Itabaca Channel Ferry Crossing
The Itabaca Channel is the narrow strait that separates Baltra from Santa Cruz Island, and the short ferry crossing across it is one of the most exhilarating five minutes in Galápagos travel. Pelicans skim the chop, sea lions bob alongside the hull, and the green highlands of Santa Cruz rise ahead like a promise.
The crossing itself
The public ferry runs continuously between the Baltra dock and the Santa Cruz shore, taking just five minutes but delivering the unmistakable sensation of crossing into a different world. On one side: flat, arid Baltra with its scrub and military fencing. On the other: the lush, biodiverse interior of Santa Cruz beckoning from the ridge.
The channel water is a deep, dark blue fed by the Cromwell Current, and it is not unusual to spot marine iguanas swimming across, their prehistoric silhouettes visible just below the surface. Keep your camera ready from the moment you board.
Gateway to the highlands
From the Santa Cruz side of the channel, buses and shared taxis run south toward Puerto Ayora, passing through the island's famous highlands where giant tortoises roam freely on private ranches, ancient lava tunnels snake underground, and the twin volcanic sinkholes of Los Gemelos gape open in the scalesia forest.
The transfer from Baltra Airport to Puerto Ayora via the Itabaca Canal — including a highland stop to see giant tortoises, explore lava tunnels and visit the Twin Craters — can be done as a guided private tour in around four hours, turning a logistical necessity into a full day of adventure.
Itabaca Channel Ferry Crossing on video
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