Private Santa Cruz Tour | Tortuga Bay Beach & Darwin Station
Description
Discover two of Santa Cruz Island's most iconic attractions on an exclusive private tour. Walk the pristine shores of Tortuga Bay, visit the renowned Charles Darwin Research Station, and experience the Galapagos at your own pace with a certified Naturalist Guide. Enhance your adventure with optional kayaking, savor a delicious lunch at a scenic oceanfront restaurant, and enjoy private transportation throughout the day. A personalized experience designed for travelers seeking exceptional service, flexibility, and unforgettable wildlife encounters.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Tortuga Bay is located in South-West of the town of Puerto Ayora. we will meet in the lobby of the hotel, and time to walk through a trail of rock and boardwalk surrounded by opuntia cacti, palo santo trees, and matasarno trees. Once on the beach time to enjoy the Marine Iguana sanctuary where you might also catch a glimpse of Blue-Footed Boobies and Frigate birds along the shore. 3hours easy walk, swimming and kayak (optional)
After lunch, we will head up to Charles Darwin Research Station, which is primarily an international scientific research station situated on the outskirts of Puerto Ayora. You will be taken to its visitor center to learn about the geology, climate, natural history and the conservation of the Galapagos Islands.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Free hotel pick up/drop off in Puerto Ayora - Hotels on the Highlands or out of Puerto Ayora have an extra charge
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(13)
The visit to Tortuga Beach was a very pleasant experience during the academic tour. We took a walk of approximately one hour along a clean and well-maintained path, surrounded by a great diversity of flora and fauna. Upon arrival, we enjoyed a beautiful landscape with crystal-clear waters and white sand. Additionally, we observed marine iguanas, turtles, fish, crabs, and other species. The experience was complemented by a kayaking activity with our companions, becoming an unforgettable moment to enjoy nature and teamwork.
My wife and I took this tour to start off our stop in Galapagos. Ramiro was our guide and was very efficient and friendly. He timed activities before crowds came and took time answering our questions. We would recommend him to others. Great guide! And we loved the private tour--so much better than with a large crowd.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! 😊 We’re really glad you chose to start your trip with a Galapagos day tour and that everything went so smoothly. Ramiro will be happy to hear your kind words. His attention to timing and detail truly makes a difference, especially when it comes to avoiding crowds and creating a more enjoyable experience. We’re also happy to know you appreciated the private tour. It really allows for a more relaxed and personalized day. We hope to welcome you again for more unforgettable moments in Ecuador! 🇪🇨
Simply spectacular and very beautiful; the contrast of the white sand with the turquoise sea is unforgettable. The view was excellent: always as a group we were watching to keep the beach clean. Walking through the mangrove and seeing marine iguanas completed the experience.
This was a very informative tour. We had a wonderful time learning so much about all of the plants and animals that we passed while we walked. It was a lot of walking, but we were prepared with good shoes, so it was not too strenuous. We are in “average shape” and the walking was a little tiring but not too much and was definitely worth everything we got to see. Our guide, Juan, was very knowledgeable and very patient with our millions of questions. He was funny and it was a lot of fun to spend time with him. The beaches and landscapes were very beautiful, and it was a treat to encounter so many animals such as iguanas, pelicans, and other birds and lizards in the wild.
It's a scam, TURTLE BAY Beach IS FREE AND PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE, just like CHARLES DARWIN STATION, IT'S FREE TO ENTER. There are those who charge $10 per person to enter and you MUST NOT PAY, you can even report that if they want to charge you. Even if you don’t want to walk to Tortuga Bay, you only pay for yourself to go by boat, round trip is at $20 or walking is done 1 hour per route (bicycles or cars are not allowed in, the road is very narrow and some animals could hurt if they go by bike). I've been there many times, I've seen how they charge for that and it's not fair that they do.
Estimado/a changn2024, Gracias por tomarse el tiempo de dejar un comentario. Lamentamos profundamente que tenga una percepción negativa sobre este tour. Sin embargo, nos gustaría aclarar que nuestra empresa no cobra por el acceso a lugares que son gratuitos, como Tortuga Bay o la Estación Científica Charles Darwin. El tour que ofrecemos es una experiencia guiada privado, que incluye: - Acompañamiento de un guía naturalista acreditado, por el parque nacional - Explicaciones detalladas sobre la flora, fauna y conservación e historia de las Galápagos, - Logística completa, traslados privados desde el hotel en caso de ser necesario - Almuerzo incluido en uno de los mejores restaurantes del la ciudad - Kayak en Tortuga Bay o bote de retorno a Puerto Ayora Este tipo de experiencia está diseñada para viajeros que buscan un valor agregado y una atención personalizada, diferente a simplemente visitar estos sitios por su cuenta. Entendemos que muchas personas prefieren explorar por libre —y es completamente válido— pero nuestro servicio va más allá de solo el acceso. Es importante no confundir un servicio turístico profesional con un simple caminata por estos lugares Por último, aclaramos que ESTE USUARIO NO ha sido parte de nuestros clientes NI FIGURA en nuestros registros de reservas. Respetamos todas las opiniones, pero también es nuestra responsabilidad defender con transparencia el trabajo que realizamos con calidad, honestidad y compromiso. Saludos
My parents and I had a wonderful time. The walk to tortuga bay was very relaxing and interesting. We saw lots of wildlife and enjoyed the beach. Lunch that was included was at a really nice restaurant on the water and the Charles Darwin Museum was fabulous. Our tour guide CheChe was so knowledgeable and friendly and even after doing this tour for so long you can tell he still enjoys it everyday. Highly recommended!
It was a very good experience, it is also impressive to know that they have the legendary George embalmed, also to be able to see up close the breeding of the turtles, also living with another group of tourists is very nice
We had a tour of the whole season and we could observe different species of turtles among other reptiles, we visited the lonely George the last giant turtle we had a very capable guide that explained in depth about the differences of the species and the creation of the season.
Visiting the Charles Darwin Science Station is an enriching experience that makes you reflect on the importance of conservation. The work they do with giant turtles and other endemic species is very admirable
Guided tour with very good explanation of the conservation site, entertaining and dynamic tour that allows to interact with everything exposed of the Station.
