Santa Cruz Island
Today we reached the second largest island in the archipelago, Santa Cruz, where Puerto Ayora, home to some 18,000 inhabitants, is the economic hub of the archipelago.
We began the day by landing at the dock of the Galápagos National Park Service to visit the Charles Darwin Research Station and National Park headquarters; we learned about one of the most significant and successful programs in the ecological restoration of the islands: the giant tortoise breeding program.
The day was hot and sunny, but then a tropical rain showered us, to the delight of these giant creatures that seemed to enjoy the rain much more than us. Some large tortoises, such as the individuals from Espanola Island and the famous “Lonesome George,” are kept in captivity, for the specific purpose of trying to increase the population of tortoises in the wild.
George is the last of his kind, and when he is gone his race will vanish from the face of the Earth. This is a good reminder that we need to protect the tortoises and also the other Galápagos creatures from a similar fate.
After the visit to the breeding center, we all walked back through town along the main street, full of souvenirs, gift shops, little cafes, restaurants, hotels, a fish market and lots of people from all over the world.
At the central plaza, and after a refreshing fruit drink at the Rock Café, we boarded a series of buses for a 30-minute drive to a charming sugar cane mill located in the highlands, called El Trapiche. Some of our guests biked and others walked the few kilometers before reaching the sugar cane farm. This brief stop gave us the opportunity to have a delightful experience with some local Galapagueños and their lifestyles, as both sugar cane and coffee have historically been very important for the resident population.
After drinking some fresh-brewed coffee and the locally distilled aguardiente, we all went for lunch at the picturesque restaurant called Altair, where some of our young and not-so-young guests had the chance to enjoy a refreshing dip in the swimming pool.
Following lunch we all geared up with some rubber boots and went to visit the property of a Galápagos native, located at the heart of the annual giant tortoise migratory route, to search for these magnificent reptiles in their natural habitat – the highlight of the week!
Back in town, the day wasn’t over, as we still had energy and time for some last-minute shopping before coming back on board to enjoy our video chronicle preview of the week and a local group of musicians and dancers. After all that, it was time for a good sleep!
