Hidden away from the main town of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno in San Cristobal, La Loberia is a lesser known beach and hike.
You can walk from the main drag (easily following the route on Maps.Me), it takes about 20 minutes and a large portion of the hike is along the paved road to the airport.
Alternatively you can take a quick taxi or rent a bike if you’re short on time/energy. A short walk on an obvious path leads you to the beach, a cove which often has a strong current, and a ton of sea lions!
We even saw babies suckling unperturbed by the people around.
Bring a towel and some snorkeling gear, but beware the rough surf. A sea lion skull was propped up gingerly upon a dune.
Someone else decorated a piece of driftwood with a sea urchin shell.
This beach is generally less populated, but group tours do roll through. At the end of the beach is field of lava rocks (wear good shoes!), watch for marine iguanas who superbly blend in and hike on.
The trail is marked with stakes, keep your eyes peeled for secretive birds along the way.
Endemic lava gulls nestled into a seawall, this was the closest I was ever able to get to them.
Once you get across the field, there is a short scramble up leading to an epic view of the rugged coastline.
The trail meanders for a short time afterwards, stopping at a drastically different and pastoral vista.
If you plan on staying for a while, this is a great place to watch the sunset, but finding transportation other than walking can be difficult in this desolate area.