Itinerary
from Saturday to Saturday using Baltra Airport from July 1st to December
31st, 2006:
Day1
.Baltra Island:
Fly from Quito or Guayaquil to the Galapagos Islands to begin your cruise,
arriving on Baltra Island.. You’ll board ship and settle into
your cabin. Your seagoing home is the M/V Galapagos Explorer II, a 293-foot,
first-class ocean-going cruise ship that carries 100 passengers. Comfortable
cabins feature air-conditioning, private bathrooms and a small sitting
area. Experienced naturalists lead shore expeditions to seek out wildlife
and helps us learn about the fascinating natural history of these volcanic
islands. When you’re not exploring, you and your children can
enjoy the ship’s pool, solarium and reading room without experiencing
the motion of a smaller vessel. Your first day in Galapagos you'll visit
Cerro Dragon, This portion of Santa Cruz is so named because it is inhabited
by many iguanas.
Day
2.Bartolome Island & James (Santiago) Island:
Morning: Bartolome Island: The first destination is Bartolome, an island
of varied volcanic formations with a 350-foot summit and a fabulous
360º view. Depending upon the weather, you may be able to spot
five other islands, one of the most spectacular views of the archipelago.
You’ll make a wet landing in a cove to see a small colony of Galapagos
penguins—the only penguins north of the equator. Sea lions are
also found here. Behind the beach can be found red and white mangroves,
salt bush, morning glory and prickly pear cactuses.
Afternoon:
Puerto Egas, James (Santiago) Island: This afternoon you’ll visit
Puerto Egas on James (Santiago) Island. The landing is on a black beach
with eroded rock formations in the background. The trail crosses the
dry interior, where the remains of a salt-mining enterprise can still
be seen and then continues along the coast. Intertidal pools are home
to a variety of invertebrate organisms. Land iguanas are scattered around
feeding on exposed algae while Oyster Catchers try to capture Sally
Lightfoot Crabs. The trail then leads to the Fur Seal Grottos, one of
the only places in the islands where Fur Seals can be seen. Puerto Egas
is a good spot for taking pictures.
Day
3.Fernandina Island & Isabela Island:
Morning: Fernandina Island: On the youngest and westernmost island in
Galapagos, you’ll land at Punta Espinoza, a narrow stretch of
land where some of the most unusual Galapagos species can be seen. While
the panga driver skillfully eludes the reef to reach the landing site
near a small mangrove forest, look for penguins diving off the rocks
into the water. Sally Lightfoot Crabs disperse on the lava near the
shore and herons, sandpipers and wimbrels explore the mangrove roots.
Marine iguanas congregate in larger groups here than on any other island.
They are everywhere: basking in the sand, swimming near the shore, grazing
on the exposed seaweed in the lava and blocking the way at the landing
dock. This is one of the few places where there is the opportunity,
if the water is clear, of watching them feed underwater while snorkeling.
Following a trail inland, two different types of lava flows can be seen
and compared. At the tip of one of the small peninsulas, Flightless
Cormorants are found. Without predators on the island, these serpent-necked
birds adapted for swimming and not for flight, another example of evolution
at work in nature’s laboratory.
Afternoon:
Punta Vicente Roca, Isabela Island: Largest of the Galapagos islands,
Isabela is composed of six shield volcanoes merged into a single land
mass. Wolf Volcano on Isabela is also the highest point in the archipelago.
The trip is more than worthwhile, however, for the unique species that
occur only in this part of the archipelago, and because the landscape,
with massive volcanoes silhouetted against the sky, offers a striking
contrast to the lower-lying islands of the east. Located on the north-western
tip of Isabela island, the visit of Pta Vicente Roca is completely by
dingy.
The dingys are launched on a coastal dingy-ride that skirts 400-500-feet
cliff sides. Blue-footed boobies, masked boobies & pelicans can
be seen here. Also, very many sea-turtles feed along this shoreline.
Reaching a rocky pile of large basalt, there are colonies of fur-seals
& marine iguanas in groups, basking in the sun. Sea lions are also
present.
Continuing along the sheer cliffs, the dingy now, approach a secluded
cove where, at it's end, dark and yellow rock are superposed. Now we
are close to the large cave that allows for snorkeling or sight seeing.
Snorkeling at the cave produces a great variety of marine life, specially
marine invertebrates. One starts at the intersection between the dark
and yellow rock and swims all the way around the small point into the
cave, all the way into the cave & then out of the cave until the
next point.
The water is often murky and very cold as it is called the Galapagos
Ice-box . Therefore, one must snorkel very close to the rock in order
to see anything but it may produce some of the most exiting snorkeling
in Galapagos. Manta rays, sea turtles, sea-lions, sting-rays, many fish,
even dolphins & sunfish have been seen and snorkeled with in this
bay. Along the cave there are Galapagos penguins, marine iguanas, swallow-tailed
gulls, masked boobies, brown noddy 's, blue footed boobies and a breathtaking
scenery unparalelled.
Day
4.Seymour Norte, Santa Cruz Island:
Morning: North Seymour: A small flat island. Rocks then a long sandy
stretch where sea lions and marine iguanas hang out next to a surf wave.
The interior has a Palo Santo small Opuntia cactus forest with Bluefooted
boobies and magnificent Frigate bird colonies. An hour and a half visit.
Dry landing.
Afternoon:
Highlands & Lava Tunnels
You and your family will board a bus for a 45-minute ride through changing
vegetation zones to the Santa Cruz Highlands. Here, about 40 giant tortoises
live in the wild. By approaching quietly, you can find and observe a
turtle on your own. You also hike to tunnels made by cooling lava.
Day
5 .San Cristobal Island
Morning: Visit to Lobería or Isla Lobos or Tijeretas,or El Junco
and Interpretation Centre: this morning visit the Interpretation Centre.
Donated by the Spanish Government in 1998, this state of the art facility
offers both tourist and the inhabitants a complete education on the
Islands. Your visit to the Archipelago is taken to a new level, since
its inauguration.
Afternoon:
A dinghy ride along the shores of tuff-stone layers will bring us to
Cerro Brujo's white coraline beach. Wet landing. The area will show
us good views of seabirds like blue-footed boobies, Nazca boobies, herons,
frigate birds, and some shore birds. Also, look for Galapagos sea lions.
The beach is a great open walking area, with rewarding birdwatching.
Day
6. Hood Island
Morning: One of the oldest of the islands, Hood is small and flat with
no visible volcanic crater or vent. Gardner Bay is on the eastern shore
and has a magnificent beach. This beach is frequented by a transient
colony of sea lions, and is a major nesting site for marine turtles.
Around the small islets nearby, snorkelers will find lots of fish and
sometimes turtles and sharks. On a trail leading to the western tip
of the island you'll pass the only nesting sites in the Galapagos of
the waved albatross, huge birds with a 6-foot wingspan. These huge birds
nest here from April to December and represent the majority of the world’s
population of this species.
Afternoon: Punta Suarez is one of the most outstanding wildlife areas
of the archipelago, with a long list of species found along its cliffs
and sand or pebble beaches. In addition to five species of nesting seabirds
there are the curious and bold Hood Island mockingbirds, Galapagos doves
and Galapagos hawks. Several types of reptiles, including the brilliantly
colored marine iguana and the oversized lava lizard, are unique to this
island. When heavy swells are running, Punta Suarez is also the site
of a spectacular blowhole, with thundering spray shooting 30 yards into
the air.
Day
7. Santa Cruz Island & Rábida
Morning: Santa Cruz is the only inhabited island to be visited during
this Galapagos cruise. Puerto Ayora, with a population of about 10,000
people is the location of the Charles Darwin Research Station, world
famous for its tortoise breeding programs.
After lunch,
we will sail to Rabida Island, the Red Island. Red cinder beaches, ranging
from mud-sized to one inch cinders. Red cliffs, red hillsides. There
is a small brackish pond behind the beach with a colony of bachelor
Galapagos sea lions wallowing in red mud. The trail then climbs a ridge
to a cliff ovrlooking Rocky Cove, a beautiful sight in the late afternoon
light.
Day
8. Santa Cruz Island
Morning visit to Las Bachas beach, the sand is made of decomposed coral,
which makes it white and soft, and a favorite site for nesting sea turtles.
The Sally Lightfoot crabs are abundant on the lava rocks along the water's
edge. These crabs will eat anything they can get their claws on. On
this hike, we see flamingoes, Sally Lightfoot crabs, hermit crabs, black
necked stilts, and whimbrels.
Return to Baltra airport for taking flight back to mainland.
Itinerary
from Wednesday to Wednesday using San Cristobal Airport from July 1st,
2006:
Day
1. Fly from Quito or Guayaquil to the Galapagos Islands to
begin your cruise, arriving on Cristobal Island.. You’ll board
ship and settle into your cabin. Your seagoing home is the M/V Galapagos
Explorer II, a 293-foot, first-class ocean-going cruise ship that carries
100 passengers. Comfortable cabins feature air-conditioning, private
bathrooms and a small sitting area. Experienced naturalists lead shore
expeditions to seek out wildlife and helps us learn about the fascinating
natural history of these volcanic islands. When you’re not exploring,
you and your children can enjoy the ship’s pool, solarium and
reading room without experiencing the motion of a smaller vessel
Afternoon: A dinghy ride along the shores of tuff-stone layers will
bring us to Cerro Brujo's white coraline beach. Wet landing. The area
will show us good views of seabirds like blue-footed boobies, Nazca
boobies, herons, frigate birds, and some shore birds. Also, look for
Galapagos sea lions. The beach is a great open walking area, with rewarding
birdwatching.
Day
2 . Hood Island
Morning: One of the oldest of the islands, Hood is small and flat with
no visible volcanic crater or vent. Gardner Bay is on the eastern shore
and has a magnificent beach. This beach is frequented by a transient
colony of sea lions, and is a major nesting site for marine turtles.
Around the small islets nearby, snorkelers will find lots of fish and
sometimes turtles and sharks. On a trail leading to the western tip
of the island you'll pass the only nesting sites in the Galapagos of
the waved albatross, huge birds with a 6-foot wingspan. These huge birds
nest here from April to December and represent the majority of the world’s
population of this species.
Afternoon: Punta Suarez is one of the most outstanding wildlife areas
of the archipelago, with a long list of species found along its cliffs
and sand or pebble beaches. In addition to five species of nesting seabirds
there are the curious and bold Hood Island mockingbirds, Galapagos doves
and Galapagos hawks. Several types of reptiles, including the brilliantly
colored marine iguana and the oversized lava lizard, are unique to this
island. When heavy swells are running, Punta Suarez is also the site
of a spectacular blowhole, with thundering spray shooting 30 yards into
the air.
Day
3. Santa Cruz Island & Rábida
Morning: Santa Cruz is the only inhabited island to be visited during
this Galapagos cruise. Puerto Ayora, with a population of about 10,000
people is the location of the Charles Darwin Research Station, world
famous for its tortoise breeding programs.
After lunch,
we will sail to Rabida Island, the Red Island. Red cinder beaches, ranging
from mud-sized to one inch cinders. Red cliffs, red hillsides. There
is a small brackish pond behind the beach with a colony of bachelor
Galapagos sea lions wallowing in red mud. The trail then climbs a ridge
to a cliff ovrlooking Rocky Cove, a beautiful sight in the late afternoon
light.
Day
4. Santa Cruz Island
Morning visit to Las Bachas beach, the sand is made of decomposed coral,
which makes it white and soft, and a favorite site for nesting sea turtles.
The Sally Lightfoot crabs are abundant on the lava rocks along the water's
edge. These crabs will eat anything they can get their claws on. On
this hike, we see flamingoes, Sally Lightfoot crabs, hermit crabs, black
necked stilts, and whimbrels
Afternoon:
After a dry landing at a dock, the walk takes you to a hypersalinic
(saltier than the ocean) lagoon behind the beach, often frequented by
flamingos, common stilts, pintail ducks and other species of birds.
There is a short walk to the hill, which rewards with a great view of
the bay and a nesting site of land iguanas.
Day
5. Bartolome Island & James (Santiago) Island:
Morning: Bartolome Island: The first destination is Bartolome, an island
of varied volcanic formations with a 350-foot summit and a fabulous
360º view. Depending upon the weather, you may be able to spot
five other islands, one of the most spectacular views of the archipelago.
You’ll make a wet landing in a cove to see a small colony of Galapagos
penguins—the only penguins north of the equator. Sea lions are
also found here. Behind the beach can be found red and white mangroves,
salt bush, morning glory and prickly pear cactuses.
Afternoon:
Puerto Egas, James (Santiago) Island: This afternoon you’ll visit
Puerto Egas on James (Santiago) Island. The landing is on a black beach
with eroded rock formations in the background. The trail crosses the
dry interior, where the remains of a salt-mining enterprise can still
be seen and then continues along the coast. Intertidal pools are home
to a variety of invertebrate organisms. Land iguanas are scattered around
feeding on exposed algae while Oyster Catchers try to capture Sally
Lightfoot Crabs. The trail then leads to the Fur Seal Grottos, one of
the only places in the islands where Fur Seals can be seen. Puerto Egas
is a good spot for taking pictures.
Day
6.Fernandina Island & Isabela Island:
Morning: Fernandina Island: On the youngest and westernmost island in
Galapagos, you’ll land at Punta Espinoza, a narrow stretch of
land where some of the most unusual Galapagos species can be seen. While
the panga driver skillfully eludes the reef to reach the landing site
near a small mangrove forest, look for penguins diving off the rocks
into the water. Sally Lightfoot Crabs disperse on the lava near the
shore and herons, sandpipers and wimbrels explore the mangrove roots.
Marine iguanas congregate in larger groups here than on any other island.
They are everywhere: basking in the sand, swimming near the shore, grazing
on the exposed seaweed in the lava and blocking the way at the landing
dock. This is one of the few places where there is the opportunity,
if the water is clear, of watching them feed underwater while snorkeling.
Following a trail inland, two different types of lava flows can be seen
and compared. At the tip of one of the small peninsulas, Flightless
Cormorants are found. Without predators on the island, these serpent-necked
birds adapted for swimming and not for flight, another example of evolution
at work in nature’s laboratory.
Afternoon:
Punta Vicente Roca, Isabela Island: Largest of the Galapagos islands,
Isabela is composed of six shield volcanoes merged into a single land
mass. Wolf Volcano on Isabela is also the highest point in the archipelago.
The trip is more than worthwhile, however, for the unique species that
occur only in this part of the archipelago, and because the landscape,
with massive volcanoes silhouetted against the sky, offers a striking
contrast to the lower-lying islands of the east. Located on the north-western
tip of Isabela island, the visit of Pta Vicente Roca is completely by
dingy.
The dingys are launched on a coastal dingy-ride that skirts 400-500-feet
cliff sides. Blue-footed boobies, masked boobies & pelicans can
be seen here. Also, very many sea-turtles feed along this shoreline.
Reaching a rocky pile of large basalt, there are colonies of fur-seals
& marine iguanas in groups, basking in the sun. Sea lions are also
present.
Continuing along the sheer cliffs, the dingy now, approach a secluded
cove where, at it's end, dark and yellow rock are superposed. Now we
are close to the large cave that allows for snorkeling or sight seeing.
Snorkeling at the cave produces a great variety of marine life, specially
marine invertebrates. One starts at the intersection between the dark
and yellow rock and swims all the way around the small point into the
cave, all the way into the cave & then out of the cave until the
next point.
The water is often murky and very cold as it is called the Galapagos
Ice-box . Therefore, one must snorkel very close to the rock in order
to see anything but it may produce some of the most exiting snorkeling
in Galapagos. Manta rays, sea turtles, sea-lions, sting-rays, many fish,
even dolphins & sunfish have been seen and snorkeled with in this
bay. Along the cave there are Galapagos penguins, marine iguanas, swallow-tailed
gulls, masked boobies, brown noddy 's, blue footed boobies and a breathtaking
scenery unparalelled.
Day
7.Seymour Norte, Santa Cruz Island:
Morning: North Seymour: A small flat island. Rocks then a long sandy
stretch where sea lions and marine iguanas hang out next to a surf wave.
The interior has a Palo Santo small Opuntia cactus forest with Bluefooted
boobies and magnificent Frigate bird colonies. An hour and a half visit.
Dry landing.
Afternoon:
Highlands & Lava Tunnels
You and your family will board a bus for a 45-minute ride through changing
vegetation zones to the Santa Cruz Highlands. Here, about 40 giant tortoises
live in the wild. By approaching quietly, you can find and observe a
turtle on your own. You also hike to tunnels made by cooling lava.
Day
8 .San Cristobal Island
Morning: Visit to Lobería or Isla Lobos or Tijeretas,or El Junco
and Interpretation Centre: this morning visit the Interpretation Centre.
Donated by the Spanish Government in 1998, this state of the art facility
offers both tourist and the inhabitants a complete education on the
Islands.
Return to the airport to take flight back to the continent.
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