WESTERN ISLANDS
(Thursday - Monday) 5 days / 4 nights.
ITINERARY B
DAY BY DAY
DAY 1 - THURSDAY
AM – Baltra Airport
AM: Departure from Quito or Guayaquil to Baltra Island (2 ½-hour flight). Arriving in the Galapagos Islands, passengers are picked up at the airport by our natural guides and taken to a ten-minute bus drive to the pier to board the M/V Galapagos Legend.
PM: – Mosquera Islet
PM: This tiny, low lying islet, covered in coral sand, is set between North and South Seymour Islands. It is home to a group of sea lions that come to laze on the soft white sand. It is a good spot to observe shorebirds as well as herons, lava gulls and boobies. Snorkeling or
diving here one can often see sharks, rays and barracudas.
Difficulty level: easy
Type of terrain: sandy
Duration: 1 ½-hour walk & snorkeling
DAY 2 - FRIDAY
AM: - Egas Port (Santiago Island)
AM: The black volcanic sand sets this landing apart from most. It is best known for the dramatic shoreline where we meet a host of species that chose to live between land and sea. Particular among these are the endemic Galapagos fur seals which maintain a small colony at the end of our walk. Other species of note include American oystercatchers, sea lions, waders, herons, lava lizards and even Galapagos hawks. An optional visit takes us to an abandoned salt mine famous in its day for supplying salt to mainland Ecuador.
Difficulty level: intermediate
Type of terrain: flat & semi-rocky
Duration: 1 ½-hour walk / 1-hour snorkeling
PM: – Rabida Island
PM: Lying at the heart of the archipelago this dramatic island, with its distinctive red-sand beach, is home to sea lions, mockingbirds, finches, endemic Galapagos doves and vermillion flycatchers. A walk takes us through a forest of palo santo and cacti to a beautiful overview of the bay. Snorkeling here can be excellent, often with large schools of black-striped salemas, sea lions and the ubiquitous turtles.
Difficulty level: easy
Type of terrain: sandy
Duration: 1 ½-hour walk / 1-hour snorkeling / 1-hour dinghy ride
DAY 3 - SATURDAY
AM – Urbina Bay (Isabela Island)
AM: At the far end of a long, level hike we arrive at a strange phenomenon where large blocks of coral lie completely exposed after a dramatic geological uplift in 1954. Located at the western base of Alcedo Volcano we hope to run into a few very impressive land iguanas as well as some of the volcanoís endemic Galapagos giant tortoises during the wet season.
Difficulty level: intermediate
Type of terrain: flat & rocky
Duration: 1 ½-hour walk / 1-hour snorkeling
PM – Tagus Cove (Isabela Island)
PM: A well-known hideout and deep water anchorage in the days of pirates, Tagus Cove was also one of the few sites visited by Charles Darwin and the HMS Beagle in 1835. A beautiful hike leads us past an overview of Darwin Lake and on to a stunning volcanic landscape
revealing Isabela islandís dramatic northern volcanoes. Once back at sea level the perfect activity is to snorkel along a submerged wall with turtles, lots of fish, penguins and potentially flightless cormorants. You might even be tempted by a panga ride or kayak!
Difficulty level: intermediate/difficult
Type of terrain: steep/steep
Duration: 2-hour walk / 40-minutes dinghy ride / 1-hour deep water snorkeling
DAY 4 - SUNDAY
AM: – Punta Espinosa (Fernandina Island)
AM: The youngest island of Galapagos and one of the most pristine in the world. Fernandina is simply the ëmarine iguana capital of the worldí. This desolate volcanic backdrop is ome to a huge concentration of these enigmatic reptiles. Incongruously, sharing the same shoreline, we can find the diminutive Galapagos penguins. Here we also have the exciting opportunity to snorkel with marine iguanas feeding underwater, penguins, turtles and the bizarre, endemic, flightless cormorants.
Difficulty level: intermediate
Type of terrain: flat/semi rocky
Duration: 1 ½-hour walk / 1-hour snorkeling
PM – Punta Vicente Roca (Isabela Island)
PM: This is a spectacular visitor site, surrounded by immense cliffs of the eroded volcano. Studded with resting sea birds such as brown noddies and Nazca boobies, we will enjoy them in close proximity from our dinghies. Snorkeling here is superb, with certain species
of fish only found in the west of the archipelago. We also have a very real chance of swimming with penguins and potentially a plethora of green turtles.
Difficulty Level: moderate / high
Type of terrain: water
Duration: 1-hour snorkeling / 1-hour dinghy ride
DAY 5 - MONDAY
AM – Highlands Tortoise Reserve (Santa Cruz Island)
AM: Dry landing. In the mountains of Galapagos is possible to admire different kind of birds, such as: tree and ground finches, vermillion flycatchers, paint-billed crakes, yellow warblers, and cattle egrets (usually standing on the tortoises’ shell). The journey to the reserve offers great opportunities to see the contrasts that the island offers in reference to the variety of ecosystems.
The road goes from the coast through the agricultural zone and straight up to the dense humid forests. Often, Galapagos Giant Tortoises are also seen on the way, wandering through pastures
in the paddocks. This spot is a birdwatchers’ haven, since almost every land bird present on the island lives or migrates here.
Difficulty level: easy
Type of terrain: flat & muddy (depending on season)
Duration: 45-minutes drive / 1 ½-hour walk
PM – Baltra Island Airport
PM: After the visit, passengers will be transferred to the airport for their return flight to Guayaquil or Quito.
