Apart from being the centre for the inhabitants of the Galapagos Islands, Puerto Ayora is also the tourist centre of the archipelago and is situated on the island of Santa Cruz. Most of its 10,000 inhabitants came here from the continent to find work. Being a leisure paradise, Puerto Ayora offers information centres, restaurants, bars and nightclubs as well as banks, different churches, a post office, a police station and a hospital. The harbour is the most important one on the Galapagos, cargo boats as well as cruise ships and ships for daily tours arrive and depart from there.

 

 

In the south west of Puerto Ayora lies the Charles Darwin Research Station, which can be reached within 5 minutes walk. Apart from a small and beautiful beach you can visit its research department, of course. If you want to relax, walk down to Tortuga Bay beach with its white sand, which is not that crowded yet, or visit the sea laguna that is surrounded by mangrove woods.