Galapagos DIY

Santa Cruz is second largest island in the Galapagos to Isabela. The largest town is Puerto Ayora which is about a 45 minute taxi ride from the ferry and is along the southern coast. We stayed right in town along Charles Darwin Avenue at a bed and breakfast. 

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To maximize your time, I suggest you ask the taxi driver to make a few stops on your ride from the ferry. As you drive through the highlands, you can easily stop to see the twin collapsed craters (Los Gemelos) - this is free. You can also stop at the El Chato Giant Tortoise Reserve ($5 per person) and the nearby Lava Tunnel (free) which are both in Santa Rosa. I was concerned about leaving our bags with the taxi driver as we explored, but we had no problems. 

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Puerto Ayora is a lovely town with lots of activity - shops and restaurants. Many take cash only, but there is a bank on Charles Darwin Avenue that has ATMs. Be sure to contact your bank ahead of time to "turn on" international transactions. Our hotel was across the street from the fish market which was a fun place to be. Many restaurants serve fish and lobster from the fish market - how more fresh could it be? You can find lunch for $5 and this includes soup, juice, and the main course (meat/fish, rice, salad). Los Kioskos is a great place to eat. There was a display of paper machete characters which was interesting to see (Smurfs). Lots of art in the Galapagos towns - murals, sculptures - many with an environmental theme.

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At the pier, there are water taxis that can take you to other islands for a day-trip (Isabela, San Cristobal) and to other sites on Santa Cruz (Las Grietas, Tortuga Bay). There is a multi-level grocery store at the pier as well. There are lots of birds to watch, marine iguanas, sally lightfoot crabs, lava lizards, and occasional sea lions all along the coast. 

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For more information about our walk to Tortuga Bay, experience at the Charles Darwin Research Station, and time at Garraptero Beach and Laguna de la Ninfas, click here.