From pristine beaches to underground lava tunnels, here is a list of the best things to do on Santa Cruz island, Galapagos!
Santa Cruz stands out in the Galapagos due to the bustling town of Puerto Ayora, which offers the most developed infrastructure, restaurants and hotels of the archipelago. The island is noticeably busier than other islands such as San Cristobal and Isabela, mostly due to Santa Cruz being the start and end points for many of the Galapagos Island multi-day cruises.
The airport makes Santa Cruz one of the most accessible islands and a convenient hub for day trips to other islands and world-class dive sites. Santa Cruz is home to diverse landscapes, from lush highlands with giant tortoises to pristine beaches like Tortuga Bay.
If you’re looking for practical information such as how to get to Santa Cruz, the best time of year to visit and buying a Galapagos island National Park entrance and Tourist Card, read my guide to planning the perfect trip to Santa Cruz island, Galapagos.
There is no shortage of things to do on this beautiful island in the Galapagos, but here is a list of some of the best!
The best things to do on Santa Cruz island
Visit the Charles Darwin Research Station
Headed by a team of more than two hundred scientists and staff, the Charles Darwin Research Station is dedicated to preserving the unique ecosystems of the Galapagos. This should be one of the first things you do in Santa Cruz as it offers a great perspective of what makes the area so ecologically significant.
The Research Centre is also home to the giant tortoise breeding program. Visitors can see different species of giant tortoises, from tiny babies until fully grown. The tortoises are released into the wild as adults and can live to over 150 years old.
The Charles Darwin Research Centre needs to be visited with a local guide, which you can organise on arrival. It is open from 08:00 to 12:30, and 14:30 to 17:30 every day. Arrive during these times and the staff will let you know what times the tours are running. Tickets are $10.
If you have a little time to kill before the tour starts, there are two beaches you can visit for free nearby. Station Beach is the closest and is nice for a quick swim with some friendly sea lions!
Spend the day at Tortuga Bay
Tortuga Bay is by far one of the best things to do on Santa Cruz island, Galapagos. It might even be one of the best beaches in the Galapagos.
To get to Tortuga Bay, walk down Charles Binford Ave out of town to the registration. It is a 35 minute walk from the registration building to the first beach, Playa Brava. You can also get a taxi boat for $10 from the pier in town. The walk is interesting with huge cacti and lots of birds to spot along the way.
The first beach is Playa Brava which is beautiful with long white stretches of sand and crystal clear water. The currents here are pretty dangerous and there are signs up everywhere warning against swimming here. If you walk to the right along the beach there is a colony of marine iguanas that all hang out on the rocks, beach and mangroves in this area.
At the end of Playa Brava, depending on the tides, there is a small rockpool area that you can snorkel in. We saw some schools of fish in the water and every now and then one of the iguanas would swim across the volcanic rocks on the other side. It was super cool to watch!
If you follow the path around to the right at the end of Playa Brava, you come to Playa Mansa. This is a beautiful calm beach, perfect for swimming. There are a few trees you can use for shade. If you bring food, you can easily spend the day here, relaxing on the beach, swimming at Playa Mansa and snorkelling in the rock pools. It was one of my favourite things to do on Santa Cruz island.
Bring plenty of water and sun protection because it can get really hot and the walk back seems a lot longer than the walk there!
Have a sunset beer and watch the sea birds
If you are after a more low key activity, head to the main pier in Santa Cruz. Above the ProInsular supermarket there is a cafeteria with a balcony that overlooks the water.
Sit here with a beer or a coffee for a superb vantage point of the local bird life. Watch blue footed boobies diving in unison, pelicans harrassing the local fishermen and frigate birds soaring overhead. It is an entertaining way to spend an afternoon on Santa Cruz.
If you’re on a budget, the food here is also well-priced and comes in large portions.
Be entertained by the local wildlife at the fish markets
This was one of my favourite things to do on Santa Cruz island, Galapagos!
Nowhere else in the Galapagos did I see so many different animals, birds and sea life congregate together. All with the aim of getting some of the fishermen’s catch of the day.
The fish market is located opposite Banco del Pacifico on the street that runs along the water. Sea lions, pelicans, lots of other types of birds and iguanas all hang around trying to score a bit of the leftovers. Frigate birds swoop in trying to steal from the fishermen as they fillet the fish. It really is an entertaining thing to witness and a great way to see a lot of the wildlife up close.
The fish market is small and sometimes empty. Arrive early (we arrived at 7:30am) and wait until a fishermen returns to fillet their catch. You will be rewarded with quite the spectacle!
This would be a great thing to do with children.
Go snorkelling at Las Grietas
Las Grietas is one of the best places to swim on Santa Cruz island. It is a series of deep crevices between volcanic cliffs filled with crystal-clear water. There are three natural pools to explore making it the perfect place to cool off on a hot day.
To get to Las Grietas, take a water taxi from the pier to Finch Bay. Follow the signs to Finch Bay Hotel, keeping the ocean on your left. From the hotel follow the trail to Las Grietas. There is a $10 entrance fee.
Due to the shape of Las Grietas, the water is often in shadow. If you want good visibility you have to visit when the midday sun is shining down on the water. It is the busiest time to visit, but it is the best time!
Enjoy the Santa Cruz night life at Los Kioskos
Compared to other islands in the Galapagos, Santa Cruz has by far the most exciting nightlife. There are lots of great restaurants to try the freshest Galapagos seafood and plenty of bars to keep you occupied well into the evening.
The most popular area at night is Calle de Los Kioskos. Los Kioskos is on the corner of Charles Binford and Avenida Baltra. Each restaurant has a tout trying to get you to eat at their establishment. They can be pretty persistent!
If you find these sort of situations stressful, just find a restaurant and take a seat. It is a lot less intense when you’re sitting down with a drink, people watching and enjoying the local seafood!
The best tours and day trips from Santa Cruz island, Galapagos
There are so many amazing things to do around Santa Cruz island, that it would be a shame to not take some of the day tours on offer.
Highlands tour of Santa Cruz island
This is one of the best day tours to take that stays on Santa Cruz island. The Highlands tour is advertised everywhere and varies slightly from place to place. However it will always include a visit to Los Gemelos craters, the lava tunnels and one of the ranches in the highlands where giant tortoises roam free.
We were quoted $70 for this tour by a travel agent. Our hotel offered it for $45. We heard of people getting it even cheaper by approaching taxi drivers directly.
Although called a ‘tour’, it is really just transport between each location. We had a particularly friendly taxi driver so he felt like a guide, but this isn’t always the case.
The first stop is Los Gemelos craters which includes a short walk. They are pretty spectacular to see and it feels very remote. There was some nice wildlife to spot along the way.
The next stop is the lava tunnel which was super interesting! The tunnels were formed when the outside skin of a molten lava flow solidified. The lava flow kept going, emptying out the solid skin and leaving natural tunnels over 1km underground. You can visit the tunnels without a guide which feels a bit spooky. There are lights throughout the tunnels but it still seems eery wandering along underground with no one else around. It’s definitely one of the most unique experiences to have on Santa Cruz island, Galapagos.
The third stop will be either El Chato or Las Primicias ranch. The entry fee is $7.50 which includes gumboots (which are necessary) and a short guided walk of the property. There are so many giant tortoises wandering around on the ranches. They are completely free to leave. They have even built the fences high enough for the tortoises to walk under without being harmed.
The Highlands tour is one of the most affordable activities on Santa Cruz and honestly was one of my favourite days on the island. It’s definitely one of the best things to do on Santa Cruz island!
North Seymour Island day trip
A popular day trip from Santa Cruz island is to North Seymour Island.
North Seymour Island has remarkable wildlife, unique landscapes of arid vegetation and rugged coastlines. It is only a short boat ride from Santa Cruz island making it an accessible and worthwhile day trip.
North Seymour island is a dream destination for bird-lovers and offers one of the best opportunities to see blue-footed boobies nesting. Most day tours combine a visit to North Seymour island with Bachas Beach for snorkelling with sea lions and other marine life.
Bartolome Island day trip
Visiting Bartolome Island is known as one of the best things to do in the Galapagos.
Bartolome Island has the most famous viewpoint in the Galapagos. The jaw-dropping volcanic landscapes and crystal-clear water boasts some of the best of what the region has to offer.
Not only is it one of the most beautiful islands, it is also home to a colony of Galapagos penguins. A day trip to Bartolome Island gives visitors the chance to snorkel with these cute little fellas! There are also sea lions, sea turtles, sharks, eagle rays and other colourful marine life that call these waters home.
If you can only do one day trip from Santa Cruz island, this should be it!
Diving at Gordon’s Rocks
Diving at Gordon’s Rocks is one of the best things to do from Santa Cruz island. It offers the chance to encounter schools of hammerhead sharks, Galapagos sharks, manta rays, sea turtles, sunfish and other marine life.
The site’s dramatic volcanic rock formations and strong currents make Gordon’s Rock an exciting and challenging dive for experienced divers. One of the best dive sites that can be accessed in the Galapagos without doing a liveaboard, Gordon’s Rock is a must for avid divers.
Hotels on Santa Cruz island, Galapagos
There are only four islands in the Galapagos that you are able to stay on without taking a tour. Santa Cruz island is the busiest of the 4 because it is where most of the Galapagos island cruises depart from.
The upside to more tourists is that there are better accommodation options for all budgets. Here are a few of the best Galapagos island hotels in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz.
Budget – Hostal La Mirada del Solitario George is the best budget option in Santa Cruz. The rooms are spotlessly clean, there is a shared kitchen area and it is walking distance to everything. It is the best hostel-style accommodation on the island and offers a variety of room types.
Mid-range – Stay at Posada del Mar for a few more comforts but without losing out on the local hospitality!
High-end – Treat yourself and stay at Blu Galapagos Sustainable Waterfront Lodge, one of the only 5 star hotels on Santa Cruz, Galapagos.
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