Punta Pitt, San Cristóbal
Short answer
Punta Pitt is the north-eastern tip of San Cristóbal and the only site in the archipelago where all three Galápagos booby species — blue-footed, red-footed and Nazca — nest together. Reaching it means a long boat trip and a steep, exposed climb from the landing beach.
On this page — 7 sections
Three booby species share one headland and nowhere else in the islands does that happen. They avoid each other by nesting at different heights and feeding at different distances offshore — the whole argument about niches, on one hill.
Punta Pitt at a glance
| Island | San Cristóbal, north-east tip |
|---|---|
| Landing | Wet landing, then a steep climb |
| How you visit | Long day boat, or a cruise |
| Guide | Park-licensed naturalist required |
| The climb | Steep, loose, exposed. The hardest walk on the island |
| Unique for | All three booby species nesting together |
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Punta Pitt is the north-eastern tip of San Cristóbal and the only site in the archipelago where all three Galápagos booby species — blue-footed, red-footed and Nazca — nest together. Reaching it means a long boat trip and a steep, exposed climb from the landing beach.
How you get there
- Day boat from Puerto Baquerizo Moreno
- A long run around the coast, and the sea on that side is often rough. Fewer operators run it than run Kicker Rock.
- On a cruise
- An eastern-itinerary landing, usually a morning with a snorkel afterwards.
It sits on San Cristóbal, so how you reach the island decides how you reach this.
What you actually see
The three boobies
Blue-footed on the open ground, Nazca on the ridges, red-footed in the bushes above. Seeing the three within a few hundred metres is the reason the site exists on itineraries.
The climb and the view
A steep track up eroded tuff to a plateau. From the top the whole north-east coast opens up and the boat below looks small.
The olivine beach
The landing beach carries green olivine crystals in the sand, weathered out of the volcanic rock.
What goes wrong
We run these trips, so we know what people complain about afterwards. Better to read it here than find out on the day.
- The climb catches people out
- It is steep, loose underfoot and in full sun. This is the site where groups split and some people wait at the beach.
- The crossing gets it cancelled
- The north-east coast is exposed. When the sea is up, the trip does not run — and it is the first one operators drop.
- Red-footed boobies are not guaranteed
- They nest in the bushes and their numbers move with the season. Some visits find only two of the three species.
Who this is not for
Saying this costs us bookings and saves the trip. If any of these is you, tell us and we will build the day differently.
- Anyone who cannot manage a steep climb on loose ground in full sun.
- Visitors prone to seasickness — the run out is the roughest on San Cristóbal.
- People who want a short, easy morning. This is the demanding option.
What lives here
- Blue-footed booby — Nesting on the open ground along the trail.
- Red-footed booby — In the bushes above the plateau. The reason the site is unique.
- Nazca booby — On the ridges and cliff edges.
- Galápagos sea lion — On the landing beach.
Nearby
Cerro Brujo
San Cristóbal
What it is →Kicker Rock
San Cristóbal
What it is →Playa Mann
San Cristóbal
What it is →El Junco
San Cristóbal
What it is →Cerro Tijeretas
San Cristóbal
What it is →La Galapaguera
San Cristóbal
What it is →Every visitor site we have written up → · San Cristóbal, the whole island →
Questions people also ask
Where can you see all three booby species together?
Punta Pitt on San Cristóbal is the only Galápagos visitor site where blue-footed, red-footed and Nazca boobies all nest.
How hard is the walk at Punta Pitt?
It is the steepest on San Cristóbal — loose eroded rock, in full sun, straight up from the beach. Anyone unsure should say so before booking.
Is it often cancelled?
More than other sites. The north-east coast is exposed and operators drop this trip first when the sea is up.
Sources
Every figure on this page comes from one of these. If one of them changes and we have not caught up, tell us and we will fix it the same day.
Planning this trip yourself?
Send us the dates and what you actually want to see. A planner in Cuenca reads it and replies within one business day — not a template, and not a bot.
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