This post features student writing.

Today was jam-packed with fun activities, during which we got to explore San Cristóbal island! We started off the day meeting our guide Pepo and riding bikes to a beach called El Lobería, where we tried snorkeling for the first time together. We saw lots of sea lions, including a pup that we swam alongside in the water! Something cool that I learned was that in Spanish, the name for sea lions is actually lobo de mar (sea wolf) because genetically, sea lions are closer to wolves than they are to lions.

After snorkeling, we visited a tree house that was built by our guide’s family, and we met Pepo’s dad! He said it only took him four months to construct and it was built in the branches of a tree that is at least 300 years old! Initially, the house was meant to be a weekend getaway spot, but now, it has become a tourist attraction, with a vegetable garden, ducks, an underground cave, and rope swings surrounding the tree house! We also got to try homemade ice cream in some very extravagant flavors including beet and avocado, made by Pepo’s mom, and delicious banana bread made by his dad!

In the afternoon, we went to a different beach called Puerto Chino to surf and swim in the ocean. Our guides helped us take turns on the surfboards and we all had a great time jumping in the waves! It was a great way to finish off the day.

In the evening, after some down time at the hotel, we got the chance to visit a few shops on the island before heading to dinner. We ate some delicious pizza at a local pizzeria but when we tried to order more we were informed that they were out of pizza (we all found this hilarious that a pizza place could run out of pizza), so we went to another pizza place to finish off our meal, joking about pizza hopping all around the island. Our last few days together in the Galápagos are feeling bittersweet but I know we’re all looking forward to being home.

— Sarah H.