In the center of the Galapagos archipelago lies Santa Cruz, the second largest island in size (after Isabela). It is also the commercial capital of the region, with the largest human settlement of about 20,000 residents. Santa Cruz is home to the National Park and Charles Darwin Foundation headquarters, whose contributions to the welfare of local ecosystems is key. The highlands region of this island is highly productive for agriculture and farming. This is also the place to see the island’s giant tortoises — icons of the archipelago — in their natural state. Puerto Ayora is a large town where we see how people can live in harmony with nature and participate in commerce under the umbrella of tourism.
3/18/2025
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National Geographic Islander II
San Cristobal Island
Today our guests had the opportunity to visit San Cristóbal Island, one of the oldest islands at about 4 million years old. We visited Punta Pitt very early in the morning where we disembarked on its incredible green-sand beach. Soon after, we hiked along a tuff cone volcano’s trail where our guests saw the three species of boobies that inhabit the Galapagos. The highlight was the red-footed boobies that we saw for the first time. After the hike, our guests had time to relax and snorkel from the beach. In the afternoon, our guests enjoyed beautiful Cerro Brujo Beach, considered one of the top 10 best beaches in the world to visit. Cerro Brujo, with its turquoise waters, allowed us to relax and enjoy the ocean and the unique wildlife. And finally, to end this incredible day, we sailed around Kicker Rock where our guests said goodbye to this beautiful island on the southeast side of the archipelago.
