Tuneles, Cabo Rosa

Now you’ll put on your wetsuit, fins, and snorkel and jump right in. The water is cold, but you’ll (sort of) adjust after a little while.

As your guide shows you around, make sure you follow closely! They are trained to spot wildlife in the water you wouldn’t see otherwise. If you go off on your own you might just miss a seahorse or an octopus sighting.

TIP: you can bring a GoPro if you have one, but the guide will also be taking pictures throughout, which they will share with you after the tour!

We spent about an hour in the water swimming under lava tunnels and looking closely for wildlife. The visibility was better in some areas than in others but we still saw plenty!

While snorkeling we saw three or four giant sea turtles, which was amazing! I didn’t expect them to be so unbothered by the group of humans awkwardly treading water around them. They pretty much ignored us while they ate, giving us plenty of time to admire them.

As we kept swimming around the lava tunnels we came across lots of colorful fish, a few seahorses, and even octopuses! 

As you get closer to the tunnels and the dark caves underwater you’ll also see white and black tip sharks – a LOT of them. Most of the sharks were grouped together in the dark caves, but we did have a couple of curious baby sharks approach us!

They’re harmless, but if I’m honest, I couldn’t help but completely freeze as I saw it swimming towards me.

After about an hour (maybe longer?) we headed back to the boat. I was pretty cold at that point so I followed our guide straight there. Kolton and a few other snorkelers hung back for a few minutes though, and were treated to this group of rays swimming right by them!

Hiking on the lava tunnels

Next you’ll hop back in the boat where you’ll be greeted by hot coffee and tea. Trust me, even with the wetsuit on, you’ll be really happy to have some. While I adjusted to the water temperature initially, after about an hour I definitely felt the chill.

You’ll have a quick hot meal, on your way to the next stop.

The landscape here is surreal. The lava tunnels you saw earlier are bigger, with dramatic black arches, dotted with cacti, palo santo, and other plants. The contrast between the tunnels and the bright blue water is absolutely stunning.  

Here you may do more snorkeling or jump right into the hiking portion of the tour. We skipped snorkeling and went straight into “hiking”. I say “hiking” because it’s really more of a short walk than a true hike. 

The main attraction here are the blue footed boobies. While there aren’t as many along the main path now due to the threat of cats, we were lucky enough to see two engaging in a mating ritual!

The males spread and flapped their wings, walking around, lifting their feet high to show them off, and making a loud whistling sound. It was so cool to see!

Male blue footed boobies also choose the site for the nest. Once they lay eggs, the birds defecate around the nest while incubating, leaving a circle of guano. Your guide will probably point out some of these on your walk.

As you’re walking along the lava tunnels make sure you peek down at the water. The water is so clear you can easily spot sea turtles, sharks, rays, and other fish!

Heading back to port

After about half an hour it’s time to start heading back. As part of our tour, the crew did some fishing along the way, inviting a few volunteers to participate. 

I wasn’t aware that fishing would be part of the tour, but they only keep unendangered species. During our tour, the boat’s crew caught some mackerel, which they prepared for us as a snack.

I looked into fishing in the Galapagos afterwards, and it appears that only recreational tour boats authorized by the Galapagos National Park Directorate and local fishermen are allowed to fish. Fishing is forbidden in certain areas, and some species can’t be fished at all.

Tour options

There are a lot of tour providers to choose from! We went with Agora Tours based on the price and the reviews. 

While doing research for our trip, we also read good things about Pahoehoe Galapagos Tours, but ultimately decided against booking with them because their tours were a bit more expensive.

Of course you can always book and experience with Viator or Get Your Guide.

Should you book in advance?

It depends! You’re probably fine booking a day or two before. If you’re traveling during high season, or simply prefer the peace of mind of knowing your spot is reserved, I say book in advance.

We went to the Galapagos at the end of August, which is typically pretty busy. However, tourism was lower than normal due to the political unrest in Ecuador earlier that year. While we booked in advance, it was as clear that we didn’t really need to.

What to bring

Your tour operator will provide the essentials, like snorkel gear, foods, and fins, but I suggest you bring a few things of your own so you are well prepared for the experience!

Make sure to pack:

• Towel
• Camera
• GoPro (optional)
• Sunglasses
• Reef-safe sunscreen
• Sweater or jacket ( you’ll be cold after getting in the water!)
• Water
• Wetsuit and snorkel gear if you have it
• Water shoes: the rocks are sharp.

Los Túneles or Las Tintoreras: which is better?

If you’re on Isabela for a short while or only want to do one snorkeling tours on the island you may find yourself trying to decide between the Los Túneles and Las Tintoreras tour.

From both our research before the trip and conversations with other tourists on the island what we gathered was the following:

• The Los Túneles tour is quite a bit longer and includes a hike where you can spot blue footed boobies.
• Las Tintoreras is closer to shore, so there is much less travel time involved.
• Las Tintoreras is a half day tour and is much cheaper than Los Túneles.
• Overall you encounter more wildlife in Los Tuneles, perhaps because it’s farther from the port.
• You can only do Túneles if you are staying on Isabela, as the times don’t work with the ferry schedule

Conclusion: If you have the budget and are staying on Isabela, doing the Túneles tour is a no brainer!

Final Thoughts

Snorkeling at Los Tuneles was our favorite experience of our 5 day trip to the Galapagos! If you’re visiting the Galapagos without a cruise, this tour has to be part of your itinerary.

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