Puerto Ayora facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Puerto Ayora
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Town
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| Motto(s):
"The Heart of the Galápagos"
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 Puerto Ayora
Location in Galápagos Islands
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| Country |  Ecuador |
| Province |  Galápagos |
| Canton | Santa Cruz |
| Parishes | List of urban parishes |
| Area | |
| • Town | 2.71 km2 (1.05 sq mi) |
| Population
(2022 census)
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| • Town | 12,696 |
| • Density | 4,685/km2 (12,134/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (GALT) |
| Climate | BSh |
Puerto Ayora is a busy town located in the middle of the Galápagos Islands in Ecuador. It's on the southern coast of Santa Cruz Island. This town is named after Isidro Ayora, who was a president of Ecuador.
Puerto Ayora is the biggest town in the Galápagos Islands. About 12,696 people live here. It's often called the "Heart of the Galápagos" because it's so important for the islands.
Contents
Exploring Puerto Ayora
Weather in Puerto Ayora
Puerto Ayora is in a special spot along Academy Bay. This means it often gets a nice, cool breeze. The weather is usually pleasant. Temperatures here are typically between 18 and 29 degrees Celsius (64 and 84 degrees Fahrenheit). The warmer time of year is usually from December to May.
Town Life and Facilities
Puerto Ayora has the most developed facilities in the entire Galápagos. The main street is called Avenida Charles Darwin. It starts at the main dock and goes all the way to the Charles Darwin Research Station. Along this street, you'll find many hotels, restaurants, and shops. There are places to buy gifts, clothes, and things for boats. You can also find tour companies to help you explore the islands.
For staying in touch, Puerto Ayora has many internet cafes. You can easily connect with friends and family from here.
If someone needs medical help, Puerto Ayora has good facilities. There's a hospital that opened in 2006. It also has the only hyperbaric chamber on the island. This is a special room used to treat certain medical conditions, especially for divers. There's also a Health Center in the northern part of town.
Most local people live in the northern part of Puerto Ayora. This area has schools, a market, and a sports center. You can find many shops, hardware stores, and grocery stores on streets like Calle Baltra and Calle Durán. The town's stadium is near the bus station.
Fresh water is very precious on the island. People here are careful with water and often collect rainwater. There's also a special plant that turns saltwater into fresh water. This is called a desalination plant. Sometimes, water used for washing might not be safe to drink.
Things to See and Do
Puerto Ayora is a very important place for protecting the Galápagos. It's home to both the Charles Darwin Foundation and the Galápagos National Park. These groups work hard to keep the islands and their unique animals safe.
Visitors can go to the Charles Darwin Research Station. Here, you can learn about the history of the islands. You can also discover what plans are in place to protect them for the future.
There are also modern churches in Puerto Ayora. Iglesia de San Francisco was built in 1968. Other churches like Iglesia de Edén and Iglesia de la Calle E have colorful wall paintings that are interesting to see.
Adventures and Excursions
Exploring Tortuga Bay
Tortuga Bay is a beautiful beach just a short walk from the center of Puerto Ayora. When you visit, you can see amazing animals like Marine Iguanas. You might also spot different kinds of birds and bright red Galapagos Crabs. There's a natural mangrove area where you can sometimes see Whitetip Reef Sharks. And, of course, you might see the giant Galápagos tortoise!
The Itabaca Channel
The Itabaca Channel is a waterway between two islands: Baltra Island and Santa Cruz Island. This channel is important for travel. Water taxis use it to take people from Baltra, where one of the airports is, over to Santa Cruz Island.
Wildlife in Academy Bay
Academy Bay is a busy harbor. It's usually full of boats that take tourists around the islands. You'll also see private yachts and local fishing boats. This bay is a fantastic place to spot wildlife. You can often see brown pelicans, golden rays, Marine iguanas, and herons. Look out for lava gulls, Frigatebirds, and playful Galápagos sea lions. You might even see many Blue-footed boobies. They are fun to watch as they dive headfirst into the water to catch fish!
North Seymour Island
North Seymour Island is about an hour away by boat. No people live on this island, so it's a great place to see a wide variety of animals in their natural home.
Getting Around
If you're flying to the Galápagos from mainland Ecuador, your plane will land at either San Cristóbal or Baltra Island. Airlines like Avianca and LATAM Ecuador fly here.
To get to Puerto Ayora from the Baltra airport, you first take a bus ride. This bus goes to the Itabaca Channel. Then, you take a short ferry ride across the channel to Santa Cruz Island. After the ferry, you can take another bus, a special shuttle, or a taxi to reach Puerto Ayora. Once you arrive at the docks in Puerto Ayora, water taxis are waiting. They can take you to your boat or to different parts of west Puerto Ayora. The main bus station for the town is in the northwest.
You can also travel between Puerto Ayora and other islands by speed boat. There are daily boats that go to San Cristóbal or Isabela.
See also
In Spanish: Puerto Ayora para niños
