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Rábida—a small island (5km2) south of Santiago —contains a colorful splendor that is almost as impressive captured in photographs as it is viewed in person. Visitors will be struck by the sharp contrasts between the island's turquoise waters, maroon sandy beach, beige rock substrate, and lush green highlands.
Visitors land on a long, red beach where sea lions loaf, pelicans nest, and the occasional manta ray jumps in the distance. A short walk away from the beach is a brackish lagoon occasionally visited by flamingoes. The trail circuit begins here, winding through the opuntia cactus and Palo Santo stands that align the coast and provide habitat for land iguanas. Coastal lookout points along the trail provide amazing panoramic views of the island's rusty-colored cliff face framed by the foamy blue ocean below. The return trip provides an equally impressionable vista of the island's 367m tall volcanic peak.
Rábida's surrounding waters also provide interesting sights: take a dinghy ride along the cove to look for green sea turtles, marine iguanas, and fur seals.
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