An adventure tour or cruise to the Galapagos Islands will be
the trip of your lifetime.
The Galapagos Archipelago is a unique world heritage. Situated on
the equator some 600 miles off the coast of South America, this
remote volcanic archipelago remains much as it was millions of years
ago. Over the course of centuries, animal and plant life from the
Americas reached the islands and gradually evolved into new forms.
Many of its species are found nowhere else on earth. The Galapagos
experience offers world travelers a way to step back in time, to
visit an isolated, relatively untouched place on earth.
Sample Itinerary:
Day
1. (Tuesday).
Quito
Arrive
Quito.
Reception at the airport and transfer to your 3* Hotel.
Rest, relax, and enjoy the city.
Day
2. (Wednesday).
Quito – Baltra – Bachas.
(B, L, D)
After
breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight to Baltra, a small
island (27 square kilometres) off the north coast of Santa Cruz. You
will be met at the airport and transferred to the jetty where a small
boat will be waiting, amongst pelicans and noddies, to transfer you to
your Superior Tourist Class yacht.
First stop will be to Las Bachas, a white sand beach that is a major
egg-laying site for sea turtles. Las Bachas refers to the indentations
left in the sand by egg-laying turtles and departing hatchlings.
Flamingos are common in the lagoon beyond the bay, and marine iguanas
are often spotted on the shoreline.
Day
3. (Thursday).
Bartolome – Puerto Egas – Rabida. (B,
L, D)
Today, you will disembark at Bartolome Island for a hike to the summit
and a spectacular panoramic view. Later there will be a chance to
snorkel with the Galapagos Penguins.
Landing at Puerto Egas, you will notice the landscape surrounding is
of harsh terrain, covered primarily by a sparse forest of Palo Santo
trees. The shoreline south of Puerto Egas has been eroded, moulded,
and polished by the sea into coves and elaborately patterned rocky
beaches. We will walk along the coastal trail looking for octopus,
starfish and other sea life caught in the tide pools. You may be
privileged to spot whales or dolphins cruising offshore or a feeding
frenzy of hundreds of boobies or pelicans diving on schools of fish.
At low tide you can catch a glimpse of marine iguanas as they feed on
exposed green algae. Birds that we should observe at Puerto Egas
include great blue herons, lava herons, oystercatchers and
yellow-crowned night herons. At the end of the trail is a magnificent
lava-walled grotto carved out of the rugged shoreline. In its shady
crevices is often found a small group of fur seals. Though once on the
verge of extinction, you can observe these seals cavorting in the
crystal clear water.
Day
4. (Friday).
Rabida – Cerro Dragon.
(B, L, D)
In the morning a trip to the beach of the small volcanic island of
Rabida. A small path will lead to a small lagoon populated with
flamingos. In the afternoon we will disembark at the relatively new
visitor site called Cerro Dragon (“Dragon Hill”) on the north side
of Santa Cruz Island. Walking quietly along the footpath we should see
some of the land iguanas that are endemic to this island. Once part of
the Darwin Station’s breeding program, these repatriated iguanas
display orange-yellow skin and large spines along their backs. The
path skirts a salt water lagoon and we should be treated to the sight
of startlingly pink flamingos feeding in the shallows. Other birds
often found here are Darwin finches and yellow warblers. The terminus
of our easy hiking will be the top of Dragon Hill for a majestic view.
In the late afternoon we return to the vessel.
Day
5. (Saturday).
Darwin Station – Baltra – Quito.
(B)
The last day of your
cruise with a visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station. The
station is also a tortoise breeding centre, where tortoises of
different species are prepared for reintroduction to their natural
habitats. The most famous inhabitant is probably Lonesome George, the
only survivor of this specific turtle species. Return to the airport
for your return flight to Quito. Arrive Quito and transfer to your 3*
Hotel.
Enjoy an evening at leisure.
Day
6. (Sunday). Quito
(B)
After
breakfast, transfer to the airport for your international flight home.
