Floreana Island has only 80 residents, but it has some of the more interesting natural attractions in the Galapagos Islands. The interesting bird watching takes visitors to the highlands to see the Floreana finch or to the lagoons to see the flamingos.

The island has a mysterious history. In the 1930s, an eccentric and erratic baroness and her three lovers, a young doctor and his mistress, and a young couple from Germany found themselves involved in a murder mystery that, to this day, has not been solved.

Post Office Bay

On the north coast of Floreana, there were wooden barrels that were used as a post office. For years, whalers and the residents of the Galapagos Islands would leave their mail inside these wooden barrels. Other sailors who were passing the islands and returning to their home would take the mail from the barrels and take it back to Europe or North America. Today, tourists fill the barrels with mail with the hope that someone else would pick up the letters and postcards to send them off. (Tourists are advised to use this “post office” for postcards and other unimportant mail. It could take weeks, months, or years for the mail to be delivered.)

Behind the post office are the lava tubes. They were formed when lava on the outer layer hardened but the molten lava kept flowing hot through this shell. Entrance to the tubes is by ladder.

Punta Cormorant

At Punta Cormorant there is a beach where the sand is a greenish color. This is due to the accumulation of olivine crystal material. It is a good snorkeling beach, and the sea lions might join the snorkelers for a swim. Across the trail is a white sandy beach with a nesting area for Green Turtles. Stingrays and hammerhead sharks swim where the water crashes against the shore.

Devil’s Crown

The Devil’s Crown is a half-submerged volcano cone. The area above the water is a prime roosting ground for a number of sea birds. The center of the cone is remarkable for its superb marine life. This is a popular diving and snorkeling region.