Darwin

Having seen a number of mentions of the islands' most famous visitor - from the orientation centre on San Cristóbal to road names and the eponymous finches - we finally visited the Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz today.

Ready, set...

Baby giant tortoises

The centre carries out programmes of tortoise breeding, perpetuating the line of the different species of giant tortoise found on each island. It also houses land iguanas, which, unlike their marine cousins, no longer thrive in the changed environment of today's Galapagos, but whose larger form and striking yellow skin make them the far more visually appealing reptile.

Land iguana

The weather was once again hot and muggy and so we sought a brief reprieve in the nearby lava tunnels. These are incredible structures, formed when hot rock from underneath the earth's surface surged through cool water, its outside solidifying to form a wall, while the centre oozed forth. The result is a network of hollow tunnels large enough for a man to stand up in. One even sheltered a sleepy barn owl.

Oh really?

Surrounding the tunnels are more examples of the famous tortoises, only this time - and for the first time - truly in the wild. Their territory is unbounded and they wander - albeit slowly - where they will. Given this freedom, it was odd to observe that they choose to frequent the fields surrounding an open-sided restaurant, built, it would seem, to entertain coachloads of visitors from cruise ships that descend on it daily for lunch.

Here be tortoises

The tortoises' heads retracted visibly into their shells as the crowds milled about their space. We were no less guilty of encroaching, having also been brought here to feed, although we kept a respectful distance from the creatures. Around the corner, the Galapagos sprung yet another surprise view - a lake carpeted in red petals.

The red carpet

VIP ducks

While the cruise passengers occupied most of the restaurant's tables, we were seated out the back and craned to see the dancing put on especially and solely for theor enjoyment. Lunch for us comprised the usual starch-heavy combination of rice, potatoes, and spaghetti standing in place of the fish.

While the cruisers were bussed back to continue their voyage, we tried to earn the "active" part of the activity trip we all had booked with a cycle ride for the 15km back to town. The activities thus far had been light on exertion and this largely downhill ride was a nice spin through the countryside on the outskirts of Puerto Ayora, but no more demanding.

With a little free time in town, we perused the souvenir shops, but took much more pleasure in watching the avian life at the harbour, especially the enormous forms of the pelicans divebombing the water in search of fish.

As this was the last night of the trip, we convened at Mauricio's request at Kiosk de Renato, on the night market, for a last dinner. Unsurprisingly, Renato's specialty turned out to be fish, so we fed ourselves up on the accompaniments of patacones, rice, and salad with some of the coconut sauce destined for the fish to make things a little less bland.

Night market

We dined happily, al fresco, under the full moon, until Mauricio appeared with a surprise cake. We were all touched and left vowing to keep in contact.

Farewell cake