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Adventure through the Galápagos Islands and Ecuador in search of wild animals:

from blue-footed boobies to elusive pumas – and find luxe living besides

W O R D S : L i z z i e P O O k

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The Galápagos is primarily a cruise ship destination (although only 70 ships are allowed to putter around the waters of the 3,040 square mile national park at a time). But I’m here to discover how the archipelago can be explored on a land-based tour, on Metropolitan Touring’s first luxury island-hopping safari. A perfect match, given that I am very much averse to large tour groups, and even kayaking in Cornwall makes me woefully seasick.

Our first stop is the island of Isabela – with a population of 1,748 – that we must reach, in truly intrepid style, on a teeny tiny light aircraft about the size of a large black cab. On the 25-minute journey the clouds part to reveal an ocean awash with a dazzling palette of colours: deep inky blue, shocking neon green and swirls of icy aquamarine. The islands below look like sleeping goddesses and I marvel at how much life there must be in these waters. I keep my eyes peeled for whales – I’m told humpbacks, orcas, blue and fin whales are often spotted from the sky – and brace myself as we descend through wool-thick, white-out cloud as we come in to land.

The Galápagos Islands are a puzzle to pin down. When coming in to land at Baltra airport, the surrounding craggy landscape looks a bit like a cactus-strewn

Australian bush, but with a sparkling sliver of aquamarine sea you might expect to find in the Caribbean. The black volcanic mountains rising in the distance look decidedly Icelandic and as I disembark, the fierce equatorial sun beating down on my face feels distinctly like sub-Saharan Africa. It’s all a bit disorientating, really. A dreamscape of sorts. Like no other place I’ve visited.

Of course, most people travel to the Galápagos – a province of Ecuador, off the west coast of South America – for the wildlife. Ninety-seven per cent of the land above water here is protected and the islands are home to a profusion of curiously tame species, from the giant land tortoise and marine iguana to rambunctious sea lions, whales and dolphins.

You can get a sense of the sheer volume of animals packed into this place as soon as you step into the tiny airport terminal: spiny land iguanas haul themselves lazily between satellite dishes and dozens of Darwin finches hop perkily between the check-in desks. The sky above, too, is awash with huge frigate birds, gliding effortlessly on the thermals like pterodactyls.

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Finally, the volcanic land emerges below like thick, hardened mud pools. The landscape is a swathe of lava fields, scabbed with scratchy patches of bush, and I think to myself that this must be what it would be like to land on Mars. Our plane eventually comes to rest, and our pilot turns round in his seat with a grin. “Welcome to paradise.”

The long walkScalesia Lodge blends effortlessly into its surroundings. Enveloped by rose apple, mandarin and avocado trees and tickled by dense fern forests, it is home to 16 beautiful tented rooms that almost disappear into the forest. Each morning we tuck into breakfast tigrillo – mashed plantain with cheese, bacon and a fried egg – while pretty Darwin finches hop about outside,

and marvel at how the sporadic rumblings of magma flowing deep beneath us don’t disturb the magnificent glass-fronted lobby.

From here we head out to explore the island by foot, and soon pass flocks of flamingos feeding from one of many glassy lagoons; a trip to the beach brings us up close with a gaggle of scaly, sizeable, jet black marine iguanas – piled together in a crash of bodies to keep their internal temperatures up. Majestic blue-footed

boobies dive for fish in the distance and the black lava rocks in front writhe with crabs. Every so often the iguanas by our feet sneeze, ejecting spurts of salty water from their nasal passages. It’s all wonderfully surreal to watch.

Huge frigate birds glide effortlessly on the

thermals like pterodactyls

clockwise from opposite page: frigate bird flying over faraway rock; sea lion; marine iguana; black lava rock; sea lions swimming in an inlet; frigate bird

previous page: scalesia lodge

A sea lion launches out of the water and jumps in a

slow motion arc over my

head

Hiking the Volcan Sierra Negra, the second largest shield volcano in the world, is for early risers. The dusty, steep, hot path is flecked with white lava morning glory flowers, mocking birds, warbler finches, bright yellow sulphur butterflies and huge candelabra cacti. After a sweaty couple of hours, we reach the Sierra Negra Caldera – a black lava field that is some 4,500 years old. The last eruption here took place in 2005, when 30 million cubic metres of lava – the equivalent of 150,000 Olympic swimming pools – flowed at a monstrous 15 metres per second.

Yet Galápagos creatures are most at home in the ocean – so the best way to see them is with a snorkel mask and a trusty pair of flippers. Heading out of the harbour on a local fishing boat makes for a beautiful journey as the sun sets. Jurassic-looking brown pelicans nest in mangroves; herons pick their way across glistening rocks; the silhouettes of whitetip reef sharks storm past in the water and every so often, curious coffee table-sized sea turtles pop their heads up to see what’s going on.

Eventually, we stop in a secluded bay and slip into the cold water. It’s a feast for the eyes. Angelic

eagle rays glide past like ghosts; strange sea cucumbers sit fat and heavy on the sea floor; and turtles pass by innocuously without giving us a second glance. Suddenly, there’s a frenzy of activity. I spin in the water, desperately trying to locate the source of excitement, becoming frustrated when all I see is rocks. But in a split second, a sea lion launches itself out of the water and jumps in a sort of slow motion arc over my head. I laugh and duck under the water for a better view, as it jumps and splashes around me,

blowing bubbles in my face as the sunset sends amber and violet splashes across the evening sky.

The next day we fly to Santa Cruz Island – a land of vast misty sinkholes, dense forests and giant wetlands, filled with white cattle egrets and those famous giant tortoises. Finch Bay is a beautiful seafront property here: decorated with storm lanterns, bleached wood panelling, marine-themed textiles and wicker furniture. At night we indulge in a feast of seafood: fresh ceviche and tender red snapper; delicious spiny lobster with smoked coconut sauce. All washed down with truly bucket-sized glasses of lemongrass mojitos.

We visit Rancho El Manzanillo, where tortoises roam free on boggy farmland. The animals are like dinosaurs left behind, puffing out the air from their lungs like Darth Vader, wallowing and emerging slowly from their muddy pools like Marlon Brando in Apocalypse Now.

Magical mystery tour There is one more stop on our adventure. You can’t get in or out of the Galápagos without travelling through Ecuador. In Quito, the buzzing capital, the place to stay is Casa Gangotena. The grand heritage hotel is sympathetic to its colonial

roots with Art Deco ceilings, huge marble bathrooms and a lobby blooming with foliage. It’s here I have some of the best food of my trip, including a wildly decadent tasting menu involving red snapper ceviche, hornado pork with potato tortilla and ice cream made table-side with liquid nitrogen, like a posh cauldron.

From the hotel we take a bumpy three-hour journey to Mashpi Lodge, a breathtaking glass-fronted eco hotel nestled deep in the moody Ecuadorean rainforest. There are a lot of animals here, too. Our local guide takes us through some of the camera trap shots captured by researchers in the area: pumas, ocelots, jaguarundis, anteaters

and howler monkeys all grace the screen. There are also plenty of snakes slithering around here, including the fearsome fer-de-lance (a highly venomous pit viper that can kill you in minutes).

By day we explore the rainforest canopy, riding the nerve-jangling Sky Bike (suspended high among the trees, allowing you to pedal peacefully along a vast zip-wire). Above the misty forest floor, we have only strangler figs, an orchestra of cicadas and burning thighs for company. We also take a spin in Mashpi’s new Dragonfly Gondola. We float above waterfalls and brush vast magnolias as swallows dart around, dazzling blue butterflies flit above and the cool breeze whips our hair.

By night we take to the forest floor, wellies on and flashlight in hand. In the light of our torches are rain frogs, spider scorpions the size of my face, secretive vine snakes and even a kinkajou (a raccoon-like creature that jumps from tree to tree, its eyes shining). It’s all wild, wonderful and undoubtedly good for the soul – and the perfect end to my adventure.

m a k e l i k e D a r w i n

Exsus Travel offers an 11-night trip, from £5,238 per person

based on two sharing, including two nights at

Scalesia Lodge, three nights at the Finch Bay Galápagos

Hotel, two nights at Mashpi Lodge and three nights at

Casa Gangotena, exsus.com

CLoCkwiSE FroM CENTrE: SCaLESia

LodGE; GaLápaGoS TorToiSE; MariNE

iGuaNaS; FiNCH Bay

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