It is fantastic to spend a whole day on my home Island: Santa Cruz. We started with a visit to a local farm “El Trapiche” where our guests learned about the production of organic coffee, sugar cane, cocoa, bananas and tried their products, a delicious moment! Afterwards we went to “Los Gemelos,” a visitor site located at the highest point of the street with the last and largest scalesia forest on the Island. Then we continued to Rancho El Manzanillo to visit the giant tortoises. There were many tortoises today, it was spectacular. We finished our day visiting the giant tortoise breeding center and the Exhibition Hall of the Charles Darwin Research Station. On Santa Cruz Island, conservation and tourism work hand by hand!
4/17/2025
Read
National Geographic Islander II
Plaza and Santa Fe Islands
The sunrise was spectacular today! It was a pleasant morning to explore the magical wildlife present on South Plaza Island, an uplifted area full of endemic species. As soon as we disembarked on a little pier, dozens of sea lions came to say welcome. Just a few yards inland, many land and marine iguanas shared the same ecosystem with seabirds, such as swallow-tailed gulls and pelicans. Along the cliff we saw frigates, boobies, shearwaters, tropic birds, and petrels gliding along. After breakfast, our guests enjoyed kayaking and swimming from National Geographic Islander II , while others took part in a stretching session with our wellness specialist on board. In the afternoon, we motored to Santa Fe Island to snorkel with sea lions. Our guests were astonished to encounter these creatures and so many multicolor fish so close that we felt part of their aquatic world. Later, we disembarked on a very small beach which is home to a colony of sea lions. Further inland we spotted some Santa Fe land iguanas resting at the foot of giant prickly pear cacti. It was an amazing day! Galapagos is a breathtaking place.
