Anahi Itinerary B2 - 8 Days
ITINERARY B2 - 8 DAYS
FRIDAY
AM: Baltra: Arrival and Transfer to the boat
PM: Santa Cruz: Bachas Beach (HK/SN)
SATURDAY
AM: Genovesa: Darwin Bay (HK)
PM: Genovesa: El Barranco (HK/SN/KY/PR)
SUNDAY
AM: South Plaza (HK)
PM: Santa Fe (HK/SN/KY/PR)
MONDAY
AM: San Cristobal: Pitt Point (HK)
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)
PM: Espanola: Gardner Bay (HK/SN)
THURSDAY
AM: Floreana: Cormorant Point / Devil's Crown (SN/HK/KY/PR)
PM: Floreana: Post Office Bay / Asillo de la Paz (SN/HK)
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: BALTRA ARRIVAL AND TRANSFER TO THE BOAT
Flying from Quito or Guayaquil, our flight will arrive to Baltra Island at around noon (local time), where we will be greeted by guide in the lobby, who will be waiting for your arrival and proceeding mbarkation to Yacht Anahí. Your baggage will be handled by one of our crew members, directly to your cabin. The captain and the crew will welcome you on board, followed by cabin assignment. After lunch, our guide will give you a brief explanation of the afternoon activities.
PM: SANTA CRUZ: HIGHLANDS
First visit is to Bachas Beach, which is made of decomposed coral, making it white and soft, while it is also one of the favorite nesting places of sea turtles. Nearby, we can also find a small lagoon where we will be able to observe flamingos, black-necked stilts, thrushes, and the remains of two old barges that were abandoned in the 1940’s. We will also find sea lions, marine iguanas, and seabirds resting on the beach, as well as spend some time with the playful sea lions that like to swim with the visitors.
At 7 pm. we will have an official welcome, followed by a delicious dinner. After dinner, your guide will give you information on the following day’s activities.
Lunch and dinner are included aboard.
DAY 2: SATURDAY
AM: GENOVESA: DARWIN BAY
Darwin Bay is our anchorage area, within an ancient volcanic crater that has eroded into a fascinating geographical formation with a great diversity of seabirds that nest in the mangroves and cliffs of the area.
These include red-footed boobies, Nasca boobies, swallow-tailed gulls, Galapagos petrels, seabirds, Darwin finches, mockingbirds, and Galapagos doves. We will walk by the mangroves observing the fascinating life of these marine birds.
PM: GENOVESA: PRINCE PHILIP'S STEPS
We will climb 25 meters of stairs at one of the best bird nesting sites on the islands, known as Prince Philip's Steps (locally known as “El Barranco”). We will have the opportunity to snorkel, kayak, hike, and take a ride in a panga, and with luck catch a glimpse of the short eared owl, a unique owl that hunts during the daytime.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included aboard.
DAY 3: SUNDAY
AM: SOUTH PLAZA ISLAND
Plazas Islands have unusual vegetation of a succulent called Sesuvium, giving the landscape a unique tint of red or green depending on the season. It is also possible to observe land iguanas in the shade of the giant opuntia cacti. The main attractions of the Plaza Islands include land and marine iguanas, sea lions, and swallow-tailed gulls, as well as lizards, frigate birds, and pelicans that glide down the cliffs. After our walk we will return to the yacht for lunch and a well-deserved rest.
PM: SANTA FE ISLAND
Santa Fe Island is a 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 a colony of sea lions. Here we will also have the possibility to kayak, snorkel, panga ride, or walk, to observe and enjoy nature. Then we will return to the yacht for dinner and a time of relaxation.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included aboard.
DAY 4: MONDAY
AM: SAN CRISTOBAL: PITT POINT
Pitt Point is considered as one of the most beautiful and impressive sites in the Galápagos, and a favorite nesting site for seabirds. In our morning visit we will be able to see both species of frigate birds and boobies, and their nesting sites in the same area. Then we will return to the yacht for lunch.
PM: SAN CRISTOBAL: KICKER ROCK AND LOBOS ISLANDS
We will navigate towards Kicker Rock an impressive rock formation known locally as ‘León Dormido’ where we will circumvallate around the huge rock formation, giving as the possibility to see a multitude of blue-footed boobies, masked boobies, pelicans and sea birds that will delight us with their majestic flights to be photographed.
Later we head towards Isla Lobos, an islet separated from San Cristóbal Island by a narrow stretch of calm waters. On the islet we will take a walk that will allow us to observe frigates, blue-footed boobies, masked boobies, a colony of sea lions and we will also be able to snorkel in the arm of the sea, probably with the company of sea lions and different kinds of colorful fish. The atmosphere is one of tranquility and primitive beauty, a typical environment of the Galapagos Islands.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included aboard.
DAY 5: TUESDAY
AM: SAN CRISTOBAL: 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, rainwater and condensation have caused an accumulation of water in the caldera of an extinct volcano, creating a paradise for frigate birds.
Then, we will visit the D. Rodriguez (Cerro Colorado) Tortoise Breeding Center. There we will have a pleasant walk along a path that allows us to be in close contact with the giant Galapagos tortoises, which can vary from the smallest to the oldest of giants.
Finally, we will visit the beautiful place known as Puerto Chino where we will find sea lions, eventually we will observe marine turtles and also observe blue footed boobies.
PM: SAN CRISTOBAL: CERRO TIJERETAS AND CAROLA POINT
The Interpretation Center of San Cristobal is located on the outskirts of the small town of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, the capital city of the Galápagos province. The center will give us an introduction to the islands, and their natural and human history.
A short 30-minute walk starts from the interpretation center and takes you to the top of “Cerro Tijeretas” hill to enjoy a spectacular sight of the surrounding geographical formations of the Pacific Ocean including the famous Kicker Rock. 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 guests who want to disembark can go into the city for a walk and maybe have a drink at one of the local bars.
Lunch and dinner are included aboard.
DAY 6: WEDNESDAY
AM: ESPANOLA: SUAREZ POINT
Suarez Point: A destination of great interest due to the incredible abundance of birds and endemic species like the Espanola Mockingbird, which has a distinctively longer and curved beak than variations found on other islands; the Galápagos lava lizard; the marine iguana of the venustissimus subspecies; and more. We can also observe seagulls and other tropical birds that live on the rocky slopes. Among the more interesting attractions of the island is the waved albatross, as the entire world population of this species comes to breed here between March and December. Punta Suarez is one of the most sought-after land visits of the Galapagos, where we can find hundreds of Nasca boobies, colonies of sea lions, large colonies of marine iguanas and different species of birds, which can be seen doing their mating dances.
PM: ESPANOLA: GARDNER BAY
Gardner Bay has a gorgeous white coral sand beach that is excellent for relaxing, and surrounding areas that are excellent for swimming and snorkeling. Here we can find a large colony of playful sea lions and local species of snakes, while we will undoubtedly see Darwin’s finches, mockingbirds and with luck various species of rays, sharks, fish, and sea turtles in the water. Kayaking is optional in the area.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included aboard.
DAY 7: THURSDAY
AM: FLOREANA: CORMORANT POINT / DEVIL`S CROWN
Morning visit to Punta Cormorant stops by one of the largest flamingo lagoons of the archipelago, 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 black necked stilts, white-cheeked pintails, and other migratory birds.
This is a unique area due to the high percentage of endemic plants. Here we can see a unique “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 amongst the most interesting beaches of the islands. Then we return to the yacht to begin our snorkeling activity at the location known as “Devil’s Crown.” This is a sunken volcanic crater where the interior of the formation is ideal for the formation of marvelous coral reefs, making it one of the most fascinating marine sites in the Galapagos.
PM: FLOREANA: POST OFFICE BAY & ASILO DE LA PAZ
The “Post Office” bay historically served as a letter exchange station from the 18th century until today, when the crew of a whaling ship utilized a wooden barrel as the exchange point. Both sailors and tourists have used this system to communicate with people from all around the world until today. 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, that eventually went to the highlands in search of fresh running water. Then we will visit the Asilo de la Paz, one of the first occupied areas of the archipelago by the German Wittmer family.
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: GIANT GALAPAGOS TURTLES
After breakfast, we will visit the famous Fausto Llerena Interpretation Center, where you can see different sizes and species of the Giant Galapagos Tortoises. If we have time, we can also visit a special wing of the area where we can see “Lonesome George” on display, an icon of conservation and the islands. If time allows, we will stop by a small guest center of the Charles Darwin Research Station.
Then we will be transported to “Los Gemelos,” an iconic natural sinkhole formation, before we cross to Baltra Island with a local ferry, and then take a bus to the Baltra Island Airport. Trip ends here. We will say goodbye to guide and to the Galapagos Islands.
Breakfast included on board.
