Muelle de Puerto Ayora → Charles Darwin Research Station
Exit the pier and walk east for 15 minutes along Avenida Charles Darwin, keeping the sea on your right, to reach the far end.
Cruise port in Ecuador
Puerto Ayora, Isla Santa Cruz
Disembark directly onto the island. Average time in port: 10 hours. 20 places to explore.
- Ships calling here
- 2 ships
- Upcoming sailings
- 349 sailings
- Average time in port
- About 10 hours
- Lowest fare
- From USD 6,150
Photo by Bjarn Bronsveld on Unsplash
After disembarking
Cruise ships dock at Puerto Ayora passenger pier (Academy Bay tender landing). Disembark directly onto the island.
- Where the ship docks
Cruise ships dock at Puerto Ayora passenger pier (Academy Bay tender landing).
- Galápagos National Park admission and ecological rules
Admission for a foreign adult to Galápagos National Park is $200 (cash is recommended). Keep at least 2 meters from all wildlife, including sea lions, iguanas, and tortoises. Touching or feeding them is strictly prohibited.
- Water taxis (Taxi Acuático) and land taxis in the port
To cross the bay from Puerto Ayora pier toward Las Grietas, take a small water taxi for $0.50–1.00 one way. For travel to the highlands, hire a white pickup truck taxi by the hour (about $40–50 round trip).
About 10 hours in port: where can you go?
Time available at the destination after subtracting return travel.
- Puerto AyoraAt the pierTime at destinationAbout 10 hr
- Santa Cruz HighlandsAbout 30 min each wayTime at destinationAbout 9 hr
Return travel Time at destination
Calculated from the average time in port. Return deadlines vary by sailing; check the daily programme on board.
Between the terminal, city and airport
Travel between the terminal, city center, railway station and airport.
Muelle de Puerto Ayora → Tortuga Bay (Playa Mansa)
Walk 10 minutes from the pier to the western trail entrance, register at the national park control station, then follow the paved trail through the cactus forest for 35 minutes (2.5 km) to the beach.
Muelle de Puerto Ayora → Las Grietas
Take a small water taxi from the passenger pier across Academy Bay to the Otro Lado (German beach) landing in 3 minutes, then walk 15 minutes along the salt flats and mangrove path.
Muelle de Puerto Ayora → Reserva Natural El Chato (Highlands)
Hire a white pickup truck taxi at the town square for a 30-minute ride to Santa Rosa village in the central highlands of Santa Cruz Island.
Puerto Ayora places to explore
Explore 15 checked places. Select a pin to see its card, or choose View on map from a card.
Charles Darwin Research Station
This is the center for ecological research and conservation in the Galápagos Islands. See young Galápagos giant tortoises raised in a hatchery and the preserved remains of Lonesome George, the legendary last Pinta Island tortoise.
- Visit
- about 1 hr 30 min
- Admission
- USD 10
Playa Tortuga Bay
This signature nature beach has Playa Brava, with brilliant white sand and hundreds of black marine iguanas sunning themselves, and Playa Mansa, sheltered by mangroves with no waves and baby sharks and rays swimming nearby.
- Visit
- about 2 hr 30 min
- Admission
- Free
The first cove you encounter, Playa Brava, has very rough waves and rip currents, and swimming is prohibited there. Swim only at Playa Mansa farther inside.
Las Grietas
This clear emerald natural fissure pool formed where seawater and freshwater meet in a giant volcanic-rock crevice. Visitors can snorkel between the canyon walls.
- Visit
- about 1 hr
- Admission
- USD 10
Entry and snorkeling take place with a local certified guide in accordance with national park rules.
Pelican Bay Fish Market
At this small open-air fish market by the coastal road, fishers clean the day's catch while Galápagos sea lions and brown pelicans line up nearby waiting for scraps—a memorable sight.
- Visit
- about 30 min
- Admission
- Free
Playa de los Alemanes
This small sandy beach on the way to Las Grietas has calm water for swimming and is a good place to rest in the shade of mangroves.
- Visit
- about 45 min
- Admission
- Free
Playa de la Estación
This small pebble-and-sand beach is right beside the Charles Darwin Research Station entrance. Dozens of marine iguanas gather on the basalt rocks, and snorkeling is good for seeing tropical fish.
- Visit
- about 40 min
- Admission
- Free
Trips nearby
With enough time in port, you can explore beyond the city. One-way times are approximate.
Santa Cruz Highlands
About 30 min each wayTime at destination About 9 hr
SightsReserva de Tortugas Rancho PrimiciasThis wild-tortoise ranch directly beside El Chato offers close encounters with dozens of giant tortoises wandering in broad grasslands and a chance to climb inside an empty tortoise shell.
SightsReserva Natural El ChatoOn the damp grasslands of the Santa Cruz highlands, visitors can watch wild Galápagos giant tortoises weighing hundreds of kilograms bathing in muddy ponds and grazing.
The highland area is muddy, so it is recommended to change into the rubber boots provided at the reserve entrance.
SightsLos Gemelos (Twin Craters)These 2 huge collapse craters formed when magma chambers collapsed. In the surrounding lush Scalesia primeval forest, visitors can look for rare Darwin's finches and vermilion flycatchers.
ActivitiesTúneles de LavaThis huge underground cave extends hundreds of meters, formed when inner magma drained away after the outer lava surface hardened. Visitors can walk through the lit interior.
SightsCerro Mesa Ecological ReserveThis private nature reserve on a southeastern hill of Santa Cruz has a 75 m-deep volcanic crater. Its summit lookout offers panoramic views of the southern Galápagos coast and nearby islands.
Cruises calling at Puerto Ayora, Isla Santa Cruz
349 sailings are grouped into 18 cruises by ship and route.
HX Expeditions60 departure dates
Sailing 2026.11 ~ 2029.03
HX Expeditions3 departure dates
Sailing 2026.11 ~ 2026.12Galapagos Islands cruises · 11 nights · Long cruise
Galápagos Islands – Iconic Wildlife & Sublime Scenery Plus Machu Picchu
Lima → Seymour
Lowest departure fareFrom USD 9,380
Celebrity Cruises24 departure dates12 sailings available to book
Sailing 2026.11 ~ 2027.11Galapagos Islands cruises · 7 nights
7 Night Galapagos Inner Loop Cruise
Baltra Island, Galápagos departure · round trip
Lowest departure fareCheck with the booking provider
HX Expeditions60 departure dates
Sailing 2026.11 ~ 2029.03Galapagos Islands cruises · 10 nights · Mid-length cruise
Nine of the Best Isles (Western and Northern Route)
Quito → Seymour
Lowest departure fareFrom USD 8,982
HX Expeditions3 departure dates
Sailing 2026.11 ~ 2026.12Galapagos Islands cruises · 6 nights
Galápagos Islands – Iconic Wildlife & Sublime Scenery | Western Route
Quito → Seymour
Lowest departure fareFrom USD 6,150
Celebrity Cruises23 departure dates13 sailings available to book
Sailing 2026.11 ~ 2027.11Galapagos Islands cruises · 7 nights
7 Night Galapagos Outer Loop Cruise
Baltra Island, Galápagos departure · round trip
Lowest departure fareCheck with the booking provider
Celebrity Cruises2 departure dates1 sailing available to book
Sailing 2026.12 ~ 2027.12Galapagos Islands cruises · 7 nights
7 Night Galapagos Inner Loop Cruise - Christmas
Baltra Island, Galápagos departure · round trip
Lowest departure fareCheck with the booking provider
Celebrity Cruises2 departure dates1 sailing available to book
Sailing 2026.12 ~ 2027.12Galapagos Islands cruises · 7 nights
7 Night Galapagos Outer Loop Cruise - Christmas
Baltra Island, Galápagos departure · round trip
Lowest departure fareCheck with the booking provider
Celebrity Cruises2 departure dates1 sailing available to book
Sailing 2026.12 ~ 2027.12Galapagos Islands cruises · 7 nights
7 Night Galapagos Inner Loop Cruise - Christmas at Sea
Baltra Island, Galápagos departure · round trip
Lowest departure fareCheck with the booking provider
HX Expeditions57 departure dates
Sailing 2026.12 ~ 2029.03Galapagos Islands cruises · 13 nights · Long cruise
Galápagos Islands – In Darwin’s Footsteps plus Machu Picchu
Lima → Seymour
Lowest departure fareFrom USD 10,287
Celebrity Cruises2 departure datesBook now
Sailing 2026.12 ~ 2027.12Galapagos Islands cruises · 7 nights
7 Night Galapagos Outer Loop Cruise - New Years At Sea
Baltra Island, Galápagos departure · round trip
Lowest departure fareCheck with the booking provider
HX Expeditions57 departure dates
Sailing 2026.12 ~ 2029.03Galapagos Islands cruises · 8 nights · Mid-length cruise
In Darwin’s Footsteps (Eastern Route)
Quito → Seymour
Lowest departure fareFrom USD 7,057
18 cruises call at this port.
Ships calling at Puerto Ayora, Isla Santa Cruz
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About Puerto Ayora, Isla Santa Cruz
Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island in the Galápagos Islands is included on HX Expeditions cruises, with ships staying for about 17 hours. This port is one of the itinerary's hubs linking several Galápagos islands, including Post Office Bay, Floreana, and Española.
Cruise lines calling here: 2 places
Celebrity CruisesHX Expeditions
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