Santa Cruz Island

Santa Cruz Island is the second largest island in the Galápagos archipelago after Isabela. Its largest settlement is Puerto Ayora, the capital of the Galápagos, with around 12,000 residents. Cruise ships dock at Puerto Ayora on the island’s southern coast, where the town sits along the sheltered waters of Academy Bay. Temperatures range from 18 to 29 degrees Celsius, with January to June generally hotter and wetter and July to December cooler and less rainy.

The island offers a variety of landscapes and wildlife within a relatively compact area. Las Bachas, on the northern coast, is one of the largest nesting areas for Pacific green sea turtles in the Galápagos. Its unusual name comes from a local mispronunciation of “barges”, referring to two abandoned American Second World War barges that broke loose and ran aground there during the 1950s. Black Turtle Cove is a mangrove estuary on the northern shore, protected by strict environmental regulations and accessible only by dinghy or Zodiac. Once inside, engines are turned off to help preserve the quiet environment.

Santa Cruz also has strong connections to Charles Darwin. He arrived in September 1835 aboard HMS Beagle and spent five weeks collecting specimens of birds, animals and rocks. His observations later contributed to the development of his theory of evolution. The island was settled by Americans and Europeans during the 20th century, with agriculture including coffee, avocado, sugar cane and citrus grown in the fertile highlands. Puerto Ayora is also home to the Charles Darwin Research Station, where a breeding programme for endangered giant tortoises has been established.

Santa Cruz is a large dormant volcano that has been inactive for more than a million years. Earlier volcanic activity created a lava tunnel more than 6,500 feet long that visitors can explore on foot. The island combines highlands, volcanic craters, lava tubes and beaches, while Puerto Ayora has hotels, restaurants, tour companies, gift shops and marine stores. For cruisers, the variety of landscapes and wildlife makes Santa Cruz one of the most diverse stops in the Galápagos.