Santa Cruz Island

Santa Cruz holds Puerto Ayora, the largest town in Galapagos, and is the base most visitors use: the Charles Darwin Research Station sits at the edge of town with its tortoise breeding programme and the remains of Lonesome George, the last Pinta tortoise; the highlands above hold lava tunnels and the Los Gemelos collapse craters in scalesia forest; and private ranches let visitors walk among wild giant tortoises grazing in pasture. The island is the transport hub, with boats to Isabela, San Cristobal and Floreana and day trips to uninhabited islands. Because it is inhabited, it is also where the tension between conservation and a growing town is most visible.

What you actually see

• Giant tortoises in the highlands - wild animals grazing on the ranches.
• The Charles Darwin Research Station - the breeding programme and Lonesome George.
• Los Gemelos craters - twin collapses in scalesia forest.
• Lava tunnels - walkable tubes under the highland farms.

When to go

Year round. December to May is warmer with calmer seas and more rain; June to November is cooler and rougher with better nutrient-rich water for snorkelling. Three days as a base.

Honest expectations

Puerto Ayora is a real town with traffic, construction and prices to match an island that imports everything. Park rules restrict where you can go without a guide. Day trips book out. The Darwin Station is a small visit, not a zoo.

Nearby

Tortuga Bay is a walk from town; Baltra airport lies north.