Day 1,

PM

Guest’s arrival

Guest’s reception at airport, transfer to the yacht and first explanation about Galápagos and the Galápagos National Park rules.

Day 2,

AM      SULLIVAN BAY on Santiago Island

Located offshore of Bartolomé Island, this is a very young volcanic eruption (about 150 years old). We can walk on the lava flow admiring the incredible formations and the sparse vegetation that is starting to grow. Afterwards we can take a dip in the ocean from a small white sand beach just next to the lava flow or snorkel along the lava flow.  Tropical fish and a possibility of  swimming with Galapagos Penguins.

PM      BARTOLOME

This is a fabulous volcanic island.

Early in the afternoon we can snorkel around the famous

Pinnacle Rock to see tropical fish, rays, possible penguins and an occasional white tipped reef shark.

Later in the day (because of the heat) we can take a hike to the summit of the small volcano (115 m.), walking along incredible volcanic formations.  Once we have reached the summit, we will have an astounding view over the surrounding islands. After the walk back, we can take a dinghy ride along the shoreline to look for penguins.

Day 3,

PM       PRINCE PHILLIP’S STEPS   

Located north of the Equator and best known as the “Bird Island”.  It is the only “Northern island” that can be visited.

The dry landing is on the eastern side of the Bay. The first 2 minutes of the hike is up a cliff, it then gets flat again. Along the rocky trail we will see Nazca boobies, frigate birds nesting on Incense-trees and Galapagos storm petrels.  If lucky, we may see a short-eared owl, which preys on storm petrels.

Day 4,

AM   DARWIN BAY on Genovesa

After a wet landing, we will take a walk along the sandy trail passing red-footed boobies nesting in red mangroves, frigate birds on saltbushes and swallow-tailed gulls on sand.  We can then snorkel directly from the beach or in “deep water” on one of the walls of the Bay.

Day 5,

AM      SOUTH PLAZAS ISLAND

A small Island located on the east coast of Santa Cruz Island.  This is an uplifted island, formed by the uplifting of the sea floor and not formed by volcanic eruption. You can see the whole island from any part of it.  The cliff side is the breeding area of swallow-tailed gulls and Galapagos shearwaters. Sea lions can be seen on the low part of the island. The largest population of land iguanas lives here.

PM    PUERTO AYORA on Santa Cruz Island

After a 25-minute bus-ride through the agricultural zone we will go to go to the limit of the GNP and see the tortoises in the wild.  We will walk through the área and see them eating, sleeping and cooling-off in wáter puddles.  We can also walk through a small lava tube to get an idea of how it was fromed.

Day 6,

AM      GARDNER BAY on Española Island

Española is the southernmost island of the archipelago.

Gardner Bay is located on the North-eastern side.

There is an islet called Gardner, where we can snorkel with tropical fish and probably with young sea lions.

We will later see many sea lions on the more than 1 km white sand beach, where we will stroll along the beach to see them.

PM   PUNTA SUAREZ

When we land we will be greeted by sea lions and red and green colored marine iguanas. This hike is the most difficult of the whole cruise due to the rocky trail, but it is worth it! We will see breeding Nazca boobies, blue-footed boobies, swallow-tailed gulls, lava lizards, which are the largest ones in the archipelago and the first few albatrosses of the season. At the end of the trail we’ll find the natural formation called “blow hole”, where sea water is sprayed 10 to 20 meters into the sky through a crack in the lava.

Day 7,

AM     POST OFFICE BAY on Floreana Island

This is an historical site. Ecuador claimed the Galapagos Islands in 1822 in this bay. Famous before 1822, when the Whalers built a barrel they used as a “Post office” since the late 1700’s.  This was the only way they could keep contact with their families during their stay in the islands. Nowadays it is used for fun by visitors, to see how long it takes for their mail to reach home. This is also a favorite breeding beach of sea turtles. We can snorkel of the beach to see them.

PM   POINT CORMORANT

DEVIL’S CROWN is a semi-eroded small volcano located north of Point Cormorant. We will snorkel here and see lots of tropical fish and, maybe, white tipped reef sharks.

Nobody knows the reason for the name, as there were never cormorants on this island.

Later in the afternoon, we will landing on a greenish beach and then take two easy trails: the short one leads us to the brackish water lagoon, where we will see flamingos. The second trail is a little longer and will take us, along the lagoon, to the southern part of the point, where we will see a beautiful white sand beach, known as “flour beach” because of the fine sand.  This is a favored beach for sea turtles.  We will most likely see the tracks of the female turtles that laid their eggs the night before.  With luck we will see them in the shallows.  This is also a good place to look for stingrays.

Day 8,

AM     NORTH SEYMOUR ISLAND

It is a small Island located to the north of Baltra Island. frigate birds and blue-footed boobies breed here.  Walking through the island we can see swallow-tailed gulls, land iguanas, land birds and small marine Iguanas. This is a typical dry zone forest, with Incense trees, prickly pear cactus and typical arid zone bushes.  The snorkeling is really good, with the possibility to see tropical fish, stingrays, and if we are lucky, white tipped reef shark and sea lions.

PM  MOSQUERA ISLAND

It is located between Baltra and North Seymour Islands, it is a rocky uplift covered in sand that resembles a small sandbar. Visitors land on the beach to walk around and see the sea lions.

Day 9,

AM      Tagus Cove on Isabela Island

Water is usually cold here, but worth snorkeling. Harlequin wrasses are very popular on this place and we have a chance of swimming with penguins and cormorants.

This cove was a popular place amongst sailors in the 1800. Even Darwin was here. A trail along the slope of the volcanic cone leads us to and along Darwin Lake to a spot with a beautiful landscape of Volcano Darwin.

Day 10,

AM      PUNTA ESPINOZA on Fernandina Island

Fernandina is the youngest island of the archipelago and possibly one of the most pristine islands on the planet, with no introduced species.  During the walk, which is part on sand and part on lava, we will see a lot of marine iguanas (the largest population in Galapagos), lava cactus, sea lions, shore birds and, probably, flightless cormorants.

After the walk we go snorkeling to see tropical fish and hopefully penguins. With luck we will see feeding marine iguanas.

Day 11,

AM    EGAS PORT on Santiago Island

After landing on a black beach, we will walk along the lava shoreline where eroded rock formations house a variety of wildlife. Marine iguanas bask in the sun. The tide pools contain many Sally-lightfoot crabs, which attract other types of hunters. Following the trail fur seal lions are found in the grottoes (large tide pools). This is not only a good spot for taking pictures but also perfect for snorkeling and seeing many species of tropical fish.

PM  RABIDA ISLAND

This is the only red island of the Archipelago. We will land on a red beach, walk on a red trail and see red landscape. There are no big animal son this island, except a few sea lions, but it is a good place to look for mockingbirds and different finch species.  The landscape is unique.

While snorkeling we will see a lot of fishes, maybe sting rays and White-tipped reef sharks and….sea horses.

Day 12,

AM     SOMBRERO CHINO ISLAND

Named after its shape formed by volcanic rock giving it the name, Chinese Hat. The island consists of lava tubes and pillow-type lava formations, indicating that flows were formed under the sea and have been raised upwards. There is a small white-sandy beach where sea lions and oystercatchers dwell.

This is a very good snorkeling place as well

PM CERRO DRAGON on Santa Cruz Island

After a dry landing, the trail goes through a brackish water lagoon where flamingoes might be seen and through an arid zone forest that leads to a loop where some of the largest land iguanas live. These iguanas almost got extinct 50 years ago due to feral (introduced) dogs.

Day 13,

AM      LAS BACHAS BEACH on Santa Cruz Island

Located on the north coast of Santa Cruz Island, Bachas is a beautiful white sand beach and the second largest sea turtle nesting site. The trail goas along the beach and leads to a small brackish wáter lagoon where flamingos meet to eat.

PM HIGHLANDS on Santa Cruz Island

A 35 minute bus-ride takes us through several different vegetation zones until we reach a farm, located on the edge of the GNP, where tortoises roam free.