Free things to do on Santa Cruz Island. Who’s interested?
We are! We like budget. (See our trips to Moorea and Bora Bora to see “budget” in action.) Knowing there are free things to do on Santa Cruz Island is even better. However, the Galapagos have a notorious, well earned, reputation for being expensive. It starts with the $100 park entrance fee and the $20 for the “TCT.” (transit control card.) Click here to learn how to get to the Galapagos, step by step. For general Ecuador tips, see our blog post here.
Nevertheless, with a little digging, we found several fun things to do on our recent Santa Cruz visit in May of 2019. Here are five free things to do on Santa Cruz Island.
1. The Charles Darwin Research Station
The Charles Darwin Research Station in Puerto Ayora is #5 of 21 things to do in Santa Cruz, per TripAdvisor. Run by the Charles Darwin Foundation, (CDF) the center is an international non-profit organization dedicated to scientific research. It is one of the most educational free things to do on Santa Cruz Island and well worth a visit! Here, you get your first view of the giant tortoise and can enjoy a wonderful interpretive walk within the complex.
Location and Hours
The Station is located at the end of Charles Darwin Ave at #854. Charles Darvin Avenue is the only road that runs along the shoreline. Just walk into town until you can’t go any further and turn left and you will be on Charles Darwin Avenue. From the ferry docks in the center of town, it’s about a 20-minute walk to the Station. Open Sun-Sat (8:00 AM – 12:30 PM, 2:30 PM – 5:30 PM), the Station is a great place to start your exploration of the Galapagos and its inhabitants. Plus, it’s a wonderful walk! (We passed several coffee shops on the way, our favorite!)
Special Passport Stamp!
Don’t forget, bring your passport with you. There is a special Giant Tortoise Stamp that you will want to get!
2. Playa de la Estacion
The walk to the Darwin Research Station takes you past this lovely beach. It is one of the most refreshing free things to do on Santa Cruz and a great place to stop on the way back from the Darwin Station. About 250m from the station entrance, there is a sign by the short path to the beach. It is somewhat rocky at the shoreline so good water footwear is advised.
Enjoy snorkeling and sunbathing here.
Snorkeling with colorful tropical fish along with observing sunbathing marine iguanas are two fun things to do. You may even have a friendly sea lion come up onto the beach. Be careful! Although we did not observe this, we learned others had been stung by small jellyfish, so look closely as you enter the water.
3. The FishMarket (aka Muelle del Pescador)
Visiting the Fish Market is the most entertaining free thing to do on Santa Cruz Island, IMO! First of all, how completely oblivious the wildlife is to the human population is amazing. We have never seen anything like it, except here in the Galapagos. Secondly, to be able to get up close and personal to incredible pelicans, sea lions, marine iguana and more is well – something we did for extended periods of time while visiting the Island. The entertainment value is non-stop.
How to get to the Fish Market.
If you walked from the arrival docks to the Charles Darwin Station you passed the fish market. It’s a chaotic hub of activity in the morning (between 8-9) and again in the late afternoon. Pelicans, sea lions and an assortment of other sea birds try to outdo each other in obtaining some of their own “fresh catch.”
A woman armed with a fly swatter and a crate continually sweeps through the ruckus in an effort to preserve some sort of order, as birds and sea lions beg for goodies. Yes, we spent quite a bit of time here and we suspect you will too!
If you want a fresh catch of the day, this is the place to get it. We were told the restaurant next door will cook it up for you! Enjoy!
4. Tortuga Bay
Tortuga Bay is the most breathtaking free thing to do on Santa Cruz Island. You can reach it either by taking a water taxi for about $10 each or you can walk. Naturally, since we like to get our steps in, we walked.
How to get there.
The beach is open from 6 am to 6 pm. To find the trail, head west towards Islas Duncan and turn left. (Use your phone compass if you don’t know your direction. Don’t have one? Download one before you leave home.) . Go down Islas Duncan until you come to Charles Binford. Turn right onto Charles Binford. Of course, if you are heading east towards Islas Duncan, you will turn right, then right again on Charles Binford.
Stay on Charles Binford.
It will eventually narrow and lead you to some stone steps. At the tops is the guard shack where you must sign in and sign out. The trail from the shack to the beach is about 2 miles and will take you about 40-55 minutes. It is a fairly level walk with several exposed areas. There are also several shelters where you can sit and rest.
Preparation for Tortuga Bay.
Since it’s a tropical climate, the walk can become very hot midday, especially during the summer months. Keep this in mind when planning your trek. A sun hat is a must as is a plentiful supply of water. There is a restroom prior to entering the park. That is the only one so it is best to use it prior to entering the park. Bring your swimwear. There’s a very safe swimming beach there. As a side note, you can rent waterproof GoPro cameras from many of the activities centers. Shop around for the best price. You can rent by the hour or by the day.
What you will see and do.
Tortuga Bay is one of the most beautiful stretches of white sand beach you will ever see. The trail ends at the beach, but this is not a safe swimming beach. Although you may see some marine iguanas resting here, the real extravaganze is a 20-minute walk down the beach to the right. (approximately .6 miles.) . Here you will find a lovely lagoon shaded by mangroves and an excellent place to swim.
The number of marine iguanas is incredible.
You will also find marine iguanas all over the place, totally oblivious to your presence. The same goes for a large assortment of seabirds, sea lions and more. We had a great time there. Uhhhh…..Jack burns easily so he brings his “bumblebee suit” when swimming. Bring a snack, water, and your swimsuit and enjoy the day. Plan your walk back later in the day, out of the midday heat. Have a great time!
5. Las Grietas Swimming Gorge
The word “grieta” means crevasse or crack and Las Grietas definitely lives up to its name. If you love to swim, this is the best free swimming experience on Santa Cruz Island. Filled with water the color of deep, rich turquoise, Las Grietas is like an oasis where the earth opened up. Two tall cliffs border it making it a favorite of locals who “cliff dive” or just jump in! However, this is not recommended as the depth of the water varies and you must be familiar with the area to do so safely. (Even then it may not be safe.) . The water is brackish, fed by the river on one end and the ocean on the other.
Getting to Las Grietas
To get to Las Grietas, take a water taxi to the other side which will cost only a few dollars. Follow the signs to Finch Bay Hotel then continue along a rocky trail until it ends. There you will find a trail going off to the right.
From here, follow the signs to the Finch Bay hotel. With the ocean on your left and the Finch Bay Hotel on your right, continue along a rocky wall to the very end where you will find a path leading off to the right-hand side.
Continue on.
The trail continues across and crosses a lava field, then a cactus-filled area. ending at a sandy path that takes you to the tops of Las Grietas. It’s not an easy hike and good hiking shoes are recommended as you cross several rocky and sharp lava-filled areas.
Wooden steps go down to some boulders. From here, you can enter the water. Be aware that the rocks underwater are slippery so be careful exiting.
The appeal to this gorge is the otherworldly quality of the water as you swim underwater with the light filtering through. It is like swimming in your own secret underwater paradise.
We hope you found this information useful.
All of these experiences can be obtained through various tour groups on the Island if you prefer a simpler (but a bit more expensive) approach. Some are included as part of multi-day cruise excursions, which is an entirely different blog post! We did several day tours ourselves, both on Santa Cruz as well as day trips to other islands, which we’ll share in future posts. These were quite affordable!
Until then, if you have any questions or comments, we’d love to hear them. If you enjoyed this adventure, perhaps you’d like to subscribe for notification on future posts. We know your privacy is of the utmost importance and would never share or sell your email. We would love to have you along for the journey.
Great practical information!
Glad you found it useful! We had a great time there. Enjoy.