North Central Galapagos Islands

Day 1: Baltra airport - Highlands Tortoise Reserve

Departure from Quito or Guayaquil to Baltra On arrival to the Galapagos, you'll be picked up at the airport by our M/V Galapagos Legend staff and and taken to a ten-minute bus drive to the pier to board the ship.

A 45-minute bus ride will take us to the Santa Cruz highlands, located to the northwest of Puerto Ayora, where we will find a natural reserve with giant tortoises. In the central highlands of Santa Cruz Island we have our best opportunity to interact at close quarters with totally wild, Galapagos giant tortoises. A short walk among these huge, 600lb, reptiles will also offer the chance for more highland species, especially several species of the famed finches.

Day 2: El Barranco - Prince Phillip's Steps - Darwin Bay

Riding our pangas to the far side of the caldera toward El Barranco, red-billed tropicbirds display vociferously overhead while Galapagos fur seals can be seen on the shoreline. Once at the top of the rocky stairway we are immediately met by Nazca boobies, red-footed boobies, mockingbirds and finches that line our way through a palo santo forest until we arrive at an expansive open lava field. Wedge-rumped storm petrels swarm above the lava where we keep our eyes peeled for short-eared owls.
Afternoon visit to Darwin Bay. From within the flooded caldera of Tower Island we set foot onto a sandy beach to be greeted by swallow-tailed gulls often said to be the most beautiful gull in the world. Our short, flat, trail leads us past stands of mangroves and saltbush on which we have our best possible looks at nesting red-footed boobies and great frigatebirds. At the tidal lagoon we may also see the rarest gull in the world, our very own, endemic lava gull.

Day 3: Dragon Hill - Santa Fe

Dry landing this morning and arrive to a small lava dock our first encounters are with marine iguanas that blend-in perfectly to the dark rock. As we walk past large prickly pear cacti we arrive to one end of a long, sickle-shaped, beach with Dragon Hill standing in the distance. Our walk takes us on a circular path, past a shallow lake where flamingoes frequently come to feed. Waders such as stilts, turnstones and sandpipers work the muddy edges frenetically looking for food as we continue inland to a dry, forested habitat where land iguanas nest and burrow.

In the afternoon we will make a wet landing in Santa Fe, surrounded by white sandy beaches and sea lion colonies; through the island path, an endemic cactus forest is passed, home the Santa Fe land iguanas (the largest in the islands). This island is the habitat for a number of species, including the Galapagos hawk, Galapagos snakes, rice rats (one of the few endemic Galapagos rodents), a variety of finches and one of the four mockingbird species of the archipelago.

Day 4: Mosquera Islet - Baltra airport

Wet landing to Mosquera Islet. Named for some wrecked World War II barges whose ribs are still visible in the sand this visitor site offers great swimming, a lovely walk along the shore and a visit to a lagoon behind the high tide line with wading birds, marine iguanas and sometimes even flamingos. The two beaches are also favourite nesting sites for green turtles which often leave tractor-like tracks in the sand.

After the visit, passengers will be transferred to Baltra airport for their return flight to Guayaquil or Quito.

• On-board accommodation 
• All meals during the voyage 
• Activities/shore excursions as specified 
• Bilingual naturalist guides 
• Transfers

• International and internal airfares 
• Arrival/departure taxes or reciprocity fees, visa fees where applicable 
• Travel insurance 
• Galapagos National Park fee US$100
• Transit Control Card US$20
• Kayaking, and wetsuit equipment
• Possible fuel surcharges
• Gratuities
• Any items not mentioned as included