Grand Queen Beatriz Itinerary A - 8 days
ITINERARY A - 8 DAYS
SUNDAY
AM: Baltra Airport: Arrival and Transfer to the boat
PM: Santa Cruz: Carrion Point (HK/SN)
MONDAY
AM: Isabela: Tintoreras (PR)
PM: Isabela: Breeding Center / Wall of tears (HK)
TUESDAY
AM: Floreana: Cormorant Point / Devil's Crown (HK/SN)
PM: Floreana: Post Office Bay / Broness Lookout (SN/HK)
WEDNESDAY
AM: Santa Cruz: Highlands (HK)
PM: Santa Cruz: Charles Darwin Station (HK)
THURSDAY
AM: Santa Fe (HK)
PM: Santa Cruz: South Plazas (HK)
FRIDAY
AM: Espanola: Gardner Bay (HK/SN)
PM: Espanola: Suarez Point (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 (HK/SN)
San Cristobal: Transfer to the Airport
HK: HIKE / SN: SNORKEL / PR: PANGA RIDE / KY: KAYAK /
PB: PADDLE BOARD
DAY 1: SUNDAY
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: CARRION POINT
Your first stop in the afternoon will be Punta Carrion, located on the eastern side of the Itabaca channel that separates the islands of Baltra and Santa Cruz. This is a shallow and protected cove, ideal for your first snorkel and swim in the Galapagos. From the boat, wildlife is plentiful – keep your eyes peeled for occasional sightings of stunning blue-footed boobies, Galapagos herons, great blue herons and, underwater, swim among rays and white-tipped reef sharks.
Tonight, enjoy a welcome cocktail and crew presentation on board.
Included Activities
● Snorkeling Punta Carrion
Meals Included
● Lunch
● Dinner
DAY 2: MONDAY
AM: ISABELA: TINTORERAS
Today, wake up on the south coast of Isla Isabela, the largest of the Galapagos Archipelago. Isabela was formed by five giant volcanic craters, all of which are still considered active. The island is located in one of the youngest geological areas in the world, having been formed less than 1 million years ago.
This southern coast of turquoise blue waters has the largest area of beaches in the Galapagos. You will visit Las Tintoreras, where from the viewing walkway you can look down into this narrow channel to see a colony of white-tipped reef sharks swimming and sleeping, and the occasional playful sea lion among them. Blue-footed boobies and penguins, marine iguanas and crabs also make their home here. Enjoy a long walk on a path through aa (‘ah-ah’) lava flow and see plenty of marine iguanas. Locally, white sharks are known as 'tintoreras', hence the name of this spectacular site.
PM: ISABELA: BREEDING CENTER
In the afternoon, take a leisurely walk through one of Isabela’s coastal lagoons, where you might catch a glimpse of some flamingos. This mangrove-lined lagoon path leads to Isabela’s giant tortoise breeding centre (Arnoldo Tupiza), where you'll observe tortoises in all stages of development. Here you can see the five sub species of tortoises from Isabela Island, some of which are bred in captivity.
You will then have the choice for optional swimming at the beach or decide to do some shopping in Puerto Villamil.
Included Activities
● Arnoldo Tupiza Tortoise breeding center
● Las Tintoreras visit
Meals Included
● Breakfast
● Lunch
● Dinner
DAY 3: TUESDAY
AM:FLOREANA: CORMORANT POINT - DEVIL’S CROWN
Isla Floreana is a highlight of any Galapagos cruise, rich in natural wonders and a multitude of wildlife, both on land and in the waters surrounding the island. This custom continues to this day with visitors to the Galapagos – post one of your own or see if there are any you could deliver back home! You will also have the chance to go snorkeling with sea turtles.
Today is also one of your best opportunities to see pink flamingos and other water birds wading in the lagoons, including pintails and stilts. Just offshore, the Devil’s Crown is an old eroded volcanic cone and a popular roosting site for seabirds such as boobies, pelicans and frigates. Red-billed tropicbirds can also be seen nesting in the rocky crevices.
PM: FLOREANA: POST OFFICE BAY - BARONESS LOOKOUT
Enjoy a panga (Zodiac boat) ride to observe marine iguanas, sea lions and crabs before taking a leisurely walk to Post Office Bay, where 18th century whalers used a barrel as an unofficial mail drop. The centre of the cone is an outstanding snorkeling spot, perhaps the most remarkable in the entire archipelago, full of sea lions and colourful fish. It is an experience certainly not to be missed.
You will go ashore at Punta Cormorant where the sand is made up of fine olivine crystals, a glassy volcanic mineral, giving the beach an olive-green colour. It is the best place to see Galapagos sea lions.
Included Activities
● Post Office Bay
● Punta Cormorant and Devil's Crown
Meals Included
● Breakfast
● Lunch
● Dinner
DAY 4: WEDNESDAY
AM: SANTA CRUZ: CHARLES DARWIN STATION
Today you will visit Isla Santa Cruz, the second largest island in the Galapagos.
The small town of Puerto Ayora is the economic centre of the archipelago, and home to the Charles Darwin Research Station. As well as undertaking vital conservation work, the station also makes for interesting exploration and offers the best opportunities for close encounters with giant tortoises. You may also see baby tortoises and land iguanas.
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
● Charles Darwin Research Station
● Santa Cruz Highlands
Meals Included
● Breakfast
● Lunch
● Dinner
DAY 5: 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 6: FRIDAY
AM: ESPANOLA: SUÁREZ POINT
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 7: 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 8: 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
