Best Galapagos Tours for Families on Santa Cruz
Of the three most popular islands to visit in the Galapagos, Santa Cruz is both the most developed, and (tied for) the easiest island to get to. Its central location among the Galapagos islands makes it a popular jumping off point for both cruise ships and land-based travelers headed to other islands, but it has enough points of interest to make it a popular destination in and of itself. In fact, if you’re looking for the best possible Galapagos experiences for families with kids, Santa Cruz is a great place to start!
With nearly 400 square miles of land, Santa Cruz is the second largest of the Galapagos islands. All that space comes with tons of family-friendly adventures. Here are some of my favorites!
Also check out my other posts on the Galapagos!
Learn about what makes the Galapagos so special at the Charles Darwin Research Station
There are few figures in the history of the Galapagos that are quite as iconic as Charles Darwin. Famous for developing his theory of evolution based on the differences between the species of finches found in these very islands, Darwin was one of the first scientific minds to explore them. Today, a wide variety of scientists and conservationists work in this research center that carries his name.
The Darwin Research Station’s public-facing areas include museums, beaches, and a Galapagos tortoise breeding and conservation center where you can get up close to the island’s gentle giants. And it’s hard to argue with the price. Entrance to the station is completely free. (Though, you do have to pay a bit to join the tour where you see the tortoises.)
The Station is just outside of town, and can be easily reached by either walking or grabbing a taxi. We opted to walk, and even with younger kids it was fine, though the road leading up to the station itself does not have a lot of shade.
See endangered Galapagos Tortoises in the wild at El Chato Tortoise Reserve
My family spent most of our time in the Galapagos based out of San Cristobal Island, and while there were definitely some awesome adventures to be had there, it doesn’t have much in the way of places where you can see wild tortoises. Santa Cruz, on the other hand, has El Chato Reserve.
Galapagos Tortoises typically live the the highlands regions of the different islands, and the ones on Santa Cruz are no different. El Chato is located about 22km (13.5 miles) from Puerto Ayora’s docks further into the center of the island.
$10/person gets you access to the grounds, which includes walking trails and a restaurant, though it’s close enough to town that you may just want to wait until you get back to eat.
It’s a common stop for many Galapagos cruises and tours, but is easy enough to do on your own, if you prefer. Simply flag down a taxi and ask them how much to get to El Chato. Also, if you ask them they will typically wait for you outside the reserve so you have a ride on the way down as well!
Wandering whether or not to get a guide? Also check out
The Guide to Guides:
Should I Get One, or No?
Learn about Galapagos Island Geology on the Lava Tunnels Tour
Similar to the way the Hawaiian Islands were formed by volcanic hotspot under the Pacific Plate, the Galapagos Islands were formed by a hotspot underneath the Nazca Plate off the coast of South America. This hotspot activity fueled volcanic activity under the ocean, forming each island in turn as the tectonic plate slowly inched eastward.
When Santa Cruz Island was forming, lava flowed through over the surface of the land, hardening on the outer edges and continuing to flow in the middle. Eventually, the flowing lava stopped, leaving the hard, hollow, stone tubes in place. And you can still see them today!
The Lava Tunnels tour is a short, but exciting hike through the interior of the lava tube, and is usually combined with seeing the tortoises or another inland tour like the twin craters. (More on that below.) At their widest points, the tubes are large enough that families can walk side by side through them, but in places they get so low that you’ll have to belly crawl to get through!
As such, this is probably not a great tour for anyone who gets claustrophobic in tight spots, but if your kids like exploring caves and getting dirty, this can be a really fun way to learn about the beginnings of the Galapagos Islands!
As with El Chato, you can book a guided tour to get the whole experience, but if you prefer going without a guide, it’s super easy to hire a taxi driver to take you for the afternoon. Just be sure to set the price before you head out, so there aren’t any surprises!
Los Gemelos (the Twin Craters)
Despite the name, Los Gemelos aren’t actually craters. They’re sinkholes.
Sinkholes can be found all across the globe, including famous examples like the Cenotes of Mexico or diving spots like Dahab’s Blue Hole on Egypt, but where most sinkhole are formed when water supporting rock formations is drained away, these sinkholes formed in a slightly different manner.
Back when lava flowed beneath the surface of Santa Cruz, the ground in this are was supported by a pool of lava. As Santa Cruz moved away from the Galapagos hotspot, this lava drained away. The rock above was not strong enough to support its own weight once the lava was no longer there, and collapsed in on itself to form large depressions in the land. And thus Los Gemelos were formed!
Today, these two sinkholes are a great location for hiking and birdwatching, and are a common stop for tours passing through the area. The shelter that the sinkholes provide allows lush, green, plant life to thrive, contrasting the more arid climate of the rest of the island, and birds flock to the area.
It’s an excellent hiking and birdwatching spot, with several short look out trails that can be walked in less than 20 minutes and a longer (500m) trail that can still be walked in less than an hour and a half.
Once again, the easiest way to get to this area is simply to hire a taxi for the day. It’s easy enough to add this trip onto a visit to the tortoises or the lava tunnels, so if you have the time, be sure to check them all out together!
And again, if you prefer a guide, either for the extra information they provide or as someone to act as a translator, there are plenty of great options to choose from.
Sunbathe or Snorkel at these amazing Santa Cruz Beaches
Without a doubt, my family’s favorite part of visiting any seaside location is getting the explore the beach! The Galapagos Islands just happen to make that even more incredible by making it extremely easy to find great beaches worth visiting, no matter what kind of beach day you’re after!
Whether you’re wanting to play with the waves, explore underwater reefs, or just sit back and enjoy some sand and sun, Santa Cruz has you covered.
Playa Mansa at Tortuga Bay
The beaches at Tortuga Bay are largely considered to be the best ones on Santa Cruz for a variety of activities. Playa Brava has beautiful white stretches of sand, but the waves are rough enough that getting in the water is not a great idea unless you are an experienced surfer looking for a challenge. However, if you continue along Tortuga Bay’s shore you will reach Playa Mansa.
Playa Mansa is in a more sheltered area of the bay, perfect for families. White stretches of sand are broken by black lava stone, and the blue waves of the beach are small. Marine iguanas, sea lions, crabs, and sea turtles are all common sights along the shore, and wading birds like flamingos occasionally call the nearby mangroves home.
Despite being one of the most popular beaches in the area, there are not public facilities in the area, so be sure to bring any food and drink that you’ll need for your day, as well as any snorkeling gear you might need.
Station Beach (Playa de la Estacion)
Station Beach is possibly the easiest beach to visit on Santa Cruz, since it’s located just inside the entrance to the Charles Darwin Research Station. There’s no entry fee to get in, and it’s an easy walk or bike ride to get there. The beach itself has several nice reef sections for snorkeling, and the sand is a beautiful white.
Because this beach is so close to town, it’s a great choice if you’re just looking for a beach to enjoy for a few hours on a free day when you’d rather not have to drive anywhere. Plus, it’s right there by the research center in case you want another look in their museums!
Playa El Garrapatero
If you’re looking for a beach that’s a bit farther from the beaten path, el Garrapatero is definitely worth a look. Getting there takes a short taxi ride, followed by about 15 minutes of walking, but the result is a pristine beach with nearly a full mile stretch of sand.
The water is typically calm enough for a swim or a snorkel, and because it’s a bit harder to get to, it’s quite possible to get a stretch of the beach all to yourself! All the Galapagos animals you would expect to be there could make an appearance, including sea lions and sea turtles, blue-footed boobies, and (if you’re really lucky) even the Galapagos penguin!
If your kids are younger, or you just don’t want to have to walk in, I’ve heard it is possible to get there by water taxi, though I do not have personal experience with that.
Whale Bay
Whale bay is one of the lesser known and less popular beaches on the island, probably because it’s a bit harder to get to. However, if you do find you’re way here, you’ll be greeted by a green sand beach, quite different from most of the beaches on the island. It gets its odd color from a high concentration of olivine stone bits in the sand.
Go deeper by SCUBA diving at the nearby Gordon Rocks
While this probably isn’t the most kid-friendly of spots in Santa Cruz, it is considered one of the best places for diving in the central Galapagos Islands. Currents in the area are strong, which is less than ideal for human swimmers, but it makes it the perfect spot for finding a wide variety fo marine life, including rays, sharks, turtles, and more!
It’s not a site for beginner-level divers, but if your family has experience with SCUBA, Gordon Rocks may already be on your must-see list!
Take a day or two to explore Puerto Ayora itself!
While it is true that most tourists to the Galapagos Islands come to experience parts of nature that they wouldn’t normally see, it’s definitely still worth it to take a couple days to experience everything that town has to offer.
There are tons of tourist shops to check out, and it’s definitely worth buying a hat to keep the sun off, or a shirt to remember the islands by. Almost every restaurant in town has fresh fruit juice, and excellent food. In fact, the best meal I ate during the entirety of our time in the Galapagos was at the Rock, which is a great Asian food restaurant on Avenida Charles Darwin.
Other cool locations in town include the Fishing Pier, the Ceramic Garden, and the Malecon, where you go to grab a ferry to the other islands.
As one of the most populated and easy to reach islands in the Galapagos, it should come as no surprise that Santa Cruz is absolutely bursting with amazing things for families to do. Whether you’re interested in the incredible animals of the islands, want to learn more about how they formed, or are just looking for a great beach to relax on, Santa Cruz has you covered.
