In terms of sheer white-sand beauty, this beach is the rival of any in South America. You’ll find it at the end of a 2.5km paved trail southwest of Puerto Ayora. In addition to swimming (a spit of land provides protection from the strong and dangerous currents on the exposed side), surfing or just sunbathing, you can see sharks, marine iguanas, pelicans and the occasional flamingo. There’s no drinking water or other facilities. It’s about a half-hour walk from the start of the path – often used by local runners – where you must sign in between 6am and 6pm.
If you walk the length of Tortuga Bay, on the backside you'll reach Playa Mansa , a picturesque lagoon lined with mangroves. Here you can spot marine iguanas, brown pelicans and blue herons, among other species. On the nearby dunes, sea turtles lay their eggs. The placid, shallow water is a great swimming spot for kids. Kayaks are available for hire.
At the foot of the hill before the start of the path to Tortuga Bay' – meaning you have to take the road out of Puerto Ayora about 500m, before reaching the paved path that begins at the top of a hill and runs the rest of the way to Tortuga Bay. Right before this paved path on the hill is the Centro Comunitaria de Educación Ambiental Miguel Cifuente Arias , where you can learn about conservation efforts and issues in the waters around the archipelago. Nearby, a new museum on Galápagos ecology was under construction in late 2014.
