Floreana Island
This attractive, medium-sized island was the first in the Galápagos to be settled and has a decidedly odd history. The Galápagos Islands were “no man’s land” until 1832, when the Ecuadorian Government decided to claim them, at a time when absolutely no one had any interest in them whatsoever. Floreana is a very dry island and it was very hard for the first settlers to eke out a survival. Among these we can count British whalers, Ecuadorian settlers, Norwegian fishermen and a small but eccentric group of German settlers.
This island has since been surrounded by an aura of mystery due to the many unexplained disappearances that occurred here over the years. Some of these strange stories have left traces that can be seen to this day, such as the still-functional post office barrel, remains of the Norwegians’ fishing factory and the Baroness’s house, etc.
Just offshore from the main island of Floreana is a tiny islet named Champion, which is often considered one of the very best snorkeling sites in the archipelago – it is here that the wonders of the Galápagos Marine Reserve were displayed to us, opening our eyes to a colorful and magical new world of graceful creatures and many other species of sea life. We felt ourselves immersed in a crystal nature, where we floated in light and sound.
In the afternoon, kayaking was a great option, after which we disembarked on a beach of greenish sand, given its color by dense olivine crystals refracting the sunlight. Dozens of flamingos, showing their bright pink color, made a stark contrast with the bulky landscape in the brackish water lagoon, where many wader species are found for feeding reasons.
Sunset here is spectacular. We were literally astonished by the beauty of this corner of the heaven on earth.
This attractive, medium-sized island was the first in the Galápagos to be settled and has a decidedly odd history. The Galápagos Islands were “no man’s land” until 1832, when the Ecuadorian Government decided to claim them, at a time when absolutely no one had any interest in them whatsoever. Floreana is a very dry island and it was very hard for the first settlers to eke out a survival. Among these we can count British whalers, Ecuadorian settlers, Norwegian fishermen and a small but eccentric group of German settlers.
This island has since been surrounded by an aura of mystery due to the many unexplained disappearances that occurred here over the years. Some of these strange stories have left traces that can be seen to this day, such as the still-functional post office barrel, remains of the Norwegians’ fishing factory and the Baroness’s house, etc.
Just offshore from the main island of Floreana is a tiny islet named Champion, which is often considered one of the very best snorkeling sites in the archipelago – it is here that the wonders of the Galápagos Marine Reserve were displayed to us, opening our eyes to a colorful and magical new world of graceful creatures and many other species of sea life. We felt ourselves immersed in a crystal nature, where we floated in light and sound.
In the afternoon, kayaking was a great option, after which we disembarked on a beach of greenish sand, given its color by dense olivine crystals refracting the sunlight. Dozens of flamingos, showing their bright pink color, made a stark contrast with the bulky landscape in the brackish water lagoon, where many wader species are found for feeding reasons.
Sunset here is spectacular. We were literally astonished by the beauty of this corner of the heaven on earth.
