6 of the Most Unforgettable Galápagos Attractions

What are the coolest things to see in the Galápagos Islands? The giant tortoises of Rancho El Chato, the Bellavista Lava Tunnels, Los Gemelos and the sea lions of Lobería Bay make this a paradise for nature lovers.

Calling all thrill-seekers! Are you ready to experience the Galápagos Islands like never before? This untouched paradise, situated off the shores of Ecuador, is home to an abundant and awe-inspiring array of wildlife. From giant tortoises to iguanas to penguins, this enchanting destination is a must-visit for nature lovers and adventure seekers alike. 

About 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean, the remote archipelago of 18 islands and more than 100 small islets was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978.

Here are the top six awe-inspiring experiences you won’t want to miss out on during a private Galápagos tour:  

1. Lobería Bay: A Sea Lion’s Paradise

Near Puerto Baquerizo Moreno on the southwestern coast of San Cristóbal Island, Lobería Bay is home to one of the largest sea lion colonies in the Galápagos Islands, and its name, which loosely translates to “Place of the Sea Wolves,” is a fitting one. 

These playful creatures can be seen sunbathing on the rocks, swimming in the ocean and even surfing the waves. Visitors can get up close and personal with the sea lions, but it’s important to remember that they’re wild animals and should be respected.

In addition to sea lions, Lobería Bay is home to a variety of other wildlife, including iguanas, penguins and pelicans. The crystal-clear turquoise waters off the coast are also great for snorkeling and scuba diving: You can see a variety of marine life, such as sharks, rays and colorful fish.

Lobería Bay is a truly special place to witness the spectacle of its namesake inhabitants. Their spirited playfulness and captivating postures make for an unforgettable show.

2. Santa Cruz Fish Market: Get Fresh

Located on San Cristóbal’s southern shore in the town of Puerto Ayora, the Santa Cruz Fish Market is a wonderful place to immerse yourself in island culture. Locals come here to select their evening feast among the freshest catches of the day. The market is a hive of activity, with fishermen unloading their boats, vendors hawking their wares and tourists snapping photos. 

You won’t be alone. Pelicans waddle past the counters, and the sea lions poke their heads up beside the sellers stalls to sniff the delicious seafood.

But the real spectacle is the intricate process of weighing and preparing the fish. Yellowtail tunas are hoisted onto scales, groupers are gutted and fileted, and scorpion fish are skinned and cleaned. It’s a fascinating glimpse into the world of commercial fishing, and it’s sure to whet your appetite.

At night, the fish market transforms into an open-air restaurant. The set menu offers a plate of fresh seafood and two sides for a very reasonable price (around $5). 

While you’re in the vicinity, head to the black volcanic rock shores to see colonies of brightly colored Sally Lightfoot crabs scuttling about.

3. The Wetlands on Isabela Island: A Birdwatcher’s Paradise

The Isabela Wetlands Complex (Isabela Humedales) is a hidden gem located a short distance from Puerto Villamil on seahorse-shaped Isabela Island. This remarkable ecosystem is home to a diverse array of wildlife, including flamingos, stilts (named for their long legs) and pintail ducks. 

The best way to explore the wetlands is on foot, following the network of boardwalk trails that pass through lakes, lagoons and mangrove swamps. The trails are easy to navigate, making them a great option for even inexperienced hikers.

As you explore the complex, you’ll be amazed by the beauty of the wetland ecosystem. Mangrove trees provide a shady respite from the sun, popular with various plants, insects, amphibians, fish and more. But the real stars of the show are the birds. You can see over 100 species, including some that are found nowhere else in the world. You're likely to see flamingos, flightless cormorants, penguins and gallinules.

While here, look for the island’s unusual resident, the Conolophus marthae, or pink land iguana. The slopes of Wolf Volcano are the only place on the planet where they live.

If you’re not a fan of hiking, you can explore the area on a bicycle. However, it’s best to avoid the afternoon, when the sun is at its hottest.

4. El Chato Tortoise Reserve: Walking Among Giants 

The Galápagos tortoise is the official mascot of the islands — and for good reason. These majestic, slow-moving creatures are gentle giants, with some specimens weighing up to 550 pounds (250 kilograms). They’re also some of the longest-living invertebrates; the oldest ever recorded was 175 years old!

One of the best places to observe them in their natural habitat on Santa Cruz Island at Rancho El Chato. The reserve is located a little over a mile south of the small town of Santa Rosa and covers 29 rolling acres of lush tropical highlands. The ranch’s mission is to provide a sanctuary for this endangered species. The privately owned reserve is home to many free-roaming giant tortoises, as well as Darwin finches and short-eared owls. 

Visitors can hike through the highlands, coming face-to-face with tortoises, as these amazing creatures roam around freely, and learning more about their resilience and longevity. 

5. Los Túneles de Bellavista: A Subterranean Wonder

If Puerto Ayora’s your home base, you can find a treasure trove of wonders just beyond its lively fish market, including the subterranean geologic wonders known as Los Túneles de Bellavista, or the Bellavista Lava Tunnels. These underground passages on Santa Cruz Island reveal the sheer magnitude and force of volcanic activity that shaped the Galápagos archipelago.

One of the most popular tunnels can be found near the village of Bellavista. Santa Cruz is the most well-known island for lava flows, which are particularly abundant in the highlands. Visitors can descend underground and marvel at the incredible shapes and formations that were created millions of years ago. 

The tubes were formed as lava flowed over the island’s surface. As the outer layer of lava cooled and hardened, molten magma continued flowing beneath. When the lava drained away, it left behind a series of long cave-like channels.

To get to the Lava Tunnels, you can hire a taxi in Puerto Ayora. The tunnels aren’t well-lit, so be sure to bring a flashlight and wear sturdy shoes, not flip-flops.

6. Los Gemelos and Scalesia Forest: Twice as Nice

If you’re looking for an adventure that will take your breath away, be sure to add Los Gemelos (The Twins) to your list of must-see places in the Galapagos. These two round craters are located on opposite sides of the main Santa Cruz highway and were formed when lava tunnels collapsed due to erosion and tectonic shifts. Today, they stand as untamed and lush havens, inviting adventurous souls to explore their hidden wonders.

The larger of the two craters is about 410 feet deep (125 meters), and the smaller one is about 82 feet deep (25 meters). Both are surrounded by Scalesia forests. These trees are actually part of the family of plants that includes daisies and sunflowers. Scalesia trees are endangered, and they’re only found in the Galápagos. The forests also have a variety of birds, including the vermilion flycatcher and the Galápagos hawk.

A short hike from the main road leads to the rim of the larger crater. From there, you have a breathtaking view of the crater and the surrounding forest. You can also hike down into the crater, but be sure to wear sturdy shoes and be careful of loose rocks.

The Galápagos: Explore a Natural World of Wonders

The Galápagos Islands are a place of wonder and discovery. With playful sea lions, vibrant fish markets, lava tunnels and mighty tortoises, every corner of this archipelago holds something different to explore. Craft your own itinerary with a private tour of the Galápagos Islands — you’re sure to be captivated by its sheer beauty. –Emilia Stefan

Christmas Around the World

Learn strange Christmas traditions from other countries.

Why are these people in blackface? It’s just one of the quirky Dutch Christmas traditions!

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, as the song goes. But in many parts of the world, it’s one of the strangest times of the year as well.

Americans have their share of kooky Christmas traditions, including the belief that a misfit reindeer with a glowing red nose named Rudolph flies through the sky, helping pull a fat man’s sleigh. Not to mention that said fat man somehow fits all the presents for every kid onto this sleigh and makes it around the world, slipping down chimneys, all in a single night.
But that’s nothing compared to some of the holiday traditions in other parts of the world.

“People in the Netherlands dress as Black Peter, a Moor, by putting on blackface. ”

For example, Christmas takes on a strangely scatalogical bent in Catalonia, a region of Spain. People place the figurine of a guy in the act of deficating in their nativity scenes as well as beat a log until it poops out treats for kids.

And in Austria and other parts of Europe, if you’re a naughty child, a devil named Krampus will kidnap you, beat you savagely with a stick and drag you to Hell.

Here are some of the more bizarre ways to celebrate the holidays in other parts of the world.

The Dutch version of Santa Claus has a helper named Zwarte Piet, or Black Peter

Go in blackface as Santa’s helper in the Netherlands.

Sinterklaas, as Santa Claus is known to the Dutch people, travels with his servant. But instead of diminutive elves, Sinterklaas is accompanied by Zwarte Piet, or Black Peter. Today people dress as Black Peter, a Moor, by putting on blackface. Not very PC — it’s amazing this tradition still exists. It wouldn’t in the United States, I’ll tell ya that.

Someone’s been naughty and needs to get stuffed into a sack and sent off to Spain!

It’s these fellows who keep tabs on who’s been naughty and who’s been nice. The good kids get presents, while the bad ones are shoved into a sack and taken off to Spain for a year of reform school.

Spiderweb decorations are common in Ukraine and Poland

Decorate the tree with spiderweb ornaments in Ukraine and Poland.

Spiderweb ornaments might sound more Halloween than Christmas, but there’s a story behind them. A poor Ukrainian widow lived with her children in a hut. The kids saw a majestic evergreen outside and wanted it to be their Christmas tree. Trouble was, they didn’t have any ornaments and couldn’t afford them.

So the woman cried herself to sleep that night. The hut’s spiders heard her sobs and decorated the tree in intricate webs overnight. In the morning, the sunrise caught the webs and made them glisten like metal. And everyone lived happily ever after, as they tend to do in these fairy tales.

In Poland, they also decorate Christmas trees with spiderwebs, but there’s a different tale behind this tradition. They believe a spider wove a blanket for baby Jesus. I’m sure it wasn’t warm and was annoyingly sticky, but I suppose they appreciated the sentiment.  

If a witch can’t find a broom in your house, Norwegians think she’ll leave you alone

Hide brooms from the witches in Norway.

Apparently witches and evil spirits like to come out to play on Christmas Eve. So Norwegians, to keep them at bay, hide their brooms, which we all know is a witch’s favorite means of travel. To thwart the witches and evil spirits, men will also fire three shots from their rifles into the air.

These nuns in Venezuela were off to celebrate Christmas mass on roller skates

Roller skate to church in Venezuela.

Amid the explosions of firecrackers, entire Venezuelan families in Caracas don roller skates and head off to Catholic mass. As tradition has it, children go to bed with a piece of string tied around their toe with the other end dangling out the window. As the skaters roll past, they give the string a tug, and children know that it’s time to put their own skates on. It’s such a popular tradition that the government took to closing entire streets to traffic so families could skate together in safety. This has gotta be the only time church feels like a disco club. All that’s missing is the mirror ball.

Grab your horse skull! It’s time to go wassailing in Wales!

Carol (and beg for booze) with a dead horse in Wales.

Perhaps you’ve heard the song that begins, “Here we come a-wassailing.” This is the Welsh version of caroling. Wassail is an old England word for “cheers” and can also refer to the boozy beverages the carolers are begging for: ale or mulled wine.

The old Mari Lwyd just ain’t what she used to be

The tradition, known as Mari Lwyd, translates to the Gray Mare, involves people going from house to house, singing and challenging the families inside to a battle of rhyming insults until they get a boozy beverage. What makes this creepy is that one person dresses up like a horse, donning a white sheet topped with an actual horse skull adorned with ears and eyes.

Take me to church

Bring a rooster to mass in Bolivia.

Bolivians celebrate Misa del Gallo (Mass of the Rooster), the midnight service on Christmas Eve, by bringing along a rooster. It must get quite boisterous. But what’s with all the cocks? It’s to honor the creature that is believed to be the first to have announced the birth of baby Jesus.

Dark-haired men, come on in! Blonde and red-haired women, stay the heck away!

Hope for a dark-haired man to visit you on Christmas in Estonia and Ireland.

Your first Christmas visitor (the first-footer) can determine if your household will have a good year or not — at least that’s what the Estonians believe. If you’re a woman, blonde or red-haired, just stay home, though, please. It’s really only dark-haired gents who bring good luck.

Ireland has the same tradition, though they light a candle and, at the last stroke of midnight, throw open their front doors to welcome in the New Year. Women will beat the door with a loaf of bread, while hoping for a dark-haired gentleman to darken their doorway.

People in Finland buy small tin horseshoes to melt on New Year’s Eve as part of a fortune-telling ritual

Melt tin and predict the future in Finland.

You might need a book of symbols and their meanings for this tradition. On New Year’s Eve, Finns purchase small tin horseshoes to melt and ladles. The molten tin is dropped  into a bucket of snow or ice-cold water. Once it hardens, they hold the blob up to the light to see what shape its shadow casts. If it looks like a hill, for example, there will be obstacles ahead. If it looks like a coin, you’ll be coming into some money.

Pesky Greek goblins called the kallikantzari take a break from trying to cut down the World Tree to cause mischief on the 12 days of Christmas

Kallikantzari like to scare humans — and poop in their food

Watch out for goblins in Greece.

According to Greek legend, the hobgoblins called kallikantzari come up from their underground homes on Christmas Day to play tricks on humans until Ephiphany, January 6. They’re particularly fond of sneaking down the chimney like Santa to hide in your home and jump out and scare you. The kallikantzari also rearrange the furniture and, shudder, take dumps in any open containers of food they find.

Grab a colander — it’s one of the best ways to get rid of these Greek goblins

If you want to avoid goblin crap on your cookies, burn logs or old shoes, or hang sausages or sweetmeats in the chimney. In addition, many Greeks put a colander on their doorsteps because the goblins will be compelled to count the holes. They don’t make much headway, though, according to A Scary Little Christmas, because the dim-witted creatures can only count to two.

They’re burning Mickey Mouse?! What did he ever do to hurt anyone?

Burn effigies in Ecuador.

In their own version of Guy Fawkes Day, Ecuadorians celebrate La Quema de los Años Viejos, the Burning of the Old Years. They make life-size dolls that resemble someone they dislike — maybe a local politician or the ever-popular Osama bin Laden. (I’m going to guess that Trump is a new fave.) People write notes explaining why the dolls should be burned and what changes they’d like to see in the coming year.

The effigies are proudly displayed on balconies or in windows until New Year's Eve, when they’re burned in a bonfire in the street. People jump over the fires for good luck.

Don’t be late on the winter solstice — you’ll be the Thomas Donkey and will end up the butt of jokes all day

Try not to become a donkey in Germany.

Don’t be an ass! In Germany, the Winter Solstice is also known as St. Thomas Day. It’s not a good day to be tardy. In parts of the Sauerland region, if you sleep in or get to work late, you’re given a cardboard donkey. called the Thomas Donkey and you’ll be the butt of jokes all day.

At least you’re rewarded at the end of the day with Thomasplitzchen, iced currant buns.

“The Greek goblins known as the kallikantzari like to take dumps in any open containers of food they find.”

Put on your skates and grab your cock before hitting midnight mass! Maybe you can incorporate some of these traditions into your Yuletide celebrations! –Wally