It was a cloudy morning when all of our guests landed on Santa Cruz Island and headed to the facilities of the Galapagos National Park and learn about one of the most successful and iconic programs on ecological restoration of the islands, the Giant Tortoise Rearing Center. While here we talked about all of the current projects that are happening and we photographed some of the reptiles.
We soon boarded buses and headed to the highlands of Santa Cruz Island to enjoy a visit at a sugar cane press to experience the life of a local family and their lifestyle. We tried some of the sugar cane juice as well as the moonshine that is produced at the farm. After this we got back on the buses and headed to the Narwhal restaurant were we had a delicious lunch with a beautiful view.
After lunch we went further into the highlands to explore a natural lava tube and the natural habitat of the giant tortoises. Here everybody had the chance to interact and photograph these magnificent reptiles in their natural habitat and learn about their natural history. It was a bit muddy so people had to wear rubber boots for the hike. Walking among these giant reptiles was just incredible. We were lucky to spot several of them. After this amazing experience in the afternoon, we all returned to town. Most of us decided to stay a little longer and visit all the souvenir shops along the waterfront of Puerto Ayora, while others decided to go directly back to the National Geographic Islander to relax.
