Day 1: Baltra – Charles Darwin Station
Arrival in Baltra airport and transfer to the boat. Briefing on-board about the boat and the island.
The Charles Darwin Station is located in Puerto Ayora, on the Santa Cruz Island. It is famous for the captive breeding of giant turtles. These famous turtles are called Galapagos and they live for approximately 150 years. The station was created in 1964 and it’s a place you definitively will love. In the Charles Darwin Station, there is a Natural History Interpretation Centre that manages educational programs at the service of the Galapagos National Park. This station is also an operation centre for foreign scientists that go to the island to conduct special research.
Day 2: Isabela: Elizabeth Bay - Urbina Bay
Moreno Point is a visit place where it’s not permitted to land. It is used only to take small speedboat trips to observe the wildlife unique to this place. It’s a bay that is located in front of the narrowest site of the Isabela Island: the Perry isthmus, where there’s a water entry that has basically formed a bay within a bay, with calmed waters that are protected and surrounded by mangle which makes it a perfect place for sea turtles. It’s truly a spectacle of nature.
Urbina Bay is located on the west side of the Isabela Island in Alcedo volcano. The landing spot is in a little wet beach of black sand, this can be difficult when there are strong waves. The road begins from the beach, it’s round and open and due to that, it is possible to walk outside the path suggested by the Galapagos National Park. It’s a great place to explore.
Day 3: Isabela: Tagus Cove - Fernandina: Espinoza Point
Espinoza Point is located in the Fernandina Island, the youngest of the Galapagos’ archipelago and the most volcanically active. It has an incredible combination of aridity and amazing wildlife. Due to the fact that it doesn’t have any introduced mammals, Fernandina has a unique environment with the biggest density of marine iguanas and the sea lions share their habitat with crabs and hawks. This is a place you will surely enjoy during your cruise trip.
Tagus Cove is located to the west of the Darwin volcano in Isabela Island. It once was the favourite place for pirates and whalers. Because of that there’s a traditions that has stand since that age: the naming of ships. At the beginning of the walk, on the way up, after the stairway, there’s a little cove where you can find inscriptions from the 1800s.
Day 4: Santiago: Espumilla Beach - Buccaneer Cove - Salt Mines - Egas Port
Egas Port, also known as James South Bay, is located at the northwestern side of Santiago Island. It is a fascinating place to visit due to the great volcanic activity it had in the past. This place is one of the most famous on the Galapagos archipelago. It has a beautiful black sand beach where you can see gorgeous ruins.
One of the most famous traits of Santiago are its landscapes of volcanic origin. It is completely uninhabited and it is not suited for crops. It’s also known as San Salvador Island, in honour of the first island discovered by Columbus. It is a great place to see due to the fact that it had a great volcanic activity in the past and because of that, it’s especially interesting for those who love geology and volcanoes. There are many places to visit in this island, and one of the most famous is the Buccaneers Cove.
Day 5: Daphne - Baltra
The Daphne Islands (Major and Minor) are two little volcanic islands. Daphne Major is made of a tuff crater, it doesn’t have any trees on its surface and its coastline elevates 120 meters from the sea level. It is right at the north of Santa Cruz’s main island.
It’s one of the most famous Galapagos Islands due to the fact that a couple of scientists of Princeton University (The Grants) have been going to the island for 30 years now to study the birds, especially the boobies. As a result, they have been able to observe evolutionary processes. This gained them and the location worldwide recognition.
Transfer to the airport.
