Galapagos Islands luxury cruise Itinerary central and northern route | Petrel Catamaran

Santa Cruz is a popular tourist destination today. It is home to approximately 12,000 Galapagos residents and has the longest paved road throughout the archipelago. It is important to eradicate all non-native animals and plants that destroy native and endangered species. Although there is no evidence of volcanic activity, it does not mean that there is none. Santa Cruz is a Spanish word meaning holy cross. However, its English name comes directly from the British vessel Indefatigable.

Highlands

Because of the rich wildlife, hills and ferns as well as volcanoes and lava tube formations, the Highlands of Santa Cruz are a fascinating place. It is an amazing and unforgettable experience to explore the lava tubes. You can view all of the agricultural zones in Galapagos from one spot. This is a paradise for birdwatchers because of the variety of birds. After your visit to the Highlands, you will be transferred on to the yacht. After the visit to the Highlands, you will be transferred to your cabin. Here you can relax and settle in before attending the briefing.

Charles Darwin visited Santiago Island, the second Island he visited. It was named after King James II of England. It was home to a lot of water and salt and provided food for passing whalers and buccaneers. A salt mine was located inland, which was used to salt fish or tortoise meat. The island was once home to land iguanas, but they are now extinct. Darwin himself noted that the land iguanas thrived because there was nowhere to pitch a tent. Today, Santiago Island is one of the most popular islands.

Santiago Island: Sullivan Bay

Sullivan Bay is a satellite Island of Santiago. It is the ideal spot to view the Galapagos fur-seal. Although there isn't much wildlife here, the old lava formations with tuff cones and pyroclastic coni are worth a visit.

Bartolome Island

Bartolome Island, another satellite island, is also a result of Santiago Island. It is the home to the Pinnacle Rock. The island is named after James Sullivan who was a friend and colleague of Charles Darwin. This island is the most photographed of all and was featured in the 2003 film "Master and Commander".

Pinnacle rock is an expelled magma from an underwater volcano. The hot lava was cooled by the sea and the pieces exploded as they came into contact. This created this massive rock with many layers of basalt. A small number of green sea turtles nest on the beach that forms this huge rock. Here, Galapagos penguins congregate and you can swim to see colorful schools of fish as well as curious sea lions.