Proyecto Petrel de Galápagos · Petrel Trails
A low-impact ecotourism experience that connects the conservation of the Galápagos Petrel directly to regenerative tourism, using the strategic position of the farm on the east side of Laguna El Junco, inside one of the most important nesting zones for the species. The visitor does not only observe nature; they take an active part in protecting one of the most threatened birds in the archipelago.
Where your booking goes
Programme
Planting native and endemic species — Miconia, Scalesia, Guayabillo, Matazarno and more — on cleared highland ground.
Programme
The Galápagos Petrel Project: burrow monitoring and predator control on the nesting slopes above the farm.
Programme
Lobster monitoring with local fishermen to keep the seasonal catch inside sustainable limits.
Programme
Protecting the freshwater sources that make the highlands — and the town below — habitable.
Programme
Restoring the highland habitat the San Cristóbal giant tortoise depends on.
The experience integrates
01Conservation of the Galápagos Petrel
02Interpretive hiking
03Mountain biking
04Horseback riding
05Agrotourism
06Conservation of water sources
07Ecological restoration
08Environmental education
09Citizen participation in science and monitoring
Justification
The Galápagos Petrel is an endemic species classified as vulnerable and depends on the humid highland ecosystems to breed. It is the only seabird that nests in the highlands of the larger islands — exactly where the agricultural zone lies — digging burrows into the walls of ravines and collapsed lava tunnels.
The humid agricultural zone of San Cristóbal holds extraordinary conservation value because it connects protected areas with private properties that can function as biological corridors. Research on the Galápagos highland farming zones highlights these humid areas as among the most productive and biodiverse ecosystems of the archipelago, and as fundamental for conserving endemic species and controlling invasives.
Principal threats
Introduced rats
Predate eggs and chicks inside the burrows.
Feral cats
Take adults and fledglings at the burrow entrance.
Wild pigs
Trample and collapse burrows across nesting slopes.
Invasive blackberry
Rubus niveus grows dense and thorned over burrow mouths; chicks and adults cannot leave or return and are sometimes trapped until they die.
Habitat loss
Nesting ground is lost as humid highland is converted or abandoned.
Vision
To turn Galápagos Therapy Ecofarm into the leading model of regenerative tourism and private conservation of the Galápagos Petrel.
Conservation
Tourism
Education
Tourism experiences
01
4 – 5 hours
Conservation donation: 15% of the tour value.
02
5 hours
Route: Laguna El Junco → Petrel zone → waterfalls → Ecofarm. Capacity limited to minimise impact.
03
4 hours
Ideal for older guests or visitors who prefer not to walk long distances.
04
Full day · premium experience
Participants receive a certificate of participation.
Interpretive stations
Station 1
Laguna El Junco
Station 2
Miconia Forest
Station 3
The Petrel's Underground World
Station 4
Threats
Station 5
Water Sources of the Farm
Station 6
Galápagos Therapy Ecofarm
Scientific component
Visitors help gather real field information:
Shared with
Galápagos National Park · Charles Darwin Foundation · Universities
Restoration programme
Every visitor finances
5,000 plants in 5 years
20 hectares of habitat recovered
Initial goal of the programme, planted and monitored with guests on every departure.
Recommended infrastructure
Petrel Interpretation Centre
A small museum: natural history, night sounds, migration maps and live burrow cameras.
Petrel Viewpoint
A panoramic mirador over Laguna El Junco, the agricultural zone and the east coast.
Elevated Trail
Raised walkway through sensitive ground to avoid soil compaction and burrow collapse.
Economic model
15%
of group profits
Fifteen percent of the earnings from every group goes straight into the fund. The more the area is visited, the further into the hard-to-reach sectors the protection can extend.
That fund pays for
The differentiating element
“Every step you take on the trail helps protect a Petrel burrow.”
That is what makes the project unlike any other walk in the Galápagos highlands: it turns nature tourism into active conservation — aligned with international regenerative travel and with the exceptional ecological value of the humid highlands of San Cristóbal, recognised as key areas for biodiversity, fresh water and endemic species.
