Tortuga Bay

 With a restful night’s sleep, we were up early to explore some of the natural beauty of the Galapagos Islands.  After an early morning workout (habits never rest, even on vacation), we took the two-mile walk to Tortuga Bay.  We trekked along a paved pathway that provided glimpses of wildlife (e.g. birds & iguanas) and wild vegetation.  Although the journey was quite beautiful, the destination stole the show as we arrived at the beach and basically had the place to ourselves.  Besides the smooth sand that seemed to go on forever and the crystal clear surf, we were delighted by the orange crabs and black iguanas who blended perfectly into the lava stones that kissed the blue waters. 

Tortuga Bay itself was absolutely stunning and felt like something out of a dream. The beach stretched on endlessly, with powdery white sand and choppy turquoise waters. It felt like we had the place to ourselves. Bright orange Sally Lightfoot crabs clung to the lava rocks while black marine iguanas lounged along the shore, soaking up the morning sun. The contrast of colors, white sand, black rock, blue ocean, and bursts of color from the wildlife, was unforgettable. We walked along the shore, and took in the quiet majesty of this protected area.

We met many beach goers on our return trip as we exchanged the familiar greeting “Buenos Dias,” with both locals and tourists.  Although they were in for a similar treat, nothing beats visiting a beautiful location in solitude.  Upon arrival back in the city, we had a very early (9:00 am) lunch at a restaurant frequented by locals.  We shared several tasty plates including fried fish and plantains, rice, salad and yucca – all for $10  – quite the deal.  

After one more cup of coffee at our hotel, we changed locations to the Hostal Costa del Pacifico – a little more upscale spot that cost us $50/night.  We settled in and relaxed in preparation for our 3 day-2 night excursion to Isabela Island.