| Visits
to Santa Fe begin with a panga ride across the lovely turquoise
lagoon. Once ashore there are two trails starting from the same
point, offering very different experiences.
Home
to one of the most beautiful coves in all the Galapagos, Santa
Fe is located in the southeastern part of Galapagos, 2 1/2 hours
from Santa Cruz and 3 hours from San Cristobal.
The
small bay on Santa Fe's northern coast provides one of the most
picturesque anchorages within the archipelago. Its beauty
is best appreciated from the trail, which climbs the fault cliff
overlooking the southern half of the bay. This trail eventually
leads to a place where you can best see the few remaining large
land iguanas that are endemic to this island. The second trail
is a short walk from the beach to an unusually tall forest of
prickly pear cactus.
The
two beaches are sleeping grounds for sea lions. Near
the small island at the entrance of the bay, snorkelling the
crystal clear and shallow waters also can be rewarding. Santa
Fe is certainly one of the best locations for swimming with
sea lions and for a glimpse of the Galápagos white-tipped
shark and sea turtles.
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