“A swing unlike any other you’ve seen,” the old Galapagos native chuckled, his eyes twinkling. “They call it the Magic Swing, but the magic isn’t in the swing itself. It’s in the view.” He gestured towards the Magic Swing, perched precariously on the edge of the crater at Highland View Galapagos. From our vantage point, the sprawling vista of Santa Cruz Island unfolded before us. The Magic Swing, he explained, was a relatively new addition to Highland View, a family-run agro-ecological farm owned by the Loyola Herrera family. About a decade ago, the family decided to share the breathtaking beauty of their land and the unique experiences it offered. They carved out walking trails through the crater, leading to tunnels, a lagoon teeming with birds, and even a trapiche – a traditional sugar cane mill where visitors can witness the process of extracting juice. But the highlight, he insisted, was undoubtedly the Magic Swing. As if on cue, a young girl squealed with delight, her laughter echoing across the farm as she soared high above the ground on the Magic Swing. “See,” the old man whispered, “the magic isn’t just in the view. It’s in the memories you make here.”
Jardine de las Opuntias
What if I told you that the unassuming prickly pear cactus played a crucial role in the survival of many