Grand Queen Beatriz Itinerary A - 5 days
ITINERARY A - 5 DAYS
WEDNESDAY
AM: Baltra Airport: Arrival and Transfer to the boat
PM: Santa Cruz: Highlands (HK)
THURSDAY
AM: Santa Fe (HK)
PM: Plaza Sur
FRIDAY
AM: Española: Gardner Bay (HK/SN)
PM: Española: Gardner Bay (HK/SN)
SATURDAY
AM: San Cristobal: Pitt Point / Kicker Rock (HK/SN))
PM: San Cristobal: Lobos Island (HK/SN)
SUNDAY
AM:San Cristobal Interpretation Center
San Cristobal: Transfer to the Airport
HK: HIKE / SN: SNORKEL / PR: PANGA RIDE / KY: KAYAK /
PB: PADDLE BOARD
DAY 1: WEDNESDAY
AM: BALTRA AIRPORT AND TRANSFER TO THE BOAT
Welcome to the Galapagos!
On arrival in Baltra Airport you will be met in the arrivals hall and then transferred to your vessel, M/Y Grand Queen Beatriz, anchored a short distance away on Isla Baltra. Once on board you’ll be assigned your cabins, meet the crew members and have a welcome briefing and safety drill, before getting to know your naturalist guide and fellow travelers over a delicious lunch
PM: SANTA CRUZ: HIGHLANDS
Afterwards, head up into the highlands for a total change of scenery. Beginning at the coast you'll travel across Santa Cruz through the agricultural region and into the misty forests, with the walk taking about 45 minutes. This is a lush humid zone containing miconia bushes, scalesia and inactive volcanic cones. Santa Cruz has more endemic plants than any of the other islands, and you are likely to see Galapagos giant tortoises in their natural habitat and perhaps even the bright red feathers of a vermillion flycatcher!
Included Activities
● Santa Cruz Highlands
Meals Included
● Lunch
● Dinner
DAY 2: THURSDAY
AM: SANTA FE ISLAND
Isla Santa Fe is home to many sea lions and these ones are very eager for swimming partners! It’s a lovely place to take a dip, and offers a dense concentration of wildlife, housing many of the stars of the Galapagos in one relatively small area. Expect to see Galapagos hawks, land iguanas, a variety of finches, Galapagos mockingbirds, sea lions, marine turtles, frigate birds, Galapagos doves and lava lizards. It’s also a naturally beautiful island, with one of the most attractive coves in the archipelago, and the surrounding waters are ideal for snorkelling. There’s a trail that follows the coast into the opuntia forest, where you see Santa Fe's trees – the largest in the Galapagos. Hiking towards the cliffs on Santa Fe will lead you to a forest of prickly pear cactus, also known as opuntia. A member of the cactus family, their name comes from the pear-shaped fruit the plant produces.
PM: SOUTH PLAZAS ISLAND
Onto Isla Plaza Sur: a small island with great beauty, where you will get close to sea lions and walk past one of the Galapagos’ largest land iguana populations. Plaza Sur is also known for cacti and volcanic landscapes coloured bright red and green by sesuvium. The island’s rugged southern cliffs are an excellent place to spot tropicbirds and swallow-tailed gulls, as well as the 'Gentlemen’s Club’: a gathering of male sea lions either too young or too old to be beachmasters!
Estimated travel time/distance:
Isla Santa Fe to Isla Plaza Sur: 2 hours (16 nautical miles)
Isla Plaza Sur to Isla Espanola (Punta Suarez): 7 hours (60 nautical miles)
Included Activities
● Santa Fe Island
● Plaza Sur Island
Meals Included
● Breakfast
● Lunch
● Dinner
DAY 3: FRIDAY
AM: ESPANOLA: PUNTA SUÁREZ
After an overnight sail you will wake up near Isla Espanola – the southernmost island of the Galapagos (and one of the most spectacular). Because of its remote location, this island has a large population of endemic fauna. It is the breeding site for nearly all of the world's 12,000 pairs of waved albatrosses and also home to colonies of blue-footed and Nazca boobies.
Trails from the golden beaches, where sea lions and marine iguanas bathe, will lead you right through the middle of booby colonies, Galapagos doves and mockingbirds.
You will also have the opportunity to visit Punta Suarez, home to a large and varied wildlife population. A walk along its trails will take you to a cliff top viewpoint, where you'll gain a scenic view of the island. Boobies line the rocky shoreline beneath you, while frigate birds may be seen overhead, and nearby male sea lions can be seen lounging around. Albatross use the cliffs as their ‘runway’, helping become airborne by the southeast winds that blow across this part of the island. If you’re lucky, you’ll see the elaborate courtship rituals performed by albatross before the female chooses her lifelong mate.
PM: ESPANOLA: GARDNER BAY
Stop at Bahia Gardner (Gardner Bay), considered by many as one of the most beautiful beaches in the Galapagos Islands, full of sea lions and hood mockingbirds. Walk along the pristine white sands or take another opportunity to swim with sea lion pups and lots of fish. The rocks off the coast provide an excellent spot to snorkel, with their abundance of reef sharks, turtles and many species of tropical fish, including surgeon and angelfish. The small white-tipped reef sharks are also often spotted resting under the rocks.
Included Activities
● Bahia Gardner
● Punta Suarez
Meals Included
● Breakfast
● Lunch
● Dinner
DAY 4: SATURDAY
AM: SAN CRISTOBAL: PITT POINT
This morning you will visit Punta Pitt on the eastern end of Isla San Cristobal. Walk to the top of the volcanic hill for views of the sparsely vegetated island. A variety of seabirds nest here, including blue-footed boobies and frigates.
You will then navigate close by Leon Dormido (Kicker Rock) the basalt remains of a crater in the middle of the sea, with the shape resembling a sleeping lion. The rock rises 150 meters above the surface and is divided into two parts by a narrow channel. Although there are no landing areas, you will circumnavigation the Rock where you will see tropic birds, marine iguanas in the water and many sea lions.
PM: SAN CRISTOBAL: LOBOS ISLAND
You will also visit Isla Lobos, a tiny island almost touching San Cristobal. This is the perfect time to see the always friendly sea lions as they play in the calm shallow waters here. There are also blue-footed boobies, frigate birds and marine iguanas around the island.
Included Activities
● Punta Pitt
● Kicker Rock
● Isla Lobos
Meals Included
● Breakfast
● Lunch
● Dinner
DAY 5: SUNDAY
AM: SAN CRISTOBAL: INTERPRETATION CENTER - TRANSFER TO THE AIRPORT
As flights to the mainland from Galapagos depart mid-morning, it is an early start for our last morning on the islands. Depending on the time of our flight, our time spent on this final excursion could be limited.
Visit the Interpretation Centre in the morning. The center brings the history and geography of the archipelago to life, from its volcanic origins to the present day. The human history exhibit offers an insight into the discovery and colonization of the Galapagos, and the reality of the problems the islands face today is also explored. This is a great way to complete your time in the Galapagos. This will be your final excursion before you head to the airport in San Cristobal for your flight back to the mainland.
Included Activities
● San Cristobal Interpretation Center
Meals Included
● Breakfast
