If you catch a bus to Santa Rosa then take a nice walk you may view the barn owl and Galapagos hawk as well as viewing the pair of sink holes on the road to Baltra on route past Santa Rosa.

Also the island has various natural tunnels called lava tubes located around 3km from Puerto Ayora, take the road to Bellavista and look out for several black and white posts as it is unmarked, bring a torch upon entering which costs US$2, you may also arrange guided tours of these tubes in Puerto Ayora.

A second great excursion involves a 6km hike to the El Chato giant tortoise reserve beginning at Santa Rosa some 22km from the main Puerto Ayora, costing with a guide who is mandatory US$7.00. The bus will take you there for a US$7.50 round trip and do take water and food as there are no stores around here.

Adjacent to this reserve is the Butterfly ranch called Hacienda Mariposa accompanied by giant tortoises roaming wild around the ranch although only viewable during the dry season, the entry cost is US$4.00 including cold or hot beverages.

To the north end of the island lie various mangrove swamplands in an area known as Caleta Tortuga Negra where you can rent small dinghies and spot the white tipped sharks, marine turtles and spotted eagle and yellow cow-nosed rays.

A good place for swimming is also nearby called Las Bachas.
For whaling a good area to view these camps is in Conway Bay while for land iguanas the Cerro Dragón area is well populated by these aged reptiles along with the odd flamingo.

There is a frequent bus service to Bellavista and Santa Rosa from the San Francisco school in Puerto Ayora. (35 minutes, US$0.60). Trucks are cheaper.

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