Santa Cruz Island and Puerto Ayora

Puerto Ayora has a privileged location, along the shores of Academy Bay. During most of the year, it receives a refreshing breeze which gives the city a wonderful weather.

The months of the hot season make

Puerto Ayora in Santa Cruz Island a tropical paradise.

The turquoise waters of the bay are a fine location for pelicans, marine iguanas, herons, sea lions, and many numbers of blue-footed boobies.

These beautiful boobies will always delight you with their amazing fishing strategies, and plunge diving behavior.

The Galapagos Island's main airport is located on Baltra Island and it can be reached from Puerto Ayora when you take a combination of land/marine transportation.

See Galapagos Flights Information with Vital Travel Facts

Once away from the populated area, the paved road takes you through the different vegetation zones of Santa Cruz Island, then you climb up to 500 meters of elevation (1,500 feet) at Los Gemelos, and start heading down towards the coast again.

This trip takes altogether about 27 minutes. The meeting point once at the other end is called the Itabaca Channel (Canal de Itabaca), where a ferry takes visitors to Baltra Island.

Once at the other side, a bus will take you to the airport.

Although logistically this procedure may seem complex, in reality it is the simplest thing, and the highlight will be seeing the changes in vegetation and the always breathtaking azure waters of Itabaca Channel.

If purchase any land-based tour option like an extension at Finch Bay Eco Hotel will find amusing and rewarding to sit by the main park, and see how Ecuadorians live in this ever-motivating paradise.

Santa Cruz Island holds a very important communications infrastructure, including several cyber-cafes all with Internet access.

Pacific National Bank (Banco del Pacifico) is located by the main road, and is ready to assist travelers in national and international transactions.

Mostly through its affiliation to the international ATM's network.

Hotels in town can offer various types of lodging options, while restaurants and pubs can add to the Island experience.

Puerto Ayora is also the home base for the Darwin Foundation and the Galapagos National Park Service.

If you enjoy beach landscapes without skyscrapers, a walk to the Galapagos Beach of Tortuga bay will be a great highlight of the trip.

Who would think that there are still beaches with white sand, but without high-rise buildings, or hotels everywhere with human masses of visitors?

Well, one of these beaches is the famous Tortuga Bay in Santa Cruz Island.

Right in front of Puerto Ayora you find the only neighborhood that is physically isolated from the city.

See a Gallery of Beautiful Pictures of Galapagos Islands

Punta Estrada is the place to meet for an in depth contact with untouched nature, peacefulness, and spectacular landscapes. Right at this location you can find Finch Bay Eco Hotel, next to the most extensive beach.

You can also walk to Las Grietas for more contact with nature. Transporting yourself to and from Punta Estrada is easy: if you are staying at Finch Bay Hotel in Santa Cruz Island you can return anytime you want to during the designated schedule.

Otherwise, the aqua taxis service will take you to "the other side" for a minimal fee.

Puerto Ayora is a town that shouldn't be missed in any Galapagos travel visit. From an expedition point of view, there's nothing more exciting than being able to see all of the Islands that compose this Archipelago in a once-in a lifetime visit.

Visit Puerto Ayora in Santa Cruz Island... the other Galapagos!

Galapagos Recommended Reading:

A Traveler's Guide to the Galapagos Islands
This book reviews the Islands' history, explains its ecology and the evolution of its wildlife, and tells where to go and what to see and photograph. This guide is the ideal handbook for anyone thinking of going to the Galapagos Islands. (This is a helpful and easy to read guide)

More About Galapagos

Galapagos Tours for Children

Galapagos Volcanoes

Galapagos Discovery Facts

Subscribe to Galapagos Expedition Free Newsletter

Search this Site for More Galapagos Information

Custom Search