Charles Darwin Research Station
Is located in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island and is the operational arm of the Charles Darwin Foundation.
The facilities were opened in 1964 so that scientists could use the station as the basis for their research in the Galapagos Islands to advise the management actions of the Directorate of Galapagos National Park .
Tortuga Bay
Is located on the Santa Cruz Island, about a 20-minute water-taxi ride from the main water taxi dock in Puerto Ayora. There is also a walking path, which is 1.55 miles (2,490 m) and is open from six in the morning to six in the evening.
Visitors must sign in and out at the start of the path with the Galapagos Park Service office. Tortuga Bay has a gigantic, perfectly preserved beach that is forbidden to swimmers and is preserved for the wildlife where many marine iguanas, galapagos crabs and birds are seen dotted along the volcanic rocks. There is a separate cove where you can swim where it is common to view white tip reef sharks swimming in groups and on occasion tiger sharks.
Garrapatero
El Garrapatero beach is a tourist place on Santa Cruz Island in the archipelago of the Galapagos Islands.
It has a length of around 1,500 meters and is located outside the urban area, 38km from Puerto Ayora. There is in it a forest of trees called manzanillo, and it has an important presence of eucalyptus.
There is a saltwater lagoon where pink flamingos, finches and migratory birds arrive.
It is called “El Garrapatero”, because according to the settlers an animal named with this title was brought in in order to eliminate ticks from cattle.
