We woke up to a view of Academy Bay and Puerto Ayora. On this beautiful morning, we visited the iconic Giant Tortoise Rearing Center, one of the most successful programs on ecological restoration in Galapagos. The program is jointly run by the Galapagos National Park Service (GNPS) and the Charles Darwin Research Station.
After this visit our guests had the chance to walk around the town of Puerto Ayora. Some shopped for souvenirs or visited an Internet café or stopped for ice cream. We soon boarded buses and headed to the highlands of Santa Cruz Island to enjoy a visit to a local family farm. We tried some juice from a sugar cane press as well as the moonshine that is produced at the farm. After this, we got back on the buses and headed the Narwhal restaurant were we had a delicious lunch.
After lunch we went to explore then natural habitat of the giant tortoises. Here everybody had the chance to interact and photograph these magnificent reptiles in their natural habitat and learn about their natural history. It was a bit muddy so people had to wear rubber boots for the hike. After this amazing experience in the afternoon, we returned to town. Some guests decided to go back directly to the National Geographic Islander while others stayed later to enjoy the street-side cafés and shops of Puerto Ayora.
At the end of the day, right after dinner, our guest joined visiting musicians and dancers for some entertainment. What a wonderful day!
