ANAHI ITINERARY B2 - 8 DAYS
ITINERARY B2 - 8 DAYS
FRIDAY
AM: Baltra: Arrival and Transfer to the boat
PM: Santa Cruz: Bachas Beach (HK)
SATURDAY
AM: Genovesa: Darwin BAY (HK/SN)
PM: Genovesa: El Barranco (HK/SN)
SUNDAY
AM: South Plazas (HK)
PM: Santa Fe (HK/SN)
MONDAY
AM: San Cristobal: Pitt Point (HK/SN)
PM: San Cristobal: Lobos Island / Kicker Rock (SN/HK)
TUESDAY
AM: San Cristobal: Cerro Colorado (HK)
PM: San Cristobal: Galapagos Turtles Breeding Center (HK)
WEDNESDAY
AM: Espanola: Suarez Point (HK/SN)
PM: Espanola: Gadner Bay (HK/SN)
THURSDAY
AM: Floreana: Cormorant Point / Devils Crown (HK/SN)
PM: Floreana: Post Office Bay / Asilo de la Paz (HK/SN)
FRIDAY
AM: Santa Cruz: Charles darwin station (HK)
Baltra: Transfer to the Airport
HK: HIKE / SN: SNORKEL / PR: PANGA RIDE / KY: KAYAK /
PB: PADDLE BOARD
DAY 1: FRIDAY
AM: ARRIVAL AND TRANSFER TO THE BOAT - BALTR AIRPORT
Upon our arrival to Baltra Airport, our guide will greet us in the lobby, assist you with your luggage, and will accompany us on the short bus ride (15 minutes) to the Itabaca Channel. After crossing, we will travel for 45 minutes to 1 hour by bus towards the highlands of the island of Santa Cruz. Then we will enjoy a delicious lunch on a private ranch. Passengers who embark on the yacht in Puerto Ayora will have lunch aboard and will go to visit the highlands with the rest of the group later.
PM: SANTA CRUZ ISLAND: HIGHLANDS
Our guide will take us on a walk through a beautiful forest full of ferns, sedges, and miconias, while you might also observe some giant tortoises in their natural habitat. Later, we will head to one of the many lava tunnels in the area. Here we will enjoy a short walk through the tunnel, where we can admire the results of a powerful volcanic eruption that occurred millions of years ago. After our visit, we will head to Puerto Ayora and board the yacht, where we will have an official welcome drink, followed by dinner. After dinner, our guide will explain the following day’s activities as well as some general recommendations for visitors of the Galápagos Islands.
DAY 2: SATURDAY
AM: GENOVESA ISLAND: DARWIN BAY
Darwin Bay: A beautiful bay area due to the great diversity of seabirds that nest in the mangroves that dominate the area.
These include red-footed boobies, Nazca boobies, swallow-tailed gulls, Galápagos petrels, seabirds, Darwin finches, mockingbirds, and Galápagos doves.
PM: PRINCE PHILIP'S STEPS
Prince Philip's Steps: We will climb 25 meters of stairs at one of the best bird nesting sites on the islands. We will have the opportunity to snorkel, kayak, hike, and take a ride in a panga.
DAY 3: SUNDAY
AM: PLAZA ISLAND
These islands have an unusual vegetation, which creates an interesting landscape that helps to enhance the fauna and the flora of the Galápagos. It is also possible to observe land iguanas in the shade of cacti. The main attractions of the Plaza Islands include land iguanas, sea lions, and swallow-tailed gulls, as well as lizards, island insects, red-beaked sparrows, frigate birds, and pelicans that glide down the cliffs. Then we will return to the yacht for lunch and a deserved rest.
PM: SANTA FE ISLAND
An extremely scenic island, where we can visit two different trails, with one of them leading to a beautiful viewpoint on the top of a cliff, where you can find endemic land iguanas of the island. The other trail is a small circular path close to the beach, where we will be able to observe another colony of land iguana. Here we will also have the possibility to kayak, snorkel, panga ride, or walk, in order to observe and enjoy nature. Then we will return to the yacht for dinner and a time of relaxation.
DAY 4: MONDAY
AM: SAN CRISTOBAL ISLAND: PITT POINT
Considered as one of the most beautiful and impressive sites in the Galápagos, it has become one of the favorite nesting sites for seabirds. Here we will be able to see three species of frigate birds and their nesting sites in the same area. Then we will return to the yacht for lunch.
PM: KICKER ROCK AND LOBOS ISLANDS
A gigantic and impressive rock formation known locally as “León Dormido”. On the cliffs we can see a number kicker rockof blue-footed boobies, pelicans, and other seabirds. During our snorkeling activity we will be able to observe sharks, sea turtles, stingrays, and several species of colorful fish along with the impressive rock formation. Later on, we will take a walk on Lobos Island, a small islet separated from the main island by a narrow stretch of calm water. The atmosphere of the isle helps to enhance its tranquility and primitive beauty: an example which is typical of the Galápagos Islands.
. Then we will return to the yacht for dinner and a time of relaxation.
DAY 5: TUESDAY
AM: SAN CRISTOBAL ISLAND: INTERPRETATION CENTER
In the morning, our guide will take us to the top of San Cristóbal Island. Following, our tour has 2 options. The first option starts from Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, and involves a visit to the El Junco Lagoon. For hundreds of years, rain water and condensation have caused an accumulation of water in the caldera of an extinct volcano, creating a paradise for frigate birds and turtles. Alternatively, we will visit the “Cerro Colorado” turtle breeding center. There we will have a pleasant walk aong a path that allows us to be in close contact with the turtles, that can vary from the smallestto the oldest of giants.
PM: CERRO TIJERETAS AND PUNTA CAROLA
Interpretation Center of San Cristobal, located on the outskirts of the small town of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, the capital city of the Galápagos province.frigate animal The interpretation center will give us an introduction to the islands, and their natural, as well as human history. After, we will walk to the place known as ‘La Colina de las Fragatas’, or ‘Cerro Tijeretas. This short 30-minute walk starts from the interpretation center and takes you to the top of the hill. Once there, the visitors can enjoy a spectacular sight of the surrounding white beaches and the incredible geographical formations of the Pacific Ocean. The hill is often visited by Frigate birds that nest there in certain seasons of the year. From the hill we will descend into a small cove known as Punta Carola,where we will observe a colony of sea lions. At night (if you want) you can go into the city for a walk and maybe have a drink at one of the local bars.
DAY 6: WEDNESDAY
AM: ESPANOLA ISLAND: SUAREZ POINT
Punta Suárez: A destination of great interest due to the abundance of birds. This island also has its own species of animals, like the Española Mockingbird, which has a distinctively longer and more curved beak than variations found on other islands; The Galápagos lava lizard; The marine iguana of the venustissimus subspecies, that has red marks on its back; among others. We can also observe seagulls and other tropical birds that live on the rocky slopes. Among the more interesting attractions is the waved albatross,as almost the entire world population comes to breed here between March and December, and the mating dance of the blue-footed booby.There are hundreds of nazca boobies, colonies of sea lions, large colonies of marine iguanas and different species of birds.
PM: BAHIA GARDNER.
Bahía Gardner: A beautiful beach that is excellent for swimming and snorkeling. Here we can find a large colony of playful sea lions and hopefully observe the Galápagos Peregrine Falcons and local species of snakes, while we will undoubtably see Darwin’s finches, mockingbirds and sea turtles.
DAY 7: THURSDAY
AM:FLOREANA ISLAND: PUNTA CORMORANT, DEVIL`S CROWN
A site that has the best and the biggest flamingo lagoon of the Galápagos. It is located between two volcanic hills that gives the area a special atmosphere. There are varieties of sea birds that can be seen in addition to flamingos, the most frequent ones being stilts, white-tailed ducks and other migratory birds.
This is a unique area due to the high percentage of endemic plants (unique to the island). Here we can see the “Green Beach” (due to the high percentage of olivine crystals in the sand) and the “Flour Sand Beach” mainly composed of coral reefs, making these the two most interesting beaches of the islands.
Then we return to the yacht to begin our snorkeling activity at the location known as the Devil’s Crown. This is a sunken volcanic crater where the interior of the formation is ideal for the sustainability of a marvelous coral reef habitat, making it one of the most fascinating marine sites in the Galápagos.
PM:POST OFFICE BAY & ASILO DE LA PAZ
Historically, it served as a letter exchange station in the 18th century when the crew of a whaling ship utilized a wooden barrel. Both sailors and tourists have used this system to communicate with people from all around the world. The idea is to bring letters or postcards to their destination by hand, creating a very special “postal service” This site was also the landing place for some of the first settlers on the islands. Then we will visit the Asilo de la Paz, known for its strange history as one of the first occupied areas of the islands by the German Witmer family. We return to the yacht and head to Puerto Ayora, the largest city in the Galápagos. If we are lucky, we may see a pod of dolphins during our trip, as well as manta rays and sea turtles.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included aboard.
DAY 8: FRIDAY
AM: SANTA CRUZ ISLAND: GIANT GALAPAGOS TURTLES
After breakfast, we will visit an interesting location, before departing for the airport. We will visit the Fausto Llerena Interpretation Center where you can see different sizes and species of tortoises. If we have time, we can also visit the special compartment where the embalmed body of the famous giant tortoise “Solitario George” is on display. Then we will be transported to the Itabaca channel, which we will cross with a local ferry, and then will take a bus to the Baltra Island Airport. Our trip ends here. We will say goodbye to our guide and to the Galápagos Islands, who will be waiting for your next visit.
