Giant Turtle Watching and Lava Tunnels Tour

An incredible experience. Seeing the giant tortoises in their natural habitat is priceless, and the lava tunnels are equally impressive. Totally recommended for any visit to the Galápagos.

Knowledgeable guides, saw many endemic plants and animals and learned a lot about the history of the island including its formation. Had a great time hiking, and muck boot were provided for the mud. Highly recommend getting out here and seeing what the Highlands have to offer!

We took a tour of the Galapagos Frontier Tortoise ranch and lava tunnels with Cesar. The tour took around 2.5h. Cesar is truly passionate and deeply knowledgeable about Galapagos. Cesar has only recently started to give tours so as of June 2026 you have a great chance to go on the tour in very small groups and get the best experience.

Truly spectacular. Very informative.

The tour was outstanding. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and went above and beyond to ensure that my children, my father, and I had an unforgettable experience. We hiked through muddy trails surrounded by incredible wildlife, which added to the sense of adventure and made the experience even more authentic. Upon our arrival, the guide thoughtfully provided us with rubber boots, allowing us to comfortably explore the area despite the muddy conditions. The lava tunnels were truly impressive and reminded me of the famous tunnels in Kentucky, USA. However, what makes these tunnels unique is their untouched, natural beauty. They retain their rustic character and remain surrounded by pristine nature, largely unaffected by human development. If you love nature, hiking, and adventure, this is definitely a place you should visit. It offers a rare opportunity to experience a remarkable natural wonder in its most authentic form. Also, the tortoise were amazing. They are not friendly creatures but it is incredible to see them roam in their original habitat.

What an amazing experience! This is a must when coming to Santa Cruz! Surround by nature our guide was incredible sharing so much knowledge with us. Not only do you get to experience the turtles but get to go underground in the lava caves. Perfect for anyone, our 8 year loved it as well! At the end of our tour we received a delicious fruit drink from the fruits on the farm. Perfect day!

Few turtles. Maybe 5. The tunnels were inaccessible. Flooded. The guide very chatty but not informative. But they were very helpful when we forgot something there.

Unfortunately it was very rainy during our tour with flooding of all of the trails and many turtles were in hiding. Parts of the trail had so much water it was up to our knees and pouring into our rain boots (which were supplied by the company). We thankfully brought our rain jackets as there were limited ponchos and umbrellas available. We also were not informed to bring long pants and were bitten by fire ants along the trail. Additionally, the company can arrange taxi transportation for you, which costs $25 round trip. Overall, the tour was still ok and the guides were very nice and informative. The rain stopped at the very end of our tour allowing us to see some of the turtles. Would highly recommend bringing rain gear, long pants, and an extra change of clothes. I would also not recommend this for anyone with mobility issues due to uneven ground and many rocks.

Great opportunity to view the giant tortoises in their natural environment. The lava caves were very interesting and our guide very knowledgeable.

It was such the perfect day on land ! First, the hosts were very nice. They gave us a lot of informations about wildlife and plants from the Galapagos. Second, the nature and the cave were just gorgeous! Those old tortoise were just right next to us, not really bothered . We saw some ducks as well and a multitude of birds.