Sunday: Flight Mainland-Baltra,
North Seymour
In the morning you will fly to the Baltra.
At the airport you will pay the entrance
fee to the national park in cash and
then a member of the Crew will welcome
you and take you to the ship. After
lunch you will be visiting the bay Caleta
Tortuga Negra which is on the island
of Santa Cruz. This bay is surrounded
by mangroves where you can spot pelicans
and herons. While snorkelling you can
have a swim with the turtles, white-tip
sharks and rays. - /L/D
Monday: Rabida / Bartolome
In the morning you'll do a trip to
the beach of the small volcanic island
Rábida. A small path leads to
a small lagoon very popular with flamingos.
On the way there you pass many pelicans
nesting. The beach is also considered
as one of the most beautiful snorkel
places in Galápagos and also
frequently visited by many sea lions
due to its fish wealth. In the afternoon
you will be a rriving at Bartolome.
You will ascend a lookout point from
where you can admire the spectacular
panorama of the Sullivan Bay and the
famous needle shaped rock, the so called
Pinnacle Rock. The beaches at the foot
of the Pinnacle Rock boast some fine
snorkeling spots from which you can
discover the marvelous underwater world
with a good chance to encounter penguins
or the softly gliding turtles. B/L/D
Tuesday: Genovesa
Genovesa Island is formed by the remaining
edges of a large crater that is now
mostly submerged. Genovesa is know as
"the bird island" and it certainly
honours its name. Darwin Bay Beach is
filled with Frigate birds and their
bustling activity. Along the trail are
pairs of Swallow-tailed gulls, the only
nocturnal gulls in the world and Red-footed
boobies, with their contrasting red
feet and blue bills.
Lava gulls, Pintail ducks, Yellow
Crowned and Lava herons, Whimbrels,
and other birds feed near the shores
of a tidal lagoon just beyond the
rocky edge that faces the bay. A dinghy
ride along the walls of the crater
reveals the variety of animals that
find shelter in the ledges and crevices
of the lava. Above, the elegant Red-billed
tropicbirds fly in and out of their
nests. B/L/D
Wednesday: Plazas / Sta Cruz - Charles
Darwin Station
Located on the east of Santa Cruz, the
main characteristics on the small island
South Plaza are the Opuntia cacti and
the carpets of red sesuvium, a succulent
plant that turns green in the rainy
season. The cactus is the main food
of land iguanas, which are usually found
resting at the cactu's shade. The island
contains one of the largest sea lion
colony of Galapagos, swallow-tailed
gulls and red-billed tropicbirds nesting,
and boobies roosting on the south cliff
of the island.
Santa Cruz is the second largest
island in the Galapagos. The small
town of Puerto Ayora is the economic
centre of the archipelago, with the
largest population of the 4 inhabited
islands (approx 10.000). Santa Cruz
is also the only island where six
different zones of vegetation can
be seen: Coastal, Arid, Transition,
Scalesia, Miconia, and Pampa Zones.
The Charles Darwin Research Station
and the Galapagos National Park offices
are based here. You will have an opportunity
to visit some of the best scientists
of their kind. Scientists, park rangers
and park managers among others, who
make huge efforts to preserve this
Unesco World Heritage Site, conduct
the conservation of the islands. The
station is also a tortoise breeding
and rearing centre, where tortoises
of different subspecies are prepared
for reintroduction to their natural
habitats. The most popular inhabitant
of this island will probably be Lonesome
George. He is the only surviver of
the specific turtle species. The lush
greenery of the Santa Cruz highlands
is a welcome contrast with the arid
scenery of the smaller, lower islands.
Points of interest are the famed lava
tunnels, a fun and geologically informative
visit. B/L/D
Thursday: Floreana - Punta Cormorant
– Post office bay
Floreana Island is perceived as one
of the most exotic Islands of the archipelago.
At Punta Cormorant you land on a
green olivine sand beach. Following
a 100 m long path you will soon reach
a lagoon with flamingoes, white-checked
pintail ducks and other shorebirds.
The trail goes on to a white beach
made of grinned coral, so it looks
like flour. This is the green sea
turtle's nesting place. To the west,
Post Office Bay keeps the legendary
post barrel that whalers used to send
their mail. B/L/D
Friday: Española - Gardner
Bay - Pta. Suarez
Española is the southernmost
island of the archipelago, and being
so isolated, a high percentage of its
fauna is endemic.
Punta Suarez, on the western coast
of the island, is one of the most
popular and attractive places in Galapagos.
Sea lions, the picturesque marine
iguana, blue footed and masked boobies
nesting next to the trail are found
there. This is also the only place
in the world where the waved albatross
nests. Along the cliffs there is spectacular
view of a fantastic blowhole. Gardner
Bay has a beautiful white sand beach
to be shared with sea lions and curious
mocking birds. Española is
the southernmost island of the archipelago,
and being so isolated, a high percentage
of its fauna is endemic.
Punta Suarez, on the western coast
of the island, is one of the most
popular and attractive places in Galapagos.
Sea lions, the picturesque marine
iguana, blue footed and masked boobies
nesting next to the trail are found
there. This is also the only place
in the world where the waved albatross
nests. Along the cliffs there is spectacular
view of a fantastic blowhole. Gardner
Bay has a beautiful white sand beach
to be shared with sea lions and curious
mocking birds. B/L/D
Saturday: Leon Dormido - Santa Fe
In the morning you will be passing the
shattered rock “Leon Dormido”
also known as Kicker Rock, who serves
as nesting place for many sea birds
at the island of San Cristobal.
Santa Fe has one of the most beautiful
coves of all the visitor sites in
the archipelago. A turquoise lagoon
with two small white sand beaches
are protected by a peninsula where
sea lions rest. A trail runs along
side the coast and then crosses through
an Opuntia Forest. These prickly pear
cacti are the largest ones in Galapagos.
The Santa Fe species of land iguanas
are larger and of a paler yellow than
on the other islands. After the hike
you can swim or snorkel in the bay
in company of sea lions. B/L/D
Sunday: North Seymour - Baltra
After breakfast you will start to visit
North Seymour, which is an island popular
for giving shelter to Frigatebirds,
blue-footed boobies and endemic black
Lizards and within the bank area by
cliff crabs and sealions.
In the afternoon you will be taken
to the airport in Baltra and fly back
to the mainland. B/-/-
B: Breakfast / L: Lunch / D: Dinner
