The last stop for my 9-day Galapagos adventure with Intrepid Travel was Santa Cruz. In the center of the archipelago, Santa Cruz is the second largest island and most developed with the highest population. My highlights included the Charles Darwin Research Center, Lava Tunnels, tortoises in the highlands and Tortuga Bay. For me, Santa Cruz was the best island for seeing tortoises in their natural habitat. So, read on to learn more about my 2-day Santa Cruz Galapagos itinerary.
Santa Cruz Galapagos Itinerary and Highlights
We took a one-hour charter speed boat from Isabela Island to stay in Puerto Ayora at Leon Marino Hotel. This port is the most commercialized in the Galapagos with plenty of restaurants, motels and shops. After checking in to our hotel, we headed for our first excursion to eat lunch and see tortoises.
Day 1: Rancho El Manzanillo
We had a lovely afternoon in the Santa Cruz Highlands at the Rancho El Manzanillo with lunch included. This was my favorite day for seeing tortoises because they lived in the wild with no fences. It was a sugar cane ranch, and the owner turned it into a venue to experience the tortoises in their natural habitat. After an incredible lunch, we took our walking tour to see the tortoises. We were able to get very close to the tortoises, however, keeping our recommended distance of 3 m.
We enjoyed tortoises of all stages of development and even observed tortoises mating. We also got a demonstration on processing sugar cane into the local alcohol cocktail with dessert. Lastly, we even walked through a small lava tube with a small owl there to greet us.
Check out this YouTube Video
Day 2: Santa Cruz at Tortuga Bay Swim and Charles Darwin Research Center
We awoke early to walk the 1.5-mile path to Tortuga Bay. On a well-paved path, we walked through the landscape filled with the Galapagos cacti and many birds. There is also a 20-minute water taxi from town to the beach. I suggest walking early before afternoon heat and taking the $10 water taxi for the return back to town. On the walking path, I observed lava lizards and birds, such as, Galapagos Mockingbird and Yellow Warbler.
We signed in at the entrance and walked along the white sandy beach to the cove that is for swimming. This is the most beautiful white sandy beach that I experienced at the Galapagos. The Playa Mansa blue lagoon is surrounded by inlets, arid forest and mangrove. I swam with marine iguanas in the lagoon, alongside brown pelicans perched on rocks. Others saw Whitetip Reef Sharks in the mangrove. The arid Palo Santo aromatic forest is surrounded by Candelabra Cacti and Prickly Pear and filled with bird life.
In the afternoon we walked to the Charles Darwin Research Center. No trip to the Galapagos would be complete without seeing this center. Here, we learned even more about the history, flora and fauna of the area. A Fun Fact is there are 15 species of Galapagos tortoises. We also saw the embalmed body of “Lonesome George.” He was a male tortoise and last of his subspecies on Pinta Island. The death of this tortoise in 2012 and his subspecies remains famously symbolic for importance of conservation efforts in Galapagos and worldwide.
Food and Accommodations
We stayed at the Leon Marino Hotel. It was conveniently located just 1 block from a popular pedestrian street. Also, we had a shared deck from our front door with panoramic views of the ocean and sunset. It was nice to relax here with a cold beer, although the mosquitoes acted up at night.
The waterfront in Puerto Ayora is the most commercial and bustling in the Galapagos. It’s fun to stroll for shopping and restaurants. Even though it’s busy, many streets are pedestrian with minimal cars. Also, there are docks to observe the small Whitetip Reef Sharks (including babies) and sea lions that swim up along the shoreline. This is especially fun to observe at night. We enjoyed our Farewell Dinner at Midori Sushi Pub. I loved their healthy, organic veggie bowl. And I highly recommend their Matcha dessert to die for. Yum!
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