If you’re staying on the island of Santa Cruz, there are plenty of daily excursions on offer. This time, take a trip to the island of Floreana.
A sparsely inhabited island
Two hours by boat from Puerto Ayora, you’ll disembark on the (sparsely) populated fourth island of the Galapagos archipelago. With its 170 year-round inhabitants, Floreana is surely the most colorful island in the Galapagos. It is considered to be the first island in the Galapagos archipelago to have emerged from the ocean, and also the first to have been inhabited by man.
But it is also the island with the most strange and mysterious stories...
Initially a refuge for pirates and whalers, and later for a number of European sailors, it finally became the stronghold of several German families in the early 1930s.
With their arrival came inexplicable and often obscure stories, known as the Galapagos Affair, which remain untold to this day.
Your visit to Floreana
Your visit begins with a stopover on the upper part of the island, where el Asilo de la Paz is located, now home to a rehabilitation center for giant Galapagos tortoises. Coming from other islands, you’ll cross the enclosure where they are protected. Throughout the visit, your naturalist guide will tell you all about the characteristics of these turtles and the stories of this enigmatic place. Perhaps you’ll feel the special energy that reigns here…
Your afternoon will then be dedicated to snorkeling: the Galapagos Islands’ flagship activity! Put on your swimsuit (or wetsuit, depending on the season), mask, snorkel and flippers to discover this unrivaled underwater world. Swim among turtles, marine iguanas, Galapagos sea lions, rays and, if you’re lucky, sharks.
From white and black sand beaches to magnificent bays and intriguing stories, this wild and mystical island is full of natural sites to explore and re-explore.
