Meet Lonesome George on Santa Cruz

Just about every visitor to the Galapagos Islands winds up on Santa Cruz sooner or later, whether it's to head to the airport on nearby Baltra, to visit the world-famous Charles Darwin Research Station, or to relax on the superb beaches. Many, however, don't stay all that long on the island, and that is a crying shame!

The harbour town of Puerto Ayora is the largest settlement in the Galapagos Islands, but with a population of only a couple of thousand, you aren't going to feel swamped! In fact, Puerto Ayora has a really nice laid-back beach-town sort of atmosphere and you could easily stay here for a week... maybe more...

• Giant tortoises
• Flycatchers
• Galapagos Hawks
• Sea Turtles

If you did choose to do this, there are some top hotels in and around the town, and you can still visit the other islands as day trips - absolutely ideal for those of you who don't fancy a week aboard a boat!

Apart from Puerto Ayora, with its wide choice of bars and restaurants, and all the other facilities you'd expect from a tourist centre, Santa Cruz has plenty on offer. Probably the major attraction is the Charles Darwin Research Station, where, among other conservation efforts, they run a Giant Tortoise breeding programme where the turtles are prepared for eventual release back into the wild. The Station is also home to Lonesome George, the famous last surviving turtle of Pinta Island. The original hope was to breed him with a female from another island but George hasn't seemed keen and so he remains... lonesome.

Further out of town there is the beautiful Tortuga Bay, named for the turtles who lay their eggs here in season. It's a good walk or quick bike ride out of town, and perfect for one of those beautiful Galapagos sunsets. From here you can head up into the highlands of Santa Cruz to see the climate change dramatically and vegetation increase around the dramatic lava tubes - underground tunnels formed as liquid magma from an eruption cooled rapidly. The highlands are also home to some of the most interesting birdlife on Santa Cruz, such as Galapagos Hawks and short-eared owls.

Check out our Galapagos Calendar to find out the optimal time for visiting all of the islands.

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