Our Guide to Santa Cruz and Isabela Island
Our youngest adventurer was not quite one when we traveled to the Galápagos Islands, so we opted out of the long-term cruise options and did a land-based trip instead. Although we still were on plenty of boats, we had a home base on land that was helpful to keep the trip relaxed and manageable. One of the best parts of the islands is that the Galápagos National Park only allows you to enter with a Certified Naturalist Guide. Not only does this help keep 97% of the land area protected, but the guides also have invaluable knowledge of and dedication to the land, history, and animals. Kids will be completely surrounded by animals at many points during the trip and will learn so much from the Naturalist Guides.
Here are our favorite experiences while we were on these awe-inspiring Islands in December 2018.
Santa Cruz Island
Santa Cruz Island is the most developed of the islands, and you will very likely find yourself there when visiting the Galápagos.
It typically serves as the starting point for tours and cruises and is usually the first stop after landing at the airport on Isla Baltra. There are plenty of things to see and do on this island, so plan to spend a few days checking things out.
Here are our highlights.
Puerto Ayora
Puerto Ayora is the main town on Santa Cruz Island and has streets lined with local stores, restaurants and tour companies. If you wander around Charles Darwin Blvd, you’ll see a thriving art and artisan culture with everything from murals to great Galápagos coffee shops.
Visit the Fish Market in the center of town near the water at certain times of day (usually in the morning or just before the dinner rush) to see the fish from the day’s catch and the many pelicans and sea lions that line up to get a snack.
Visit Los Kioskos on Charles Binford Avenue, which is a street lined with restaurants where you can choose your own seafood to cook depending on the catch of the day. Prices are reasonable and seating is very casual and outside, making it a fun and easy place to take the kids.
El Chato Tortoise Reserve
Visit the Highlands of Santa Cruz to walk through a huge space dedicated to the magnificent Galápagos Tortoise. Here you can walk through the habitat to see the tortoises up close in a 12 hectare area dedicated to preserving the Giant Tortoise. The habitat can be wet and muddy so bring rain gear as well as waterproof hiking boots for the visit.
Charles Darwin Research Station
The CDRS is dedicated to the conservation and restoration of the Galapagos Islands in support of the National Park Service, and is used as a base for scientists to conduct research. They have a breeding program, so there are young tortoises to see as you walk through the grounds. It’s fun to visit after seeing the adult tortoises at the El Chato Reserve, so kids can see just how much they grow.
Tortuga Bay
Rays, sharks, tons of marine iguanas, prickly pear cactus, beautiful birds, long stretches of beach….Tortuga Bay is a beautiful stop for anyone visiting Santa Cruz, Galápagos whether you are toting kids along or not. Get to Tortuga Bay either by boat or by hiking/biking a 1.5mi bird-filled trail leading to Playa Brava. Take the path through the mangroves to get to Playa Mansa, with calm waters great for snorkeling and spotting sea life. Plan to spend the day if you have time and bring plenty of water, snacks and sunscreen – there is nothing there but beautiful stretches of beach.
Isabela Island
Isabela Island is a 2 hour boat ride (depending on conditions) from Santa Cruz Island.
Isabela is a much quieter island than Santa Cruz (1,200 residents vs. 12,000) so you can relax quite a bit, experience daily life, walk to town for meals and still conveniently access all of the National Park experiences.
Here were our favorite outings on Isabela.
Snorkeling
Two can’t-miss snorkeling spots near Isabela Island are Los Tuneles (aka Cabo Rosa) and Las Tintoreras. They are, quite literally, marine paradise and spectacular spots to see sharks, sea turtles, rays, penguins and tons of other sea life. At Los Tuneles, hike around and explore the collapsed lava platforms that created hundreds of lava tunnels above and below the water.
Tips:
- There are many areas where kids and adults won’t be able to touch the bottom because of depth or to protect the coral and sea life, so these snorkeling areas are most comfortable for kids and adults who can swim.
- Your guide will likely have a tube, but for a little more freedom for kids, bring a “bubble belt” to help kids use less energy when snorkeling. Of the two, Tintoteras Isled is the more kid-friendly trip.
- Bring your own snorkel gear and kids-sized life vests, in case the gear is not available in smaller sizes. Water shoes are a help too.
- We love Sea Bands, which are pressure point bracelets kids and adults can wear to help cut down on motion sickness during boat rides, without the side effects of medication.
Hike to Sierra Negra Volcano
The Sierra Negra Volcano is an active volcano located in the southern section of Isabela Island. It has the largest caldera (about 7 x 9 km) of all of the Galápagos volcanos and is one of the largest in the world (it’s massive). The trail is long but easy, and there will be some rain and mud, so bring rain gear and waterproof hiking boots. You can spot some Darwin’s finches and other beautiful birds and flora along the way. If you can, book a private tour so you do not need to feel rushed to keep up with large groups of adults and you can spend some time at the top.
Our favorites only include visits to two islands, however, we saw so much of Galápagos while keeping things comfortable and low stress for everyone.
If you have some more time or would like to extend your land based trip, visit San Cristobal, which is the third and final inhabited island. Whether you choose to be land or cruise based, you will see incredible animals, plants, and landscapes and learn incredible facts about the islands from the Naturalist Guides that have stayed with our family ever since.
