Ecuador
Genovesa Island
Genovesa: A Seabird Island Around a Flooded Caldera
Genovesa is a small volcanic island in the Galápagos whose flooded caldera, Great Darwin Bay, is ringed by cliffs full of nesting seabirds. You go ashore only as part of a guided national park visit, and one of the landings climbs a steep path, so wear sturdy shoes.
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A Guided Landing
Visits to Genovesa are made only with a naturalist guide authorized by Galápagos National Park, as part of your boat's itinerary. The island has two visitor sites, and one of them, Prince Philip's Steps, is a steep path that climbs through a seabird colony to cliffs about 25 meters high.
- The island covers about 14 square kilometers.
- A saltwater crater lake, Lake Arcturus, lies in the middle of the island.
- At the top, a trail leads inland among palo santo trees, where more seabirds nest.
- Divers can explore both the inner wall of Great Darwin Bay and its less sheltered outer wall.
- No eruption has been recorded in historical times, but young lava flows lie on the volcano's flanks.
Visiting Rules
Genovesa is a protected visitor site of Galápagos National Park, and the park's rules apply on every landing. Your guide will hold the group to them.
- The guide leads the group, and everyone stays on the marked path.
- Stand at least 2 meters from every animal. Animals may come close to you, and the 2-meter rule still applies.
- Feeding wildlife is banned, and so is flash photography.
- Food, live animals and plants cannot be brought to the islands.
- Buying or taking home anything made from coral, shells, lava rock or other natural materials from the islands is illegal.
- Fires and smoking are not allowed anywhere in the park, and everything you bring ashore goes back to the boat with you.
A Brief History
Genovesa's recorded history is a string of names given by passing ships, followed by protection. Its present name honors Christopher Columbus and his native city of Genoa.
- 1684: The English buccaneer William Ambrosia Cowley charted the island as Eures's Island.
- 1813: Lieutenant John Downes of the American frigate Essex recorded the island's position during the War of 1812. A misspelling of his name is believed to have become the island's English name, Tower.
- 1841: The name Tower appeared on a British Admiralty chart.
- 1892: Ecuador adopted the name Genovesa as part of its celebration of the 400th anniversary of Columbus's first voyage.
- 1959: Galápagos National Park was created, Ecuador's first national park, covering 97 percent of the islands' land.
- September 2023: After avian influenza was found in dead birds, the park closed Genovesa's visitor sites. Red-footed boobies were the species most affected.
- Today: Landing sites can close to protect wildlife, so check with your boat that your landing is going ahead.
- To learn more ashore: The Charles Darwin Research Station, on the shore of Academy Bay in Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island, is the headquarters of the Charles Darwin Foundation.
Genovesa with Children
Genovesa suits children who can manage a steep path and stay still and quiet beside nesting birds. The 2-meter rule matters here, because birds can be right beside the trail.
- Younger children: Small children will need a hand on the steep steps, and it helps to go over the rules before landing: no touching, no feeding, and stay on the trail.
- School age: Keep a tally of frigatebirds, red-footed boobies, Nazca boobies, swallow-tailed gulls, tropicbirds, Darwin's finches and Galápagos mockingbirds.
- Teenagers: Look for the swallow-tailed gull, the only fully nocturnal gull in the world. The storm petrels here are unlike any others because they are active by day and return to their nest holes only at night, to avoid predators. The smallest marine iguana in the archipelago lives on Genovesa too.
Accessible Travel
The path at Prince Philip's Steps climbs steeply to the clifftop, and beyond it the trail continues inland through a palo santo forest, so the visit is not suited to wheelchairs or walkers. Ask your boat in advance how passengers are landed and how long the walk takes at your group's pace.
- Bring a hat, water and sun protection.
- Medical facilities in the Galápagos are limited, so make sure your travel insurance includes air ambulance evacuation. Boats may ask for your blood group and emergency contacts when you board.
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