As I peered through a small hole in a cave-like structure, I saw a tiny brown barn owl sitting on a beam with its eyes closed. I was on Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos Islands, just outside a lava tube formed by a long-ago volcanic eruption. I expected to see animals – sea lions, penguins, sea turtles and blue-footed boobies – but the barn owl was not on my list. But my guide Mario told me that this is also a species unique to the island: the Galapagos barn owl, one of the smallest owls in the world, can only be seen here.
If I traveled to the Galapagos Islands, I would be unlikely to see this particular owl. We spent all day walking around Santa Cruz Island, spending more time here than most tourists do because our hotel, Pikaia Lodge, is located on the island. All Galapagos guides, including Mario, are independent, but Pikaia Lodge requires them to have 15 years of experience, so they know all the underground gems and secret animal hideouts better than most. Overall, 98 percent of Pikaia’s staff are from Santa Cruz.
Like many people, a trip to the Galapagos Islands has been on my bucket list for years. I am an animal lover and the idea of seeing many endemic species up close in a reserve was exciting. However, I am not a sailing person. Although I can enjoy sailing boats or canoeing, I am also prone to seasickness. The thought of being on a boat for several days and sleeping makes my chest hurt. So, I thought I would probably never see the Galapagos Islands – or at least not without a lot of medication. I never thought I could travel by land, so when I found out about Picayune, I knew I had to go there.
Pikaia Lodge is one of several hotels located on Santa Cruz Island, one of the four inhabited islands of the Galapagos Islands, along with San Cristobal, Isabela and Floreana, these islands also have hotels. But Pikaia is considered the most luxurious and is the only member of Relais & Chateaux on the archipelago. This means Pikaia has 14 gorgeous rooms with breathtaking views of the plant-covered caldera, an award-winning restaurant that serves local ingredients (not available on cruise ships), and a stunning spa, it gives me the best treatments I have ever tasted – guests can experience the best in comfort and luxury, while having full control over their own itinerary. Pikaia Guesthouse
After all, even a land trip to the Galapagos should include at least some island hopping. The Galapagos consists of nineteen islands, and Darwin found that each island had several unique endemic species. Mario and I went to Bartolome Island, North Seymour Island, and Santa Cruz Island, where we snorkeled with sea lions, turtles, rays, and Galapagos penguins; watched blue-footed boobies raise their babies while performing mating dances with frigate birds; saw and learned all about giant tortoises, marine iguanas, and light-footed crabs; I got the typical Galapagos wildlife tour – but I got so much more.
While a land-based Galapagos excursion is arguably more sustainable (travelers who sleep in island hotels have a smaller carbon footprint than those who regularly take to the sea), it also provides travelers with opportunities to connect and network with locals and businesses they can support. Land-based visitors have more contact with local restaurants, shops, and outfitters, and can learn more about the local culture and community — yes, people actually live in the Galapagos Islands.
In fact, the highlight of my trip was exploring Santa Cruz Island, the most densely populated island in the archipelago: I spent a morning at the Charles Darwin Research Station, which focuses on giant tortoises, then spent the afternoon in Puerto Ayora exploring this charming town.
I wandered the streets and visited shops like Chocolapagos, which makes turtle-shaped chocolates from cacao beans grown in Ecuador. When owner and chocolate maker Juan Daniel Navarro handed me samples, I learned he sources locally grown coffee beans from places like Hacienda Victoria in Guayaquil (the gateway to the continental Galapagos), the Arriba factory in Ecuador’s cacao country, and Costa Esmeraldas, an industrial system where cacao is grown as a fruit and native trees are planted to improve soil structure and resilience while providing farmers with a diversified income.
Did I expect to have the opportunity to learn about and taste Ecuadorian cacao in the Galapagos Islands? I don’t think so. But it really enriched my trip.
As I strolled through the Time Shop, which sells beautiful handmade items from local artisans, I was delighted to see paintings by Santa Cruz residents Tatjana Angermeyer, Magno Bennett, and Nina Lempenauer. In addition to paintings, the store also sells a variety of items including handmade hats, sweaters, leather bags, wooden utensils, jewelry, and sculptures. Owners Paola and Martin Leguisamo opened the gallery in 2020 after owning a gallery in the city for 20 years.
Afterwards, I visited the local (small) fish market. Patrons chatted amongst themselves while a brave local pelican and two laid-back sea lions waited for crumbs. Two ground iguanas chased pedestrians to prevent them from stepping on them.
On our final day, after leaving the Secret Barn Owl, we headed to Tortuga Bay, a local beach only accessible by foot to ensure its pristine waters stay clean. At the beach we boated, picnicked, and swam with locals (both human and marine).
At the end of the day we were rewarded with a small Scacchia tree at the entrance to Pikaia. Previously just a grassy pasture, the lodge has been planting native trees since 2010, now there are more than 11,000, creating a new endemic forest on the island. When I reach into the soil and place my young tree in the shallow hole, I feel a connection to the land and the community. Instead of floating on the boat, I am digging into it.
