Punta Espinoza, Fernandina

Punta Espinoza is located on Fernandina Island, the youngest and most volcanically active island of the Galapogos Archipelago.

It has an amazing combination of barrenness with lots of wildlife and can be considered to be one of the most pristine and beautiful places on our planet.

Having no introduced mammals, Fernandina Island has a unique setting with the highest density of marine iguanas, sea lions share their habitat with crabs and hawks.

Punta Espinoza is a narrow ledge of lava and sand that extends from the base of the volcano to the sea. It is located north-east of Fernandina, the third largest island in the Galapagos. Punta Espinoza is crossed by a canal from Tagus Cove.

Named in honor of King Ferdinand, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus, Fernandina has an area of 642 square kilometres and a maximum height of 1,494 metres.

This narrow strip of land is where hundreds of marine iguanas congregate in large groups. The famous Flightless Cormorant inhabits this island as well as penguins, pelicans and sea lions.

Different types of lava flows can be observed. There are also mangrove areas. It is an ideal place to observe the lava cactus growing on such young lava and survive with little water.

The active volcano here is one of the world's most active. The last recorded eruption occurred in Fernandina in May, 2005 and lasted three days. The biggest eruption was in 1968, where two thirds of the floor of the caldera collapsed inwards to a depth of 300 metres.