National Geographic Endeavour II continued its itinerary with a visit to the small island of Sombrero Chino, located just 0.1 miles (150 meters) southwest of Santiago Island. Santiago has unique wildlife and a fascinating landscape of rocky shores and lava fields. National Geographic Endeavour II guests enjoyed simultaneous water activities: kayaking, snorkeling, and Zodiac rides. In the late morning, we enjoyed a boat ride along a chain of eroded tuff cones. As we navigated, we passed an enclosed saltwater lagoon. The lagoon was formed by seawater filtrating through the walls of a collapsed tuff cone. We even had the chance to spot a group of Galapagos American flamingos. By the end of the day, we were anchored by Bartolomé Island, a scoria / tuff island formation with a view of Pinnacle Rock. This sandstone formation is one of the most iconic views in the Galapagos. This particular landscape was featured in the movie, Master and Commander.
1/21/2025
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National Geographic Endeavour II
Santa Cruz Island
We had a day full of wildlife encounters mixed with unique and fun cultural experiences on Santa Cruz Island. From the town of Puerto Ayora, we got on buses to visit El Trapiche Farm. It’s an interactive farm where our guests had the opportunity to learn about the process of sugarcane, cocoa, and coffee production. These activities are displayed by a local family that has followed these traditions for many generations. Our guests took part in these activities by helping to extract sugarcane juice, roasting coffee in an old-fashioned way, and distilling sugarcane liqueur. It was definitely a fun way for our guests to interact with the locals while learning how they make a living from farming. And as an extra bonus, we saw a barn owl sitting on a beam of the interior of the building’s roof. After visiting El Trapiche, our guests had a great time seeing the emblematic giant tortoises roaming freely by Manzanillo Ranch. We saw tortoises wandering around, some inside a mud pond, and even a mating couple. It was a spectacular way to end another day in the Galapagos.
