Day 1 – Sunday

FLY TO GALAPAGOS & BOARD THE M/Y GALAPAGOS SPIRIT

One of our Guides will take you to the Quito airport in time for your flight to Galapagos which is typically in the morning and arrives to Galapagos before noon. Transfer to the luxury yacht M/Y GALAPAGOS SPIRIT

Begin your 7-night cruise through Darwin’s “Enchanted Islands”. Accommodations will be in eight cabins (double occupation). All cabins are spacious and feature a private bath/shower and air-conditioning. All meals, lectures and shore excursions are included.

The excursions and cultural programs are led by category “3” Naturalist Guide with years of experience in guiding in the Galapagos Islands.

PM:Carrion Point.

Your first stop in the afternoon will be Punta Carrion, located in north-eastern Santa Cruz. This is a shallow and protected cove, ideal for your first snorkel and swim in the Galapagos! Wildlife is plentiful; keep your eyes peeled for blue-footed boobies, Galapagos herons, great blue herons and underwater swim among rays and white-tipped reef sharks. (B, L, D)

Day 2 – Monday

CRUISING THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

AM: Tintoreras – Volcan Chico / Sierra negra – Isabela Island

Las Tintoreras is one of the most well-known places of Isabela Island. This small islet receives its name from the reef sharks also known as white-tip sharks that can be seen swimming along with fish and sea lions in the channels when the tide is low. To get there we will need to navigate approximately 10 minutes from the port. The islet is mainly formed by lava rocks.

PM: Volcan Chico / Sierra Negra – Isabela Island

Our adventure starts with a journey from Puerto Villamil to the beginning of the trail. Once there, we will prepare our backpacks and start our walk through the relatively young woods, which suffer from constant geological changes. On the trail, it is possible to observe Darwin’s finches, flycatchers, mockingbirds, and occasionally, the Galapagos Gavilan.

Our finishing point is the edge of the Sierra Negra Volcano’s crater. This volcano is still active, and its last eruption was in June 2018, which deposited a new layer of lava in this already inhospitable landscape. (B, L, D)

Day 3 – Tuesday

CRUISING THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

AM: Devil’s Crown & Post Office Bay – Floreana Island

The Devil’s crown is an outstanding snorkeling spot, perhaps the most remarkable in the entire archipelago, full of sea lions and colorful fish. Floreana is also home to Post Office Bay, where 18th century whalers used a barrel as an unofficial mail drop. This custom continues to this day with visitors to the Galapagos – post one of your own, or see if there are any you could deliver back home!

PM: Cormorant Point – Floreana Island

You will go ashore at Punta Cormorant where the sand is made up of fine olivine crystals, a glassy volcanic mineral, giving the beach an olive-green color. It is the best place to see Galapagos sea lions.

Today is also one of your finest opportunities to see pink flamingos and other water birds wading in the lagoons, including pintails and stilts. Just offshore, the Devil’s Crown is an old eroded volcanic cone and a popular roosting site for seabirds such as boobies, pelicans and frigates. Red-billed tropicbirds can also be seen nesting in the rocky crevices.
(B, L, D)

Day 4 – Wednesday

CRUISING THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

AM: Highlands of Santa Cruz island

Today you will visit Santa Cruz, the second largest island in the Galapagos. Afterward you’ll head up into the highlands for a total change of scenery. Beginning at the coast you will travel across Santa Cruz through the agricultural region and into the misty forests. This is a lush humid zone containing miconia bushes, scalesia and inactive volcanic cones. Santa Cruz has more endemic plants than any of the other islands and you are likely to see Galapagos giant tortoises in their natural habitat and perhaps even the bright red feathers of a vermillion flycatcher!

PM: Charles Darwin Station and Puerto Ayora – Santa Cruz Island.

Although the great majority of Galapagos visitors come here to observe and appreciate natural wonders, it is also interesting to learn about how the protection and conservation of the islands are carried out. The main attractions are the National Park information center, the Van Staelen Exhibition Hall, the Breeding and Rearing Centre for young tortoises, and adult Galapagos tortoises in captivity.
(B, L, D)

Day 5 – Thursday

CRUISING THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

AM: Santa Fe Island.

Santa Fe is home to more sea lions, and these ones are very eager for swimming partners! It’s a lovely place to take a dip, and the landscape on the inland trails is also beautiful, with cacti forests home to a unique sub-species of land iguanas. Hiking towards the cliffs on Santa Fe will lead you to a forest of prickly pear cactus.

PM: South Plazas Island.

A small island, Plaza Sur is nonetheless a place of great beauty, where you will get close to sea lions and onto trails past one of the Galapagos’ largest land iguana populations, resting amid cacti and volcanic landscapes colored bright red and green by sesuvium. The island’s rugged southern cliffs are an excellent place to spot tropicbirds and swallow-tailed gulls, as well as ‘the gentlemen’s club’, a gathering of male sea lions either too young or too old to be beach masters!
(B, L, D)

Day 6 – Friday

CRUISING THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

AM: Punta Suarez – Espanola Island.

You will pay a visit to Punta Suarez, one of the most attractive locations in the Galapagos and home to large and varied wildlife population – a walk along its trails will take you to a cliff top viewpoint, where you’ll gain a magical panorama. Boobies line the rocky shoreline beneath you, while frigate birds may be seen overhead; nearby enormous male sea lions can be seen lounging and albatross use the cliffs as their ‘runway’, helping become airborne by the southeast winds that blow across this part of the island. If you’re lucky you’ll see the elaborate courtship rituals performed by albatrosses before the female chooses her lifelong mate!

PM: Gardner Bay – Espanola Island

Because of its remote location, this island has a large population of endemic fauna. It is the breeding site for nearly all of the world’s 12,000 pairs of waved albatrosses and also home to colonies of blue-footed and masked boobies. Trails from the golden beaches, where sea lions bathe and marine iguanas make their way towards the water, will lead you right through the middle of booby colonies, and Galapagos doves and mockingbirds are also often seen. You will also visit the beautiful white sandy beaches at Bahia Gardner, which are great places for swimming and relaxing. The rocks off the coast provide excellent snorkeling opportunities, with reef sharks, turtles and many species of tropical fish, including surgeon and angelfish, often seen. The small white-tipped reef sharks are also often spotted resting under the rocks.
(B, L, D)

Day 7 – Saturday

CRUISING THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

AM: Punta Pitt – San Cristobal Island

This morning you will visit Punta Pitt on the eastern end of Isla San Cristobal. Walk to the top of the volcanic hill for expansive views of the sparsely vegetated area. A variety of seabirds nest here, including blue-footed boobies and frigates.

PM: Leon Dormido – San Cristobal Island

Close by you will pass through Leon Dormido (Kicker Rock), which is a magnificent rock in the middle of the sea, the shape resembles a sleeping lion. The rock rises 150 meters above the surface and is divided into two parts by a narrow channel. You will also visit Isla Lobos, a tiny island almost touching Isla San Cristobal. This is the perfect time to witness the always friendly sea lions as they play in the calm shallow waters here. (B, L, D)

Day 8 – Sunday

FLIGHT BACK HOME

As flights to the mainland from Galapagos depart mid-morning, it is an early start for our last morning on the islands. Depending on the time of our flight, our time spent on this final excursion could be limited.

Visit the Interpretation Centre in the morning. The center brings the history and geography of the archipelago to life, from its volcanic origins to the present day. The human history exhibit offers an insight into the discovery and colonization of the Galapagos, and the reality of the problems the islands face today is also explored.

Arrive to Quito and connect with your international flight or take an extension to other amazing parts of Ecuador with us.