Coffee and Giant Tortises on Santa Cruz Island

April 5: Day 13. Another day, another couple of islands. Or so we think. Capt. Larry bolts out of bed with violent projectile emissions from both ends and he has a fever.

Giant tortoises found here!

Probably yesterday’s damned ceviche! In any event, he won’t be joining Jane for this morning’s tour of a Galapagos giant tortoise reserve.

Located on Santa Cruz Island, the second largest and most populated (~16,000) of the islands , Montemar is a 43-acre reserve and coffee plantation that sits in the path Galapagos tortoises use as they migrate to nesting sites.

Having fun in the mud

The property’s land has been reclaimed to recover native and endemic vegetation that sustain the giant tortoises. Montemar is a contributor to the Galapagos Tortoise Movement Ecology Program. The Galapagos tortoise is the largest living species of tortoise, with some weighing up to 900 pounds. In the wild, they have lifespans of over 100 years making them one of the longest-lived vertebrates. Currently they are found on seven of the Galapagos Islands.

Galapagos giant tortoise

After viewing the tortoises, Jane and the group wandered over to the coffee plantation to view the coffee trees. Then they passed through a butterfly garden and ended up at the coffee processing building.

Coffee plant

Here a demonstration was given as to how the coffee beans were harvested and processed, and a coffee tasting demonstration was included. While the Montemar coffee was available for purchase, Jane elected to purchase some crafts that supported a women’s mission.

With the tortoise tour finished, the group boarded the bus for a ride to Puerto Ayora to spend some free time in the largest (pop. ~2000) town in the Galapagos. The offerings for shopping were primarily coffee and jewelry stores which really didn’t arouse much interest.

Extracting a coffee bean

It was hot, humid, and lightly raining—a combination that doesn’t tickle Jane’s fancy. With tenders available to return to the ship, the visit to Santa Cruz was done.

The end result

Again during lunch, the ship was repositioned to Santa Fe Island, a small (9.3 mi.²) island that is one of the oldest in the archipelago with volcanic rocks dating back 4 million years. With the afternoon activities listed as deepwater snorkeling, a nature walk, and a kayaking adventure, and with Capt. Larry still not feeling very chipper, we decided to stay on board and get some rest time in. The good news was that he felt well enough to make it to happy hour!

Puerto Ayora street scene

 There was a recap and lecture on Darwin’s legacy followed by a destination briefing and dinner. At dinner we shared a table with four other members of our group and traded travel experiences for an interesting evening.

Dinner with members of our group