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After revelling in my 4-night cruise in the Galapagos Islands with Viva Expeditions, my dreamscape experience aboard La Pinta concluded with one final port call at Puerto Ayora, on Santa Cruz Island. Viva Expeditions highly recommends you combine a dreamy cruise with a land-based stay and Santa Cruz Island is the incomparable choice. There are 19 large islands in the archipelago and just four are inhabited, with a total population of just 30,000 residents (as is the case with the tourism industry, population numbers remain carefully controlled by the Ecuadorian government). 

Santa Cruz’s bustling and cheerfully coloured port town of Puerto Ayora is tailormade for wide-eyed visitors, well-endowed with local tour operators, superb gift stores and galleries, perky bars, restaurants and accommodation to suit all budgets. Given 97% of the Galapagos Islands has national park protection, it virtually felt like a novelty to experience such a different slice of the Galapagos, abuzz with people, traffic and urban vibes. But the eye-catching town is compact enough to explore on foot, strung around the shoreline promenade (malecón), aptly called Avenue Charles Darwin. 

Colourful bars of Puerto Ayora. Photo / Mike Yardley

For all the allure of contemporary creature comforts and tourist trappings, nature still holds court. I loved watching the sea lions hauling their bulging bodies out of the harbour to stretch out on the beach, let alone commandeering the park benches and picnic tables, for a spot of sun-bathing and a snooze. They clearly have right of way – and the locals love it that way. Another great calling card in this wildlife wonderland is the constant spectacle of marine iguanas, who have a propensity to pile on top of each other, particularly along boardwalks and paved areas, with their eyes typically closed in Zen-like in the sunshine. 

They’re easier to spot on public spaces, rather than on the jet-black lava rocks, where their charcoal-grey hue seamlessly blends in with the natural terrain, along with flecks of volcanic red. I became besotted by marine iguanas, particularly their penchant for sneezing out salt. They have a supersized gland that acts like a kidney, allowing them to extract excess salt from their blood flow. They’re also a poster child for Darwinism, because these guys were initially terrestrial iguanas, evolving into their marine status and spreading across the archipelago. 

Marine Iguana in Santa Cruz. Photo / Supplied

I spent two glorious nights at Finch Bay Hotel, just a short shuttle panga boat ride from the harbourfront. The convivial hotel manager, Alfonso remarked to me that the birdlife still consider the property as their playground. Several years ago, a pond was replaced with the hotel’s gleaming new pool – yet to this day, particularly at dawn and dusk, various birds will cruise in for a quick dip and wash in the pool. It keeps the maintenance staff on their toes, but it once again reinforced to me that nature still rules supreme in these parts. As it should be. 

Enjoying a privileged location as the only beachfront hotel in Santa Cruz, Finch Bay Hotel is a stylish roost to base yourself for some island downtime. The perfect complement to a Galapagos cruise, feel the island’s essence with some leisurely terrestrial luxury at this swish Santa Cruz eco-resort. There’s a variety of accommodation options including suites with direct ocean views. Finch Bay is a fresh, relaxing retreat, where crisp bed linens, stylish interiors and balconies with space to sling a hammock are standard.  

Finch Bay Hotel accomodation. Photo / Supplied

I savoured the very best in Galapagos dining at the on-site restaurant, anchored by fresh, local ingredients (many from their own vegetable garden), executed with flair, and accompanied by authentic, sparkling service. The ocean’s bounty held sway with my preferences – don’t go past the slipper lobster and the restaurant’s magnificent seafood pasta. Sustainability is steeped in their DNA, from collecting rainwater and energy-saving measures to recycling and daily beach-cleaning. It’s a superlative boutique hotel with the most jovial, endearing staff who will deepen your love-affair with Santa Cruz. 

From Puerto Ayora, I enjoyed a first-hand primer on the theory of evolution with a guided visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station. This living laboratory is the biggest biological research station on the Galapagos, over 65 years old and staffed by over 200 scientists and volunteers. It plays a critical role in the conservation of the archipelago’s ecosystem, including monitoring invasive species like the ghastly vampire fly. I was also struck by the similarities to New Zealand’s predator-control endeavours, because the colonisation of the Galapagos also saw the introduction of animals that went feral like goats, pigs, dogs, and cats. Feral cats prey on tortoise eggs and babies whose shells haven’t hardened. The starring attraction at the station is their captive breeding programme for 11 sub-species of tortoise. It was the first of two intimate encounters I had with the Galapagos giant tortoise on Santa Cruz Island.  

Giant tortoises at Charles Darwin Research Station. Photo / Mike Yardley

With Darwin’s finches flitting about overhead, paths lead through arid-zone vegetation taking you past enormous tortoise enclosures, where you can gaze in awe at these Galápagos giants, of all shapes and sizes. There's even a baby-tortoise house with incubators, that specialises in rebuilding the subspecies tortoise population on their respective islands. The shape of tortoise shells varies from island to island. These tortoises are generally repatriated to their home islands, once they turn four years.  

Their breeding programme is highly acclaimed as one of the most successful conservation programmes on the planet. To date, over 7,000 tortoises have been released from the Charles Darwin Research Station and are now living successfully in the wild. But it’s a long game being played, because these tortoises don’t reach sexual maturity until they are in their 20s and can live in captivity for about 150 years. One of their most famous breeding tortoises was Diego, who since 1976 sired 900 offspring, earning him the nickname, Super Diego. Now a centenarian, he was retired to Espanola to live out his golden years five years ago. 

Baby tortoises at Charles Darwin Research Station. Photo / Mike Yardley 

My guide Alexis remarked that across the archipelago, there are approximately 25,000 giant tortoises. Saved from near extinction, their population was previously estimated at 250,000 prior to the arrival of pirates and buccaneers in the 17th and 18th century. Volcanic activity was traditionally the way nature controlled the population. Up to 200,000 tortoises were exterminated within a couple of centuries, hunted almost to extinction. These slow-moving creatures were an ideal protein source for mariners spending months at sea. Alexis described how it would have typically taken six men to carry a giant tortoise onto a ship, tied up with rope and attached to poles.  

Most historical accounts of Darwin’s voyage to the Galapagos on HMS Beagle claim that he and his crew ate 30 giant tortoises.  Darwin noted their flesh had a particularly delicious buttery taste and texture. However, it’s also believed several juvenile tortoises were taken home alive to England, according to Captain FitzRoy’s account of the voyage. (FitzRoy later became the second Governor of New Zealand.)  Most historians conclude that one of the tortoises ended up in Brisbane in 142, transported down under by John Wickham who was the Beagle’s first lieutenant. Named Harriet, she initially resided in the Brisbane Botanical Gardens and spent the last two decades of her life under the care of the Irwin family at Australia Zoo. She died in 2006 at the estimated age of 175.    

After taking in the rich history at the research station, an even more transfixing tortoise encounter awaited me in the highlands of Santa Cruz Island. An unmissable highlight of my Viva Expeditions tour was visiting Rancho Primicias – the ultimate destination to admire these gentle, majestic giants. 700 metres above the sea level on Santa Cruz Island, the lush, jungle-like vegetation is tortoise nirvana and this is the oldest privately-owned nature sanctuary adjoining the national park. I felt like I had entered Jurassic Park. It’s home to dozens of supersized, fully-grown giant tortoises, who from a distance could be mistaken for gigantic boulders, with their dark domes scattered amid the undulating meadow.   

Mike and Mr Tortoise. Photo / Mike Yardley

They are the greatest gardeners of the Galapagos, pruning trees, spreading seeds and bolstering the eco-system. I was amused by a Floridian tourist who was aghast to discover a grove of apple trees close to the path, called poisonous apple trees. Even their foliage is poisonous to humans. She loudly demanded to know why the trees hadn’t been chopped down to protect tourists. Giant tortoises love these trees and the apples – causing them no harm.  

My guide advised me to approach the tortoises from behind, when getting right up-close to them, so as not to stress them.  I intimately admired the leathery scales on their legs and the claws on their feet. I watched them wallow with great pleasure in mud ponds, which protects them from parasites and helps regulate body temperature. Weighing in at over 250kg, they have very limited agility and every movement seems exhaustingly slow and deliberate. If a tick is making a giant tortoise itchy behind his ear, he cannot scratch it. Instead, he invites mockingbirds and finches to pick off the ticks by stretching up from the ground and lifting his head. The birds get a free meal and the tortoise is happy. One of the tortoises stretched out his wizened old face right in front of me. They bear a striking resemblance to Stephen Spielberg's ET. But the biggest fun fact I gleaned about the world’s largest living species of tortoise is the fact that they can survive for up to a year without food or water. Remarkable. 

While you’re in the highlands, more enticements await, with Rancho Primicias just a stone’s throw from some staggering feats of nature. First up, Los Gemelos. These twin volcanic craters were formed by the collapse of empty magma chambers after a volcanic uprising. A lovely walking trail leads up to and around the rim of both craters. The hike takes you through the soothing Scalesia Forest, brimming with bird life, including Galápagos doves and Darwin's finches.  

I then jaunted through a 1km-long lava tube. This impressive underground tunnel, by the village of Santa Rosa, was formed when the outside skin of a molten-lava flow solidified. When the lava flow ceased, the molten lava inside the flow kept going, emptying out of the solidified skin and thus leaving the serpentine tunnel. It was a thrill to walk through - which has pleasingly been illuminated. On the 30-minute drive back down to Puerto Ayora, I noticed some roadside tortoise crossing signs. Sure enough, I saw some grazing in the fields and even a couple of ancient, reptilian big boys enjoying a siesta on the road! Only in the Galapagos. 

The lava tunnels on Santa Cruz. Photo / Supplied

I travelled to the Galapagos with Viva Expeditions who know Ecuador inside-out. Their ground partners, Metropolitan Touring, boast an incomparable portfolio of luxury Ecuadoran travel products including La Pinta cruises in the Galapagos and the Finch Bay Hotel. With Viva Expeditions, you’ll enjoy premium, meaningful travel experiences, with a down-to-earth approach. You’ll meet local people, experience authentic food and culture and stay in distinctive accommodation. Viva’s 24/7 on-the-ground local support and expertise ensures you’ll be safe and secure. Explore Ecuador and beyond with New Zealand’s proven experts in travel to South America.  

Jet your way to Ecuador with LATAM. Latin America’s leading airline group connects Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru with the world, including direct flights from Auckland to Santiago, with onward connections to Quito.   

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Mike Yardley is ¾ÅÒ»ÐÇ¿ÕÎÞÏÞtalk ZB’s resident traveller and can be heard every week at 11.20am on Saturday Mornings with Jack Tame.