My life as a Lady of Leisure in Galapagos

Oh hi amigos!

I’m writing this from one of the most ridiculous chapters of my life, something I never ever would have expected and probably will never experience again, a totally different travel style and one I am leaning into quite nicely…

I am a lady of leisure in Galapagos. LOL.

After my trip-of-a-lifetime Adventurelust cruise with Enchanted Expeditions, where we explored the seas and various remote islands for 8 days, my fellow Galapalust-ers dwindled off back to the mainland and back home… and I stayed.

Where am I staying?

I’m staying in Puerto Ayora, the main town on the island of Santa Cruz, thanks to my friends at Enchanted Expeditions; Judy and her daughter Tatjana also own these incredible Airbnbs here on Galapagos, and I am staying in the beautiful Casa Tortuga which is perched right outside of town, just at the start of the peaceful path towards Tortuga Bay.

What am I doing here?

LIVING MY LIFE!

I’m a digital nomad and I live and write articles and run my business from anywhere where there’s wifi. Okay the wifi part is debatable here but I’ve been scrounging it up where I can (usually from 5:30-7 in the morning) and just living the island life for awhile.

This is a completely different travel style for me. Normally I stay in hostels, am always around people and am mingling and cramming in every experience I can. Here, I am living slowly. I am doing my best to remove the pressure that I normally feel when I travel, to go out and meet people, to get in all the activities.

Here, I am letting myself CHILL-RIGHT-OUT. Our cruise was so incredible and jam-packed and fulfilling, I honestly felt like between that and my hammerheads-galore dive day I checked off everything on my Galapagos bucket list. So I don’t feel pressured to spend money and do other day trips, I am just letting myself live my everyday life. Much like this sea lion on a bench.

I wake up early and catch up on wifi stuff while it exists, and then usually lounge in my bed, which is surrounded by windows looking out to palm trees and other lush greenery and has a little terrace with a hammock (you know I love my hammock life). i love the sounds of the leaves rustling in the wind and the sound of when it rains. I usually go to a cafe during the day, which is a 10-15 minute walk from my home, and work on my writing and Adventurelust stuff. I’m going through content, editing and posting, from the cruise, prepping stuff for next year’s cruise (which you can sign up for!), I’m pitching publications and writing and editing articles, I’m working on my other Adventurelust offerings like my Travel Content Creation Course & Coaching and Trip Planning & On-Call Travel Buddy.

The place I’m in makes all the difference in how inspired, motivated, and productive I’m feeling, so this really is the dream.

I love my walk through the side streets, then along the harbour to check out who’s there (sea lions, marine iguanas, pelicans), then up the main street towards my destination. I’m enjoying sitting at a cafe during the day, my faves are 1835 Coffee Lab, El Muelle de Darwin, or Acai Bar or Galapagos Deli (pizza or ice cream — oreo and blackberry — is soo good here) or Il Giardino. I’m loving going out to dinner as well, having a yummy seafood pasta or sitting at the bar watching live music at the brewery or having an amazing “fire roll” at Midori or some delish ceviche at the cevicheria. Al Mar is also a beautiful setting on the water.

I did two epic dive days with Shark Bay, got a nice uneven sunburn at Station Beach by Darwin Centre (but had a lovely day anyway), I took a quick panga across the water to go see the German Beach and Las Grietas (panga costs 80 cents and you need to be accompanied by a guide to Las Grietas, it’s $10 CAD. Bring your bathing suit if you wanna snorkel, I didn’t it was a wee bit crowded and it weirds me out swimming with lots of people in a small space, but I think it depends on what time you go). Went to dinner and 2 bottles of wine (not solo ok) at Angermeyer Point which was such a nice view of the harbour.

I also had a chance to go check out the Enchanted Galapagos Lodge and Enchanted’s Cachalote Explorer yacht, the boat we will be taking for next year’s Galapalust cruise. The lodge is tucked away in the lush highlands of Santa Cruz, such a beautiful peaceful escape in nature, it looks like it would be the perfect place to unwind and reenergize after the whirlwind that is the cruise. The lunch I had there was INSANE, honestly the best meal I had in galapagos. And you know I love a hammock!

Cachalote looks so badass, sturdy and built for adventure, tugboat vibes with a lot of character. I loved our Beluga yacht from last time, but this one seems more spacious and open, for all of us Adventurelusters to mingle together! I am SO FREAKING EXCITEDDDDD for next year’s cruise and to see who is coming with me!! (our waitlist is already made up of absolute legends!)

I’ve made friends with Isa and we have gone to eat/drink a few times and one night went to watch the meteor shower, almost got pelted in the head by the owls but saw 18 shooting stars so that was quite nice.

I’m loving the me-time, and still am getting my social doses by chatting to a bartender, random at a coffee shop, and lots of voicenoting my amazing friends back home and around the world. It’s my social highlight of the day. I also have a ton of content I’m still posting from the cruise so it feels so nice not to force anyone to take photos of me for this part of my trip, lol.

I love walks down to Tortuga Bay, the path is so peaceful and feels like a meditative walk in nature, lined by cacti and frequented by mockingbirds, Darwin’s finches, little lava lizards darting across the path. It smells like pure nature. It’s about 2.5 km and then will take you to the wild beach of Tortuga Bay, Playa Brava, or you can follow it to the calm snorkelling beach, Playa Mansa. i love walking along the beach here and listening to podcasts or voicenotes or tay. the little comforts that bring you joy, you know?

After this I’m heading to a place that should be a lot more social and busy for me, so for now, just soaking in this time as a lady of leisure in Galapagos, and am forever grateful. What a fun chapter. :)