Santa Cruz Island
Santa Cruz is certainly a different experience for our guests; it is the island to see human aspects, and Puerto Ayora is the biggest city in the islands with about 12,000 inhabitants.
Santa Cruz was the last Island to be colonized, which started at the very beginning of the 1900s by European people. Being the most central island, it made it possible to move around more easily and it got even better when Baltra Island, which is at the northern side of Santa Cruz; got the first airport in Galápagos.
Since 1959, when Galápagos was declared a National Park, the Charles Darwin Research Station was created and placed its headquarters in Puerto Ayora. Ever since, we have received many researchers, volunteers, and people who came to work in this institution. They saw the kindness of this place and then they didn’t want to leave anymore. When the boom of the tourism appeared in the 1970’s, many hotels opened and a few tour boats started to work. More people were needed, and therefore, many families moved to the Island of Santa Cruz.
Thus, Santa Cruz is the most inhabited island in the Galápagos, but is still one of the most beautiful places, with amazing highlands crowded with native and endemic species, like this incredible orchid.
Santa Cruz is certainly a different experience for our guests; it is the island to see human aspects, and Puerto Ayora is the biggest city in the islands with about 12,000 inhabitants.
Santa Cruz was the last Island to be colonized, which started at the very beginning of the 1900s by European people. Being the most central island, it made it possible to move around more easily and it got even better when Baltra Island, which is at the northern side of Santa Cruz; got the first airport in Galápagos.
Since 1959, when Galápagos was declared a National Park, the Charles Darwin Research Station was created and placed its headquarters in Puerto Ayora. Ever since, we have received many researchers, volunteers, and people who came to work in this institution. They saw the kindness of this place and then they didn’t want to leave anymore. When the boom of the tourism appeared in the 1970’s, many hotels opened and a few tour boats started to work. More people were needed, and therefore, many families moved to the Island of Santa Cruz.
Thus, Santa Cruz is the most inhabited island in the Galápagos, but is still one of the most beautiful places, with amazing highlands crowded with native and endemic species, like this incredible orchid.
