Galapagos Island Hopping

Arriving in Baltra you will take a shuttle to Santa Cruz Island, journeying across the island into the highlands. Beginning at the coast and traveling along the road to Puerto Ayora, the road climbs into the mist-covered forests of the highlands. Santa Cruz possesses all of the various life zones present on the archipelago with wonderful birding opportunities. Whether it’s the bright red feathers of a Vermilion Flycatcher or one of Darwin’s finches, almost every land bird present on the islands can be found here. You will then stop at one of the ranches and a lunch will be served and you can explore the grounds in search of tortoises. After lunch we’ll continue to Puerto Ayora for the rest of the afternoon for some leisure time. Overnight on Santa Cruz Island

After breakfast, the guide will meet you in the hotel lobby to take you aboard a small yacht to Floreana. Arriving to Floreana, your guide will give you some time to spend at the dock where you will be able to admire the native sea lions and the “Red Marine Iguanas,” only found on this particular island. These two species coexist naturally in the dock’s surroundings. At this point, you will have an interpretation by our guide on how these species live, their natural behavior, and evolution. You’ll visit “La Loberia” after lunch, a Sea Lion breeding area, found a short walk along the shore. Enjoy a marine excursion in the bright turquoise water where you might be able to swim with sea lions, sea turtles, manta rays, and a variety of colorful coral fish. You will then walk back to the town enjoying the colors of a typical Galapagos sunset and head back to the hotel to relax and enjoy dinner. Overnight on Floreana Island

Today you will explore Floreana, including “Cerro Alieri,” which is interesting for the vegetation on the Galapagos islands and birdwatching. Continue to Asilo de la Paz, a historical site where visitors can view a pirates’ cave and fresh water spring, the main source of water for the population. This is where the island’s first settlers, the Wittmer family, lived while they were constructing their first house made of leather and stone. In these caves “Rolf Wittmer” was born, becoming the first baby ever to be born on Floreana. He lived in the caves with his family for his first year of life. Here our guide will interpret how they used to live, so you can go back in time and picture the idea of how extreme it was to live on this island back in the day. Nearby, you will find a corral with various giant tortoises that were originally owned by residents of Floreana. Along this path, you will also see Giant tortoise’s species from this island that have been recently re-introduced, since they were considered extinct. Return to the lowlands to have lunch, and then continue to board the speed boat that will transfer us to Isabela Island. Arriving to Isabela you can relax for the rest of the day on the pristine beaches of the biggest and one of the newest Islands.Overnight on Isabela Island

Option One (Included in tour cost): Today, you will drive to the mountainsides of the Sierra Negra Volcano. An approximately 2-hour walk will take you to the crater of the volcano. There you will have a wonderful view of the crater and, with a little bit of luck, be able to see the Galapagos Sparrow Hawk. Your guide will tell you about the geology of the Sierra Negra Volcano. After a boxed lunch you can visit the “El Chico” Volcano. Return to the hotel, and the afternoon can be spent leisurely to enjoy marvelous coral sand and turquoise water beaches. Dinner will be on your own. Overnight on Isabela Island

Option Two (Supplement of $229 per person): Today you will visit a unique place on the islands, “Los Tuneles.” The Tunnels were formed millions of years ago when rivers of liquid magma ran across the island reaching its coastal shore. Your guide will join you along hundreds of tunnels while you snorkel and encounter marine life such as sharks, lobsters, penguins, sea lions, boobies, and marine turtles, among other endemic species of the Galapagos. If lucky enough, you will have the chance to see giant manta rays feeding in open water. In the afternoon you will be returned to your hotel on Isabela Island. Dinner will be on your own. Overnight on Isabela Island

This morning your guide will take you to Flamingo’s Lagoon, where you hike for approximately 1 mile as you learn about the vegetation and geology of Isabela Island. Arriving at the lagoon, you may be able to see flamingos feeding in the lake. Afterwards, you will be able to visit the Tortoise Breeding Center, where you will learn about the reproduction and breeding of the tortoises. In the evening, you will take a boat and transfer to Santa Cruz, back to Puerto Ayora. Overnight on Santa Cruz Island

After breakfast, we will head to the Charles Darwin Station. The center is a reservoir of information on habitats and local conservation, as well as other fascinating and relevant statistics. The most striking attraction of this station is certainly the Tortoise Breeding Center, where it is possible to view tortoises of different shapes and sizes. Travelers here can freely walk and get their pictures taken with the tortoises. Additionally, in order to fully take advantage of your visit to the Galapagos Islands, you will be able to visit the station where legendary “Lonesome George” is exhibited as the last of his species. In 2012, after his death, he was shipped to New York to the American Museum of Natural History in order to start an embalming process for his conservation. Lonesome George was exhibited in the museum for one year. Now Lonesome George is back in the Charles Darwin research station, as a “symbol” of conservation. After this our guide will transfer you to the airport so you can take your flight back to mainland Ecuador in connection with your flight home – or extend your stay in South America!

A transfer will take you to Bartolome Island, where you can take a 1-hour, medium-level hike to see “Pinnacle Rock.” During the excursion you will learn from the volcanic landscape of the island and see different species, such as lava lizards and types of cacti. Once you reach the top you will have a magnificent view of not only Pinnacle Rock, but the surrounding volcanic landscape with the turquoise waters of the beaches. After the excursion you are able to snorkel in one of the coral beaches of the area, where, if you are lucky, you can see sea turtles, sea lions, multicolor fish, and penguins. Lunch will be on board; in the afternoon you will return to the hotel. Overnight on Santa Cruz Island

Today’s tour will be on North Seymour Island, where the main species are land iguanas, frigate birds, blue-footed boobies, and sea lions who surf across the waves. Lunch will be provided on a boat tour of the island, and after lunch you can snorkel in Bachas, where you will be able to discover different fish species and swim with sea lions. Overnight on Santa Cruz Island

After breakfast, we will head to the Charles Darwin Station. The center is a reservoir of information on habitats and local conservation, as well as other fascinating and relevant statistics. The most striking attraction of this station is certainly the Tortoise Breeding Center, where it is possible to view tortoises of different shapes and sizes. Travelers here can freely walk and get their pictures taken with the tortoises. Additionally, in order to fully take advantage of your visit to the Galapagos Islands, you will be able to visit the station where legendary “Lonesome George” is exhibited as the last of his species. In 2012, after his death, he was shipped to New York to the American Museum of Natural History in order to start an embalming process for his conservation. Lonesome George was exhibited in the museum for one year. Now Lonesome George is back in the Charles Darwin research station, as a “symbol” of conservation. After this our guide will transfer you to the airport so you can take your flight back to mainland Ecuador in connection with your flight home – or extend your stay in South America!