Seeing Galapagos tortoises is high on the list for just about any intrepid visitor to the Galapagos Islands. These endemic creatures have been intertwined with the islands’ identity all the way back to the point of recorded human contact, even inspiring the name bestowed on the islands (galapago meaning “tortoise” in Spanish).

It is generally acknowledged that 15 different subspecies of giant tortoise roamed the remote islands freely at that point, though that number is down to 10 these days due to hunting and the adverse effects of feral animals in the 19th century.

With a reduced population and many restrictions on interacting with Galapagos tortoises, there are fewer and fewer places where you can see giant tortoises in the Galapagos today. Here’s our list of where to see Galapagos tortoises, divided by island.

Santa Cruz Island

Isla Santa Cruz is home to the most visited locations in the Galapagos: the Charles Darwin Research Station. This popular stop is the perfect place to not only see the giant tortoises of the Galapagos, but to learn about their biological history and the efforts to conserve them.

Peek in on the incubators and marvel at the way biologists and conservationists are reversing the downward spiral that would have led to the majestic creatures’ extinction. Those looking to glimpse Galapagos tortoises in the wild on Santa Cruz can head into the highlands between June and December and spot the tortoises mating and laying eggs near Santa Rosa.

San Cristobal Island

Before the whalers and pirates came to plunder San Cristobal’s tortoise population, there were two different wild communities, one at the northeastern end and another at the southern end of the island. Now, only about 1400 wild tortoises exist at the northeastern area and it was from this population that the tortoise National Park’s breeding station where the southern community used to thrive. Several cruise itineraries get to stop at the “Galapaguera Cerro Colorado”, which is similar in some ways to the Charles Darwin Station but much less crowded with visitors.