It was named after Juan José Flores, the first president of Ecuador, during whose administration the government of Ecuador took possession of the archipelago. It is also called Santa Maria after one of the caravels of Columbus. It has an area of 173 square kilometers (66.8 mi²) and a maximum altitude of 640 meters (2,100 ft). It is one of the islands with the most interesting human history and one of the earliest to be inhabited. Pink flamingos and green sea turtles nest (December to May) in this island. The "patapegada" or Galápagos petrel is found here, a sea bird which spends most of its life away from land. At Post Office Bay, since the 18th century whalers kept a wooden barrel that served as post office so that mail could be picked up and delivered to their destination mainly Europe and the United States by ships on their way home. At the “Devil's Crown”, an underwater volcanic cone, coral formations are found.  At Punta Cormorant, there is a green olivine beach to see sea lions and a short walk past a lagoon to see flamingos, rays, sea turtles and ghost and sally lightfoot crabs. 

6 June 2007 – Morning Visit to Punta Cormorant, Isla Floreana (Charles)

When you come ashore on Point Cormorant you’ll see that the sand of the landing beach contains a high proportion of tiny olivine crystals, a glassy volcanic mineral, that gives the entire beach a strange olive green tone. This seems to be merely another flamingo lagoon, but it is probably the best one. Around the lagoon, nestled between two volcanic hills, it is possible to view a wide variety of shore birds that occasionally visit. In addition, there are many species of plants.

PRINCIPAL ATTRACTIONS: flamingos; olivine beach; arid zone vegetation

OTHER ATTRACTIONS: saltwater lagoon; sea lions; white-cheeked pintail ducks; phalaropes; whimbrels; ruddy turnstones; common stilts; willets

MAIN PLANT SPECIES: Nolana galapagensis; Croton scouleri (chala); Lantana peduncularis (lantana); Conocarpus erecta (mangle boton or button mangrove); Maytenus octagona (arrayancillo); Ipomea pes caprea (morning glory); Sesuvium portulacastrum; Polygala sancti georgii; Prosopis juliflora (algarrobo); Physalis galapagoensis; Passiflora foetida (passiflora or passion flower); Parkinsonia aculeate; Merremia aegyptica; Tourmefortia rufosericea; Mentzelia glabra aspers; Vallesia glabra; Scalesia villosa (lechoso); Castela galapageia; Leocarpus pinnatifidus; Plumbago scandens; Bursera graveolens (palo santo); Waltheria ovata (sea grape); Scaveola plumieri

6 June 2007 – Afternoon Visit to Post Office Bay, Isla Floreana (Charles)

This site is historically the location of a wooden barrel which was placed in the 18th century by the crew of a whaling ship. It has been used since then by whalers, yachtsmen, and tourists as a post office. If you find a letter or card addressed to someone living near your eventual destination, take it with you and continue a tradition. It is also possible to visit a lava cave not too far from the bathing beach. 

PRINCIPAL ATTRACTIONS: Post Office Barrel (historic site); lava cave; bathing beach

OTHER ATTRACTIONS: Remains of Norwegian canning factory (1926)

MAIN PLANT SPECIES: Bursera graveolens (palo santo); Prosopis juliflora (algarrobo); Parkinsonia aculeate; Lantana peduncularis (lantana); Cryptocarpus pyriformis (monte salado or salt bush)