Today, our land exploration of Santa Cruz started with a visit to Los Gemelos, a geological formation located in the highlands of the island. Our second stop along the road was Manzanillo Farm, where we enjoyed the presence of more than 50 tortoises roaming freely around us. After witnessing the gentleness of these giants, we came back onboard to rest before getting ready for a visit to Las Bachas. This white sandy beach was the perfect spot to snorkel and swim in crystal clear waters. During a hike, a flamingo showed up in one of the brackish lagoons. A full day with a combination of experiences that revealed the wonders of the Galapagos.
5/29/2025
Read
National Geographic Gemini
Genovesa Island
Genovesa is considered one of the Galapagos crown jewels, and today it was showing off all of its splendor. Immediately after breakfast we put on our sturdy shoes and set out to explore Prince Philip’s Steps. This area is known for opportunities to observe not only large colonies of nesting Nazca and red-footed boobies, but maybe, just maybe, the short-eared owl which exhibits diurnal behavior on this island. After this walk we got ready for a dip in the Pacific Ocean and snorkeling along the inner coast of this caldera. The afternoon was equally amazing as we disembarked to explore Darwin Bay, along a short and easy trail that was packed with wildlife. Here we observed not only nesting frigatebirds, red-footed boobies, and Nazca boobies, but also a few yellow-crowned night herons. It was another incredible afternoon in the Galapagos Islands.
