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.

Tour options at a glance The Galápagos National Park covers over 97% of the archipelago’s land, and its protected visitor sites are open only to people with an authorised naturalist guide. That shapes how tours work around Puerto Ayora: you pick a licensed operator, not a trail. The table lists the main attraction tours from town. Tour What it covers Cost and timing Highlands El Chato and Rancho Primicias reserves, lava tunnel, Los Gemelos craters about USD 10 reserve entry; 30 to 45 minutes by road each way Bay tour Academy Bay from the municipal pier set by the operator Las Grietas guided visit with snorkelling about USD 10 plus USD 1 to 2 water taxi; about 1.

Several days without a cruise The Galápagos has no fixed multi-day tour out of Puerto Ayora that you simply turn up for. What exists is land-based island hopping: you sleep in a town on one island, take a fast boat to the next, and join day tours from each base. Multi-day packages from licensed agencies do exist, but each operator writes its own itinerary, so compare them directly and read what is included.

Easy outings and longer ones Travelling with children in Puerto Ayora works best when you sort the options by effort. Some are short and close to town, and others involve a long walk in strong equatorial sun. This page ranks them from easiest to hardest. The activities are about wildlife and the sea. Costs are in US dollars. Easiest: the research station and waterfront The Charles Darwin Research Station is free to enter and open daily from 08:00 to 18:00.

Routes sorted by effort Walking in Puerto Ayora means choosing between a flat stroll along the harbour and a long beach hike. Some walks you can do alone, and others need a guide. The routes below go from easiest to most demanding. Costs are in US dollars. Easy: the harbour front Start at the municipal pier and follow Avenida Charles Darwin east to the Charles Darwin Research Station. Along the way the Pelican Bay fish market is an open-air spot where fishermen clean the catch and pelicans and sea lions wait nearby.

The sights, with opening times Sight Where Hours and cost Charles Darwin Research Station east end of Avenida Charles Darwin daily 08:00 to 18:00, free Fausto Llerena Breeding Center and Lonesome George room beside the station Tortoise Route 08:00 to 16:45, about USD 10 Pelican Bay fish market waterfront hours vary Tortuga Bay beaches 2.5 km walk from the edge of town about 06:00 to 18:00 El Chato and Rancho Primicias road to Santa Rosa roughly 08:00 to 17:30, about USD 10 Los Gemelos beside the highway in the highlands check access before you go Prices are in US dollars.

One slow day for two Puerto Ayora suits couples who want scenery and space. The romance here comes from water, wildlife and long walks. The outline below builds one unhurried day from real options, with other ideas after it. Prices are in US dollars. Morning: Tortuga Bay Leave early, because visiting hours start at about 06:00 and the path is a paved 2.5 km. Sign in at the booth by the trailhead and allow 30 to 45 minutes each way.

Choosing a day trip by what you want to see Boats from Puerto Ayora reach several protected islands. All of them depend on a licensed operator and a naturalist guide, since visitor sites in the national park are guide-only. Match the trip to the animals you care about. Birds: North Seymour Licensed yachts take day visitors to North Seymour, home to frigatebirds and blue-footed boobies. Stay 2 m back from the birds and leave the flash off.