Ocean Spray 5 Days

Day Visitor Site
Tuesday Baltra Island Airport: Arrival and Transfer to the boat
Bartholomew
Wednesday Genovesa: Darwin Bay
Genovesa: El Barranco
Thursday Santiago: Egas Port
Santiago: Espumilla Beach/Buccaneer Cove
Friday South Plaza
Santa Cruz: Highlands
Saturday Mosquera Islet* / Baltra
Transfer to the Airport

Day 1 (Tuesday)

  • MORNING FLIGHT FROM QUITO OR GUAYAQUIL TO BALTRA (GALAPAGOS)
  • BATHOLOMEW ISLAND

Assistance at the airport by our representative for your Galapagos flight.

You will arrive at Baltra Island in the morning. After passing through immigration and baggage claim you will be met by Ocean Spray staff and transferred to the yacht. You will be shown to your cabin where you will have some time to settle in before lunch and a welcome briefing.

Our afternoon visit includes the Bartholomew Island, home of the famous Pinnacle Rock. Bartholomew consists of an extinct volcano with a variety of red, orange, black and even green volcanic formations. We will take a trail of stairs to the summit of the volcano (about 30 or 40 minutes) where you will enjoy one of the best views of the islands! You will also visit a small, beautiful beach, surrounded by the only vegetation found on this barren island. The beach is perfect for snorkeling where you may even see the Galapagos penguins.

 

Day 2 (Wednesday)

  • GENOVESA ISLAND

Our morning visit will take us to the beach at Darwin Bay. This white-sand coral beach heads a (1/2 mi – 3/4 km) trail that winds through mangroves that are filled with land birds. You may see Nazca Boobies, Red-footed Boobies, and Swallow-tailed Gulls. Further down the path, you may see sea lions playing in tidal pools. You will arrive cliff-side and can let the spectacular views soak in, while the Boobies and iguanas keep you company.

The afternoon takes us to El Barranco, also known as Prince Phillip’s Steps, whose steep, rocky path will lead you up 25 meters (82 mi) of cliff-face. After marveling at the view you will have the opportunity to take a 1 km (.5 mi) trek through Palo Santo vegetation. Here you will be dazzled by all the birds: Red-footed Boobies, Short-eared Lava Owls, Galápagos Swallows, and Galápagos Doves are abundant.

 

Day 3 (Thursday)

  • SANTIAGO ISLAND

Our morning visit is to a site called Egas Port, also known as James Bay, on Santiago Island. Here, you will enjoy a hike over a dry trail known for being a hang-out for curious Galapagos Hawks and Quick-footed Galapagos Lava Lizards. The trail will then lead you to the coastline where you will visit the gorgeous tide pools and grottos which are full of fauna.  You will be able to observe the shy Galapagos fur sea lions. You will also get to snorkel at Egas Port beach.

Later we will visit Espumilla Beach where marine iguanas lounge and the Sally Lightfoot Crabs attract the hunting herons, performing the dance of predator and prey right before your eyes. Snorkeling is highly recommended as you could find yourself face to face with an octopus, moray eel, shark, or a variety of other species of tropical fish.

Buccaneer Cove is a testament to the fact that Santiago Island was once a refuge for British buccaneers. They would anchor in the protected bay to make repairs and stock up on tortoise meat among other things. It is an excellent opportunity to take in the steep cliffs, where hundreds of seabirds perch in front of the dark red sand beach. See if you can spot ‘Monk’ or ‘Elephant’ Rock before your guide points them out!

 

Day 4 (Sunday)

  • SOUTH PLAZAS & SANTA CRUZ ISLAND

In the morning, you will head to South Plaza Island. This small island with steep cliffs was formed by rising lava and is now covered by Opuntia cacti. It is also home to one of the largest sea lion colonies as well as colorful yellow and red land iguanas. The most characteristic plant is the Sesuvium. During the rainy season its color is a greenish to yellowish tone and in the dry season (end of June through January) a bright red.

In the afternoon we will visit the Highlands of Santa Cruz where you will walk along a path, observing the hills, ferns, volcanoes, and rich wildlife. This area is home to giant tortoises, the exclusive Galápagos Rail, the Paint-billed Crane and many other species. You will come upon the underground lava tubes, which are more than one kilometer (half a mile) long. Local guides are required and will provide information and flashlights. Walking through the lava tubes is a unique and surreal experience.

The Charles Darwin Breeding Center “Fausto Llerena” is home to turtles ranging from 3-inches (new hatchlings) to 4-feet long. Here you will observe the various sub-species of turtles interacting with each other, and possibly with you. Many of the older turtles are accustomed to humans, and will stretch out their heads for a pet. The babies are only kept until they are about four years old, or large enough to survive in the wild. These conservation efforts continue to be extremely successful.

 

Day 5 (Monday)

  • DAPHNE ISLAND & MOSQUERA*- DEPARTURE

Daphne is made up of two islands, Major and Minor. Daphne Minor is partially eroded and smooth, while Daphne Major has maintained an archetypal volcanic shape, called a tuff cone. Daphne is home to Red-billed Tropicbirds peaking out of crevices and Nazca Boobies nesting along the rim. Under the water there are sharp recesses and steep cliffs. It is highly likely that you will see whitetip, Galápagos, and possibly even hammerhead Sharks. There is also a wealth of sea turtles, and rays.

Mosquera is the perfect place to relax on the beach and soak up the sun. Here, you can snorkel, dive, and go for a leisurely stroll. The white sand beaches are fantastic, flat and long. Their unique topography is characteristic of land masses created by geological uplift. You are likely to see Boobies, sea lions, Brown Pelicans, and tropical fish while you enjoy this small island.

After this final visit, you will be transferred to Baltra Island´s airport in time to catch your flight back to the mainland.

 

Important: Itineraries and activities subject to change without prior notice. Depending on weather conditions and water currents, some wildlife described above may not be visible.

 

DepartureArrival
Tuesday 14th of May 2024Saturday 18th of May 2024[request availability]
Tuesday 28th of May 2024Saturday 1st of June 2024[request availability]
Tuesday 11th of June 2024Saturday 15th of June 2024[request availability]
Tuesday 25th of June 2024Saturday 29th of June 2024[request availability]
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Tuesday 10th of December 2024Saturday 14th of December 2024[request availability]
Tuesday 24th of December 2024Saturday 28th of December 2024[request availability]
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Tuesday 22nd of July 2025Saturday 26th of July 2025[request availability]