GOLONDRINA Itinerary A - 4 days

DAY 1: TUESDAY
AM: BALTRA
Arrival to Baltra Airport, where the naturalist English speaking guide assists you. Transfer by bus to the dock (5 mins.) to visit Highlands in Santa Cruz Island. Welcome and briefing.

PM: HACIENDA PRIMICIAS
After lunch, visit to Hacienda Primicias to see the giant tortoises in their natural habitat. The tortoises are easy to spot, lumbering around eating grass and leaves and wallowing. Some highland birds, like cattle egrets, mockingbirds, finches or flycatchers can be seen here. After the hike return to the yacht. Dinner and briefing for next day. 

DAY 2: WEDNESDAY
AM: ISABELA ISLAND - TINTORERAS
After breakfast, Las Tintoreras is located south of Puerto Villamil. It has a small bay of completely calm turquoise waters, where you can appreciate sea lions, sea turtles, marine iguanas, rays, etc. The bay is connected to a crevice of crystal clear water, that's shallow and when the tide is low, the entrance closes. In this crevice, you can see how reef sharks swim along with other small fish and sea lions. Lunch on board.

PM: BREEDING CENTER ARNALDO TUPIZA
This center has a captive breeding program for tortoises from the populations of southern Isabela.

HUMEDALES: Disembark (dry landing), walk for about 30 mins. This area is characterized by sandy beaches, rocky shores, and mangroves. The area has a number of trails where you can see all four species of mangroves found in Galapagos and also migratory birds: whimbrel, short-billed dowitcher, wilson’s phalarope, common tern, blue-winged teal, osprey, black-bellied and semipalmated plovers, greater and lesser yellowlegs to name a few.

PLAYA DEL AMOR: On this beautiful beach you can see marine iguanas resting or diving in the crystal-clear waters, and iconic Galapagos’ birds such as the blue-footed boobies, the masked boobies and frigatebirds.

LA PLAYITA: It is a beach of fine sand, you can see pelicans, marine iguanas, boobies fishing, as well as a mangrove and a cactus forest.

EL TÚNEL DEL ESTERO: It is directly connected to the ocean; it is surrounded by cacti that make it an unparalleled landscape. While passing through it, you can see small crabs and a variety of small fish.

DAY 3: THURSDAY
AM: RABIDA
After breakfast disembark (wet landing) in one of the most colorful and volcanically varied islands in the archipelago as well as a great snorkeling site. We will start on Rabida's famous maroon sandy beach and after an easy hike (1 km aprox) will arrive to a stunning lookout to enjoy the amazing landscapes. The island is a birdwatcher's delight. Some of the rarest species are in abundance, such as nine varieties of finches, Large-billed Flycatchers, Galapagos Hawks and Brown Pelicans.

PM: SANTA CRUZ ISLAND - DRAGON HILL
After lunch,  dry landing at a dock, the walk takes you to a hypersalinic (saltier than the ocean) lagoon behind the beach, often frequented by flamingos, common stilts, pintail ducks and other species of birds.   There is a short walk to the hill, which rewards with a great view of the bay and a nesting site of land iguanas. Many of the Iguanas that nest here have been repatriated by the Charles Darwin Research Station.

DAY 4: FRIDAY
AM: SANTA CRUZ ISLAND - BLACK TURTLE COVE
After breakfast a dinghy (panga) visit to Black Turtle Bay (Caleta Tortuga Negra). This is very close to Baltra. It is very special due to its lovely beach with sea lions and its clear, calm water. Black (Pacific Green) Turtles and many different types of birds can be seen feeding here as you are paddled around the beautiful lagoons hidden in the mangroves. After this visit transfer to Baltra Airport by bus for your return flight to Guayaquil/Quito
This is the end of the trip.

Note.- The captain reserves the right to change the itinerary if circumstances are beyond of this control as weather conditions or Galapagos National Park regulations.