The biggest question on a trip to the Galapagos is how to explore the archipelago in the best way. After all, there are 19 small islands and 13 slightly larger ones, of which only 4 are inhabited. And each of them keeps its own secrets. Stay on land or throw yourself into the sea? The answer is easy. If you are not one of those people who easily get seasick, take a cruise! It will be easier to access all the corners of this paradise. How long? As long as you can. Galapagos is unbelievable! What boat? Yacht La Pinta. Perfect!!!
I arrived at Yacht La Pinta after doing a lot of research on the Galapagos. I wanted a boat that was small, safe, comfortable, attentive to the environment and with good safety protocols in this pandemic moment. I found it! The Yacht La Pinta is one of the 3 boats belonging to the company Metropolitan Touring that was created exactly with the objective of helping in the environmental preservation of the archipelago that had been suffering from attacks by pirates.
The boat is super charming, has 24 cabins and capacity for 48 passengers. It was recently renovated and its design is contemporary. The rooms are large and well lit. In the bathroom L’Occitane amenities that I love. In addition, the staff is all very kind. The tours are made in groups of a maximum of 11 people so as not to make the animals uncomfortable. Naturalistic guides accompany and explain everything about the species of the archipelago that are beyond exotic. Hiking, kayaking, stand up paddle, boat ride with glass bottom and snorkeling are among the activities available for the adventure. And what an adventure!
I chose a 5-day tour of the eastern islands of the archipelago and regretted not having stayed twice as long. Galapagos is awesome. Each island has its peculiarities. I started the cruise on the island of Baltra, where the airport is. The first stop was at Plaza Sul Island for a sunset trek. As a company, sea lions, land iguanas and hundreds of birds taking care of their young. An emotion like no other. And at each stop, the scenery changed, the animals showed their differences in terms of adaptation and the surprises only increased. On the island of Santa Fé live iguanas of an orange tone that only exist there. In San Cristobal the stars were the giant tortoises that weigh up to 400 kilos. Walking on the beach of Cerro Brujo, where Darwin landed in 1835 is more than special. On the island of Española we were greeted by a school of dolphins before taking a walk among hundreds of marine iguanas.
You know when it’s time to go and you’re not ready to leave yet? It was like that in the Galápagos. What a dream of a place. A trip that brings a lot of reflection and beautiful teachings.
XoXo and a beautiful 2021 for all of us!
