TOUR: TMLA 23 GALAPAGOS CRUISE + TRAIN "CHASKI ANTAWA" SOCIAL PROJECT M/V GALAPAGOS LEGEND or M/Y CORAL

THURSDAY * Galapagos (Baltra Airport)
Departure from Quito or Guayaquil to Baltra (aprox. 2 and half hour flight). Passengers will be picked up at the airport by our guides and taken to the pier to either ^M/V Galapagos Legend or ^M/Y Coral.
Bartolomé
Dry landing. Passengers will see volcanic formations like lava bombs, spatter, and cinder cones. After a hike to the summit you'll be impressed by the view of the surrounding islands, including the eroded tuff cone of Pinnacle Rock.
During the hike to the summit, travelers will often see colonies of marine iguanas, lava lizards, tiquilla, and various cacti. Visitors will be able to snorkel and see the Galapagos penguin, sea turtles, and white tipped sharks from a safe distance.

FRIDAY * Urbina Bay (Isabela)
Wet landing. Passengers will visit the fossil beach and coral area. Depending on the season you may be able to observe giant tortoises, land iguanas and flightless cormorants. After the walk we will have time for snorkeling.
Fernandina (Espinosa Point)
Dry landing. Visitors will see the biggest marine iguanas mingling with sally*light foot crabs, as well as flightless cormorants nesting sites, Galapagos penguins, Galapagos hawks, and sea lions.
Among the flora and volcanic formations observers will spot brachycereus cactus, and "pa*hoe*hoe" lava and "AA" lava formations. Numerous mangrove beds extend into the sea.

SATURDAY - Santiago (Egas Port)
Wet landing on a dark sand beach. Most of the landscape is tuff-stone layers and lava flows. You can observe hunting herons, great blue herons, lava herons, yellow crowned night herons and oyster catchers. Passengers will see marine iguanas grazing upon algae beds alongside red sally light-foot crabs. There is a colony of fur-seals swimming in deep pools of cool water.Here you can swim and snorkel and find octopuses, sea horses, star fish.
Rábida (Jervis)
Wet landing. The volcano-formed beach is dark red and frequented by sea lions. It's considered the geographic center of Galapagos because it has the most diverse volcanic rocks on the Islands. You'll hike to a salt water lagoon, where flamingos can sometimes be found.
July through September is a good time to observe brown pelicans nesting in the salty bushes. Boobies and 9 species of Darwin's finches can also be observed.You can take a dinghy ride by the reefs, as well as snorkel.

SUNDAY - Santa Cruz (Charles Darwin Research Station)
Travelers will visit the Charles Darwin Research Station, staffed with international scientists conducting biological research and conservation projects. Here you can admire the giant tortoises that are part of the breeding program.
Visitors can also admire the prickly-pear cactus forest and many land birds. Later on, you'll have some free time to walk around town and shop for souvenirs.
Santa Cruz (Highlands)
Travelers can trek through the highlands of Santa Cruz and visit Cerro Chato, where you'll be able to observe the famous giant tortoises. Additionally, travelers can walk inside the dormant lava tubes.

MONDAY - Santa Cruz (Bachas Beach)
Wet landing. This beach is located on north side of Santa Cruz Island. Here you will encounter many sea birds, marine iguanas, sea turtles, and have the opportunity to swim on the white sand beach.
Return to the Galapagos Legend, check out and transfer to the Baltra's airport. Return flight to Quito and transfer to Otavalo. Arrive to the northern Andes, Imbabura Province and enjoy an overnight at a traditional hacienda.

TUESDAY - Transfer from the hacienda to Ibarra Train Station. The train climbs down to the warm, dry valley of Ambuqui, going through sugar cane plantations, magical landscapes, tunnels, and crossing bridges that span large canyons and gullies. The 26-km ride to Salinas plunges from 2,200 down to 1,500 meters above sea level (7,216 to 4,920 feet) in only about 2 hours.
Enjoy a unique lunch at Kleintours social project "Chaski Antawa Restaurant", our way to help the Valley of Salinas and its surroundings, well-known for its agricultural activities, to become a visited destination and to help improve its people's life style. The exceptional and creative menu that visitors will have the opportunity to taste has been carefully selected and elaborated by the community under Kleintours high quality standards.
Other sites include the village of Mascarilla; an Afro-Ecuadorian community known for its unique clay masks and Otavalo and its famous indigenous craft market the largest in South America, in the market visitors will be able to be part of this ancient culture while sharing time with the friendly people from Otavalo. Back to Quito.
Overnight extension is available at a traditional hacienda and including visits to the crater lagoon of Cuicocha, the leather-making village of Cotacachi and Peguche with its traditional looms, textiles and musical instruments