Post Office Bay

The “Island of Mystery,” Floreana contains the best example of human involvement in the Galápagos prior to its official colonization. Pirates used Floreana as a waypoint back in the 1600s, stopping here to pick up tortoises for food on the long sail to the next destination. A tradition gradually developed as more and more boats came through, wherein a barrel was used as a post office. Sailors would place cards and goods in the barrel addressed to places they would not be visiting, and those who came after with that final destination would collect the items and carry it on as a favor.

This tradition still exists today. When you visit Post Office Bay, you will have a chance to flip through the hundreds of cards left inside, find one intended for a address near your home and bring it back with you. Some of the cards have been sitting in the barrel for years.