Galapagos Island

Day 1:  Arrival at Baltra Airport

Your guide will be waiting for you at the arrival’s hall at the airport. Transfer to the evergreen highlands of Santa Cruz Island. Together with your English-speaking naturalist guide, you’ll walk through a ranch in the highlands for your first sighting of the unique Galapagos giant tortoises. If you are lucky, you might see some of these gentle giants taking a relaxing mud bath. Besides the giant tortoises, you can also observe wading birds, Darwin finches and ducks. Another highlight in the highlands are the lava tunnels, through which you can walk.  After lunch, you drive to Puerto Ayora, Galapagos’ largest town, where you check into your hotel. (L)

Day 2: Boat Tour

Today you’ll join a boat tour to an uninhabited island. We usually recommend a boat tour to North Seymour Island, but it is possible to change it to Bartholomew Island (famous for its “Pinnacle Rock”, great for snorkeling, and penguin sightings) or South Plaza Island (vast marine life, hybrid iguanas and coastal birds).

You will see different sea birds like the iconic blue-footed boobies and the endemic swallow-tailed gull. With some luck, you can even spot frigate birds with their red pouches inflated and land iguanas. While you enjoy lunch on board, the yacht will navigate to Bachas Beach at the northern shore of Santa Cruz Island.  During a walk along the sandy beach, you will observe different shore birds, as well as crabs such as Sally Light feet, and maybe some marine iguanas. You can choose to go swimming and snorkeling, to observe an   array of fish, rays and even turtles.  You will return to your hotel at about 4:30pm. (B/L)

Day 3:  Paradise Beaches and Natural History

Today we will visit the paradisiac beaches of Tortuga Bay during the morning. This is a great hiking opportunity as it lies approximately 45 minutes outside of Puerto Ayora, allowing us to explore on-foot along the way. Once we arrive at the beach you can take a dip and swim in the calm bay surrounded by mangroves, where the water is shallow and crystal clear. Look out for marine iguanas, coastal birds, sea lions and even white-tip reef sharks that inhabit the area. On your way back to Puerto Ayora, we stop at “Laguna de las Ninfas”. This brackish pond is surrounded by three species of mangroves and home to ducks and other birds. In the afternoon we visit Charles Darwin Station where we can explore the interpretation center and the breeding center for giant tortoises. (B)

Day 4: Underwater Marvels – Snorkel Tour

Today you will join another group tour for a snorkel adventure on Pinzon Island. You’ll embark on the day tour yacht and travel to Pinzon, a small island that lies off the western coast of Santa Cruz Island. This snorkeling adventure happens straight off the boat so you can take advantage of the island’s great snorkeling sites. You’ll have the opportunity to observe colorful fish, sea lions, sharks, turtles and rays. After snorkeling you’ll enjoy lunch on board the yacht while you navigate a short distance to La Fe Bay at the western shore of Santa Cruz Island. Here you’ll disembark in the afternoon and go for a stroll on the beach. Return to the Puerto Ayora. (B/L)

Day 5:  Return to the mainland

If you still have some time before your flight back to the mainland, we recommend you take a stroll along the port’s promenade, where you can often observe amusing scenes like sea lions sleeping on benches. At the agreed upon time, your driver will pick you up from your hotel and take you to Baltra airport. (B)