Darwin Itinerary Discovery - 8 Days
ITINERARY D - 8 DAYS
THURSDAY
AM: Baltra Arrival and Transfer to the boat
PM: Santa Cruz: Mosquera (HK)
FRIDAY
AM: South Plaza (HK)
PM: Santa Fe (HK)
SATURDAY
AM: Espanola: Gardner Bay /Gardner Islet/Osborn Islet (HK/SN)
PM: Espanola: Suarez Point (HK)
SUNDAY
AM: Floreana: Post Office Bay (SN/HK)
PM: Floreana: Cormorant Point / Devil`S Crown (HK/SN)
MONDAY
AM: Santa Cruz: Charles Darwin Station (HK)
PM: Santa Cruz: Twins Craters / Highlands (HK)
TUESDAY
AM: Santiago: Egas Port (HK/SN)
PM: Santiago: Espumilla Beach / Bucaneer's cove (HK/SN)
WEDNESDAY
AM: Bartolome (HK/SN)
PM: Santiago: Sullivan Bay (HK/SN)
THURSDAY
AM: Santa Cruz: Bachas Beach (HK/PR)
The tour ends in Seymour. You must take the Lobito bus in the direction of Baltra Airport.
HK: HIKE / SN: SNORKEL / PR: PANGA RIDE / KY: KAYAK /
PB: PADDLE BOARD
DAY 1: THURSDAY
AM: BALTRA ARRIVAL AND TRANSFER TO THE BOAT
After landing in Santa Cruz, go through an inspection point to prevent the introduction of foreign plants and animals.
Your guide will meet you at the airport, help with your luggage, and take you to the bus for the ferry across the Itabaca Channel.
PM: MOSQUERA ISLET
After lunch, disembarkation at Mosquera Island (wet landing) located between North Seymour and Baltra. The island consists is a long narrow stretch of white sand, rocks, and tide pools. Created by Geological uplift the island has a flat look to it rather than the conical shape of the volcanically formed islands. It is a great place for snorkeling, strolling on the beach, and enjoying the animal life without the tourist crowds common at many of the more popular islands.. This islet is actually home to a huge population of sea lions and is also home to many shorebirds. Briefing and dinner on board.
DAY 2: FRIDAY
AM: SOUTH PLAZAS ISLAND.
This small island with steep cliffs was formed by rising lava and is now covered by Opuntia cacti. This Island is home to one of the largest sea lion colonies as well as colorful yellow and red land iguanas. Many birds like the tropicbirds and fork-tailed seagulls rest on the cliffs. The most characteristic plant is the Sesuvium, during the rainy season its color is a greenish to yellowish tone and in the dry season (end of June through January) a bright red. Hike: 2 ½ km. Dry landing. Lunch on board.
PM: SANTA FE (BARRINGTON)
Colonies of sea lions, land iguanas, fork-tailed seagulls, terns and petrels are observed. A trail leading into the heart of the island takes you to a forest of giant cactus and palo santo trees. After this visit on land, you can swim and snorkel. Wet landing. Briefing and dinner on board.
DAY 3: SATURDAY
AM: ESPANOLA: SUAREZ POINT
This natural is home for see blue-footed boobies, masked boobies, colonies of marine iguanas, fascinating albatross from April to June, sea lions, Galapagos doves and Darwin finches. There is another natural attraction: the lava blowhole, spurting water high into the air. Hike: 3km. Dry landing. Lunch on board.
PM: ESPANOLA: GARDNER BAY.
On the eastern side of the island, is the breeding site of nearly all of the world´s 12,000 pairs of Waved Albatrosses. It takes 45 minutes by boat to reach this site. . The white sand beach is home to a group of sea lions. Swimming and snorkeling are excellent possibilities here. Wet landing
GARDNER ISLET: Sea lions, marine turtles and finches can be seen here.
OSBORN ISLET: This small island to the southeast of Española is a marine visit for snorkeling and swimming.
DAY 4: SUNDAY
AM: FLOREANA: POST OFFICE BAY
When you wake up and look out your porthole on Day 6 you will see Floreana, one of the greenest islands in the archipelago. Ask your guide to tell you about its mysterious history laden with rumors a murderous baronesses, blackmail, and dubious disappearances. Your first stop is Post Office Bay, where the islands’ original post office (really only a wooden barrel) was established in 1793. The current system still functions as it did three centuries ago: Visitors drop off unstamped letters and postcards AND pick-up whatever mail they can hand deliver themselves when they return home! (Try it, it actually works!).
PM: FLOREANA: CORMORANT POINT
Back on the yacht and after lunch you’ll skirt the island’s coast until you arrive at La Corona del Diablo (the Devil’s Crown), an old volcanic crater that offers some of the most spectacular snorkeling in the Galapagos. This is a great spot for seeing the wide array of tropical fish, many endemic to the islands, including purple sea stars and spiky sea urchins. The crater’s most thrilling undersea creatures, however, are the white-tipped sharks. As with most of the creatures in the Galapagos they are unperturbed by your presence, so you can swim in their company freely and fearlessly. After returning to the boat you will visit Punta Cormorant, where you’ll follow a footpath to a lagoon inhabited by flaming-pink flamingos. You will also pass by a white sand beach, a Sea Turtle nesting area and a great spot for watching sea birds and sea rays.
DAY 5: MONDAY
AM: SANTA CRUZ: CHARLES DARWIN STATION
Charles Darwin Station. After breakfast you’ll sail to Santa Cruz Island, where you’ll visit the world-famous Charles Darwin Station, a non-profit institution that dedicates itself to studying and protecting the flora and fauna of the Galapagos. This is one of the best places to see land tortoises, including Lonesome George museum. Then you’ll visit the station’s Tortoise Rearing Center. Here you can find baby, hand-sized tortoises, between the ages of one and five, and marvel at how they achieve such large sizes as adults (500 lbs. or more!). Galapagos tortoises are believed to have a lifespan of over 100 years, so the young ones have a long life ahead of them as long as they receive the protection they need. Aside from the Station headquarters, Santa Cruz Island is home to the largest town and economic center of the Galapagos, Puerto Ayora. In this portside town you can buy souvenirs (postcards, t-shirts, books, etc.) of the islands. Check out the unique Galapagos ceramic shop near the entrance of the Charles Darwin Station.
PM: SANTA CRUZ: TWINS CRATERS / HIGHLANDS
After shopping in Puerto Ayora and lunch on the boat (guests may dine in town if they desire), you’ll explore the highlands or “parte alta” of the island, which is a moisture-rich area with fertile volcanic soils. You’ll learn about the vegetation and animal life of this zone, often strikingly different than that found at lower elevations and our best opportunity to find the famous giant tortoises in their natural habitat. Darwin’s Finches, Yellow Warblers, and other land birds will fly in and out of the moss-covered trees. From this high vantage point you’ll be treated to beautiful views of the island.
In the late afternoon you’ll return to town. For those who wish to check out the nightlife, this is your chance; the boat will be docked in port most of the night.
DAY 6: TUESDAY
AM: SANTIAGO: EGAS PORT
James Bay is a black sand beach located on the west side of James Bay and northwest of Santiago Island. South of the beach is Sugarloaf Volcano, which has deposits of volcanic tuff, the same that helped the formation of the black sand beach. El Cráter is just north of this site, it has a saltwater lagoon, which during the summer dry season becomes a salt mine. Between 1928 and 1930 was the first exploitation of salt; but the efforts did not last long. Then again in 1964 a new attempt was made that lasted for some time. After lunch on board we’ll navigate to our next destination, .
AM: SANTIAGO: ESPUMILLA BEACH - BUCCANEER COVE
Breakfast service. Wet landing Espumilla Beach. Panga boat ride to Buccaneer Cove. Deep water snorkeling.
The excursion begins just a short distance beyond the tide pools and heads to the fur seal grotto. Fur seals and sea lions can be seen swimming in the rocky lava ringed pools. This may be the only opportunity visitors have to see and swim with fur seals.
Fur seals were once hunted to near extinction for their coats. The Galapagos Fur Seal is the smallest of the fur seals found in the southern hemisphere, now compare in numbers with the sea lions. During the day they hide from the hot equatorial sun in shelves or caves of the rocky lava cliffs. At night they feed on squid and fish avoiding the sharks, which are their natural predator.
The crystal clear water, volcanic bridges, fur seals and sea lions make this a magnificent place for swimming and snorkeling.
Along the way those with a watchful eye may spot a variety of Darwin finches or a vermilion fly catcher. Once back at the beach visitors may have the chance to swim or snorkel time permitting.
DAY 7: WEDNESDAY
AM: BARTOLOME ISLAND
Bartolome Island, which at its highest point is 114 meters, is one of the most photographed vistas in the archipelago. This island is quite young and quite volcanic, therefore, it's relatively unpopulated; only a small handful of die-hard plant and animal
species have survived long enough to call this lava-land home.
PM: SANTIAGO ISLAND: SULLIVAN BAY
After the visit to Bartolome Island you’ll visit nearby Sullivan Bay. At the turn of the century a huge lava flow spilled right down to the sea and today you can stroll across this black volcanic expanse, admiring its time-frozen ripples, bubbles and ropes.
DAY 8: THURSDAY
PM: SANTA CRUZ: BACHAS BEACH / TRANSFER TO THE AIRPORT
Navigation to Bachas Beach in Santa Cruz.
Wet landing. Nature walk.
The name is “Spanglish” for 'barges' which were wrecked offshore during the World War II. g. The saltwater lagoon behind often has great blue herons and small waders such as sander lings and semi‐palmated plovers. Both beaches are nesting areas for green sea turtles, which leave tracks in the sand to the back of the beach, especially from November to February. The beach offers ample space one can explore at leisure.
