Hands down, my favorite spot in all of the Galapagos is Tortuga Bay on Isla Santa Cruz. This is a public beach, open daily from 6 am - 6 pm. Humans aren't permitted on the beach outside those hours to offer marine turtles uninterrupted opportunities to lay eggs and nest. Parts of the beach are off limits when iguanas are nesting and laying eggs as well.
So great that the animals are offered such consideration.
A short walk out of the Santa Cruz's main drag brings you to the gatehouse to sign into the park. You're afforded views like this:
From the gatehouse, you hike on a paved trail three miles to the beach. There's no food or vendors on the beach, so you either hike with a picnic or go before or after lunch. Close to the opening & closing hours tons of local runners jog up and down the path.
And then you reach the promised land.
These guys are just about everywhere. The iguanas play on the lava rocks at the beach. When they're ready, they swim into the surf to find some seaweed. Afterwards, they lay sated in the sun. The sun literally cooks the seaweed in them to digest. No need to be afraid. The most these guys will do is hiss. I still gave them ample space-- I was but a guest in their home.
How to idle away a day? A staring contest is a good start. Kevin lost multiple rounds.
This cove had absolutely clear water. Lots of folks bring their own snorkel gear. That's fun & fine, but honestly, I didn't feel like it was necessary. The lizards and minnows flit right past, easily visible through the clear water.
(Did I just freak you out by saying that you're swimming with lizards? It's totally fine. Wide berth. Seriously, they grow on you.)
These guys are absurd.
We set up camp in the mangrove. Ample shade, a place to hang my cover up, and soft sand while we lay and read.
Shade naps are the best.
When you look up, you can say "hi" to a finch.
No comments:
Post a Comment