Santa Cruz Island (Galápagos)

Santa Cruz Island
Santa Cruz Island
Geography
Location Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
Coordinates 0°37′23″S 90°22′06″W / 0.623017°S 90.368254°W / -0.623017; -90.368254Coordinates: 0°37′23″S 90°22′06″W / 0.623017°S 90.368254°W / -0.623017; -90.368254
Archipelago Galápagos Islands
Area 986 km2 (381 sq mi)
Highest elevation 864 m (2,835 ft).[1]
Administration
Demographics
Population 12,000
One of the twin craters, Los Gemelos, that bracket Santa Cruz Highway in the highlands

Santa Cruz Island (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈsanta ˈkɾus]) is one of the Galápagos Islands with an area of 986 km2 (381 sq mi) and a maximum altitude of 864 metres (2,835 ft).[1][2][3][4] Situated in the center of the archipelago, Santa Cruz is the second largest island after Isabela. Its capital is Puerto Ayora, the most populated urban centre in the islands. On Santa Cruz there are some small villages, whose inhabitants work in agriculture and cattle raising. This island is a large dormant volcano. It is estimated that the last eruptions occurred around a million and a half years ago. There is a gigantic lava tunnel that is over 2000 meters long on the island that many tourists visit and walk through. As a testimony to its volcanic history there are two big holes formed by the collapse of a magma chamber: Los Gemelos, or "The Twins".[5][6] Named after the Holy Cross, its English name (Indefatigable) was given after a British vessel HMS Indefatigable.[1] Santa Cruz hosts the largest human population in the archipelago at the town of Puerto Ayora, with a total of 12,000 residents on the island.[1]

Tortuga Bay is located on the Santa Cruz Island, a short walk from center of Puerto Ayora where you can view Marine iguanas, birds, galapagos crabs and a natural mangrove where you can spot white tip reef sharks and the gigantic galápagos tortoise.[7]

Panoramic of the beach of Tortuga Bay.

Points of interest

Puerto Ayora, at night

Twin towns – sister cities

On June 19, 2002 the cities of Seabrook, Texas and Santa Cruz Island finalized a sister city status during a ceremony at Seabrook City Hall.[8]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Santa Cruz". Galápagos Conservancy. Retrieved 26 September 2012.
  2. ↑ http://m.nzherald.co.nz/travel/news/article.cfm?c_id=7&objectid=11491237 On Santa Cruz, the walkable downtown area of Puerto Ayora is a small strip of hotels, restaurants, tour companies and gift shops.
  3. ↑ http://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/news/visit-the-galapagos-islands-but-tread-lightly-on-natures-construction-site/story-fnglekhp-1227463418157 Visit Santa Cruz Island, Galápagos Islands, but tread lightly on "nature's construction site"
  4. ↑ http://traveller24.news24.com/Explore/Islands/Top-10-islands-number-one-might-surprise-you-20150714 Tortuga Bay Puerto Ayora Galápagos Islands,
  5. ↑ "Pit Craters". World Land Forms. 2015. Retrieved 2016-05-30.
  6. ↑ http://www.eluniverso.com/noticias/2015/08/13/nota/5065640/gobernador-galapagos-inadmisible-cerrar-locales
  7. ↑ http://www.ksl.com/?sid=35827641&nid=1287&title=the-worlds-12-best-spots-for-wild-swimming Las Grietas in Puerto Ayora Galápagos, Ecuador.
  8. ↑ Evans, Thayer. "Seabrook officials establish family ties with island in the Galápagos" (Archive). Houston Chronicle. Thursday, June 27, 2002. Retrieved on September 6, 2015.
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