Dragon Hill & Sombrero Chino
We woke up with a beautiful volcanic scenery dominated by a cloudy morning. The northwestern part of Santa Cruz is home to Galápagos land iguanas. These reptiles have been living around this location for maybe millions of years. We disembarked at “Cerro Dragon” or “Dragon Hill”; a location that receives steady sun radiation all through the year! Today as the sky was overcast we felt lucky for we knew we could have a pleasant hike. The characteristic “iguana-shaped” hill is compounded mainly by reddish volcanic ash and dirt. A spectacular dry “palo santo” forest and desolate shores complement the enigmatic landscape. Galápagos land iguanas dwell in its foot and our hike in the morning went all around the mighty Dragon Hill. As we arrived, the white sand contrasted tremendously with the black basalt on the shore. Soon enough, iguanas walked along us, in full breeding colours. After the hike we went to snorkel around Guy Fawkes Islets or get a dip just in front of the National Geographic Polaris.
Our afternoon took place on a different location. We visited a collection of parasitic cones known as “Sombrero Chino”, or Chinese Hat. We had lots of activities around this peculiar-shaped volcanic cone. Some guests took an extraordinary Zodiac ride along the broken lava coast covered with an unusual cacti forest; others chose the kayak transportation to explore peacefully the lava flows and the shore wildlife. Others opted for swimming and snorkelling in clear and pristine waters in a nearby water channel. Yet, other ones landed in the (figuratively) smallest beach in the world, and shared space with a family of sea lions. What a day! We had so much fun in our expedition around the Galápagos.
We woke up with a beautiful volcanic scenery dominated by a cloudy morning. The northwestern part of Santa Cruz is home to Galápagos land iguanas. These reptiles have been living around this location for maybe millions of years. We disembarked at “Cerro Dragon” or “Dragon Hill”; a location that receives steady sun radiation all through the year! Today as the sky was overcast we felt lucky for we knew we could have a pleasant hike. The characteristic “iguana-shaped” hill is compounded mainly by reddish volcanic ash and dirt. A spectacular dry “palo santo” forest and desolate shores complement the enigmatic landscape. Galápagos land iguanas dwell in its foot and our hike in the morning went all around the mighty Dragon Hill. As we arrived, the white sand contrasted tremendously with the black basalt on the shore. Soon enough, iguanas walked along us, in full breeding colours. After the hike we went to snorkel around Guy Fawkes Islets or get a dip just in front of the National Geographic Polaris.
Our afternoon took place on a different location. We visited a collection of parasitic cones known as “Sombrero Chino”, or Chinese Hat. We had lots of activities around this peculiar-shaped volcanic cone. Some guests took an extraordinary Zodiac ride along the broken lava coast covered with an unusual cacti forest; others chose the kayak transportation to explore peacefully the lava flows and the shore wildlife. Others opted for swimming and snorkelling in clear and pristine waters in a nearby water channel. Yet, other ones landed in the (figuratively) smallest beach in the world, and shared space with a family of sea lions. What a day! We had so much fun in our expedition around the Galápagos.
