| Our tours are based on fixed
departures Galapagos
Cruises can be done onboard varying class of cruise boat, from Tourist to
Luxury Level options. Itineraries vary according to the specific boats, but
an example appears as follows:-
GALAPAGOS
EXPLORER II - LUXURY LINER
Wednesday
Transfer
to Quito airport for your flights to the Galapagos Islands. Upon
arrival, pay the park entrance fee of USD100. You will then be
transferred to the harbor and board ‘Pangas”, motorised crafts which
will take you to the Explorer. Depart and do a wet landing on the beach at Cerro Brujo to view the
various sea-lions and plethora of birds such as the Yellow
Warbler, Ground Finch, Plover,Catchers, Lava Heron and the Blue
Footed Booby).We
will then have a dry landing and disembark at Bartolome Island for
an optional 40 minute trek to the summit point. Return to the ship. (BLD)
Thursday
Bartolome Island
– Puerto Egas, Santiago Island
We
will view Bartolome Island in
the morning and then in the afternoon, head towards Puerto Egas, Santiago Island.
Here
you also find the once inhabited port Puerto Egas and the Sugarloaf Mountain. Settled in the
20’s by Norwegians, who attempted to establish fishing and salt factory,
the island is currently uninhabited. Several species of land birds,
including 10 species of the Darwin Finches as well as the Galapagos Hawk.
It is also the best site to watch the Galapagos Fur Seal. (BLD)
Friday
Punta
Espinosa – Fernandina – Isabela
Island– Punta Vincente Roca
Fernandina is the
westernmost island of the Archipelago. The colossal shield of the still
active volcano Fernandina reaches 1,494 m. Punta Espinoza is home to one of the largest communities of Marine
Iguanas, as well as Californian Sea Lions and Galapagos Flightless
Cormorants. The
island is stark and barren but has numerous flightless cormorants, sea
lions and marine iguanas. The main attractions of this island are its
Lava-Cactuses and the on the surface of the lava, the growing mangroves.
In the afternoon, we will head to Punta Vincente Roca at the west coast of
Isabela. (BLD)
Saturday
North Seymour Island
– Santa
Cruz
North
Seymour is an
‘uplifted’ (as opposed to volcanic) island and so is generally flat
and strewn with boulders. There are good nesting sites here for a large
population of magnificent frigate birds. It is home to numerous
Blue-footed boobies and swallow-tailed gulls.
Santa
Cruz is
the second largest island in the Galapagos. The
bay is also encircled by the dozy and tended town Puerto Ayora. With its
about 150 000 inhabitants it is the largest human settlement on the
islands and offers some tourist facilities. Santa
Cruz is
also the only island where six different zones of vegetation can be seen:
Coastal, Arid, Transition, Scalesia, Miconia, and Pampa Zones. (BLD)
Sunday
Islas
Lobos – Interpretation center
Today
we will visit the small island of Lobos,
situated outside San
Cristobal. It
was named after the many sea lions that live there. There are also
blue-footed boobies and on the east coast, Leon Dormido (also called Kicker Rock) is located. This is a
gigantic rock whose name comes from its similarity to a sleeping lion. In
the afternoon, we will visit the Interpretation Centre at Puerto Baquerizo
Moreno. (BLD)
Monday
Espanola Island
– Punta Suarez – Charles Station – Puerto Ayora
Espanola Island or
‘Hood’ is one of the oldest of the islands. It is small and flat with
no visible volcanic crater or vent. Because
of its great variety of sea birds it is very popular with birdwatchers. Punta
Suarez is one of the most outstanding wildlife areas of the archipelago,
with a long list of species found along its cliffs and sandy 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. The
highlight is the colonies of Galapagos albatross. 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 touring the Station, we will journey by bus into the
highlands to Los Gemelos the two deep pit craters situated in the Scalesia
forest with lots of interesting bird life. (BLD)
Tuesday
Darwin Bay –
Genovesa Island – El Barranco
This
morning we will have a wet landing for an easy stroll observing thousands
of bird life, mainly frigate birds, red footed and masked boobies, gulls,
herons, finches and mockingbirds. You will have a change to visit the area
further on foot. After
lunch, w will head to Genovesa, a collapsed volcano which attracts vast
numbers of pelagic seabirds that come here to nest and breed: great
frigate birds, red-footed boobies, swallow-tailed gulls and storm
petrels. (BLD)
Wednesday
Ochoa Beach - San
Christobal
Today
we will encounter
many sea lion colonies and numerous blue-footed boobies. Transfer to the
airport for the flight back to the mainland for your return flight to
Quito (BLD)
BACK
TO
E
CUADOR
|