Santa Cruz highlands
Wild giant tortoises in green pastures, lava tunnels and scalesia forest, plus the breeding centre near Puerto Ayora.
Region guide
Why visit the central islands
Santa Cruz, North Seymour, Bartolomé, South Plaza and Santiago form the heart of the archipelago. Short distances between very different habitats make central routes ideal for shorter cruises and first-time visitors.
Within a few days you can walk among giant tortoises in the misty Santa Cruz highlands, watch frigatebirds inflate their red pouches on North Seymour and climb to the most photographed viewpoint of the islands on Bartolomé.
Most flights arrive at Baltra, right in the centre, so nearly every cruise touches these islands. South Plaza with its red ground cover and land iguanas and the lava fields of Sullivan Bay complete the picture.
Where you land
Visitor sites to look for
Sites are assigned by the national park to each ship's itinerary. Compare the named stops on a route rather than the region label.
North Seymour
A flat trail through frigatebird and blue-footed booby colonies, with land iguanas among the palo santo trees.
Bartolomé
A boardwalk to the summit viewpoint over Pinnacle Rock, then snorkelling with penguins below the rock.
South Plaza
A small island with red sesuvium, cactus forest, land iguanas and swallow-tailed gulls on the cliffs.
What you can see
Wildlife highlights
Encounters depend on season and site. Keep at least two metres away and follow your naturalist guide.
Giant tortoise
Seen grazing freely in the Santa Cruz highlands, especially in the wet season.
Land iguana
Common on South Plaza and North Seymour, often under cactus trees.
Magnificent frigatebird
Males inflate bright red throat pouches during courtship on North Seymour.
Sally Lightfoot crab
Bright red crabs on almost every lava shoreline.
Don't miss
What you should do here
- Walk among wild tortoises in the Santa Cruz highlands
- Climb the boardwalk to the Bartolomé viewpoint at sunrise
- Snorkel near Pinnacle Rock
- Explore the lava tunnels near Santa Rosa
- Walk the black lava of Sullivan Bay on Santiago
Plan ahead
When to go & practical tips
Best time
Year-round. December to May is warmer and greener; June to November is cooler with more seabird activity.
Our tip
Central routes are great for 4 to 5 day cruises. Combine them with a southern or western leg on longer voyages.
Your base between islands
Galápagos cruise ships
Check each ship's day-by-day route to see which of these sites it visits.
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Keep exploring
Other Galápagos regions
Western islands
Young lava, cold upwelling and wildlife found nowhere else.
Explore
Southern & eastern islands
Albatross cliffs, white-sand bays and the oldest islands of the archipelago.
Explore