San Cristobal and Española are some of the oldest of the Galapagos Islands, as they sit on the southeastern end of the archipelago. The islands are of volcanic origin and formed due to the activity of what geologists call a “hotspot.” As the Nazca Plate slid to the southeast over the hotspot, new islands emerged. This means that the islands toward the northwest are the youngest, and the ones on the opposite end are the oldest.
5/27/2025
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National Geographic Islander II
San Cristobal Island
For the last full day of our expedition, we began with a beautiful early morning hike at Punta Pitt, in the northeast section of the island. This place is unique for its interesting landscape, and for being one of the three main places where red-footed boobies nest in the Galapagos. We had to walk uphill for several minutes, but we were well rewarded: we spotted blue-footed and red-footed boobies nesting, as well as some red-footed booby chicks. It was a great morning walk and everyone enjoyed. After a delicious breakfast on board, we returned to the beach for the last snorkeling of the trip; we saw sea turtles, sea lions, a lot of fish, and we even spotted an octopus hunting. As we were navigating to our site for the afternoon, we were so lucky to encounter pilot whales and dolphins. In the afternoon we visited one of the most beautiful beaches in the Galapagos, Cerro Brujo. Here white sand mixes with the black lava field to create a special contrast, where some guests enjoyed a last chance to swim in the Galapagos waters and enjoy the wildlife around.
