Day | Visitor Site |
---|---|
Friday | AM - Baltra Island Airport: Arrival and Transfer to the boat |
PM - Las Bachas (Santa Cruz) | |
Saturday | AM - Prince Philip's Steps (Genovesa) |
PM - Darwin Bay (Genovesa) | |
Sunday | AM - Bartolome |
PM - Sullivan Bay (Santiago) | |
Monday | AM - South Plaza |
PM - Santa Fe | |
Tuesday | AM - Cerro Brujo (San Cristobal) |
PM - Leon Dormido & Isla Lobos (San Cristobal) | |
Wednesday | AM - Punta Suarez (Espanola) |
PM - Gardner Bay / Gardner Islet / Osborn Islet (Espanola) | |
Thursday | AM - Punta Cormorant & Devil's Crown (Floreana) |
PM - Puerto Ayora & Charles Darwin Station (Santa Cruz) | |
Friday | AM - North Seymour |
Transfer to the Airport |
Day 1 – Baltra Island & Santa Cruz Island
AM: Arrival in airport and transfer to the boat. Briefing on board about the boat and the island.
PM: Located on the north shore of Santa Cruz, Las Bachas is a swimming beach. One of the few remnants of the U.S. World War II presence in the Galápagos, a floating pier, can be seen here. You may see flamingos, Sally Lightfoot crabs, hermit crabs, black necked stilts, and whimbrels. Sea turtles also nest off the beach.
Day 2 – Genovesa Island
AM: Prince Phillip´s step is an extraordinary, steep path that leads through a seabird colony full of life, up to cliffs that are 25m high. At the top the trail continues inland, passing more seabird colonies in a thin palo santo forest. Leaving the forest you can overview a rocky plain. You could get a view of masked and red-footed boobies, great frigate birds, swallow-tailed gulls, red-billed tropicbirds and hundreds of storm petrels at the edge of the cliff.
PM: The beach of Darwin Bay is a coral beach where a 750m trail takes you through more seabird colonies. You get to see the cliffs from the seaward side, which are home to a large red-footed booby colony. Once ashore the number of birds seems overwhelming – Nazca boobies soar overhead, great frigate birds display their pouches while resting on the nearby rocks and plants, and mockingbirds scamper quickly across the sand.
Day 3 – Bartholomew Island & Santiago Island
AM: Bartholomew is the most photographed island in the Archipelago, and its pictures are the most shown next to Galapagos’ name. In fact, a walk through an unusual lava landscape, and then up some wooden stairs, will take you to the top, from where the view is more spectacular than what the images suggest.
PM: The Sullivan Bay lava field has a variety of interesting patterns made by the shapes and textures of trees that once existed there and hornitos caused when pockets of gas or water trapped under the lava exploded. The low-lying mollugo and the lava cactus are the only plants that have managed to take root in this harsh environment. On the shoreline black and white oystercatchers can be seen fishing for crabs and molluscs in the tide pools.
Day 4 – South Plaza Island & Santa Fe Island
AM: South Plaza has one of the largest populations of land iguanas in the Galápagos. It is also home to marine iguanas and a hybrid iguana whose fathers are marine iguanas and mothers are land iguanas. There are cliffs with spectacular views and a rocky trail circumnavigates the island displaying the combination of dry and coastal vegetation zone. The island is home to enormous prickly pear cactus and the endemic succulent sesuvian.
PM: Santa Fe is a volcanic uplift and hosts a forest of Opuntia cactus, which are the largest of the archipelago, and palo santo. Weathered cliffs provide a haven for swallow-tailed gulls, red-billed tropic birds, and sehar-waters petrels. The Santa Fe species of land iguanas are often seen, as well as lava lizards. There is a picturesque turquoise lagoon and calm waters where you can snorkel amongst sea lions.
Day 5 – San Cristobal Island
AM: One of the first sites visited by Charles Darwin, Cerro Brujo is a beautiful white-sand beach where brown pelicans, blue-footed boobies, sea lions, and marine iguanas can all be found. An onshore version of nearby Kicker Rocks, Cerro Brujo is a very striking, eroded tuff cone. There is also fantastic snorkeling in the turquoise waters.
PM: Isla Lobos is a small island named after the sea lions that rest and play on its rocky shores. It is also home to blue-footed boobies, great frigate-birds, brown pelicans, lava gulls, common noddies, yellow warblers and small and medium ground finches. There is good snorkeling in the clear waters of the channel and this is one of the best sites at which to swim with sea lions underwater.
Day 6 – Española Island
AM: Suárez Point is one of the most outstanding wildlife areas of the archipelago, with a long list of species found along its cliffs and sand or pebble beaches. In addition to five species of nesting seabirds there are the curious and bold Española Island mockingbirds, Galápagos doves and Galápagos hawks. Several types of reptiles, including the marine iguana and the oversized lava lizard, are unique to this island.
PM: Gardner Bay has a magnificent beach with turquoise waters. Around the small islets nearby, snorkellers will find lots of fish and sometimes turtles and sharks. The bay is also frequented by a transient colony of sea lions which like to swim with you. Birds, like the endemic Hood-mockingbird and different species of Darwin finches, are omnipresent.
Osborn Islet is a small island to the southeast of Española Island is a marine visit where you can enjoy fantastic snorkeling and swimming.
Day 7 – Floreana Island & Santa Cruz Island
AM: The best known site on Floreana is Post Office Bay, a white-sand beach where in the past sailors used to leave and receive their letters in a barrel. The tradition continues – leave your postcard in the barrel and see how long it takes to be delivered, and at the same time if there is a postcard with an address close to your home, please take it with you.
PM: The Charles Darwin Research Station is an international not-for-profit organization that provides scientific research, technical information and assistance to ensure the proper preservation of the Galápagos Islands. Visitors can learn about natural history, issues concerning the islands, and see the tortoise breeding and rearing project at work.
Day 8 – North Seymour Island
AM: The 2km trail crosses the inland of the island North Seymour and explores the rocky coast, passing colonies of blue-footed boobies and magnificent frigatebirds. Daphne Major and Minor can be spotted in the distance and body surfing sea lions play close to the shore. Along the shoreline marine iguanas, white coral and black lava rocks complete the visit to North Seymour.
Transfer to the Airport.
Departure | Arrival | |
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Friday 3rd of January 2025 | Friday 10th of January 2025 | [request availability] |
Friday 17th of January 2025 | Friday 24th of January 2025 | [request availability] |
Friday 31st of January 2025 | Friday 7th of February 2025 | [request availability] |
Friday 14th of February 2025 | Friday 21st of February 2025 | [request availability] |
Friday 28th of February 2025 | Friday 7th of March 2025 | [request availability] |
Friday 14th of March 2025 | Friday 21st of March 2025 | [request availability] |
Friday 28th of March 2025 | Friday 4th of April 2025 | [request availability] |
Friday 11th of April 2025 | Friday 18th of April 2025 | [request availability] |
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Friday 23rd of May 2025 | Friday 30th of May 2025 | [request availability] |
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Friday 4th of July 2025 | Friday 11th of July 2025 | [request availability] |
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Friday 2nd of January 2026 | Friday 9th of January 2026 | [request availability] |
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Friday 30th of January 2026 | Friday 6th of February 2026 | [request availability] |
Friday 13th of February 2026 | Friday 20th of February 2026 | [request availability] |
Friday 27th of February 2026 | Friday 6th of March 2026 | [request availability] |
Friday 13th of March 2026 | Friday 20th of March 2026 | [request availability] |