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| Tortuga Bay! |
Today was our second full day on Santa Cruz. Our main activity was hiking to, and swimming in Tortuga Bay. From the hotel it was about four miles each way. The first two miles were along the waterfront through the town of Puerto Ayora. Once we got across town there was a really nice two mile walk to the swimming beach. The first mile and a half were along a paved path that ended at the beach. This path was through lava fields with small brush and cactus. The cactus were interesting because they are quite tall and the trunk resembles a pine tree.
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| Along the paved path to Tortuga Bay |
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| Lava and cactus along the path |
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| Opuntia Cactus |
The first beach is really beautiful and while you can swim there at times it was closed today due to strong currents and high surf. From there it was another 15 minutes or so walk along the sand to a really nice beach in a protected cove. We had entertainment on the beach part of the walk. There were hundreds of Marine Iguanas from babies up to huge adults. Some iguanas were sunning themselves on the sand and rocks. Others were chilling out in the shade, while others were swimming. About the only thing we didn't see them doing was playing beach volleyball or Frisbee. If watching them isn't entertaining enough they have one characteristic that adds even more value, they snort a lot. The snorting is how they remove excess salt that has been absorbed through their skin. It's kind of a combination of a sneeze and blowing their nose followed by a puff of white mist. Fun to watch!
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| First Beach-The Red Flags (No Swimming) were out due to high surf and strong currents |
Keeping in mind that the seasons are opposite of ours in the Northern Hemisphere, the Galapagos Islands are in the early part of their winter. It's still pretty close to the equator so there really isn't a need for snow plows and parkas. The average high in the summer here is in the mid-80's and the average high during "winter" is a balmy 72 degrees. It was cloudy this morning so I'm betting the temperature was around 75 by the time we got to Tortuga Bay. The water was a little chilly at first but not uncomfortable.
If you ever find yourself on Santa Cruz and you're looking for a nice beach, check out Tortuga Bay. Here are a few things to remember:
1. You can't drive to Tortuga Bay. It is reachable by walking the path or hiring a boat.
2. If at all possible, take a hike. It's a very nice paved trail. There is a little bit of up and down but
nothing major.
3. You will have to register at the start of the hike. There is no fee but they do ask for your passport number on the registration (you don't have to show your passport, just provide the number).
4. Bring food and water. There are no concessions at the beach.
5. There are no changing areas.
6. There are no restrooms...........other than the Pacific Ocean!
7. Bring your camera, you'll want plenty of pictures............here are some of the ones we took today:
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| The Swimming Beach at Tortuga Bay |
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| Marine Iguanas at the beach |
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| We were sitting under a shade tree with this guy |
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| Taking a dip |
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| I looked down to find this between my feet |
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| We ate at the food kiosks again. This was the grilled plate for two. There was beef, chicken, pork chop, chorizo, shrimp, grilled corn..............and a little butter on the corn! |
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| Fresh fish and lobster at the food kiosks |
