Today we visited my home Island, Santa Cruz, which hosts the largest human population in the Galapagos, about 20,000 inhabitants. Puerto Ayora town is the center of economic activity of the archipelago, and tourism, agriculture and fishing activities keep the town and its people very busy.
The first visit of the morning was the “Fausto Llerena” Giant tortoise Breeding Center, run by the Galapagos National Park together with the famous Charles Darwin Research Station. Here our guests learned about the importance of these restoration programs for endangered species. As a result of this hard work, the emblematic giant tortoises were saved from extinction.
Afterwards there was time for shopping, exploring the fish market and the little cafes, to get a glimpse of the life of the local residents. Then it was time to explore the highlands, so our guests boarded buses to visit a private farm known as “el Trapiche”. Here our young explorers enjoyed a donkey ride, which is the method that they use to extract sugar cane juice, and we learned how brown sugar and coffee is produced. We even had the opportunity to sample some of their goods. This was a great way to understand the unique interaction between humans and nature.
Lunch was at Aquelarre Restaurant, a quiet place with a great garden and delicious food. The habitat in the highlands is perfect for land birds, such as the Darwin finches, a diversity of plants and the giant tortoises. Big males were seen around the area, and it was an amazing experience to walk between these giants!
The visit to my home island showed our guests the meaning of conservation and tourism, only here can we see that we all play an important role in the future of this unique archipelago. What we do today, will affect the islands tomorrow. It is a great joy to guide visitors in this incredible place, and I hope that the Galapagos Islands can share this magic with many generations to come!
