Santa Fé Island

Ecuador, Ecuador

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Santa Fé Island, also known as Barrington Island, is a small, uninhabited island covering 24 square kilometers in Ecuador's Galápagos Archipelago, southeast of Santa Cruz and recognized as one of the oldest at around 4 million years due to tectonic uplift rather than volcanism.

It features a stunning turquoise lagoon at Barrington Bay for snorkeling amid sea lions, a single wet landing site leading to medium-difficulty trails through the world's largest Opuntia cactus forest and rocky cliffs where visitors spot endemic species like the yellowish Santa Fé land iguana, Galápagos hawk, rice rat, and mockingbird.

Ideal for hiking, deep-water snorkeling, and wildlife observation, access is limited to guided cruises with strict visitor rules to protect its unique arid ecosystem and biodiversity. This aerial perspective reveals the island's volcanic terrain, turquoise bays, sandy shores, and sparse greenery typical of the Galápagos.