El Chato Tortoise Reserve
Reserva El Chato
A privately owned ranch reserve in the highlands of Santa Cruz Island, where hundreds of wild giant tortoises roam freely among the pastures and mud pools, and you can walk through a lava tube.
The humid highlands of southern Santa Cruz Island are the feeding grounds of wild Galápagos giant tortoises. The privately run El Chato Reserve lets visitors observe these huge tortoises up close along pasture trails. They can weigh over 250 kg and often wallow in mud pools to keep cool. Their numbers are especially high in the dry season (June–November). The reserve has a lava tunnel several hundred meters long that you can walk through. At the visitor center, there is an empty tortoise shell you can climb into for photos, as well as a café. Entry costs about USD 10, including rental of rain boots. Getting there: A taxi from Puerto Ayora costs about USD 30–40 round trip (including waiting time). It is often combined with the nearby Los Gemelos sinkholes or the lava tunnels as a half-day trip, or visited on the way to or from Baltra Airport. Note: Keep at least 2 meters away from the tortoises, and do not block their path. The highlands are often foggy and rainy, so bring a waterproof jacket.
Opening hours
Approx. 8:00 am–5:00 pm; admission around USD 10
Nearby sights
- Los Gemelos
- Cerro Crocker
- Dragon Hill
- Tortuga Bay
- Laguna de las Ninfas
- Puerto Ayora Fish Market & Av. Charles Darwin
- Charles Darwin Research Station
- Las Grietas