Santa Cruz

Puerto Ayora, located on Santa Cruz, is the centre of the Galapagos Islands and has the largest human population. It has some of the few shops and hotels on the island. The Charles Darwin Research Centre (CDRC) is located here, where you can see giant Galapagos tortoises and learn about the conservation issues facing the islands. You can also see Galapagos tortoises in their natural habitat in the interior. The highlands have some interesting geological features such as lava tubes and pit craters. It has more endemic plants than any other island and the Scelesia forest and Miconia vegetation zone form some interesting habitats