Puerto Ayora

Why go

Academy Bay makes the relationship between island life and tourism visible: fishing boats, yachts and excursion vessels share the harbor. Avenida Charles Darwin links the dock area with the research station, giving a town visit a clear focus before you branch out toward Santa Cruz’s inland landscapes.

What to look for

• Pelicans, marine iguanas and sea lions may appear around Academy Bay.
• Avenida Charles Darwin runs from the main dock toward the Charles Darwin Research Station.

The full story

Puerto Ayora takes its name from Isidro Ayora, an Ecuadorian president, but its identity is closely tied to the sea and to conservation. The town occupies the shore of Academy Bay, where local fishing boats sit alongside vessels serving visitors to the archipelago. Watching that mixture helps explain why the harbor is more than a departure point. The presence of both the Charles Darwin Foundation and the Galápagos National Park connects this inhabited shoreline with the protection of the surrounding islands. The research station offers a way to explore that relationship through conservation work and the islands’ history. Farther inland, the Santa Cruz highlands provide another side of the island. Puerto Ayora is the town at the center of these connections; the harbor, research station and inland destinations each deserve their own time.

Useful to know

• Plan highlands visits and offshore boat excursions separately from a walk through Puerto Ayora.
• For Tortuga Bay, check the trail’s current access arrangements and allow for the walk beyond the town center.

Your next visit

Estimated · Declared scenario and planning estimates; no live opening, weather, queue or booking service.