14-night West & East Galapagos Cruise - Roundtrip Santa Cruz Island

Puerto Ayora is located on the southern end of Isla Santa Cruz. Puerto Ayora is a charming port town where sea, sun, seabirds and sailboats coexist. On the town's outskirts are the headquarters to the world-renowned Charles Darwin Research Station. Many travelers just pass through on the way to see Lonesome George (a 150-year old tortoise; the last of his species) at Darwin Station. Puerto Ayora is a lively seaside town offering international cuisine, oceanfront hotels, outdoor bars, scuba diving schools and an avenue of boutiques with everything from tie-dyed sarongs to Panama hats. Relish the Islands' crescent slices of sand, spectacular diving, mountain top vistas, and tropical climate. Visit select islands and choose from an array of outdoor activities, such as kayaking, scuba diving, snorkeling, horseback riding and mountain biking. Puerto Ayora provides the most convenient base for island hopping. Three boats, the Delphin, Esmeraldas III and Santa Fe, offer day trips to Florena, Bartoleme, North Seymore and Plazas.

The Charles Darwin Station offers insight into ongoing research and conservation in the Galapagos.

Named not after the bird but a US ship, there is a wet landing onto a, literally, green beach - so coloured because it is made from olivine crystals (volcanic silicates of magnesium and iron). Pencil sea urchins may be found on the beach. A short walk inland and the trail comes to a brackish lagoon. This is home to one of the biggest populations of flamingos in the archipelago, these pink residents spend about 7 hours a day or more eating, and so take some binoculars to watch the ballet of necks as they gracefully move back and fourth, scouring the floor of the lagoon for little shrimp. Take your binoculars to enjoy the show up close. Also present are pintail ducks and stilts. The trail crosses a narrow neck of land and comes to a white beach on the eastern side of the island. Ghost crabs inhabit the beach, and rays and turtles can be seen in the sea. Sea turtles nest at Punta Cormorant (December to May) on the white sand beach, just a short walk away from the olive coloured beach where you land.

The Post Office Box on Post Office Bay was used in old days by whalers and others to stay in touch with their loved ones at home. Leaving the letters behind in the wooden barrel, other sailors returning home took it with them. Today tourists take the tradition over and leave post cards behind to be picked up later by others. A large lava tube is located behind the barrel. Visitors can enter the lava tunnels by stairs. The coastal vegetation is a dry tropical forest with low growing trees and shrubs. Frigate birds become frenzied when fisherman or cooks clean fish and throw away the scraps. Watch them playfully throw up the pieces and have aerial acrobatic frigates snatch them from the air. When free meals are not available frigates harass other sea birds in the air to drop their catch. Rays are seen around boats floating close to the water surface. The beautiful sunsets on the equator are fast and should not be missed.

Punta Espinoza is the visitor site on Isla Ferdinandina and is situated at the northeast coast of the island. The biggest colony of marine iguanas is situated here. Hundreds of them sunbathe on the rocks. Besides the iguanas, the island is home to flightless cormorants, Galápagos penguins and sea lions. Mangroves and cacti dominate the vegetation. There are also extraordinary lava formations.

On the island of Isabela is Caleta Tagus, a trail that surrounds a salt-lake crater. This beautiful region is also known as the "land of marine iguanas."

Santiago's Puerto Egas is the perfect place to explore dark, sandy beaches and spot birds and marine iguanas.

Known for its striking dark-red color, this island is home to a picturesque saltwater lagoon where white-tailed pintail ducks and flamingos congregate.

Only accessible by a dinghy, the beautiful and tranquil bay of Black Turtle Cove is a protected national park. Black-tip and white-tip reef sharks, sea turtles, and even sting rays raise their young around the mangroves. Travelers can take a day trip to discover this untouched Galapagos Island.

Located off the northern tip of Baltra, this island is home to the largest colony of frigate birds in the Galapagos, as well as blue-footed boobies and playful sea lions.

A channel island between the the islands of Baltra and Seymour, Isla Mosquera is a very flat stretch of white sand with tide pools and rocks. Underwater marine activity is ideal for snorkelers. Adventurers can observe the habitat of Brown Pelicans, Boobies, and playful sea lions. 

Consisting of two islands, Daphne Major and Daphne Minor, the Isla Daphne is part of the Galapagos Islands. Due to much erosion, Daphne Minor is the smaller of the two islands, though Daphne Major is not easily accessible either, with no more than twelve people allowed on the island at a time. Devoid of trees, the Isla also has a tuff crater, and is a major spot for scientific research due to its rich population of birds, particularly the Darwin finches.

Santa Cruz is the center of tourism in the Galapagos. The white-sand beach of Las Bachas on Isla Santa Cruz is a major egg-laying site for Pacific green turtles, but pelicans and flamingos feel at home here, too. Puerto Ayora, the largest settlement in the Galapagos, is homeport to many yachts, as well as home to Galapagos National Park Service and Charles Darwin Research Station. A large island with a variety of geology, wildlife and vegetation, all the Galapagos life zones are present on Santa Cruz.

El Barranco (Prince Phillip's Steps) is a port located on Genovesa Island in the Galapagos Islands. After hiking along a steep and rocky path, spectacular views can be enjoyed from a high cliff. El Barranco is home to Galapagos doves, red-footed boobies, Galapagos swallows and short-eared lava owls.

Darwin Bay is located in the Galapagos Islands where one side of the caldera on the horse-shoe shaped Genovesa Island collapsed. The submerged crater that resulted formed Darwin Bay. The steep cliffs that surround the bay provide homes for many seabirds, and there is a white sand coral beach that heads a half mile trail from the bay. Genovesa has developed a reputation as “The Bird Island” due to the numerous bird species that nest there which include swallow-tail gulls, storm petrels, Darwin’s finches, nazca boobies and red-footed boobies. Visitors to Darwin Bay can enjoy hiking, snorkeling, diving, kayaking and dinghy rides. In addition to seabirds, additional wildlife found near Darwin Bay includes rays, colorful reef fish, marine iguana and sharks.

Sullivan Bay is located on the southeastern region of Isla Santiago belonging to the famous Galapagos Islands. This destination is known for its lava fields that many visitors enjoy exploring. This area of the Santiago Islet was active only 100 years ago and volcanic overflows still are remnant today.

Just southeast of Santiago Island is Sombrero Chino, a tiny island with a rocky lava coast that gets its name from its appearance that looks like a Chinese hat. It's crescent-shaped white sand beach is home to thousands of sally light-foot crabs and sea lions. Walking on top fragile lava rock and snorkeling with penguins and possibily white-tipped sharks makes for an exciting experience. 

This small, barren island offers guests the opportunity to observe firsthand its volcanic formations and moon-like landscape.

Cerro Dragon is a Galapagos Island with small lagoons with flamingos, Palo Santo trees, Opuntia cactus.

El Chato Reserve is part of Galapagos National Park on Isla Santa Cruz. Visitors can stand face-to-face with the giant Galapagos tortoise in the wild and enjoy bird watching, in hopes to catch a glimpse of a Darwin finch or short-ear owl. El Chato Reserve is comprised of La Caseta and Cerro Chato, and visitors can explore both areas on the well-preserved trails with a guide.

Punta Suarez is an amazing sight and one of the most attractive in the Galapagos Islands, because of its plentiful and various wildlife. The island trail leads past sea lions surfing the breaking waves, iguanas basking in the warm sun, and boobies nesting right in the path. The trail continues towards the cliffs and the blowhole - a fissure in the lava from which water spurts high in the air like a geyser.

Considered one of the most scenic coves in the Galapagos, Isla Santa Fe, also known as Barrington Island, contains the only population of the rare Santa Fe Land Iguana. These unique iguanas can be found in the prickly pear cactus forest, where cacti can grow up to ten meters. Along the loop trail hike, visitors can check out spectacular views of the cove and bay.

Puerto Ayora is located on the southern end of Isla Santa Cruz. Puerto Ayora is a charming port town where sea, sun, seabirds and sailboats coexist. On the town's outskirts are the headquarters to the world-renowned Charles Darwin Research Station. Many travelers just pass through on the way to see Lonesome George (a 150-year old tortoise; the last of his species) at Darwin Station. Puerto Ayora is a lively seaside town offering international cuisine, oceanfront hotels, outdoor bars, scuba diving schools and an avenue of boutiques with everything from tie-dyed sarongs to Panama hats. Relish the Islands' crescent slices of sand, spectacular diving, mountain top vistas, and tropical climate. Visit select islands and choose from an array of outdoor activities, such as kayaking, scuba diving, snorkeling, horseback riding and mountain biking. Puerto Ayora provides the most convenient base for island hopping. Three boats, the Delphin, Esmeraldas III and Santa Fe, offer day trips to Florena, Bartoleme, North Seymore and Plazas.

The Los Gemelos Twins are two volcanic depressions on the highest part of Santa Cruz Island - whcih is the fourth largest island in the archipielago and has several great visitor sites.

Today Baltra is the most important airport of Galápagos and a small navy base for Ecuador. Baltra has suffered most from human settling and does not have any visitor sites. Many cruises start from the its harbour and already there pelicans and noddies will welcome you. To the north lies Mosquera, a small sandy bank with a large colony of sea lions. Go swimming and snorkeling on the beach.