Puerto Ayora Activities, Beaches and Tortoises
Three days on Santa Cruz
Puerto Ayora, on Academy Bay, is the base for nearly everything people do on Santa Cruz Island. The sample plan below fits the main activities into three days, with the costs you can expect along the way. All prices are in US dollars, and small bills help.
Day one: town and tortoises
Begin at the Charles Darwin Research Station, which is open from 08:00 to 18:00 every day and has no admission charge. Its exhibition hall displays whale skeletons and natural history collections. Next door, the Fausto Llerena Breeding Center is visited on the guided Tortoise Route, which costs about USD 10 and runs until 16:45. Walk back along Avenida Charles Darwin and finish at the waterfront, where pelicans and sea lions often gather around the fish market.
Day two: beaches and Las Grietas
Take the 2.5 km paved path to Tortuga Bay in the morning, signing in at the park booth by the trailhead. Playa Brava comes first, and the surf and rip currents mean you look but do not swim. Playa Mansa lies about 20 minutes further on, and its calm, sheltered water suits swimming, snorkelling and kayaking. Return in the afternoon by water taxi (about USD 10 from the pier, each way) or on foot.
If you prefer something shorter, ride a water taxi across the harbour for USD 1 to 2 and stop at Playa de los Alemanes. From there a 15 to 20 minute walk leads to Las Grietas, which you visit with a guide for about USD 10, in roughly 1.5 hours.
Day three: the highlands
A 30 to 45 minute drive brings you to El Chato and Rancho Primicias, two neighbouring reserves on the road to Santa Rosa. Wild giant tortoises cross the paths and you can walk through a lava tunnel. Entry runs at about USD 10 per person with a guide, and the gates are open roughly 08:00 to 17:30.
Diving
Experienced divers can book Gordon Rocks, a drift dive known for hammerhead sharks. It is restricted to advanced divers and goes with a licensed operator.
What you pay before you arrive
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Park entry, most foreign adults and children over 12 | USD 200, cash on arrival |
| Park entry, foreign children under 12 | USD 100 |
| Andean Community and Mercosur adults / under 12 | USD 100 / USD 50 |
| Ecuadorians and resident foreigners over 12 | USD 30 |
| Transit Control Card | about USD 20, from the mainland airport |
Children under 2 are free. Amounts are currently as reported, so check the park’s official schedule.
Rules to remember
- Protected visitor sites need a naturalist guide and a licensed operator.
- Keep at least 2 m from every animal, on land and in the water.
- No flash, touching or feeding.
- Use reef-safe sunscreen and bring no single-use plastics into protected areas.
- Check current government advice before travelling. The islands lie outside the mainland areas named in UK advice for Ecuador .
Read more: day trips in Puerto Ayora and walking tours in Puerto Ayora .
Sources: Charles Darwin Foundation and the Park Directorate . Browse options on Viator .