DESCRIPTION

Chinese Hat (Sombrero Chino) is a very small volcano close to Santiago Island, surrounded by small spatter cones: a captivating landscape. Because of its distinctive shape, Sombrero Chino has fascinated all visitors to the islands.

It's one of the smallest Galapagos Islands but don't be fooled: it has a unique visitor site with an unforgettable view! Galapagos Penguins and Galapagos hawks are active here. A wet landing on the main beach of the island gives us time to enjoy the sandy beach, where sea lions rest and a variety of wading birds feed on the shore line. The tranquil waters make great snorkeling experiences, where we can observe several tropical fish, sea stars and the chance to spot penguins under water.

After a wonderful lunch on board, we motor over to Dragon Hill, one of the few visitor sites directly related to a conservation program led by the Charles Darwin Foundation and the Galapagos National Park. It was named after the land iguanas, considered the Galápagos’ “dragons”. The population of land iguanas in this area was brought back from near-extinction by the efforts of the Galápagos National Park. It took a lot of work for them to control the populations of feral mammals such as dogs, cats, goats and donkeys brought by early Galápagos settlers. Heading inland on the trail, we pass two small salt-water lagoons where it is sometimes possible to spot flamingos and other shore birds. The trail continues on and circles round the hill, providing a memorable Galapagos view.