| Day | Visitor Site |
|---|---|
| Thursday | AM - Baltra Island Airport: Arrival and Transfer to the boat |
| PM - Puerto Ayora & Charles Darwin Station (Santa Cruz) | |
| Friday | AM - Sullivan Bay (Santiago) |
| PM - Bartolome | |
| Saturday | AM - Las Bachas (Santa Cruz) |
| PM - Cerro Dragon (Santa Cruz) | |
| Sunday | AM - Black Turtle Cove (Santa Cruz) |
| PM - Mosquera | |
| Monday | AM - Isabela |
| PM - Volcan Sierra Negra (Isabela) | |
| Tuesday | AM - Chinese Hat |
| PM - Rabida | |
| Wednesday | AM - Puerto Egas (Santiago) |
| PM - Espumilla Beach & Buccaneer Cove (Santiago) | |
| Thursday | AM - North Seymour |
| Transfer to the Airport |
Day 1 – Baltra Island & Mosquera Island
AM: Arrival in airport and transfer to the boat. Briefing on board about the boat and the island.
PM: Mosquera Island is located between Baltra and North Seymour. This is a small islet formed by a geological uplift, with a reef of rocks and coral and a great white sand beach, where a population of sea lions can be found. You can also observe several species of shorebirds. Along the rocks are commonly running Red Lava crabs or Sally light-foot crabs. If the tide is too low a dinghy ride will be made.
Day 2 – Isabela Island
AM: Sierra Negra is a large shield volcano at the South eastern end of Isabela Island. It is the habitat for the Sierra Negra giant tortoise, which has a saddleback shell. On the way up to Sierra Negra you can see tall trees and lush highland vegetation and the summit offers a spectacular view of the lowlands.
PM: A short distance from Puerto Villamil is the small island known as Las Tintoreras. Here a colony of white tip sharks can often be seen resting in a lava canal. You can snorkel or swim in the unique habitat of these animals. On the nearby sandy beaches, sea lions play and relax in the sun. This is one of Isabela’s most beautiful visitor sites.
Day 3 – Sombrero Chino Island & Rábida Island
AM: Sombrero Chino is named after its shape formed by volcanic rock giving it the name, Chinese Hat. Since it was given a maximum visiting capacity by the National Park Service it offers rare, up close viewing of Galapagos wildlife and well preserved remnants of fragile volcanic rock that can’t be found in such a unique condition anywhere else. The islet is home to a colony of sea lions on the white coral sand beach. Here you can see American Oystercatchers, Galapagos Penguins swimming along the shores, and Sally-Lightfoot Crabs in bright contrast to the dark volcanic rock.
PM: The high amount of iron contained in the lava at Rábida gives the island a distinctive red color. White-Cheeked Pintail Ducks live in a salt-water lagoon close to the beach, where brown pelicans and boobies have built their nests. Up until recently, flamingos were also found in the salt-water lagoon, but they have since moved on to other islands, likely due to a lack of food on Rábida. Nine species of Finches have been reported in this island.
Day 4 – Santiago Island
AM: Puerto Egas, with its black sand beaches, was the site of small salt mining industry in the 1960s. A hike inland to the salt crater is an excellent opportunity to sight land birds such as finches, doves, and hawks. A walk down the rugged shoreline will turn up many marine species. Iguanas bask on the rocks and sea lions laze in the tide pools. At the end of the trail there is a series of grottoes or sea caves where fur seals and night herons are found.
PM: This large coffee-coloured sand beach is just north of the prized fresh water supply that once attracted pirates and whalers. A short walk inland will take you through a mangrove forest normally inhabited by the common stilt. Sea turtles also visit these mangroves to nest. Beyond the mangroves is a brackish lagoon where flocks of pink flamingos and white-cheeked pintails can be seen. Sea turtles often lay their eggs on Espumilla Beach.
Day 5 – North Seymour Island & Santa Cruz 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.
PM: The highlands are located in the northern part of the island and can reach elevations up to 1500 meters. On a journey into the higher elevations of Santa Cruz you will experience all seven different vegetation zones. The vegetation here is abundant and lush and the weather moist.
Day 6 – 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 7 – San Cristobal Island
AM: At the pitt point are endemic species such as lava lizards and red-footed boobies. The view is impressive when you walk up to the high part of the island. You may be lucky to see the red footed booby, the least seen of the boobies. It is also the home of the Chatham mockingbird, only found on San Cristobal Island.
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 8 – Santa Cruz Island
AM: The Galápagos National Park Interpretation Centre has a series of interactive exhibits providing information about the history and biodiversity of the Galápagos Islands. The self-guided walking tour will take you through the history of the Islands in the context of nature, humankind and conservation.
Transfer to the Airport.
| Departure | Arrival | |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday 30th of May 2024 | Thursday 6th of June 2024 | [request availability] |
| Thursday 13th of June 2024 | Thursday 20th of June 2024 | [request availability] |
| Thursday 27th of June 2024 | Thursday 4th of July 2024 | [request availability] |
| Thursday 11th of July 2024 | Thursday 18th of July 2024 | [request availability] |
| Thursday 25th of July 2024 | Thursday 1st of August 2024 | [request availability] |
| Thursday 8th of August 2024 | Thursday 15th of August 2024 | [request availability] |
| Thursday 22nd of August 2024 | Thursday 29th of August 2024 | [request availability] |
| Thursday 5th of September 2024 | Thursday 12th of September 2024 | [request availability] |
| Thursday 19th of September 2024 | Thursday 26th of September 2024 | [request availability] |
| Thursday 3rd of October 2024 | Thursday 10th of October 2024 | [request availability] |
| Thursday 17th of October 2024 | Thursday 24th of October 2024 | [request availability] |
| Thursday 31st of October 2024 | Thursday 7th of November 2024 | [request availability] |
| Thursday 14th of November 2024 | Thursday 21st of November 2024 | [request availability] |
| Thursday 28th of November 2024 | Thursday 5th of December 2024 | [request availability] |
| Thursday 12th of December 2024 | Thursday 19th of December 2024 | [request availability] |
| Thursday 26th of December 2024 | Thursday 2nd of January 2025 | [request availability] |
| Thursday 9th of January 2025 | Thursday 16th of January 2025 | [request availability] |
| Thursday 23rd of January 2025 | Thursday 30th of January 2025 | [request availability] |
| Thursday 6th of February 2025 | Thursday 13th of February 2025 | [request availability] |
| Thursday 20th of February 2025 | Thursday 27th of February 2025 | [request availability] |
| Thursday 6th of March 2025 | Thursday 13th of March 2025 | [request availability] |
| Thursday 20th of March 2025 | Thursday 27th of March 2025 | [request availability] |
| Thursday 3rd of April 2025 | Thursday 10th of April 2025 | [request availability] |
| Thursday 17th of April 2025 | Thursday 24th of April 2025 | [request availability] |
| Thursday 1st of May 2025 | Thursday 8th of May 2025 | [request availability] |
| Thursday 15th of May 2025 | Thursday 22nd of May 2025 | [request availability] |
| Thursday 29th of May 2025 | Thursday 5th of June 2025 | [request availability] |
| Thursday 12th of June 2025 | Thursday 19th of June 2025 | [request availability] |
| Thursday 26th of June 2025 | Thursday 3rd of July 2025 | [request availability] |
| Thursday 10th of July 2025 | Thursday 17th of July 2025 | [request availability] |
| Thursday 24th of July 2025 | Thursday 31st of July 2025 | [request availability] |
| Thursday 7th of August 2025 | Thursday 14th of August 2025 | [request availability] |