Isabela Island
We have arrived to a magical place in the Galápagos, one of the youngest islands, Isabela. As we are anchoring into the bay, groups of guests are getting ready for this new adventure. There is a group of eager explorers who have decided to hike up the majestic Sierra Negra Volcano to Volcan Chico where an eruption took place in 1979. We get off the ship at 8:00 in the morning and climb into our endemic pick-up truck taxis, which will take us as far up the volcano slope as they can to begin our hike. All the hikers are happy and determined to make it all the way to Volcan Chico, which is our ultimate goal. As we walk the trail, we see a wide variety of flora and some fauna. We had the privilege of observing Sierra Negra, one of the largest calderas in the world, at its best. There is not a single cloud over the crater, and the view is spectacular.
After we reach the rim, we continue walking for about 45 more minutes until we arrive at one of only two shady spots on the whole trail. Taking advantage of the shade and the breeze, we gobble the sandwiches we have brought with us for lunch! Eating in the open is difficult, as we are barely able to get our sandwiches into our mouths before finches or yellow warblers snatch them out of our hands! This was certainly an experience we will not forget. With lunch over, we start to hike again, and the adventure continues. Now there is a sudden and abrupt change in the surroundings and in the landscape. It seems as if we were transported to another planet; perhaps to the moon? We hiked across rough lava to the top of Volcan Chico. Here, among the magnificent geological features, we took turns getting our pictures taken. From our vantage point we had a very clear sight of the whole northern part of Isabela. We sat for awhile before we were able to take that breathtaking landscape in.
After about half an hour, we started heading back. Back in the town, we made a short stop at the giant tortoise breeding center. The rest of our guests had visited the center in the morning and then swam from the glorious white beach, strolled through the town, or enjoyed a beer at one of the small bars and restaurants. In the afternoon we relaxed on our own or joined a group who visited the famous “wall of tears,” or “tintoreras” islet. For some, today’s hike was the hike of all hikes, and for others it had been a nice relaxing day.
We have arrived to a magical place in the Galápagos, one of the youngest islands, Isabela. As we are anchoring into the bay, groups of guests are getting ready for this new adventure. There is a group of eager explorers who have decided to hike up the majestic Sierra Negra Volcano to Volcan Chico where an eruption took place in 1979. We get off the ship at 8:00 in the morning and climb into our endemic pick-up truck taxis, which will take us as far up the volcano slope as they can to begin our hike. All the hikers are happy and determined to make it all the way to Volcan Chico, which is our ultimate goal. As we walk the trail, we see a wide variety of flora and some fauna. We had the privilege of observing Sierra Negra, one of the largest calderas in the world, at its best. There is not a single cloud over the crater, and the view is spectacular.
After we reach the rim, we continue walking for about 45 more minutes until we arrive at one of only two shady spots on the whole trail. Taking advantage of the shade and the breeze, we gobble the sandwiches we have brought with us for lunch! Eating in the open is difficult, as we are barely able to get our sandwiches into our mouths before finches or yellow warblers snatch them out of our hands! This was certainly an experience we will not forget. With lunch over, we start to hike again, and the adventure continues. Now there is a sudden and abrupt change in the surroundings and in the landscape. It seems as if we were transported to another planet; perhaps to the moon? We hiked across rough lava to the top of Volcan Chico. Here, among the magnificent geological features, we took turns getting our pictures taken. From our vantage point we had a very clear sight of the whole northern part of Isabela. We sat for awhile before we were able to take that breathtaking landscape in.
After about half an hour, we started heading back. Back in the town, we made a short stop at the giant tortoise breeding center. The rest of our guests had visited the center in the morning and then swam from the glorious white beach, strolled through the town, or enjoyed a beer at one of the small bars and restaurants. In the afternoon we relaxed on our own or joined a group who visited the famous “wall of tears,” or “tintoreras” islet. For some, today’s hike was the hike of all hikes, and for others it had been a nice relaxing day.
