Floreana Island & Post Office Bay
Isla Floreana (Santa María)
A small inhabited island in the south of the archipelago, with the barrel post office left by 18th-century whalers, pirate caves, a flamingo lagoon and sea turtle snorkeling spots.
Floreana is the first island in the archipelago to be settled, and its stories are full of legend. The most famous is the barrel post office at Post Office Bay on the north coast. In the 18th century, whaling crews placed letters in a barrel, and ships returning home carried them onward. The tradition continues today: visitors can leave a postcard and carry away postcards addressed to others. A day trip from Puerto Ayora takes about 2 hours by boat. It usually includes the pirate caves and giant tortoises in the highlands, and the Asilo de la Paz spring, followed by snorkeling with sea turtles in La Lobería Bay. Cruises also visit Devil's Crown for snorkeling and the flamingo lagoon.
Opening hours
Included with day-cruise boats
Nearby sights
- Tortuga Bay
- Las Grietas
- Laguna de las Ninfas
- Puerto Ayora Fish Market & Av. Charles Darwin
- Charles Darwin Research Station
- Santa Fe Island
- El Chato Tortoise Reserve
- El Garrapatero Beach