In 1995, Polo Navarro, a Naturalist Guide in the Galapagos Islands since 1978, started building his home inside a mangrove forest. A couple of years later, the second part of the building started to take shape and the Red Mangrove Adventure Inn emerged by the sea surrounded by mangrove forest. What began with four bedrooms grew to 14 guest rooms which now are called the Red Mangrove Aventura Lodge, Santa Cruz Island. The primary goal of the lodge is to continue to protect and preserve the environment, while also increasing the comfort of the lodge in order to maximize the unique experience a Galapagos visit offers its guests. Extensive retrofitting and new construction took place inside the property, all with a passionate priority on preserving the existing forest and blending into the environment. In October 2008 two more Red Mangrove Galapagos Lodges were opened: Red Mangrove Sierra Negra Lodge, Isabela Island, and Red Mangrove Lava Lodge, Floreana Island. With the addition of these two lodges, guests can now experience the ultimate in Galapagos Islands land-based packages with even more options and flexibility than a cruise!