Today, we visited Bartolome Islet and Cerro Dragon on Santa Cruz Island, both of which are extraordinarily beautiful and offer breathtaking views of the Galapagos volcanic landscape. In the morning, we hiked and snorkeled around Bartolome, and in the afternoon, we headed to Cerro Dragon for a hike through the dry forest in search of Galapagos land iguanas.
12/30/2024
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National Geographic Islander II
Santa Cruz Island
Santa Cruz Island means a day with giant tortoises. Today is the day to see the enormous reptiles, survivors from the time of dinosaurs. The morning started with a visit to El Trapiche Ecologico, a traditional farm that shows us how the settlers managed to produce the basics in the olden times, without electricity but with lots of wit and determination. Next, we headed for Los Gemelos, a pair of massive sink holes surrounded by the remains of the original forest and found in the highlands of Santa Cruz prior to the arrival of the first settlers. After Los Gemelos, it was about lunchtime, so we rode towards El Manzanillo, a private giant tortoise reserve that happens to serve amazing meals. Finally, a small group of us decided to visit the Rearing Centre for Giant Tortoises back in Puerto Ayora before returning to National Geographic Islander II for dinner, our evening briefing, and some live music.
