This morning we woke up to the sight of civilization, ships and houses were spotted. We were anchored at Academy Bay located at the southern part of Santa Cruz Island. Santa Cruz is the second largest island and home to the largest human population of over 20000 inhabitants and is the economic hub of the archipelago. The visit started with a visit to the Giant Tortoise Breeding Centre. This was a great opportunity to learn about one of the most successful restoration programs which is run by the Galapagos National Park Service together with the famous Charles Darwin Research Station. Saddleback giant tortoises were spotted, as well as the famous “Diego” from Espanola Island. The food was brought in for them and it was amazing to see how fast a giant tortoise can move when they want. After this visit there was free time for all our guests who enjoyed exploring the town of Puerto Ayora, taking pictures at the fishermen’s market, and buying nice souvenirs at the local shops.
The Rock Café was our meeting point and from here buses headed to the highlands of Santa Cruz for us to enjoy a visit to a sugar cane mill called “El Trapiche”. This was a different experience and a nice approach to the locals and their lifestyle. There were many products that were tasted, such as fresh sugar cane, sugar cane juice and syrup, brown sugar, coffee beans, moonshine and cacao! Other guests opted to visit one of the local schools, Tomas de Berlanga, which is supported by Lindblad Expeditions. This visit was very special as our guests brought books for their new library. We all met again at Narwhal restaurant where we had a delicious lunch with a beautiful view.
The adventure continued and we returned to the buses again, this time heading towards a private property owned by a local family located at the boundary of the Giant tortoise natural reserve. There were great weather conditions for amazing pictures. It is awesome to walk so close to them and observe the giant tortoises in their natural environment. There was an optional visit to walk through a big lava tunnel, a silent witness of the great volcano activity that once formed this island.
By sunset everybody was back on board, satisfied and tired from the long day full of excursions. However, the fun was not over yet because after dinner there was a presentation of a local group of musicians and dancers for the delight of our guests. Galapagos is not only nature, pristine places, unique moments, breath taking landscapes, but also friendly people. It was certainly another great day in paradise.
