7 Days, Luxury Cruise from Origin - 20230304 - 7 days

Española Island, part of the Galápagos Islands, is a popular tourist stop. Visitors are attracted by the variety of wildlife, most notably its avian population, its restored giant tortoise species, and plentiful sea lions.

Nearly all of the bird species found on Española Island are visible at Punta Suarez, on the western end of the island, one of two main visitor sites. The population includes tame mocking birds, uncommon red and green -trimmed marine iguanas, both blue-footed and masked boobies, albatross colonies and more.

The second site, Gardner Bay, is on the northeast side of the island. It offers one of the most spectacular beaches in the archipelago. It’s a good spot for swimming although snorkeling is better on nearby islets such as Tortuga.

Geologically, San Cristobal Island is one of the oldest as well as the easternmost island in the Galápagos archipelago. It is home to the only source of fresh water in the islands, a small lake called Laguna El Junco. The lake hosts a large population of birdlife, as does the rest of the island. Other animal inhabitants include sea lions, tortoises, marine iguanas, dolphins, lobsters and more.

One of San Cristobal Island’s most popular visitor sites is Cerro Brujo, with its expansive white sand beach and a lagoon that locals used to use as a salt mine but now offers excellent snorkeling opportunities. Another must-see is Kicker Rock, a fascinating rock formation that looks like a boot from one angle, hence the English name, and like a sleeping lion from another (thus its Spanish name, Roca León Dormido). It’s an excellent snorkeling spot as well.

Santiago Island, which consists of two overlapping volcanoes, is part of the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador.

On the western side of the island in James Bay, a colony of fur seals is at home on the black lava rocks, thanks to the cool Humboldt Current. At Flamingo Lake, you can depend upon seeing a flock of feeding flamingos. Sullivan Bay, on the eastern end, is fascinating for geologists and volcano enthusiasts, offering visitors the opportunity to walk across a relatively recent (1897) lava flow. There are also a couple of beaches known to house nesting sea turtles.

The island’s main attraction, though, is Puerto Egas (Port Egas) with its variety of wildlife: Marine iguanas basking in the sun, Sally Lightfoot crabs scuttling through tide pools, brilliant tropical fish, and plenty of fur seals.