EAST- ITINERARY (3 nights / 4 days)

DAY 1 – Sunday

Santa Cruz

Departure from Quito or Guayaquil to Baltra airport in Galapagos (aprox. 2 and a half hour flight). Passengers are greeted by guides at the airport and transferred to the Itabaca canal, cross to the Island of Santa Cruz and travel to Puerto Ayora.

Santa Cruz (Charles Darwin Station)

Travelers will have the chance to investigate the Charles Darwin Research Station in Puerto Ayora, staffed with international scientists conducting biological research and conservation projects. Here you can also admire giant tortoises that are part of the breeding program.

DAY 2 – Monday

Española (Suarez Point)

Travelers enjoy a dry landing at Suarez Point. Upon landing visitors will learn more about the lava terrain while crossing the inactive lava fields. Aside from the sea lion colonies, this is one of the most important sites for bird watching.

As soon as visitors step on this island many species can be spotted and observed closely. Among the many species, the hooded mocking bird and red billed tropic. After crossing the nesting grounds you will reach the world’s largest colony of waved albatross (15 000 approx.) since May until December their mating rituals are a highlight of the visit. Nearing the end of this excursion passengers will visit the famous blowhole, where water shoots into the air at almost 23 mts. (75 ft.).

Española (Gardner Bay)

In the afternoon, passengers will visit Gardner Bay. Wet landing on a white coral beach amidst a large colony of sea lions. This site has no trails, therefore hiking, is not possible.

But it is considered as an open area where you can spot Galapagos hawks, American oyster catchers, Galapagos doves, and hood mockingbirds, three species of Darwin finches and yellow warblers, lava lizards, marine iguanas. All of these species are endemic to this island. This is a great place for swimming and snorkeling. The best place for this spot is by the rock outcropping that looks like a turtle. Often snorkelers see many of the Galapagos marine species such as: king angelfish, Creole fish, damsel fish, parrot fish, manta rays, white tipped reef sharks, and many more. Enjoy this snorkeling in a Galapagos aquarium.

DAY 3 – Tuesday

Floreana (Cormorant Point)

Wet landing on a greenish colored sand beach. Passengers will hike a well-marked trail beginning in the Black Mangrove beds heading towards the back of the lagoon. The large, brackish lagoon holds one of the biggest populations of flamingos in the Galapagos. This island is best known for its endemic plant life, such as: the Galapagos millwork, passion flower, and unique button mangrove (one of the four species in Galapagos).

Novice snorkelers can practice back on the main beach where the sea lions are playful, while experienced snorkelers can roam the waters around Devils Crown.

Floreana (Post office)

Located on the north side of Floreana Island, the bay is so-named because in 1793, Captain James Colnett installed an empty barrel of rum which works as an informal post box for the sailors who periodically passed through the Galapagos, taking with them letters for their next ports of call or final destinations.

Today, our visitors continue the tradition by placing postcards without stamps inside the barrel which reach their destinations free of charge. Sometimes it takes weeks, sometimes months, and sometimes the cards never get there at all! Do you want to try this easy mail, please be ready your post cards and letters, it is a good way to get Galapagos friends.

A short walk from the famous barrel, across typical vegetation of the island, we come to a tunnel formed by lava flows. It’s quite a tricky way down to a path where we can observe land birds such as mocking bird of Galapagos, some species of Darwin’s finches, yellow warblers and lava lizards.

Floreana (Mirador de la Baronesa)

After we’ll make a wet landing on “Mirador de la Baronesa”. Your naturalist guide will tell the murder and mystery legend of the Baronesa. This viewpoint is located on the north of the Floreana Island. It is a tuff basalt formation between Cormorant Point and Post Office bay. The climb on the trails is very easy. Steps are placed in this area for security.

DAY 4 – Wednesday

North Seymour

After a dry landing, guests will encounter swallow tailed gulls and sea lions. This site is also known for being a major nesting colony of blue footed boobies and the largest colony of the magnificent frigate bird, a different species from the great frigate bird). Travelers will also spot both endemic species of iguanas, the marine iguanas and land iguanas. Passengers will enjoy this relaxed hike around the nesting sites.

Disembark at the docks (Baltra), passengers will take a bus to the airport for their flight back to mainland via Guayaquil to Quito.

WEST - ITINERARY (5 days / 4 nights)

DAY 1 – Wednesday

Baltra

Departure from Quito or Guayaquil to Baltra airport in Galapagos. (aprox. 2 and a half hours flight). Passengers will be received by guides at the airport and transferred to the Baltra port to embark on Coral I and Coral II.

Santa Cruz (Dragon Hill)

During this excursion visitors head for Dragon Hill. After a dry landing, passengers walk to a hypersalinic lagoon behind the beach. Occasionally visited by pink flamingos. The trail then leads up to Dragon Hill, which offers a beautiful view of the bay.

This area is a nesting site for a large number of land iguanas that where reintroduced by the Charles Darwin Research Station. There is also a bizarre scalesia tree forest.

Santa Cruz (Venice)

Dinghy ride around the islet along the coast of Santa Cruz. The land iguanas that live in Venice were protected from the wild dogs that live on the island of Santa Cruz. In Santa Cruz is possible to observe the vegetation and marine animals like: spotted eagle rays and golden rays, mullets, white tipped reef sharks and pacific green sea turtles which rest in the calm waters of the coves and channels.

DAY 2 – THURSDAY

Rábida (Jervis)

Wet landing at the dark red colored beach of volcanic origin frequented by sea lions. It is often considered the geographic center of Galapagos because it has the most diversified volcanic rocks of all the Islands.

A short trail leads to a salt water lagoon, where you will occasionally find flamingos.

July thru September is a good time of the year to observe how brown pelicans nest in the salty bushes found at the far side of the salty lagoon. Also to be observed are boobies and 9 species of Darwin’s finches.

Dingy ride by the reefs and an excellent opportunity for snorkeling.

Santiago (Egas Port)

Visit the dark sand beach at Egas Port during a wet landing. Most of the landscape is tuff-stone layers and lava flows, the surrounding area is prime for spotting and observing hunting herons, great blue herons, lava herons, oyster catchers, and the yellow crowned night herons.

Passengers enjoy the sight of marine iguanas grazing upon algae beds at low tide sharing space with red sally light-foot crabs.

There is a colony of fur-sea lions swimming in deep pools of cool water called “grottos”. On this beach you can swim and snorkel in search of octopuses, sea horses, star fish and other sea life species.

DAY 3 – Friday

Fernandina (Espinosa Point)

After a dry landing at Espinosa Point, passengers will see the biggest marine iguanas mingling with sally-light foot crabs. They will also enjoy the flightless cormorants nesting sites, the Galapagos penguins, Galapagos hawks, and sea lions.

Among the flora and volcanic formation observers will note brachycereus cactus, and two kinds of lava formations “pa-hoe-hoe” lava and ”AA”. Numerous mangrove beds extend into the sea, depicting a healthy and thriving eco-system.

Isabela (Tagus Cove)

This is the largest island in the Galapagos. At Tagus Cove, passengers enjoy a dry landing. Visitors will learn more about the eruption of five volcanoes that flowed together to form this land mass.

The marked trail leads to Darwin’s salt water lagoon and an excellent view of the lava fields, scoured with unique volcanic formations.

Time allows us to observe marine life from the dinghy. Frequently, visitors see Galapagos penguins at this site.

A view of graffiti dating back to the 1800’s can help passengers to better appreciate the relationship between the islands and tourism today. Most of the graffiti is believed to be done by pirates and buccaneers.

DAY 4 – Saturday

Bartolomé

Dry landing. Arriving on this island, passengers will see volcanic formations including lava bombs, spatter, and cinder cones. After a hike to the summit visitors available to enjoy an impressive view of the surrounding islands, including the eroded tuff cone of Pinnacle Rock. During the hike to the summit, travelers will often see large colonies of marine iguanas, lava lizards, tiquilla. Bushes and various cacti.

Visitors will also enjoy a chance to cool off while snorkeling. Here it is possible to see the Galapagos penguins, sea turtles, and white tipped reef sharks from a safe distance.

Santa Cruz (Black Turtle Cove)

Arrive at Black Turtle Cove located near Las Bachas beach in the north coast line of Santa Cruz Island. This excursion provides passengers with a “dinghy” ride though the mangrove, during which the outboard motor of the small boat is turned off. This allows the close observation of marine turtles, white tipped reef sharks, spotted eagle rays, and yellow rays.

DAY 5 – SUNDAY

Santa Cruz (Charles Darwin station)

Travelers will have the chance to investigate the Charles Darwin Research Station in Puerto Ayora, staffed with international scientists conducting biological research and conservation projects. Here you can also admire giant tortoises that are part of the breeding program.

Disembark at the docks (Baltra). Passengers will take a bus to the airport for their flight back to mainland via Guayaquil to Quito.

* Note: Visit Rancho Primicias (highlands) on the second Sunday.