Day 1: Baltra Airport - North Seymour Island
Morning:
Departure from either Quito or Guayaquil to Baltra Island is a 2 ½ hour flight. Upon arrival in the Galapagos, passengers are greeted at the airport
by our knowledgeable guides who will accompany them on a short tenminute bus ride to the pier where they will board the Galapagos Legend.
Afternoon:
This flat, uplifting, island is an important spot to see both magnificent and great frigatebird males courting the females and, we will also likely see courting blue-footed boobies too. Sea lions, swallow-tailed gulls, crashing surf and distant views of the Daphne Islands top off a great visit.
Difficulty level: Medium
Type of terrain: Rocky & Sandy
Duration:
1 hour 45 min hike
1 hour glass-bottom or 1 hour deep snorkeling
Day 2: Bartolome Island - Sullivan bay (Santiago island)
Morning:
Considered the most iconic landscape of the entire archipelago the view from the top of Bartolome Island, overlooking the famous Pinnacle Rock
and the austere Santiago Island, Our subsequent snorkel here might put us face to face with Galapagos penguins, whitetipped reef sharks, and playful sea lions.
Difficulty level: Medium
Type of terrain: Wooden path of 372 stairs
Duration:
45 min hike
30 min dinghy ride
45 min beach snorkeling or 45 min glass-bottom boat
Afternoon:
Visitors are always totally enthralled by the amazing beds of pahoehoe lava from the recent flow on the island. It is a landscape and macro photographer´s dream. The importance of pioneering plants such as the tiny Mollugo will be discussed as we hike over the lava.
Difficulty level: High
Type of terrain: Flat volcanic lava
Duration:
1 ½ hour walk
1 hour snorkeling or 1 hour beach time
Day 3: Punta Pitt (San Cristobal Island) - Cerro Brujo (San Cristobal Island)
Morning:
This is the only place on the islands where we will enjoy the chance to see all three of the booby species in the same place. The red-foots will be perched on the Cordia lutea and small trees, the Nazca´s on the ground near the cliff edge while the bluefoots will be a little further inland. Frigatebirds will be all around and the views are breathtaking.
Difficulty level: Medium
Type of terrain: Rocky
Duration:
2 hour hike
45 min kayaking or 1 hour beach snorkeling
Afternoon:
From our dinghy ride, as we head to shore, we are first humbled by the immensity of the stunning cliffs of the Sorcerer's Hill. You can enjoy simply sharing the beach with sea lions, snorkelling from shore, or taking a walk to a hidden lagoon where you might spot black-necked stilts, ruddy
turnstones, whimbrels, and white-cheeked pintails
Difficulty level: Low
Type of terrain: Sandy
Duration:
45 min dinghy ride
45 min kayaking or 1 ½ hour beach snorkeling
Day 4: Cerro Colorado Tortoise Reserve (San Cristobal Island) - Interpretation Center & Frigatebird Hill (San Cristobal Island)
Morning:
In the moist highlands of San Cristobal, we will visit the giant tortoise breeding center “La Galapaguera” to witness the most iconic creature of the archipelago in its various life stages. The aim of the reserve is to help restore populations of the threatened San Cristobal tortoise back into the wild. In town, there are shops to purchase local handicrafts and souvenirs.
Difficulty level: Medium
Type of terrain: Sandy
Duration:
1 hour 15 min visit
1 ½ hour bus ride round-trip
Afternoon:
The interpretation center is full of interesting information and offers the perfect overview of the formation of the Galapagos. Following a hike to
Frigatebird Hill (Cerro Tijeretas) we will have a great look at both species of frigatebirds, with the bonus of a beautiful view of the bay below.
Difficulty level: Low / High
Type of terrain: Flat path / Rocky
Duration:
1 hour hike
1 hour walk
Day 5: Gardner Bay (Española Island) - Punta Suarez (Española Island)
Morning:
One of the most stunning beaches in all of the Galapagos. The long, white, sandy beach, lapped by turquoise waters, home to a colony of Galapagos sea lions. Hood mockingbirds, endemic to this particular island. We can also snorkel here from the beach, in the shallows of the bay.
Difficulty level: Low
Type of terrain: Sandy
Duration:
1 hour hike
30 min kayaking
30 min Glass-bottom boat
1 hour 45 min beach or deep snorkeling
Afternoon:
Punta Suarez is a naturalist´s paradise. The oldes extant island in the archipelago is our only opportunity to commune with the endemic wave albatross during their breeding season between April and December. With luck, we can watch their complex courtship display
Difficulty level: High
Type of terrain: Rocky
Duration:
2 hours 15min hike
Day 6: Post Office (Floreana Island) - Punta Cormorant, Devil’s Crown (Floreana Island)
Morning:
The famous Post Office Barrel. Claimed to have been first set up in 1793 by Captain James Colnett. The system involved whalers and fur
sealers would leave addressed letters in the barrel to be picked up by homeward-bound colleagues. Actually visitors often take letters and hand deliver them to their home countries.
Difficulty level: Medium
Type of terrain: Rocky
Duration:
1 hour 15 min hike
1 hour beach snorkeling
Afternoon:
Our walk takes us to a large, shallow lagoon, often inhabited by a variable number of shockingly pink greater flamingos. We arrive at a powdery white beach, a nesting area for green turtles. Devil’s Crown is one of the favorite snorkeling sites on the islands.
Difficulty level: Low
Type of terrain: Sandy & flat
Duration:
1 hour 45 min hike
45 min glass-bottom or
45 min deep or beach snorkeling
Day 7: Dragon Hill (Santa Cruz Island) - Punta Bowditch (Santa Cruz Island)
Morning:
Arriving at a small lava dock, our first encounter is with marine iguanas that blend-in perfectly with the dark rock. As we walk past a large prickly pear cacti, we arrive at one end of a long, sickle-shaped beach with Dragon Hill standing in the distance. Our walk takes us on a circular
path, past a shallow lake where flamingoes frequently come to feed.
Difficulty level: Medium
Type of terrain: Rocky
Duration:
45 min walk
1 hour 15 min snorkeling
Afternoon:
Feel the indescribable feeling of being where no one else has. Relax on a powdery beach. Snorkel around turquoise water islets and hike beside salt pools and dried white corals. Be one of the first humans –to visit Punta Bowditch at Galapagos Legend.
Difficulty level: Low
Type of terrain: Sandy
Duration:
30 min walk
30 min kayaking
1 hour snorkeling
Day 8: Highlands Tortoise Reserve (Santa Cruz Island) - Baltra Airport
Morning:
Dry landing. In the Galapagos mountains, admire diverse bird species like finches, flycatchers, crakes, warblers, and egrets (often perched on tortoises' shells). The journey to the reserve showcases the island's contrasting ecosystems, from coastal areas to dense humid forests. Look out for Galapagos Giant tortoises wandering through pastures. This spot is a haven for birdwatchers, as it hosts a wide range of land birds that reside or migrate here.
Difficulty level: Low
Type of terrain: flat & muddy depending on the season
Duration:
1 ½ hour walk
45 minute drive
After the visit, passengers will be transferred to the airport for their return flight to Guayaquil or Quito.
