Upon arrival at Baltra Airport, a representative will be waiting to welcome you to the Galapagos. They will assist you with a brief transfer across the Itabaca Channel from Baltra Island to Santa Cruz Island.

Once on Santa Cruz Island, your journey begins towards the lush highlands, a stark contrast to the coastal areas due to the rich vegetation and forests nurtured by the higher elevations’ humidity. En route, you’ll stop at «Los Gemelos,» or the twin craters. These are not actual craters but collapsed magma domes, resulting in two deep and wide depressions beside the road.

Continuing your transfer, you’ll arrive at a local ranch in the highlands. Here, you’ll have the opportunity to observe the giant tortoises of Santa Cruz in their natural habitat. These fascinating reptiles migrate between the coastal beaches, where they lay their eggs, and the humid highlands, abundant with food. You’ll also explore one of the island’s enigmatic lava tunnels, formed by cooling lava flows where the outer layer solidified while the inner layers continued to flow, creating these unique tunnels.

This area is also a fantastic spot to observe the ground finch of Santa Cruz, as well as the vermilion flycatcher and the yellow warbler, which inhabit these forests.
After this visit, you’ll proceed to Puerto Ayora to check into your selected hotel and have the chance to freshen up. The remainder of the evening is free for you to explore the charming town of Puerto Ayora at your leisure.

Meals: N/A
Difficulty: Easy
Type of Tour: Private
Landing Type: N/A
Transportation: 5-minute public bus to Itabaca Channel and short Ferry to Santa Cruz Island. 45-minute transfer into the highlands and 45-minute transfer to Puerto Ayora after the visit.