Day 1: Baltra - Santa Cruz Highlands
Our guide will be waiting for you in Baltra Airport and once the group of passengers is completed she/he will accompany you to the Archipell Catamaran which is anchored in Puerto Ayora harbor. After arrival on board, we will check in and give you general information.
After the lunch we will visit the highlands of the island, included a visit to the private farm “Las Primicias”. This reserve offers you one of the best possibilities to see the huge turtles of Santa Cruz Island in their natural habitat. You can observe them from a very close distance.
Day 2: Cormorant Point - Post Office & Baroness Lookout
At Cormorant Point you land on a green olivine sand beach. Following a 100 m long path you will soon reach a beautiful lagoon with flamingoes.
In the afternoon you will visit the Post Office Bay, which still keeps the legendary post barrel that whalers historically used to post their mail in.
Later we will go to “Mirador de la Baronesa” (Baroness Lookout Point) and your naturalist guide will tell you the murder and mystery legend of the Baronesa. This viewpoint is located on the north of Floreana Island.
Day 3: Gardener Bay - Suarez Point
At Española Island you will explore a lot of natural wildlife. It is home to many birds, like the endemic Hood-Mockingbird. Gardner Bay provides you an excellent beach for swimming. Around the small islets nearby, snorkelers will find lots of fish and sometimes turtles and sharks. The bay is also frequented by colonies of sea lions, which like to swim with you.
Suarez Point has one of the most outstanding wildlife areas of the archipelago, with a long list of species found along its cliffs and sandy or pebbly beaches.
Day 4: Pitt Point - Cerro Brujo
On the small green sand beach, you will be welcomed by a cacophony of barking Galapagos sea lions. From saltbush and spiny shrubs behind the beach a trail leads up to an area of tropical dry forest vegetation: most of the year leafless palo santo trees, yellow cordia shrubs, tiny prickly pear cacti and carpetweed, that turns red in the dry season. After the pretty steep climb through a gully to the cliff top, you can wander around the only colony in Galapagos that is home to all species of booby.
Cerro Brujo is the remains of a tuff cone. It is one of the first sites visited by Charles Darwin. Captain Fitzroy climbed to the top of the hill to scout out reefs. It has an impressive landscape, where it is often possible to see coastal and migratory birds, including pelicans, Blue-footed Boobies, and Swallow-tailed Gulls, as well as sea lions and marine iguanas. At times the lagoon is completely dry and deposits of salt may be found in the bottom.
Day 5: Interpretation Centre - Isla Lobos
Cerro Colorado Tortoises Protection and Growing Centre, located at approximately 40 minutes by bus to the southeast of the island, was built to improve the status of the population of the island tortoises. The centre includes a large corral, a Visitor Centre, breeding centre and an interpretative trail. Along this trail, it is possible to see different species of native and endemic plants as well as birds like the San Cristóbal mockingbird, yellow warblers, many species of finches and the Galapagos flycatcher. On your visit to Colorado Hill, you will get to discover the amazing and emblematic giant Galapagos tortoises in the tortoise breeding centre, and maybe even get to see one hatch (seasonally)! In addition, you will get to see how much hard work is put into
saving the last local giants of San Cristóbal.
Cerro Colorado Tortoises Protection and Growing Centre is located at approximately 40 minutes by bus to the southeast of the island. This centre was built to improve the status of the population of the island tortoises. It includes a large corral, a visitor centre, breeding centre and an interpretative trail. Along this trail it is possible to see different species of native and endemic plants as well as birds including the San Cristobal Mockingbird, Yellow Warblers, and many species of finches and the Galapagos flycatcher.
Day 6: South Plaza & Santa Fe Islands
South Plaza is located at the east of Santa Cruz Island, and forms part of two islands known as Islas Plazas. Despite its small size, some of the most interesting and outstanding species of the Galapagos are found here. The Plazas land iguanas are smaller than its relatives found on other islands. There are several hybrid iguanas, a result of crossing a male marine iguana and a female land iguana; they are unique, recognizable at first glance by their black/gray color, with a land iguana's crest, but face and tail of the marine iguanas.
Located in the southeastern part of the Galapagos, this island was formed from an uplift instead than from a volcanic origin; this is why it is mostly flat. There are some theories that assure that this could be the oldest island in the Archipelago. Santa Fe is the home of a number of endemic species like the Galapagos Hawk, Galapagos snake, Galapagos mockingbird, rice rats and one of the two species of land Iguanas of the islands. After disembarkation in the beautiful and clear waters, you will be in contact with one of the many sea lion colonies.
Day 7: Chinese Hat - Dragon Hill
Today, you will visit the volcanic islet of Chinese Hat, an island just off the south eastern tip of Santiago Island. Shaped like a Chinese hat, this recent volcanic cone is separate d by a small channel of Turqoise water. Around the islet, you might spot sally light foot crabs and makes for a great snorkelling spot with sea lions and tropical fish.
In the afternoon, visit Dragon Hill, where the largest wild population of Galapagos land iguanas reside.
Day 8: Charles Darwin Station - Depart Baltra
Today, visit Charles Darwin Station. In the tortoise breeding station, you can encounter tortoises of different subspecies, which get prepared for reintroduction to their natural habitats.
Assisted by the naturalist guide and some crew members the dinghy will bring you and your luggage to Baltra, where we take the airport shuttle. Your guide will accompany you until the check-in counters in the departure hall.
