Santa Cruz has the largest population in the islands, and Puerto Ayora is the biggest town in the archipelago, so it is where most trips begin and end. It is also where you will find some of the best wildlife anywhere in the Galapagos, high in the misty highlands.
A working scientific station rather than a tourist site, best known for its giant tortoise breeding centre, where you can see hatchlings and juveniles up close.
Up at almost 900m, wild giant tortoises wander through misty native vegetation, and you can walk into genuine lava tubes formed as lava cooled at different rates.
Two huge craters formed by collapsed magma chambers, right by the road to Baltra, with vermillion flycatchers and short-eared owls around the rim.
Boats cut their engines here so as not to disturb the wildlife, and you are often rewarded with green turtles surfacing and rays gliding beneath you.
A white sand nesting beach for sea turtles, with flamingos and herons in the lagoon behind, and the rusting remains of a wartime barge dock.
A conservation success story: land iguanas, once wiped out here by feral dogs, were bred at the research station and returned to the wild.
We choose the right hotel for you from several we know well, near Puerto Ayora or up in the quieter highlands.
A relaxed hotel a short boat ride from town, with a pool and a strong environmental ethos.
A striking modern lodge in its own private tortoise reserve, with a pool and panoramic views.
Safari-style tents with real character, set among the farms where wild tortoises often wander through.
Tents and treehouses on a private farm in the highlands, where your only neighbours are giant tortoises.
Santa Cruz is a year-round destination, though the warm season from December to May brings calmer seas for snorkelling, while the cool season from June to November keeps the highlands green and the tortoises easy to find.
See our full when to go guide →
Three islands, comfy hotels, and a different adventure every day.
Wake up in the same room, then set off somewhere different after breakfast.
One specialist, start to finish, building a trip just for you.
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