Charles Darwin Research Station

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Research InstituteTourist AttractionPoint of InterestEstablishment

Best time to visit

Mornings are best, arrive between 08.00 and 10.00 when the sun is not yet scorching and the turtles are most active. Avoid midday because the open corridors feel hot and that day's tour groups start to arrive.

Budget tips

Entry fee is around USD 10 per adult, with lower rates for children. Bring cash because card machines sometimes do not work, and there is no combined package with other attractions.

Plan your visit

2-3 hours

About

Quick facts: The giant tortoises here can live for more than a century, with adult males weighing up to 250 kilograms, about the same as a small car. The breeding program running since 1965 has hatched and released thousands of tortoises back into the wild.

Highlights: The story of Lonesome George, the last Pinta Island tortoise who died in 2012, is displayed in full here as a conservation reminder. George refused to mate with females from Wolf Volcano for 40 years, and visitors can stand right in front of the enclosure where that drama once unfolded.