Did you know? Albatrosses, Petrels, Shearwaters and Storm -Petrels are collectively know as tubenoses. All are pelagic and many are among most adept endurance fliers; as well as long-lived, of any birds.
DAY 1: SAN CRISTOBAL ISLAND - welcome to Galapagos!
Puerto Baquerizo Moreno is located in San Cristobal island which is the capital of the province of Galapagos.
Your naturalist guide will pick you up at the airport and will transfer you to your hotel. The first day on the Galapagos starts with the visit of the Interpretation Center which will bring you closer to the human and natural history of the archipelago.
We continue with a walk to CERRO DE LAS TIJERETAS (FRIGATE HILL) is a hill covered with palo santos, overlooking an almost circular cove. This place has a beautiful panoramic view of the surrounding coastline of Wreck bay and Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, as well as the very well known Kicker Rock. you may observe two species of frigates birds, perhaps nesting. This one having their “courtship” display in March- April.
This tour can also be added to family groups that are interest on visiting the Galapagos island.
Day 1
San Cristobal
Then we continue to experience your first snorkeling around the shore of the Tijeretas or well known as Darwins' Bay where you have chances to swim with sea lions, sea turtles, variety of fishes and with a bit of luck enjoy seeing blue footed boobies fishing.
Enjoy your first night in San Cristobal.
Included activities
Interpretation Centre Visit
Frigatebird hill
Snorkeling in Darwins' Bay
Day 1
Day 2
San Cristobal Island (B)
Enjoy a full free day with different options to explore such as:
Surfing, surfing lessons
Española island daily tour
Punta pitt – daily tour
El junco lagoon
La galapaguera
360 tour
Diving
Biking
Kayaking
* If you have any last minute tour requests, we can help you organize activities during your free time. Just let us know when youre here!
In case you decide to visit Española Island, please keep in mind the Important note below
IMPORTANT NOTE: Española is well known for the presence of the endemic albatross, they nest on the island between mid -March to mid-December with probabilities you also can see them on January.
Punta Suarez on Española island host a great variety of seabirds and land birds from Boobies, swallowtail gulls, oystercatchers, lava herons, night herons, Galapagos doves, the small ground finches, warbler finches, large cactus finches, Española mockingbirds (endemic to Española), Galapagos hawks, marine iguanas, lava lizards and Galapagos snakes.
Day 2
Day 3
San Cristobal/Kicker rock, Islas Lobos (B, L)
This morning you will have the opportunity to visit one of these beautiful places below describes based on availivility.
Kicker rock islet.
Located on the west side of the island, a 45 minutes by boat from Puerto Baquerizo Moreno which makes it a great day excursion.
It consists of two stunning vertical walls/rock formation of 500 ft. surrounded by abundant sea life (specially sharks that includes the hammerhead) and a varitety of fishes. While snorkeling around the walls you have great sightings of marine life, including, sea turtles and sea lions.
During the excursion you also have time to explore one of the many beautiful beaches close to Kicker Rock where you will have time for relaxing on the beach or do some extra snorkeling.
Today we enjoy a box lunch onboard.
We arrive back to Puerto Baquerizo Moreno early afternoon. Enjoy some free time in town.
Islas lobos.
Is an small islet a 30 minutes by boat from Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, surround by wildlife such as frigate birds, blue foodted boobies, sea lions colonies, marine iguanas and some sea birds. The tour involve a walk for aproximtaley 1 hour follow by snorkel around the área and you can also enjoy some relax time in a nearby beach. Enjoy lunch onboad.
We arrive back to Puerto Baquerizo Moreno early afternoon. Enjoy some free time in town.
Included activity
Excursion Kicker rock, Islas lobos based on availivility
Day 3
Day 4
Santa Cruz Island (B)
It is time to continue to the next island Santa Cruz by public speedboat (2 hours, unaccompanied) the most inhabited island of the archipelago.
Speedboat rides can be bumpy therefore prepare yourself with seasickness medication.
We will great you upon arrival at the pier and transfer you to your hotel.
Enjoy a full free day with different options to explore on Santa Cruz such as:
Charles Darwin Station
Tortuga Bay beach
Playa de los Alemanes
The highlands of santa cruz (Giant tortoises in the natural hábitat & lava tunels)
Las Grietas
Biking
Kayaking
Shopping
* If you have any last minute tour requests, we can help you organize activities during your free time. Just let us know when youre here!
Day 4
Day 5
Santa Cruz Island (B, L, D)
Today you will visit one of the islands of the below list. Depending on your departure and availability the visits of the islands will vary. Each island is unique in itself and has different highlights to offer. This is an amazing chance to reach out to inhabited islands in the archipelago. Your tour will include lunch onboard, a walking and a snorkeling activity to maximize your experience.
NORTH SEYMOUR
AM: North Seymour is a small flat island, with a trail about two kilometers long. Palo santos trees are endemic to the island and stand just above the landing site usually without leaves waiting for the rain to bring them into bloom. Opuntia, the local prickly pear cactus, is the food for the land iguanas.
Swallow-tailed gulls sit perched in ledges of the cliffs only a few meters high form the shoreline. Amongst the emblematic fauna of the island you will be able to see sea lions basking on the lava rock, during the walk you can find land iguanas and colonies of blue- footed boobies and magnificent frigates.
PM: Las Bachas, a beautiful coralline beach located on the north shore of Santa Cruz Island, is the perfect place for practicing snorkeling, swimming or to simply enjoy the white soft sand. Several brackish lagoons only a few steps away from the sea are the feeding grounds of various wading birds, from stilts to flamingos.
SOUTH PLAZAS
AM: The Plazas Islands (North and South), Only South Plaza is open to visitors. Here the vegetation and is represented by annual plants such as sesuvium, and by opuntia cacti. The sesuvium, serves as groundcover for a grove of luminescent green prickly-pear cactus. Yellow-Brown land iguanas sit beneath waiting patiently for pears to drop.
Depending on the dry or the wet season the island wears a red carpet during the months of May to December.
You will disembark on South Plazas where you will be greeted by a colony of sea lions inhabits the island, The trail takes you gradually towards the southern cliff of the island where you will be able to observe nesting swallow-tailed gulls and several sea birds such as tropicbirds, frigates, Nazca and blue-footed boobies, Audubon shearwaters, pelicans gliding the sky.
PM: You will have the possibility of snorkeling in the calm waters of Punta Carrión where you will be able to observe a variety of tropical fish, sea turtles, rays,yellowtail mullets and white tip reef sharks that peacefully rest on the sandy bottom.
SANTA FE
AM: Santa Fé offers a beautiful bay, In the middle of a sunny day the lagoon turns into an eye-catching turquoise blue. The white Sandy bottom is only a few meters below the Surface.
You will disembark on a small sandy beach where you will be able to see a colony of sea lions basking lazily in the sun. A trail leads inland to the top of a Cliff, from where the view is breathtaking. Two species of land iguanas inhabit the archipelago, but one of these, the endemic dwells only in Santa Fe; it is biggers, with a whitish color, sometimes chocolate Brown when moulting. The Galapagos hawk often overlooks the beach.
This island is also characteristic by its forest of the giant prickly pear cactus, or Radiate headed scalesia, is an attractive Bush with white flowers and exquisite fragance.
PM: After the visit on land you will be taken to enjoy snorkeling in the clear waters of the anchoring site of Santa Fé. You will be able to see a variety of tropical fish and a possibility of swimming with sea lions, sea turtles, small white-tip sharks, spotted Eagle rays and round stingrays are common to the small bay.
BARTOLOME / SULLIVAN BAY
AM: A very impressive Little island in front of Sullivan Bay, with a landscape of real volcanic desolation: tuff cones, spatter cones, scoria formations and black volcanic sand.
A trail of 600–meters with stairs leads to the Summit of the central of the volcano. From the top of the volcano, the view is extraordinary and offers one of the most emblematic sceneries of the Galapagos Islands,. Towards the east, a field of spatter cones punctuates the island. Towards the west, one is amazed by the isthmus of Bartolome, cover by mangroves and bordered by two small coves of Golden sand in the shape of half moons. On the north beach, the Pinnacle Rock stands like a finger pointed to the sky.
PM: Depending on the permission of the boat this day you have also the opportunity to do snorkeling in one of both places; on the north cove, under Pinnacle Rock or in Sullivan Bay, this last one is a clear evidence of the volcanic past of the islands. Both places give a unique experience.
Day 5
Day 6
Departure day (B)
This morning you are transferred back to Baltra airport (an hour trip) where you catch your plane back to Ecuador mainland (flight is not included).
Please advise 15 days prior to the tour your arrival and departure flight details.
Day 6
Check our multiple hotel locations available pending availability.
For your information this trip is not a group tour. You will be guided during activities by various naturalist guides from the Galapagos National Park. During the activities you will meet other passengers from other tour companies which makes a great chance to meet other travelers. Transiting in the speedboats from island to island you will be on your own but your well looked after as we take the hassle out of all the logistics. Tour Operations in Galápagos, are subject to space availability and itineraries may change, due to weather conditions, operational and logistical matters, so the number of excursions and visits are limited, so not specific excursion can be guaranteed.
INCLUSIONS
5 Nights Accommodation
Naturalist Guide (during activities)
5 breakfast, 2 lunch, 1 Dinner
All activities described in the tour
Snorkeling Equipment during excursions
Transportation
24/7 Emergency contact
EXCLUSIONS
Flights between Quito, Guayaquil and the Galapagos.
100 USD park entry fee - cash only.
20 USD fee - cash only
15 USD meals not described in the tour, per person, per day.