Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz combines a rocky coastline, which is excellent for marine life, and lush highlands where giant tortoises roam freely. The island is also home to the Charles Darwin Research Station and Giant Tortoise Breeding Centre.

Marine life around the island includes; sea turtles, sharks and rays, and on land there are healthy populations of iguana (land and marine), tortoise and many birds - eight different species of finch live here.

Just north of Santa Cruz, the tiny island of Baltra is one of two commercial airports in the islands, so may be either your point of arrival in or departure from the Galapagos. Depending on your itinerary, you will either board your boat at a small harbour close to the airport or make your way to Puerto Ayora, the largest town in the archipelago, a journey that involves a short ferry crossing over the Itabaca Channel followed by a drive across the highlands of Santa Cruz island.

Some of the potential landing sites and highlights around Santa Cruz island are shown below.  There are two kinds of landing: a “dry” landing, where you step from the panga (dinghy) that takes you ashore directly onto rocks or a jetty, and a “wet” landing, where the panga edges into a sandy beach, and you step out into knee-deep water and wade ashore.

Charles Darwin Research Station

This research centre is home to Galapagos tortoises that range in length from just a few millimetres to 1.5 metres. Different sub-species interact with each other, and many of the older tortoises are habituated to humans – which makes for unrivalled photo opportunities. Hatchlings are kept here until they are around four years old and strong enough to survive on their own.

• Location highlights: Giant tortoises in captivity
• Activities: Walking
• Landing conditions: All times: Dry
• Physical demand: Gentle

Black Turtle Cove

This shallow inlet in the northern coast of Santa Cruz is surrounded by mangroves and can only be accessed by panga, so is a safe haven for young marine life. Black-tipped and white-tipped reef sharks, sea turtles, and a variety of rays are often spotted here.

• Activities: Panga ride
• Physical demand: Gentle

El Chato Tortoise Reserve

This reserve is divided into two distinct areas: Caseta and Chato. The trail begins at Santa Rosa, some 22 kilometres drive from Puerto Ayora, with the Caseta route being the more challenging. During the dry season this is a good place to see giant tortoises in the wild, and you may also spot short-eared owls, Darwin’s finches, yellow warblers, Galapagos rails and paint-billed crakes.

• Activities: Walking, Horse riding, Birdwatching
• Landing conditions: All times: Dry
• Physical demand: Moderate

Lava Tunnels

These tunnels were formed when the outer skin of a molten lava flow cooled and solidified, leaving a core of liquid magma that continued to flow – resulting in a series of empty underground tunnels, some of which are more than one kilometre in length. You can walk through these underground tunnels, Barn owls are sometimes seen here.

• Location highlights: Underground tunnels
• Activities: Walking
• Landing conditions: All times: Dry
• Physical demand: Gentle

Los Gemelos (Twin Craters)

These twin craters are located on opposite sides of the road that leads from Puerto Ayora to Baltra. In fact, they are not real volcanic real craters, merely interesting lava formations that were created by the collapse of surface material into underground chambers and fissures. Nevertheless the view here is breath-taking.

• Location highlights: Pit craters, Scalesia forest
• Activities: Walking (Short hike)
• Landing conditions: All times: Dry
• Physical demand: Moderate

Playa Garrapatero

Situated on the north side of Santa Cruz, this idyllic sandy beach is surrounded by mangroves. Lying just behind the beach is a freshwater lake that is home to flamingos, herons, stilts and other shore birds. The turquoise waters offer good swimming and snorkelling.

• Location highlights: White sand beach, Turquoise waters
• Activities: Swimming, Snorkelling, Sea kayaking
• Landing conditions: All times: Dry
• Physical demand: Gentle

Santa Cruz Highlands

Reached by bus from Puerto Ayora, the highlands of Santa Cruz are lush and green, in contrast to the dry, lower reaches of this and other islands. The predominant vegetation is the scalesia tree. High on the hillside is a tortoise breeding centre where you can see these giant creatures in semi-captivity in their natural environment.

• Location highlights: Lava tunnels, Tortoise breeding centre
• Activities: Walking (Approximately 2.5km hike)
• Landing conditions: All times: Dry
• Physical demand: Moderate

Tortuga Bay

This bay with its white sand beach owes its name to the black sea turtles that lay their eggs here. Other species seen include white-tipped sharks and marine iguanas, while the salty lagoon behind the mangroves is frequented by flamingos. The site is excellent for birdwatching, and the perfect place for a relaxing swim.

• Location highlights: White sandy beach, Salty lagoon
• Activities: Swimming, Snorkelling, Birdwatching
• Landing conditions: All times: Dry
• Physical demand: Gentle

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