Charles Darwin Research Station
Charles Darwin Research Station
Charles Darwin Research Station
4
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Full view
About
Headed by a team of over 150 scientists, educators, research volunteers, and support staff, the Charles Darwin Research Station is dedicated to preserving the Galapagos ecosystems through science and conservation. Visitors can explore the "must-see" Exhibition Hall, where over 60 years of research in the archipelago is showcased, along with natural history collections, rotating exhibits, and a gift/donation point. Special "behind the scenes" tours of the scientific facilities and extensive Natural History Collections can be arranged in advance with the Station's scientists. Access to the Research Station is free and is located 500 meters beyond the Galapagos National Park's "Ruta de la Tortuga," which includes the Fausto Llerena tortoise breeding center and the display of Lonesome George. As an independent NGO, the Charles Darwin Research Station relies on donations to support its work.
Puerto Ayora, Ecuador
Meets animal welfare guidelines
Awards
Travellers' Choice
2024
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Charles Darwin Research Station
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
3,380 reviews
Excellent
1,313
Very good
1,053
Average
744
Poor
207
Terrible
63
LSL
Stevenson108 contributions
Feb 2020 • Friends
This is a beautiful Nation Park . Great walking trails and very interesting exhibits. One can visit the various breeding stations for the tortoise rescue efforts. Beautiful indigenous plants and flowers. There is a cafe and gift shop as you leave the trails, very commercial and pricey. Just outside the entrance is a very reasonably priced indigenous shop with a great selection of handmade items.
Written 16 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lisa M
Brighton, UK258 contributions
Jan 2020
Research students mingle with students in this very relaxed environment. You can get a guide at the entrance to show yu around for $10 or walk around and read the information boards yourself. It takes a few hours to read and digest all of the information.
The giant tortoises and babies are fabulous plus the marine exhibition.
If you’d ur going to buy a teeshirt, buy it here as the money goes toward this charity.
The giant tortoises and babies are fabulous plus the marine exhibition.
If you’d ur going to buy a teeshirt, buy it here as the money goes toward this charity.
Written 16 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
curiouspalate
Asheville, NC146 contributions
Jan 2020 • Family
Allocation 2 to 3 morning hours for a detailed tour of the station and a look behind the scenes without risking a heat stroke was a wise decision( thank you guide Miguel).
We were a little taken a-back by "Lonesome George's" taxidermically preserved
remains. Felt a bit like a shopping window deco.
The rest was great- and highly educational, engagingly presented by Carlos, our guide. The karyotypes of tortugas, the genetic markers of the tortoises of different Galapagos Islands and their hybrids, what decides the gender of the tortoise hatchlings- he covered it all.
I felt entertained and learnt a lot at the same time.
We were a little taken a-back by "Lonesome George's" taxidermically preserved
remains. Felt a bit like a shopping window deco.
The rest was great- and highly educational, engagingly presented by Carlos, our guide. The karyotypes of tortugas, the genetic markers of the tortoises of different Galapagos Islands and their hybrids, what decides the gender of the tortoise hatchlings- he covered it all.
I felt entertained and learnt a lot at the same time.
Written 1 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Amy K
4 contributions
Dec 2020
I decided to visit the Charles Darwin Research Station but didn't have a lot of time. I quickly researched and found out I don't need a guide and can visit for free, which was great because I didn't have a lot of time. Just before entering the Center I was stopped by a station with a guide (they looked really official) I was told I can't enter the center at all without paying for a guide so I turned around and went back. I researched a little more and went back to the center, this time saying, no, and walking right past these people. I got a little farther and another guide told me I couldn't go in. I kept trying to look around but every time I saw a guide on a tour they told me I wasn't allowed to be there and I needed to leave. I would have gotten a guide if I had more than 20 minutes to look around. A guided tour is over an hour. I wish they would just charge admission rather than allow random guides to stop and harass people.
It would have probably been a much more positive experience if the guides working tours would have allowed me to stay, or if I had time to get a guide and do a full tour. It is extremely weird that you are allowed to tour the center without a guide for free, but if you don't pay a guide you will be constantly yelled at by guides that are working.
It would have probably been a much more positive experience if the guides working tours would have allowed me to stay, or if I had time to get a guide and do a full tour. It is extremely weird that you are allowed to tour the center without a guide for free, but if you don't pay a guide you will be constantly yelled at by guides that are working.
Written 25 December 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TrewinDorset
Christchurch303 contributions
Apr 2022
We visited as part of a tour to see the tortoise breeding and research station, then returned on our own to explore at our own pace. You can only visit the tortoises with an NP guide so there is a charge, the rest though is free.
The marine centre unfortunately was closed when we visited, but we enjoyed the museum & exhibits that were open. Also the walk to and from, stopping at the 2 little beaches with lots of iguanas and birds.
If walking from the town, there's also a little (free) ceramic garden on the right before you get to the CD station & museum. Shady & pretty for a few photos, very unusual and creative.
The marine centre unfortunately was closed when we visited, but we enjoyed the museum & exhibits that were open. Also the walk to and from, stopping at the 2 little beaches with lots of iguanas and birds.
If walking from the town, there's also a little (free) ceramic garden on the right before you get to the CD station & museum. Shady & pretty for a few photos, very unusual and creative.
Written 2 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Craig B
Palm Springs, CA19 contributions
Jan 2020
Did this wonderful tour yesterday(1-2hrs).Have been thinking about it all day today. Paid the $10 for a tour guide well worth it. The amount of information conveyed by the guide and the research station is phenomenal(in English and Spanish).It makes you aware of the various situations facing our environment. What the station has been able to accomplish(with turtles and the environment) is inspiring and you leave with hope on what can be done when good research practices are put into place. The station is not only effecting Galapagos but the world by the sharing of information and practices. I give The Charles Darwin Research Station my highest recommendation for a visit (and it’s free).
Written 6 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Caroline1154
Israel72 contributions
Sept 2022
The tours cost $10 each which was fine but were were on a bilingual tour. There was no available tour just in English. I think it is a pretty poor show not to offer the main tourist attraction on St. Cruz in English. Most of the tour was standing around information boards while the guide pretty much just read out the boards, and then we had to wait for him to do it all over again in Spanish. After that we were quite rushed along when we got to the tortoise pens. The museum was quite underwhelming, felt like it had been set up 30 years ago and nothing much updated since then. Don't miss El Chato if you go here - it's a totally different and much more satisfying experience.
Written 23 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
product-of-canada
Toronto, Canada2,492 contributions
Jul 2022
Yes, I would say it is worthwhile visiting this attraction in Puerto Ayora. But note that what was once free admission pre-pandemic is now a $10 USD/person.
The reason for my poor rating is that tourists visiting the islands have already paid a $100 USD/person Galapagos National Park Entrance fee at the airport. Charging additional fees for government-run establishments like this facility and Las Grietas is exploiting tourists.
What's next? My guess is that there will soon be a $10 fee/person in the near future to enter Tortuga Bay Beach.
The reason for my poor rating is that tourists visiting the islands have already paid a $100 USD/person Galapagos National Park Entrance fee at the airport. Charging additional fees for government-run establishments like this facility and Las Grietas is exploiting tourists.
What's next? My guess is that there will soon be a $10 fee/person in the near future to enter Tortuga Bay Beach.
Written 19 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The_Sojourners
Carlisle, PA14 contributions
Jan 2020
We were a party of 9 when we visited the Charles Darwin Research Station, in Puerto Ayora. This is a very interesting place to visit and you pass a nice beach before you enter or leave. You should definitely visit if you have time. We would all give the research station a five-star rating if it had not been for the over hard sell and lies that you had no choice but to hire a guide to visit the station. If you want a guide I think they would be really good and knowledgeable. The little guide office you pass as you enter the park demanded we could not enter without a guide because it is in a national park. Being we were a party of 9 that would cost $90.00. When we politely informed her that we only wanted to see what was free we were told that the only thing we could see was a beach just up the road. I knew before we arrived that we could see all that the research station had to offer on our own and that everything at the research station was well marked with information boards in English. The guide office kept lying and insisting the guide was mandatory. We finally just walked away from the guide building and had a very nice visit at the research center and the little beach. Before leaving the center, we gave them a nice donation for their great work. So, if you want to see the research station without a guide just do it. The guide office was overbearing and beyond just selling their services and are a discredit to the research stations good work and also to the guides who work there.
Written 13 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
skifans
St Agnes, UK77 contributions
Feb 2020 • Friends
A must visit to understand why the Galápagos Islands are so important to the world . A very informative place which is easy to walk around with plenty of signage and historical information as well as up to date details on what the resident scientists are currently doing to save not just tortoises but all the animals of this magical place. You may well be approached on arrival at the entrance to employ a guide but it is not necessary and access to the local beaches are located off this area. There are lots different tortoise enclosures with various species which they are breeding to then release on to the different islands. It is a very educational place and gives you some sense of how important Darwin theory’s are today. A must visit for all visitors.
Written 13 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Que precio tiene llegar a la estación Charles Darwin? Y que costo tiene la entrada por favor :)
Written 12 March 2022
I don’t speak Spanish but I think your asking about entrance cost
The guards told us it was 10$ per person this included a guide through the park
Written 13 March 2022
Hi. I am trying to find out if people visiting the Charles Darwin Research Center in the past month or so had to make a reservation to go there (or if you could decide when you get there whether you want to visit). Thank you!
Written 30 May 2021
I arrive at 430pm to Puerto Ayora. Would I have enough time to visit the station? Or what other activities could we do to not waste the first day at santa cruz?
Written 30 March 2019
I’d leave it until tomorrow when you have more time. Walk along the waterfront because it’s Saturday night and there will surely be something to see. The big pier has lights into the water so that’s a pretty good time after dark.
Written 30 March 2019
You do not need to book. We simply showed up. Definitely worth visiting. Enjoy!
Written 21 February 2019
Hi -Are you open on Christmas Day? Thank-you.
Written 6 September 2017
No idea sorry. But if you do find it open explore every possible corner as things are tucked away. Particularly Diego and the taxidermed Lonesome George.
Written 6 September 2017
Trying to decide if we should hire a guide for visiting the center or do a self guided tour. Any recommendations?
Written 10 August 2017
We had a guide but realized that we probably didn't need one. There are enough displays with information that covered everything he said. The only thing the guide added was in identifying birds snd plants as we were walking around the center.
Written 12 August 2017
Hello, can you tell me if there is an entry fee to the research centre? Sure it would be worth it but simply trying to budget my activities
Written 16 May 2017
It's free and in my opinion, the best place to start your visit to the Galapagos. We went the day we arrived in Puerto Ayora
Written 25 May 2017
The Charles Darwin was on our holiday itinery and we were very disappointed that this was closed. There were a few tortoises about but not really worth the walk. When was the research centre closed and why did our travel company not tell of this I wonder.
Written 15 April 2016
I actually do not remember when they started closing down areas for the renovation (it was told to us when you group REACHED Galapagos so that we could make a decision then whether or not we wanted to take that part of the planned excursions), so I cannot honestly answer to that part of the question. However, IF it was on your group's itinerary, I would think that they should have at least apprised you of the situation so you could make alternate plans if necessary. As this was not the focal point of our hopes for the islands, we were not that disappointed (other than suffering the heat when we could have been doing other activities that WOULDN'T cause heat exhaustion). However, I can see that if you were looking forward to this particular group of exhibits how you might have been disappointed. I hope that you found something else that made the trip special for you (like those crazily friendly sea lions at the dock!) In light of the problems being suffered by the unfortunate events in the Guayaquil region, I am not in the position to complain much about anything right now :-( I am thankful that we have heard from the Ecuadorean guides that we have since friended that they are safe.
Written 18 April 2016
Hola ¿saben a qué hora se puede realizar la última visita?
Written 23 March 2016
Hola, cuando yo visité, los horarios de visita para todos los lugares pertenecientes al parque nacional cerraban a las 18:00 horas. Si te levantas temprano alcanzas a hacer varias cosas durante el día y creo que alcanzaras sin problemas a visitar la reserva. Saludos y disfruta el viaje!
Written 23 March 2016
Hola, ¿Sabes a qué hora abren más o menos por la mañana?
Written 23 March 2016
Hola que tal, buen dia. Disculpa la demora en responderte.
Si habre temprano, igual tienes todo el dia para ir, no concurre mucha gente ya que estaba en reparacion y la verdad no esta muy atractivo por esta causa. Se ven pocas tortugas y unas Iguanas anaranjadas en cautiverio tambien.
Las otras Islas tambien tienen sus reservas y muy lindas como la de Isla Isabella, alli hay muchas tortugas y el parque muy arreglado , te la recomiendo.
Espero haberte sido de utildad a las ordenes.
Written 25 March 2016
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