puerto ayora • 10 comments • The largest town on the Santa Cruz Island (and all islands in the Galápagos) is Puerto Ayora. We stayed in Puerto Ayora so we could explore Santa Cruz and the other islands at our own pace. Cruises seem to be the popular option for visiting the various islands, but we determined that staying on land and doing day trips to the islands would allow us more freedom. Here are some shots we took while wandering around town: