Day 1
Thursday: Santa Cruz Island
New arrivals, lunch in the highlands of Santa Cruz. Explore the upper region ('parte alta'). Learn about the vegetation and animal life of this zone, strikingly different than that found at lower elevations. Darwin finches, yellow warblers, and bright red vermillion flycatchers. Beautiful views of the surrounding archipelago. In the late afternoon we return to town. For those who wish to familiarize themselves with Galapagos nightlife, this is your chance: the boat will be docked in port most of the night. (L, D)
Day 2
Friday: Hispaniola Island
Disembark at Suarez Point in the morning and Gardner Bay in the afternoon. Enjoy open areas where you can spot lava lizards, iguanas, and many birds: blue footed boobies, masked boobies, Galapagos hawk, Frigate bird, and giant waved albatross. Time is allowed for swimming and snorkelling. (B, L, D)
Day 3
Saterday: South Plazas island, Santa Fe Island
We will sail to Plazas Island, where a large colony of sea lions lounges daily in the equatorial sun. Isla Plaza is also peppered with hundreds of land and marine iguanas, towering cacti "trees" that form the principal diet for both the land iguanas and the cactus finch. After lunch we visit Santa Fe Island and the local sea lion colony. The main attraction, a towering forest of giant cacti, marine and land iguanas, the rainbow-streaked lava lizards and, if you are lucky, Galapagos land tortoises. (B, L, D)
Day 4
Sunday: North Seymour Island - Bachas Beach
After an early breakfast we will disembark at North Seymour Island. Here we will see frigate birds, the clownish blue-footed booby, and of course the ubiquitous sea lions. In the afternoon at Bachas Beach, here we find nesting sea turtles, flamingos and other migratory birds. (B, L, D)
Day 5
Monday: Genovesa Island also known as Tower
Disembark at El Barranco also known as Prince Phillip’s steps in the morning and Darwin Bay in the afternoon. Enjoy open areas where you can spot small marine iguanas, and many birds. Our first view of Galapagos volcanoes, Darwin bay is an eroded crater under water, nearby is the white coral beach where will find many birds, opuntia cacti forests and mangroves. Time is allowed for swimming and snorkelling. (B, L, D)
Day 6
Tuesday: Bartolome Isle, Santiago Island
Visit Bartolome, if you hike to the summit of this small island you will have one of the most impressive landscapes of the Galapagos. Great opportunity for snorkelling with a vast marine life. After lunch, we visit Sullivan Bay and walk on lava fields, both types pahoehoe and aa lava, enjoy watching a colony of penguins. (B, L, D)
Day 7
Wednesday: Santiago Island, Rabida Island
At Egas Port we disembark and follow a footpath across the island to find marine iguanas, Darwin finches, rainbowed lava lizards, and endemic Galapagos hawks along the way. A special sight on Santiago is the fur seals cooling off in the shade formed by the seashore grottos. After lunch we visit the seashell pink sands of Rabida Island. Here we will see a pelican nesting area and many sea birds flying above. One of the best snorkelling spots in the islands. (B, L, D)
Day 8
Thursday: Santa Cruz Island - Baltra airport - mainland Ecuador
Visit the world-famous Charles Darwin Station, a non-profit institution that dedicates itself to studying and protecting Galapagos wildlife. This is one of the best places to see land tortoises, including Lonely George, the last survivor of his subspecies. We will also visit the station's Tortoise Rearing Center. Our visit to Charles Darwin Station will complete our Galapagos cruise. From the station we transfer to the airport for departure flight to mainland Ecuador. (B)