Fernandina Island is one of the outlying Galapagos Islands that is still visited by tourists. An uninhabited island, visitors will usually only get to see the visitor sites here if they take a Galapagos Islands cruise that heads to the Western Isles of the Galapagos Islands. It is dubbed the most pristine island of the archipelago because humans have not introduced any animal species here. Fernandina Island has a fair amount to see and several key highlights. Here is everything you need to know about Fernandina Island.
Fernandina Island is located at the westernmost point in the Galapagos Islands. It is not even one million years old, which makes it “young” by Galapagos standards! It is an island that experiences a lot of volcanic activity, and it is a shield volcano with a caldera that is approximately 4 miles (6.5 kilometers) wide. The island is the third largest in the Galapagos Islands and it covers an area of 248 square miles (642 square kilometers).
There is little vegetation seen on Fernandina Island, which is hardly surprising given the amount of volcanic activity. Instead, the landscape is largely made up of lava flows and volcanic stone. There are some cacti and mangroves.
Fernandina Island was first charted in 1684 by Ambrose Cowley, a British buccaneer. It was initially known as Narborough Island. However, it is now named Fernandina Island, named after King Fernando of Spain. Visitors over the centuries to the Galapagos Islands often wrote about how the island was very volcanic, mentioning eruptions and smoke. Over recent years there have been a total of 13 eruptions that have been recorded on this island. Recent eruptions have occurred in 2005, 2009, 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2024. It generally erupts every 4 to 5 years.
There are a few exciting highlights to look out for at Fernandina Island including:
Flightless cormorant – the flightless cormorant is endemic to the archipelago and can only be seen on Isabela Island and Fernandina Island. As its name suggests, this fascinating bird species is unable to fly, and they have very short wings and webbed toes. Scientists believe that this lack of flight results from the fact that there are no predators on the land on these two islands. Instead, they evolved to be very good at swimming.
Mangle Point – Mangle Point or (Punta Manglar) is a real highlight for snorkelers. With fabulous views, this coastal inlet on the eastern side of Fernandina Island is fairly sheltered. Snorkeling is done directly from the boat as there is no landing opportunity here. This spot offers the chance to snorkel (and sometimes play with) sea lions. Other creatures you might see while snorkeling here include rays, sharks and green sea turtles along with a variety of pretty, colorful fish. You may also get the chance to see flightless cormorants, Darwin’s finches and pelicans, among others.
Espinosa Point (Punta Espinosa) – another delightful visitor site, Espinosa Point to the northeast of the island boasts lava flows and rock pools that are home to a variety of different bird and wildlife species. There are many marine iguanas here as well as flightless cormorants, green sea turtles, Galapagos racer snakes and Galapagos penguins.
There is plenty of wildlife on Fernandina that lucky visitors will get to see at the various visitor sites around the island. The main species that visitors get to observe includes:
Flightless cormorant – as already mentioned, the flightless cormorant is a very interesting species to see on this island, and it is fascinating to learn how they became better adapted to swimming and unable to fly.
Galapagos penguin – this species is present on the island and may often be found in the waters. This species prefers colder water, and the waters around Fernandina Island are suitably cool for the penguins to thrive.
Marine iguana – the marine iguana can be observed on Fernandina Island. While they are present across the archipelago, their color is the darkest on this island. They are unusual among iguana species because they can swim, and lucky visitors may get to see this in action while they are snorkeling.
Sea lions – seemingly ubiquitous across the Galapagos Islands, sea lions are also present at Fernandina Island. They can be seen at Punta Espinosa and also at Punta Manglar too.
Galapagos racer snakes – this species is particularly active between May and June which is the hatching season. The Galapagos racer snake is mildly venomous and is a constrictor. They are capable of racing at speeds as high as 3.5 miles per hour!
Land iguanas are also present on Fernandina Island, though may not be seen by tourists. They choose to reside on the caldera and sometimes within it, leading to a dangerous existence. However, they do tend to have a sense of when volcanic danger is imminent, and they descend out of harm’s way.
Other animal species that are sometimes present on and around Fernandina Island include the Galapagos lava lizard and green sea turtle, among others.
Additional birdlife that you might get to see on Fernandina Island includes Galapagos frigatebirds, Galapagos dove, Galapagos hawk, Galapagos lava heron, Darwin’s finches, Galapagos mockingbird, Galapagos petrel and Galapagos shearwater, among others.
Fernandina Island activities are limited to what is possible and permissible at its handful of visitor sites. Walking on nature trails during guided walks is one activity on Fernandina Island.
Snorkeling at visitor sites is also possible, with good opportunities for this at Punta Manglar (Mangle Point). Here, snorkelers can sometimes see green sea turtles, rays, sharks, sea horses, marine iguanas and sea lions.
Divers may get to visit Cape Douglas, a dive site off Fernandina Island. Here it is sometimes possible to see sea lions, marine iguanas, Galapagos penguins and a number of different shark species. Please note that diving is only possible in this part of the Galapagos Islands on a Live Aboard dive boat. There is no possibility of diving from regular Galapagos Islands cruises.
Because Fernandina Island is one of the most remote and pristine islands in the Galapagos, visits are limited to Galapagos multi-day expedition cruises rather than independent day tours. Travelers interested in exploring the western islands often choose itineraries that combine Fernandina with nearby sites such as Isabela, where volcanic landscapes and marine life are especially prominent. One of the cruises that follows these western routes is the Galapagos Sea Star Journey, which includes Fernandina area visits as part of a broader itinerary. Experiencing Fernandina aboard the Galapagos Sea Star reflects how most visitors are able to access this protected and rarely visited part of the archipelago.
As with many of the other islands in the archipelago, people do not live on Fernandina Islan, to conserve the wildlife, birdlife and landscapes. As a result, there are no hotels or any other forms of accommodation on this island. Generally, the only options for visiting this island are via a Galapagos Islands cruise. It is very uncommon, but it might be possible to organize a day trip to Fernandina Island from a land-based Galapagos trip based on Isabela Island. It is best not to rely on this latter option, however.
As with accommodation, there are no restaurants on Fernandina Island either. Those that visit will eat on their cruise ship.
