[1] Puerto Ayora has a protected location, along the shores of Academy Bay, where a refreshing breeze often provides pleasant weather.

Puerto Ayora is the best place in Galápagos for communicating with the outside world via numerous cybercafes with Internet access or telephone offices.

Puerto Ayora emergency medical facilities include a new hospital opened in 2006 and the island's only hyperbaric chamber.

Most of the locals live in the northern part of the town where various schools, a market hall and a sports center were built.

Tortuga Bay is a short walk from center of Puerto Ayora where you can view Marine Iguanas, birds, Galapagos Crabs and a natural mangrove where you can spot Whitetip Reef Sharks and the gigantic Galápagos tortoise.

This bay is a good location to spot brown pelicans, golden rays, Marine iguanas, herons, lava gulls, Frigatebirds, Galápagos sea lions, and large numbers of Blue-footed boobies, which fish by spectacular plunge diving.

Flights from continental Ecuador fly into either San Cristobal or to Baltra Island just off the north end of Santa Cruz.

There are also daily speed boats which take passengers to or from Puerto Ayora and the other inhabited islands of San Cristóbal or Isabela.