We flew 600 nautical miles over the Pacific Ocean, from the mainland of Ecuador, to reach the remote oceanic islands named “Galapagos”, after their most famous denizens, the giant tortoises.
After landing on the tiny island of Baltra, loaned by the Ecuadorian government to the US as an airbase during WWII, we boarded the Islander for lunch and briefings before taking a late afternoon walk on one of the most beautiful islets of the Galapagos, North Seymour.
Overnight, we travelled towards the tiny island of Bartolome, nicknamed the “textbook of geology” where we took a pre-breakfast hike to the top of a volcanic cone to spectacular scenery, followed by snorkel lessons off a lovely golden-sand beach, deep-water snorkeling off the coast among tropical fish and small sharks, and Zodiac cruises to look for birdlife.
Over lunch we travelled again, this time towards the island of Rábida, to kayak, paddleboard, snorkel and hike. The colorful red beach was teeming with schools of fish that created a feeding frenzy, just off the coast, of boobies, terns, pelicans, gulls and sea lions.
A day to remember forever!
