Santa Cruz Canton
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Situated in the centre of the archipelago, Santa Cruz Canton is the second largest island after Isabela. Its capital is Puerto Ayora, the most populated urban centre in the Galapagos Islands. On Santa Cruz there are some small villages, whose inhabitants work in agriculture and cattie raising. This island is a large dormant volcano. It is estimated that there were eruptions around a million and a half years ago.
As a testimony to its volcanic history there are two big holes formed by the collapse of a magma chamber: Media Luna and Los Gemelos.
Santa Cruz, with its exuberant vegetation, beautiful landscapes and varied climate, has unique species of flora and fauna; giant turties in the Chato and la Caseta region, Scalecia Wood, giant cacti and a variety of leafy trees and edible fruit. Puerto Ayora can be reached by air or by sea from the mainland. Here you can find the Charles Darwin Research Station. It has a centre for breeding Galapagos turties and an Interpretation Centre, where you can see a synopsis of the conservation work being carried out by the institution, which is working to protect the ecosystem of the Galapagos National Park.
There are many attractions near the town, such as Tortuga Bay, a fascinating, deserted, white sandy beach about a kilometer long. You can aiso visit Lonesome George, the only tortoise of its species left. The lava tunnels and craters are evidence of the origin of the islands. Its área is 986 sq. km.
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