Santa Cruz Island
The most dynamic town of the Galápagos, Puerto Ayora, holds the headquarters of the Charles Darwin Research Station and the Galápagos National Park, on Santa Cruz Island. Right after breakfast, we were ready to disembark and see it all!
Our visit started with the tortoise breeding and repatriation center. There, many baby tortoises are kept in captivity and many adults are allowed to breed, in order to repopulate the islands. Many islands have suffered the destroying effects of introduced animals, such as goats, dogs, and cats, leading to the extinction of several species.
After this, we had the opportunity to visit downtown, where locals had gift shops and a colorful experience for us. The island was colonized for the first time in the 40’s, so, it has a young flavor on every street.
Then, by bus, we reached the highlands, where we had a very refreshing, light lunch, with lots of veggies and delicious desserts. But before eating, a long, dark and scary lava tunnel was waiting for us, full of geological surprises.
Then we looked for Galápagos giant tortoises in the wild. This was a touching experience, since these animals have been roaming for millions of years by themselves, until we got here. Finally, as the cherry on top of the cake, we visited a geo-morphological formation known as the Pit craters, where the clouds fell in as the wind blew them along the entire island.
It was another full day in Paradise…
