In the Isabela Island, going southwest from the Darwin volcano, you will find a 1 800m (1 mi) pathway that is known to be one of the island’s most interesting places to visit. It can only be accessed by going through a large sea corridor called “Caleta Tagus”. Already from the beginning, as the ship gets closer to steady land, a crowd of penguins, iguanas and cormorants welcome visitors as an anticipation of what will come next.
The pathway, mainly made of gravel, leads to the inside of the island, going around the Darwin Lake. It can be divided into three sections:
1. The Steps: This is the historical part of the tour, in which you go up about 200m (650 feet) of wooden steps, climbing the hillside of what once was a volcano. In the way, you will find a cave in whose walls the writings left by whalers and buccaneers from the 20th Century can still be seen.
2. The Darwin Lake: This part of the road goes around the Darwin Lake through a volcanic territory of impressive landscapes. During the hike, a great variety of terrestrial bird species can be seen, and the typical vegetation of this arid area can be appreciated at the Palo Santo Forest.
3. The Lava Fields: This is the final section of the tour. It is large field of petrified lava providing a great volcanic view that can only be seen in the Galapagos. Here, you will find the famous “petrified raindrops”, which are little round rocks made from the rain mixed with volcanic ashes that have hardened through time.
The name of Caleta Tagus was given to this place in honor of an English warship that passed by the islands in 1814 looking for Galapagos turtles to eat. Nowadays, it is a place full of history, evolution and contrasting landscapes. Caleta Tagus has been one of the tourists’ favorite destinations; and it undoubtedly remains a must-see for people visiting the Galapagos Islands.
Photo: Balabiot
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