Things to Do | galapagos

Things to Do on Santa Cruz

There are lots of things to do on Santa Cruz, and I'm highlighting just a few of them. As I already mentioned, you can pick up a couple of easy things to do on your way from the ferry. Once you are checked in your hotel and settled in, you can decide on what you want to see. If you are staying only on Santa Cruz for your trip, consider taking a boat to Isabela and/or San Cristobal for a day-trip. We did not do this because we flew to those islands later in the trip. If you get sea-sick, keep in mind that the water is rough so be prepared.

There are many options within walking distance:

Charles Darwin Research Station (about 20 minutes from town)- Free - A must do! (1/2 day)

Walk along Charles Darwin Avenue going east outside of town.
You will pass the Ceramic Garden (take a look!)
Check out the mural on a wall surrounding a cemetery on your way. Beautifully painted owls.
You will reach the entrance and walk more to get to the buildings and displays. Very nice educational displaysabout the giant tortoises, finches, iguanas (land and marine), and more.
Tortoise hatchery with different age groups of tortoises
There is a nice gift shop and cafe.

Laguna de la Ninfas (about 10 minutes from town) - nice for morning walk

On the other side of town (west end). Take Charles Darwin Ave to Baltra to Thomas de Berlanga. You will see signs; it is close to Hotel Ninfa.
This is a lovely quiet mangrove lagoon that is connect to the ocean.
A boardwalk with signage. Birds and fish to view.

Tortuga Bay (long walk; it takes at least an hour) - 1/2 day to full day

I read lots of websites that say this is the most beautiful beach in the islands. It is a nice beach, but if you have done much traveling, it's not all that (in my opinion).
It takes a while to get there, so be prepared with lots of water, sunscreen, and snacks.
To get there, walk to the east end of town; take right on Baltra Avenue, then left on Charles Binford. Walk down the street and then up a very steep hill to the Ranger Station. You will be asked to sign in. There is water available at the Ranger Station, so if you need more, you can buy it there. From there it's about 45 minutes (leisurely walk) to the first beach. The first beach - Playa Brava - is more of a surfing beach. Look for the flag that tells you if you can get in the water or not. A red flag means its dangerous and do not enter. Walk to the right about 15-20 minutes more to reach the bay and Playa Mansa. This is a sheltered beach fringed by mangroves.
You can rent kayas in Playa Mansa or just swim or snorkel. We saw some neat fish including one I had not seen before, the eel fish (it was about 3 feet long!).
Once you are ready to head back, you can either walk back or wait for a water taxi. The water taxi is $10 per person. The boat ride is about 20 minutes back to the pier in Puerto Ayora.
Lots of marine iguanas hanging out and a few sea lions.

Garrapatero Beach (1/2 day)

This is a beach that is on the southeast end of the island. You have to take a taxi there; it takes about 40 minutes or so. It is a nice drive past farms such as banana plantations. Be sure to ask the taxi driver to come back and get you or stay until you are ready to leave. The taxi ride should be about $25, round-trip.
Once at the entrance, it is a short walk to the beach (10 minutes).
Next to the beach is a wetland/lagoon where you can view water birds. Sometimes flamingos are there, but we didn't see any that day.
The beach is relatively calm and you can rent kayaks. It's a nice place just to hang out and let the kids play in the water. Again, there are mangroves and some neat wildlife. Remember your sunscreen!

Augmented Reality Museum of Pre-Columbian Art (right in town)

There aren't many museums in the islands, so if you are into art, this is the place for you. It costs $8 per person and you get a tablet and headphones.
There are signs that you scan with the tablet to view a 3-d piece of pre-columbian art and you listen to the information the piece.
At the end of the tour, there is a display with a shruken head.
Neat way to spend about an hour - here's more information: https://www.santacruzgalapagoscruise.com/new-museum-in-galapagos/