Santa Cruz Island
After a great breakfast, we disembarked in Puerto Ayora, the economic capital of the Galápagos. This dynamic town holds the headquarters of the Charles Darwin Research Station and the Galápagos National Park.
We went to visit the tortoise breeding and repatriation center, now in the caring hands of the National Park. Tortoises in captivity are allowed to breed in order to repopulate the islands where their numbers have been depleted. Darwin finches followed us all along the way. When the visit was over, we went to visit the town. This vibrant town has many shops and cafés full of colors and local flavors.
We reached the highlands by bus. We had a very refreshing and light lunch, with lots of veggies and tasty desserts (three milks’ cake is my favorite!). The jaw-dropper was a hike into the underworld, along a dark and scary but beautiful lava tunnel, full of geological and spooky surprises. After lunch we went looking for Galapagos giant tortoises in the wild and then visited the famous pit craters. The latter are geo-morphological formations that added color and a spark of beauty to the end of the afternoon. Another full day in paradise…
