Santa Fe, also known as Barrington, has vegetation as unusual as the wildlife. Giant Opuntia cacti stud the hillsides of this small island between San Cristobal and Santa Cruz. Some of the cacti stand 32 ft/10 m tall. Although difficult to find, the Santa Fe land iguanas are endemic to the island and are large, with bigger spines than anywhere else in the world.
One trail takes hikers along the coast and then moves inland into the arid zone. Another trail with more challenging rocks takes hikers to a small plateau where they can see Scalesia plants, as well as some nesting sites for land iguanas. A pleasant cove with numerous sand dollars was once a popular spot for swimming, but this is now prohibited.
Santa Fe is often visited as a day trip from Santa Cruz Island. Visitors are likely to see Galapagos snakes, mockingbirds, Galapagos hawks and sea lions. In June 2015, 201 young Espanola tortoises were reintroduced to the island, and annual reintroductions of the animals, which are similar to the native species that once lived there, are planned.
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