Santa Cruz

Linked to Baltra airport via a short ferry ride, the island of Santa Cruz is home to Puerto Ayora, the Galapagos’ largest town and bustling tourist haven that brims with bars, hotels and restaurants.

A short walk away, the Charles Darwin Research Station is a fascinating breeding and information centre for the islands’ giant tortoises and is an integral part of any cruise itinerary. In the steamy highlands, farms provide sanctuary to giant tortoises and reveal sunken volcanic chambers such as at Los Gemelos. Other visitor sites include Bachas Beach, a beautiful beach whose lagoons harbour flamingos, waders and herons, and Black Turtle Cove, a peaceful mangrove haven for turtles and rays.

Santa Cruz – Luxury Collection

Pikaia Lodge$$$$$

Perched on an extinct volcano with sweeping views across Santa Cruz island, Pikaia Lodge is a stunning contemporary eco-lodge that has raised the bar in terms of land-based Galapagos tours. At 450m above sea-level, it occupies a private Tortoise Reserve between the arid savannah and tropical highlands and enjoys near perfect conditions year round. Its contemporary design has set the standard on the islands with sleek, angular units dressed in floor to ceiling windows that drink in the light a...

Finch Bay Hotel$$$$

Just steps away from a small, sandy beach, the Finch Bay is a small, immaculate boutique hotel on the Galapagos’ main island of Santa Cruz. Set within a small lava flow garden amidst coastal scrub, the hotel is a short water taxi ride away from the island’s main port of Puerto Ayora. Simple, modern design puts conservation and sustainability at the heart of the Finch Bay while its setting provides a relaxing retreat framed by the sparkling turquoise waters of the ocean. The restaurant ope...