Cormorant II Itinerary A - 4 days
ITINERARY A - 4 DAYS
WEDNESDAY
AM: San Cristobal Arrival and Transfer to the boat
PM: San Cristobal: Lobos Island / Kicker Rock (HK/SN)
THURSDAY
AM: Espanola: Suarez Point (HK/SN)
PM: Espanola: Gardner Bay / Gardner Islet (HK/SN)
FRIDAY
AM: Floreana: Post Office Bay / Baroness Viewing Point (HK/SN)
PM: Floreana: Cormorant Point / Champion Islet (HK/SN)
SATURDAY
AM: Santa Cruz: Twin Craters (HK)
Baltra Transfer to Airport
HK: HIKE / SN: SNORKEL / PR: PANGA RIDE / KY: KAYAK /
PB: PADDLE BOARD
DAY 1: WEDNESDAY
AM: SAN CRISTOBAL ARRIVAL AND TRASFER TO THE A BOAT
You will arrive at San Cristobal Island in the morning.
After passing through immigration and baggage claim, you will be met by a Cormorant II staff member and transferred to the yacht. You will be shown to your cabin where you will have some time to settle in before lunch and a welcome briefing.
PM: SAN CRISTOBAL: LOBOS ISLAND / KICKER ROCK
You will take an excursion to Lobos Island which means “Sea Lion Island.” This appropriately named island is ripe with noisy, playful, jolly sea lions who will welcome you to their home with open, well, fins. This island also offers great snorkeling opportunities as well as the chance to see blue-footed and Nazca boobies.
Lobos Island, San Cristobal Island
Possible Activities: Short hike (less that 0,6 miles / 1 km), dinhy ride
Difficulty: Easy/Moderate
Type of Landing: Dry Landing
Highlights & Animals: Sea lions, frigate birds, blue-footed boobies.
This striking rock formation is located a couple hours off the western shore of San Cristobal. Jutting out of the water, the rocks stand vertically at hundreds of feet above the ocean divided by a small channel. Although there are no landing areas, circumnavigation and dinghy rides allow visitors to spot a variety of marine life.
Kicker Rock, San Cristobal Island
Possible Activities: Dinghy ride
Difficulty: Easy
Type of Landing: No Landing
Highlights & Animals: Sharks, tropical fish, turtles, manta rays (occ.), hammerhead sharks, spectacular rock formations; sea birds: blue- footed boobies, Nazca boobies & frigate birds.
DAY 2: THURSDAY
AM: ESPANOLA: SUAREZ POINT
In the trail to Suarez Point you will have the chance to spot blue-footed boobies, albatrosses, and Nazca boobies. This island is the breeding site of nearly all of the world’s 12,000 pairs of waved albatrosses. You will also visit a beautiful site on the ocean front where there is a cliff that the large albatrosses use as a launching pad! You will have the chance to see the famous blowhole that spurts sea water into the air. The landscape is great for photography.
Suarez Point, Española Island
Possible Activities: Hike (1,9 miles / 3 km)
Difficulty: Difficult
Type of Landing: Dry Landing
Highlights & Animals: Hood mockingbirds, Nazca boobies, waved albatrosses (approximately from the last week of April until the last week of January), red-billed tropicbirds, lava lizards, Galapagos hawks, blowhole, amazing landscape and maybe blue- footed boobies.
PM: ESPANOLA: GARDNER BAY, GARDNER ISLET & OSBORN ISLET
This excursion takes you to the spectacular Gardner Bay. After landing, you can walk across a lovely white-sand beach amongst a busy sea lion colony or dive into the water to swim with sea lion pups. You may also see curious mockingbirds on the beach.
Gardner Bay, Gardner Islet & Osborn Islet, Española Island
Possible Activities: Snorkeling, panga ride, short hike (0,6 miles / 1km) and Kayaking
Difficulty: Easy
Type of Landing: Wet Landing
Highlights & Animals: White sandy beach, sea lions, mockingbirds; snorkeling: colorful fish, sea lion nursery
DAY 3: FRIDAY
AM: FLOREANA: POST OFFICE BAY
You will land on a beach and head to a spot where 18th century whalers placed a wooden barrel used as an unofficial mail box. The custom continues to this day with Galapagos visitors. So, don’t forget your postcards, and don’t be surprised if the post card arrives to its destination before you even get home!
Post Office Bay, Floreana Island
Possible Activities: Short hike (less than 0.6 miles / 1km) & snorkeling
Difficulty: Easy
Type of Landing: Wet Landing
Highlights & Animals: Post office barrel, nice sandy beachpost office bay galapagos
PM: FLOREANA: BARONESS VIEWING POINT / CHAMPION ISLET
Is a fantastic place to absorb the environment of the Galapagos. Once inhabited by an indulgent baroness and her three lovers, the history of this island is intriguing. The legends about this baroness are associated with a fascinating murder mystery. There are easy trails in this area for exploring the flora and fauna of Floreana.
Baroness Viewing Point, Floreana Island
Possible Activities: Short hike (0.6 miles/1 km), snorkeling, kayak, panga ride
Difficulty: Easy
Type of Landing: Dry Landing
Highlights & Animals: Great view, sea turtles, mysterious story about the first inhabitants of the islands
Champion Islet, named after the whaler Andrew Champion, is a small island located just offshore Floreana Island in the southern part of the Archipelago. Considered as one of the most beautiful places on Galapagos for all snorkeling and diving fans and an excellent opportunity for dolphin watching.
Champion Islet, Floreana Island
Possible Activities: Snorkeling and dinghy ride
Difficulty: Moderate/Difficult
Type of Landing: Wet Landing
Highlights & Animals: See lions, reef fish and Nazca boobies
DAY 4: SATURDAY
AM: SANTA CRUZ: YOU WILL VISIT THE TWIN CRATERS
Located opposite to each other on both sides of the road leading from Puerto Ayora to Baltra. The name is only figurative; not real craters, these formations were created by the collapse of surface material in underground fissures and chambers. The view is breathtaking.
Twin Craters, Santa Cruz Island
Possible Activities: Walking and scape viewing
Difficulty: Easy
Type of Landing: Dry Landing
Highlights & Animals: Pit craters, Scalesia Forestiguana animal
AM: BALTRA
After this final visit, you will be transferred to the Baltra airpor