We arrived at Floreana, one of the southern islands in the archipelago. This is where the island’s first colonizers settled.

Our day started very early in the morning with a pre-breakfast nature walk. We were lucky enough to spot American flamingos flying into the lagoon at Punta Cormorant. A little farther along the white sand beach, we encountered basking green sea turtles. Back on board the ship, we had breakfast. Morning activities started with a beautiful Zodiac ride along the bay of Champion Islet, followed by tours in the glass-bottom boat and snorkeling outings. Our morning was absolutely gorgeous with great weather conditions and clear visibility in the water. The water activities offered amazing encounters with the sea life on this stunning island.

After an invigorating morning, we returned to the ship for a delicious Mexican lunch with delicious margaritas. Lunch was followed by a lecture about the island’s human history. We all enjoyed wonderful stories about this interesting island, its visitors, attempts at colonization, and various tales about the entire archipelago.

We spent the afternoon at the famous Post Office Bay, where guests chose between kayaking and paddleboarding along the area called Baroness Lookout. The amazing, pristine lagoon was busy with sea lions and green sea turtles, and blue-footed boobies passed by overhead.

We went to the beach to visit the old-fashioned mail barrel, which has been a working postal system for over two centuries. Our guests had the opportunity to be part of the tradition. Just like sailors did in the old days, guests left behind their own mail and took some postcards and letters to hand deliver back home.

We will leave Floreana with beautiful memories of our time spent here.