Floreana Island is well-visited on Galapagos Islands cruises, with good reason, given its fascinating and unusual visitor sites. It is also sometimes included in Galapagos land based trips. For those planning their own itinerary, it is possible to visit it on day trips from both Santa Cruz Island and San Cristobal Island. This island has an intriguing history and is well worth a visit on your Galapagos Islands adventure.
Floreana Island is located to the south of Santa Cruz Island and it is typically grouped as one of the “Southern Isles”. It is fairly small, comprising 67 square miles (173 square kilometers) in total. At its highest point, the altitude is 2,100 feet (640 meters on Cerro Pajas.
Estimates suggest that approximately 140-160 people live on Floreana Island. The majority of them are in farming, with a handful working in tourism. Floreana Island does not have good transport links with the other islands, aside from those available for tourists.
Floreana Island, like so many other Galapagos Islands, was formed as a result of volcanic activity. It is believed that the island is approximately 1.5 million years old, and it is among the older of the islands in the archipelago.
This island was the first that Ecuadorians tried to colonize, in the early 1830s. It was initially a penal colony. However, the very limited availability of fresh water meant that the initial settlement was not there for very long. Later, Norwegian settlers tried to set up a fish canning plant, which also did not last long.
Following that, in the 1930s, various European settlers started to arrive. Initially, these were Friedrich Ritter and Dore Strauch, and not far behind were Henry and Margret Wittmer. Shortly thereafter, Austrian Baroness Eloise Wehrborn de Wagner-Bosquet and two of her German companions, Rudolf Lorenz and Robert Phillipson also settled on Floreana Island. The Baroness lived a somewhat wild and exotic life, and some tensions built up between her group and the earlier settlers, and in 1934, she and Phillipson simply disappeared. The Wittmers claimed that the pair was bound for Tahiti, but no trace could ever be found of them. This was followed by further mysteries and untoward events, and it is not really known what happened. Today this is known as the “Galapagos Affair.”
There are some highlights of a visit to Floreana Island which set it apart from other islands in the archipelago. These include:
Devil’s Crown snorkeling – near to the north east of Floreana Island, the snorkeling at Devil’s Crown is pretty spectacular. This site is comprised of a volcano cone that sits both above and beneath the surface of the water. Marine life that can be viewed here include a vast array of beautiful tropical fish as well as sea lions, sharks and sea turtles. It is often possible to see rays here as well.
Post Office Bay – this visitor site is fascinating as it houses a post box with a unique delivery system. Visitors to the site look through the post and can take post with them that is destined for people living in their own country. When they get back, they can post it so it gets delivered to the intended recipients, or they can hand deliver it. Many visitors like to give this a try, leaving postcards or letters and seeing when they get delivered. This system follows a long history that was initially introduced by the whalers in the region back in the 19th century.
Cormorant Point – at Cormorant Point, there is a stunning flamingo lagoon, and the contrast between the flamingos and the green background in which they are set enables some fabulous opportunities to take great photographs.
Wildlife that you might expect to observe at Floreana Island includes:
Pink flamingos – Galapagos flamingos can be seen at Cormorant Point where there is a sizeable flamingo lagoon. Here, they seek out shrimp.
Sally Lightfoot crabs – this pretty species of blue and orange crab can be seen scuttling around on rocks and beaches here.
Green sea turtles – these nest at Cormorant Point (specifically at Flour Beach), though will not always be seen. They nest here between December and May.
Medium tree finch – on Floreana Island you may get to see the medium tree finch, which is unfortunately a critically endangered species.
Other birdlife here that you might see includes blue footed boobies, Darwin finches and penguins. At the lagoon, pintailed ducks, stilts and large-billed flycatchers can be seen too.
There is a large fish diversity in the waters near to Floreana Islet. Some examples of species that may be seen when snorkeling include white-tipped sharks, eagle rays, hammerhead sharks, king angel fish, balloon Fish, yellowtail grunts and tiger snake eels. Devil’s Crown is one of the best spots for snorkeling close to Floreana Island and many of these species can be seen there. There are some important conservation projects underway at Floreana Island as well. One is focused on the Floreana mockingbird. There are four endemic mockingbird species in the Galapagos Islands, and the Floreana mockingbird is categorized as critically endangered. There are two main habitats where it can be found. Efforts are underway to avoid extinction in this species such as monitoring and managing threats. The other conservation project is a study of a colony of the Galapagos petrel which is found in the highlands of Floreana. The colony is at risk due to some introduced species such as rats and cats, which can be damaging during the nesting periods. The work undertaken to control such species has improved the size of the population.
Some of the activities on and around Floreana Island are similar to those on other islands. For example, it is possible to walk on the nature trails with a licensed guide. There are excellent opportunities for observing the various species as well as photographing them. There are also very good snorkeling spots around Floreana Island too.
Other activities on Floreana Island are more unusual. For example, posting a letter or postcard at Post Office Bay to follow a historic tradition cannot be done anywhere else in the Galapagos Islands. Equally, at Post Office Bay there is a lava tube to explore. The intrepid can take the ladder down into the tube to visit inside. There is a trail that runs for a few hundred yards within the lava tube. You will want to have a flashlight with you as it can get very dark down there!
Many visitors don’t realize that Floreana Island is most commonly visited as part of a multi-island Galapagos cruise, rather than as a standalone destination. For travelers looking to combine Floreana’s historic sites and snorkeling spots with comfort and expert guidance, a small-group luxury yacht can make a meaningful difference. One standout option is the Infinity Galapagos Cruise, a 5-star luxury motor yacht that includes key Floreana highlights such as Post Office Bay, Cormorant Point, and Devil’s Crown within well-balanced itineraries. With spacious suites, private balconies, attentive naturalist guides, and seamless island-to-island logistics, the Infinity Galapagos Cruise offers an elevated way to experience Floreana while exploring the wider Galapagos archipelago.
Floreana Island has a small range of hotels for those that would like to while away a night or two there. Floreana Lava Lodge is a popular option with pleasant cabins near the ocean. El Pajas is another option that is ranked highly with visitors with some good sea views. Other good places to stay include Casa de Leila, Hostal Santa Maria, Wittmer Lodge and Black Beach House. Most hotels are found in and around the main settlement on the island, Puerto Velasco Ibarra, though Black Beach House is pretty remote. It is worth knowing if staying on the island that facilities are very limited here.
There are very few restaurants on Floreana Island as it is not well-populated. A number of the eating options are restaurants of hotels. Cuisines available tend to be just Ecuadorian, or South American.
