South Plaza Island Information | Visit Galapagos
Island

South Plaza

More about  South Plaza


One of the smallest and, depending on the season, most colorful islands. Find sea lion colonies, land and hybrid iguanas and countless birds soaring by the cliffs.

It is an unpopulated island.

These islands are interesting formations without a volcano resulting from an uplifting from underwater. Conformed by two islands, one flat and the other inclined, they create very special ecosystem dynamics. North Plaza is visited only with scientific and conservation purposes.

The biggest Land Iguana population that can be visited. There is a big ecosystem formed of Cactus Opuntia that holds a population of Land Iguanas, the smallest ones of the archipelago. The trip around South Plaza place allows the visitor see the whole population and to notice how this animals survived in this and other similar environments when they arrived and established. Rarely a hybrid of Marine and Land Iguana can be found on the trails.

Location Map:

South Plaza

South Plaza Island Visitors Sites

South Plaza
South Plaza map

The walk begins with an impressive cactus forest surrounded by sea lions, land and marine iguanas; as we reach its highest point 82 ft (25 m) be on the lookout for tropicbirds, Nazca and blue -footed bobbies and swallow-tailed gulls.

In South Plaza there is a large colony of the smaller sized land iguanas. The population is approximately 300 individuals. They feed on all kinds of vegetation, but during the dry season, they survive on the fruits and flowers of Opuntia cacti. Due to their proximity with marine iguanas, this is the only place on Earth where we will find the Galapagos hybrid iguana.

  • Type of Terrain:
  • Physical Conditions Required:
  • Activities: 2-hour 15 min hike[:es]Caminata de 2 horas15 minutos
  • Highlights: Red island due to its vegetation made up of sesuvium, a largest colony of sea lions, the unique landscape of a cactus forest, hybrid iguanas, Nazca, blue-footed boobies, swallow-tailed gulls and red- billed tropicbirds.

Suggested Items:

  • baston
  • bloqueador
  • botas
  • camara
  • lentes
  • short
  • sombrero

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