MA

MA

PUERTO VELASCO IBARRA... .I've heard of small town living, but I've never seen anything like Puerto Velasco Ibarra before. The population living on the island is a whopping 120 and most of them live in this town. In all my world travels, I experienced something new at my hotel here. I didn't get a room key. They weren't used in Puerto Velasco Ibarra. Nobody stole anything, ever. Everyone knew

There really wasn't a lot to see or do in a town of one hundred people. There was one road that went from the beach to the mountains. It's where the fresh water supply came from. There were a few cafes and hotels to choose from. There was a school, a pier, a beautiful black volcanic sand beach, and a real surprise. If you sat on the bench at the waterfront ( and ignored the beautiful sunset ) you could get free wifi from the huge radio dish behind the municipal hall. I never expected that.

Of course, now, if you stroll over to the Edificio Multiuso, you can see my mural. Most tourists in Floreana see none of this. From their boats, they stop at the flamingo lagoon, the Bahia Post Office and Devil's Crown. I felt I had the better experience.