Bahia Tortuga, am I dreaming?

I've discovered a beach in the Galapagos. A beach so idyllic it will hurt your eyes. It's easily one of the top 5 beaches I've ever seen in this lifetime. It's located on Santa Cruz island, in the main town of Puerto Ayora. 
You have to really want to go to this beach, since it requires a 30 minute walk (one-way) to reach it. But don't worry, a nice cobblestone path leads the way. 

 On the journey to the beach, you can spot iguanas and some pretty fancy looking birds. They don't seem to be the least bit afraid of you either. That's the thing about the Galapagos, the animals are so friendly. 

As you're walking the path, you have no idea what you're about to experience. For the last few steps, you catch a glimpse of the dreamy beach. It stopped me dead in my tracks. 
"Wow!", were the only words that could leave my lips.
The talc-like sand was blinding white and the water was such a pretty clear blue. 
A true paradise. 

You won't find a scrap of trash on this beach, but you will find plenty of black iguanas casually waddling around. There was a park ranger standing guard, making sure no one got too close to the ugly little guys. Honestly, they're very homely-looking creatures. Being aquatic reptiles, they would spontaneously take a little dip in the water.  

It was so neat to watch these reptile residents take a stroll on their beach. We were the guests and fully respected their space. 
Another 30 minute walk will bring you to a calm lagoon where you can frolic like you used to as a kid. 
This place creates a certain happiness. If you show up in a bad mood, you will most definitely leave in a good mood. 

Happy happy happy

I kicked off my sandals and felt the soft, warm sand against the soles of my feet, then ran into the see-through water, splashing the cool water on my hot skin. Aaahhhhh!! 
Don't forget the sunscreen!
This place makes you act a little silly. You won't be able to wipe the smile off your face. That's a good thing. 

We liked this beach so much, we visited it twice while we were in the Galapagos. We couldn't get our fill. The second time we ended up surfing. No sharks at this beach! (None that we saw anyways). 
I'm going to rate this as the #2 most beautiful beach in the world. The only reason it doesn't take the #1 spot is because there are no palm trees, just lava rocks on the shores. But it does have the aquatic iguanas going for it. My #1 pick for the most beautiful beach is Lanikai beach on Oahu, Hawaii. It has the same blue water and white sugar sand, but also has the palm trees and little islands (the mokes) in the water going for it. My sister got married on this beach, and possibly I will too??

Bahia Tortuga