Santa Fe (Barrington)

Santa Fe Island, also called Barrington Island, is a small island of 24 km² which lies in the center of the Galapagos archipelago, to the south west of Santa Cruz Island. Geologically it is one of the oldest, since volcanic rocks of about 4 million years old have been found. Named after a city in Spain, has an area of 24 square kilometers (9 mi²) and a maximum altitude of 259 meters (850 ft). 

Santa Fe hosts a forest of Opuntia cactus, which are the largest of the archipelago, and Palo Santo. Weathered cliffs provide a haven for swallow-tailed gulls, red-billed tropic birds, shear-waters petrels. Santa Fe species of land iguanas are often seen, as well as lava lizards. 

The visitor site is a wet landing located in Barrington Bay on the northeastern side of the island. Large numbers of sea lions are found on the beaches in the bay. 

4 June 2007 – Afternoon Visit to Santa Fe Island (Barrington)

The small bay on Santa Fe’s northeast coast, an extremely picturesque anchorage, provides you with two very different trails. One leads to a scenic viewpoint atop a cliff and eventually leads to an area where a species of land iguana unique to this island can sometimes be seen.

PRINCIPAL ATTRACTIONS: Conolophus pallidus (Barrington Island land iguana); Opuntia forest

OTHER ATTRACTIONS: sea lions; beach; snorkeling; Galápagos hawks; sea turtles

MAIN PLANT SPECIES: tuna (prickly pear); monte salado (salt bush); arrayancillo, espino; palo santo (Bursera graveolens); muyuyo (Cordia lutea); lantana (Lantana peduncularis)