The wildlife may have been the highlight of the Galapagos Islands, but finding a vacant pitch of sand that we claimed all for our own didn’t suck either.
About 15 of us made the trek. It was a bit of a steep hike from Puerto Ayora out to Tortuga Bay, but the path was shaded and paved, and after 30 minutes of meandering along, we found our way out onto the beachy oasis. There wasn’t a frown in the group.
We ran into one of our more intrepid voyagers, Evan, who had been baking in the sun since before any of the rest of us were even awake; an avid surfer who makes boards for a manufacturer in Southern California, Evan made it a point to test the waves in every port of our voyage.
We didn’t get to swim with giant iguanas—they were all MIA at this point in the day—but we did spot a couple other creatures scampering among the rocks, scurrying across the beach and flying overhead.
It was a beautiful day in a beautiful place with beautiful people, inside and out. What more could you ask for out of a dream trip?
A great way to spend a few hours.
Gaelyn recently posted..Meeting bloggers like old friends
I wish I’d had more than a few hours! Luckily, I’m going to the beach on family vacation this Sunday for eight days–though as it stands, it looks like I’ll be stuck indoors working for most of that time!
Stay cool, Galapagos!
Also? Insanely jealous.
xox
heidikins recently posted..52 Pics Weekly Photography Challenge: Week 21 “Speed”
I also really enjoyed Tortuga Bay when I visited. And maybe it’s good the iguanas weren’t there at that time? I found them terrifying! Especially when covering large spaces of land.Yikes!
I’ve been really enjoying your blog, thank you
Jessica Wray recently posted..My Backpacking Paradise: Pulau Perhentian Kecil
Well, thank YOU for stopping by! I actually did see the iguanas the next day–photos to come–and I admit, they were mildly creepy…
So jealous… very high on my list of places to visit. It looks just as incredible as I imagine it to be!
Margyle recently posted..Kick-Ass Kiwi Kampervans! (Or How I Almost Died on a New Zealand Mountain)
There was this odd dichotomy in the Galapagos where part of the time I felt like I could be anywhere in the Caribbean and the rest of the time, I felt like seeing all this surreal wildlife out in their natural habitat was all just a dream!
Ace photos! I’ve been looking at spots in S. America and C. America for a while as the next place to beef up my Spanish. These pictures make Ecuador pop out on the list.
Will Peach recently posted..Cool Things to Do in Costa Brava
If you go, I would highly suggest a boat tour versus land. I feel like we only slightly grazed the surface staying on Santa Cruz Island the whole time (which is all we could do with such a limited amount of time).
Lovely photographs, Kristin. When people mention that they’re into/experimenting with photography, I feel the need to mention a certain blogger I follow and have them check out some of your photographs – honest!
You are so sweet! That just makes my day–than you!
Looks like so much fun! When you go on another one of these trips, I want to go!
jade recently posted..I’m craving the calm chowder from Pismo Beach
OK, let’s do it! I’m hoping to go back on the ship in May 2013, though methinks you’re going to be tied up with more important things at that time
Stunning photos, as always! As a science nerd, I would love to follow Darwin’s footsteps in the Galapagos one day!
Kavi recently posted..Hang Sung Sot Grotto, Cave of Surprises
You better get there before *all* the tortoises die off!
So impressed with your awesome picture of the crab! They always scurry away before I’m able to snap a good pic.
Gina recently posted..A Fun TSA Agent?
Thanks, Gina! I used a zoom lens to stay a bit further back from him and prevent him from scurrying away.
Ahh! I loved Tortuga Bay when I was there. My friend told me it was where the locals go, like the rest of the island was crowded or something. You got some great photos!
Hillary recently posted..East Coast Road Trip Wrap-Up
Ha, I also heard it was a “locals” spot, and there was not a soul on the beach other than our group! It was actually the only beach I saw, so I have no idea if the other beaches were more “crowded” (if you can even say that about a place that’s so sparsely populated).
Awesome shots !!!
Are you using a new lens or filter? Love whatever you’re doing! The pics are stunning!!! Dying to get to Ecuador.
Andi of My Beautiful Adventures recently posted..Hong Kong: Plateau Spa At The Grand Hyatt Hong Kong
Not on any of these, no! I have always used LightRoom to edit and I made the lighting a bit warmer to reflect the mood. For the iguana/booby shots, I was using a Canon 400mm lens I rented in the US prior to my trip, as my biggest zoom is 300mm and it’s a Tamron so the glass isn’t that great.
Definitely a dream destination for me and my family! Hopefully, one day we will be able to afford a vacation here for 5! Having 3 kids is expensive
Jen Laceda recently posted..Sambal Okra with Coconut Saffron Brown Rice
Um, I didn’t know you had a third kid–when did that happen?!–OR that you had a new blog! Hi!
On San Cristobal you can visit the Interpretation Center, experience beautiful beaches, horseback ride, snorkel, SCUBA dive or go surfing. The only fresh water lake in Galapagos is located in the highlands of San Cristobal Island.
silver account recently posted..No last blog posts to return.
Looks like a fun vacation! I like all the wildlife shots you captured!
Audrey recently posted..Gagwonsa Buddhist Temple | Cheonan, South Korea
Ecuador is one of my dream destinations. Mostly for the Galapagos but I’d love to see more of the country too including some of these incredible looking beaches.
Andrea recently posted..The Cinquecento in Zagreb