Travel Bites: Coco Loco – A Galapagos Local Find.

There were 98 episodes of Gilligan’s Islands, and despite fashioning an astonishing amount of items out of coconuts, I’m pretty sure the Coco Loco never made an appearance.

After finding this Galapagos favorite on Isabela Island, I felt a little bad for the castaways of the SS Minnow who were stuck in TV Land for three seasons with a whole lot of coconuts and no rum. I think it’s safe to say that a few CoCo Locos would have helped take the sting out of all those botched escape attempts.

Related: Discovering the Galapagos: The Landing

We were only on Isabela a few hours when I got my first glimpse of the concoction. One of the passengers on our cruise carried it back to the meeting point, finishing it off just as we boarded the dingy back to the Galapagos Odyssey.

“What’s in that,” I asked curiously.

“Rum. Lots of Rum,” he said smiling.

As a boat drink hobbyist, I felt it was my duty to delve into this mysterious coconut drink. So, I did just that when we returned to the island later that afternoon for some beach time in Puerto Villamil–a small port village located on the southeastern edge where most of the island’s population lives.

I had spotted a tiny beach-shack bar earlier in the day, so when we got back, Beth and I made it our first stop. With the help of a machete, the bartender made quick work of the coconut.

Before I knew it, he was having me suck out some of the juice so he could lively up its soul (and mine) with white rum.

After a few more sips to ensure the strength was right, Beth and I moved down to the beach where we spent the next couple hours body surfing in the small waves that crashed on the sandy shores of Puerto Villamil.

Want to make your own Coco Loco? Here’s a recipe!

It’s VERY easy – once you get the coconut opened!

Ingredients:

2 oz of coconut water
1 oz of rum
A squeeze of lime juice

Directions: Mix and enjoy!

For those who like there cocktails sweet and fruity, the Coco Loco is probably not for you. In reality, this drunken drupe is like one huge fibrous shot of coconut rum. I’m not the biggest coconut fan (love rum though), but I really liked the Coco Loco, partly because it was pure to the last drop.

Do you have a favorite island drink? If so, let us know in the comments – even better if you can share the recipe!

*Please remember all photos on this website, unless otherwise noted, are copyrighted and property of Beers and Beans Travel Website & Bethany Salvon. Please do not use them without my permission. If you do want to use one of them please contact me first. Thanks!

**While our travels to Ecuador were hosted by Adventure Life, our views and opinions are always our own.