Sombrero Chino
Sombrero Chino—a small island just off the southeastern tip of
Santiago —is a fairly recent volcanic cone with a few intact lava
tunnels. Although the island is small, it has a beautifully understated
panorama: the ambience created by the volcanic cone background, crashing
waves, and nearby islets makes Sombrero Chino an exceedingly pleasant
stop.
The 400-meter trail begins on a small, white-sand beach nestled
discreetly in the sheltered cove between Sombrero Chino and Santiago .
Sea lions and American oystercatchers often frequent this beach. The
trail continues along the coastline of the cove, passing beside the
island's characteristic lava terrain and colorful pioneer vegetation and
offering up glimpses of lava lizards, marine iguanas, and Sally
Lightfoot crabs battling the changing tides. The trail ends at the
island's rocky shore, which is spattered with scenic tide pools lined
with green algae and marine iguana passersby during the cool season.
Visitors can also swim in tranquil blue waters along the cove,
playing with sea lions and spotting tropical fish.
The wildlife you will see on your Galapagos tour are completely
unaffected by Galapagos travel visitors . For this reason, there is a
restricted number of visitors permitted into the Galapagos each year, as
part of a joint effort to protect the delicate environmental and ecological
equilibrium. The most sensible method of Galapagos travel is via our cruise
ships. The M/V Galapagos Legend provides 3 night, 4 night and 7 night
cruises to select from, which can also be easily merged with Galapagos
travel visits to neighboring South American locations