The only way to enter is on a guided tour. You will be able to learn not just about tortoises but about other endemic species and conservation efforts to address some invasive species and other problems the animals face. We were able to see the persevered body of the famous Lonesome George, the last tortoise of his species. Apparently access to view him is not always open so we showed up during the right time. At the end of the tour you can go through another building that has more info about conservation projects being worked on. Overall it was the most informative tour of all the tortoise centers we visited on the islands (compared to San Cristobal and Isabela) although all 3 were very good in their own aspects. If you have some free time I would definitely recommend a visit.

A very interesting visit. Our travel agent informed us that many of the highland tortoise ranches are all the same: Rancho Primicias, Cerro Mesa etc .... So we just chose this one. A 25 min taxi from Puerto Ayora. $10/adult entry fee and when enough people are present they launch you off on a guided interpretive tour. We only waitee about 10 mins. Rubber boots are provided and if you're here in the wet season be sure to wear them as you'll be ankle-deep in mud. Walking amongst the giant tortoises was fascinating and the guide made it all the more interesting. There are also a couple of fascinating lave tube tunnels. The whole thing takes an hour. There's a restaurant and bar so time your visit to coincide with lunch.

This ranch/reserve has over 100 giant tortoises. Old, young, large, small, they roam all over the property. The trails through the reserve also include three lava tube tunnels. They are not that long or deep, but the tubes carved out of lava are a feature I hadn’t seen before. There are also a lot of birds on the ranch. I saw yellow warblers, Darwin finches, egrets and a few others.

Great reserve, LOTS of very old tortugas and a great bilingual Guide. Only $10 gets you a semi-private 90 minute walk through on their trails, turtles, and 2 lava tube walk-thrus. They provide tall mud boots too. I rode a bike there from PTO Aroya and back and it was awesome. Highly recommend!

This was our first stop in Galápagos on our way from the airport to the hotel. The lunch and service were excellent - great table with view of the ranch. The group guided tour was very informative and the rubber boots provided made it easy to navigate the trails. The Lava tunnels were interesting as well. Highly recommend

An Amazing place. after the reserve and the museum, this place completes the experience of watching the giant turtles. How they live in a free habitat. Simply amazing. Also, the Lava tunnels are extraordinary. Go with an expert and have the full explanation how they were formed. Don't miss it!

Fantastic. Don’t miss. This was a great experience to walk around and watch the turtles doing their thing. Like all things in Galapagos you were with a trained guide so there’s not a lot of time to just sit and watch, but it was still amazing. At the end, there is a brief tour of lava tunnels which you can opt out of if you are claustrophobic.

Enjoyable stroll through the reserve with the ability to get up and personal with these majestic creatures. The lava tunnels are part of the tour and are interesting without being exciting. Stop on the way and watch the tortoise and cows graze together ! Had a quick walk around the two extinct volcanoes.

Wonderful way to see these amazing creatures and learn about them. Pros: - Passionate English speaking guide who was engaging and humorous. - Learning about the breeding and life cycle - Lots of time to take photos. - Clean washrooms on site - Restaurant on site Cons: None Lava Tunnels: Lava Tunnels nearby. Lava tunnels are “okay”. Interesting to walk through. Well lit. Taxi driver drops you off at one end and meets you at the other end. About a 10 min max walk through.

Our taxi driver drove us here from the water taxi after arriving at the airport. First he stopped at Los Gemelos crater. Then we stopped here and had a really delicious lunch. Afterwards, they assigned us a guide to walk through the reserve and the lava tunnels. Our guide was fantastic. it’s so amazing to see all of the really cool tortoises.