Galapagos Islands travel visitor site - Charles Darwin research station

The Charles Darwin research station is located in the town of Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island. A ten minute walk from the Center of town. 

At The Charles Darwin Research Station you'll learn first hand of the conservation and research efforts in the Galapagos islands. See the tortoise hatchlings and breeding programs which are saving several races of tortoises from extinction. Tour the Van Straelen Exhibit Hall. For most, this will be your only opportunity to see the giant Galapago tortoises.

The Charles Darwin Research Station conducts and facilitates research in the Galapagos Islands and the Galapagos Marine Resources Reserve of Ecuador. The Darwin Station is part of the Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galapagos Islands, an international non-profit organization dedicated to scientific research in the Galapagos Islands since 1959.

The Darwin Station provides:
- Information and technical assistance for the Galapagos National Park Service and other branches of the government of Ecuador .
- Support for resident and visiting scientists who work in Galapagos.
- Environmental education for island communities and schools and for the visitors that come to Galapagos each year.
- Hands-on training in science, education, and conservation for Ecuadorian university students who participate in the Darwin Station's volunteer and scholarship programs.