Ecuador · Wildlife

3-Hour Santa Cruz Highlands Tour with Giant Tortoises and Lava Tunnels

3 Hours Round trip from Puerto Ayora Easy pace

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The journey

Trip highlights

01 Observe Giant Land Tortoises in the natural landscape of Santa Cruz's upper part
02 Walk through the lava tunnels, a unique volcanic formation of hollow rock caverns
03 Visit Los Gemelos, two gigantic inactive twin craters formed by volcanic eruptions
04 Look out for Galapagos finches and the Vermilion Flycatcher along the way

Discover the upper part of Santa Cruz Island on a short excursion from Puerto Ayora. Observe the emblematic Giant Land Tortoises of the Galapagos Islands in their natural free-range habitat among lagoons, trails, and the beautiful landscape of the highlands. Explore the lava tunnels, hollow rock caverns that you can walk through while admiring this unique volcanic formation, and visit Los Gemelos, two gigantic inactive twin craters formed by a series of volcanic eruptions. Along the way, also look out for birds such as the Galapagos finches and the Vermilion Flycatcher.

Explore the lava tunnels, hollow rock caverns that you can walk through while admiring this unique volcanic formation, and visit Los Gemelos, two gigantic inactive twin craters formed by a series of volcanic eruptions.

From the itinerary

At a glance

What this trip includes

Duration 3 Hours

Tour type Shared

Activity level Easy

Accommodation Not included

Transport Included

Wheelchair access No

Cities Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island

Languages English, French, German, Italian, Russian, Spanish

Day by day

The itinerary

Day 01

Santa Cruz Highlands with El Chato, Lava Tunnels and Los Gemelos

We will begin our trip by land until we reach our destination, called El Chato, located in the upper part of Santa Cruz Island.
Upon arrival, we can observe the emblematic species of the Galapagos Islands, the Giant Land Tortoises. These are found in free areas such as lagoons, trails, and the beautiful natural landscape of the upper part.
We will also explore the lava tunnels. These are hollow rock caverns or caves that allow us to walk inside them and take pictures of this beautiful and unique volcanic formation.
Finally, we will visit Los Gemelos (Twin Craters). These are two gigantic inactive craters located below the earth's surface in the form of sunken cones and formed by a series of volcanic eruptions.
We will also observe birds such as the Galapagos finches and the Vermilion Flycatcher, which give life and colour to this beautiful landscape.
After this special excursion, we will return to Puerto Ayora.