Strategy
Our strategy for the hacienda has been to upgrade the facilities by refurbishing the villa and landscaping the property with additional trees and plants to provide an even more pleasant environment for visitors. The villa is now available for volunteers and for rental. We also began to increase the number of horses in order to enable us to provide horseback trail rides in the highlands. We now have eight horses fully equipped with saddles and tack.
In 2007 we partnered with our neighbor José and officially began offering the first horseback trail rides on the island. José is the recognized authority on horses on the island, and he owns seven hectares higher up the mountain from Hacienda Tranquila. He is responsible for all of our livestock and also accompanies groups on horseback. Through our joint venture we are able to provide access to the high points overlooking both sides of the island. In addition, we have cleared space on a mesa for camping visitors that has beautiful views of the north and east coasts.
In 2006 we decided to reduce the number of cattle while improving the quality. Our herd has gone from over forty head of cattle to fifteen. We brought over a unique and prized bull, Baron, and some higher quality milking cows from Santa Cruz in 2006. They all had to body surf to shore from the cargo ship. Baron has impregnated nine cows this year, which will bring the herd up to twenty-five. We have sold all of our previous local bulls so all future calves will be from the new Baron lineage.
Help keep the Galapagos Green. Offset your carbon footprint by planting some trees.
For those who would like to offset the carbon footprint of their trip to the Galápagos, we provide the opportunity to plant trees. In addition to producing oxygen, trees provide for a balanced environment. Specifically, trees give a habitat for wildlife, encourage biodiversity, give us shade for our hammocks, and the song of the wind blowing through them is right up there with the sound of the ocean.
Leave the Galapagos greener than you found it.
