Bonita Itinerary B - 5 days
ITINERARY B - 5 DAYS
SATURDAY
AM: Baltra: Arrival and Transfer to the boat
PM: Santa Cruz: Highlands (HK)
SUNDAY
AM: Floreana: Cormorant Point / Devil’s Crown (HK/SN/PR/PB/KY)
PM: Floreana: Post Office Bay (HK/SN)
MONDAY
AM: Espanola: Suarez Point (PR)
PM: Espanola: Gardner Bay / Osborn Islet (HK/SN/PR/PB/KY)
TUESDAY
AM: Cristobal: Interpretation Center / Kicker Rock (HK)
PM: San Cristobal: Lobos Island (SN/HK/PR)
WEDNESDAY
AM: Santa Cruz: Bachas or Daphne (HK)
Baltra: Transfer to the Airport
HK: HIKE / SN: SNORKEL / PR: PANGA RIDE / KY: KAYAK /
PB: PADDLE BOARD
DAY 1: SATURDAY
AM: BALTRA ARRIVAL AND TRANSFER TO THE BOAT
Departure to the Galapagos Islands, arrival at Baltra airport, where our naturalist guide of the National Park will be waiting for you.
PM: SANTA CRUZ: HIGHLANDS
Either if you do this visit starting from Baltra or from Puerto Ayora, a bus will take you to the highlands stopping along the way at one of the reserves to visit the lush highland forests where you will look for Galapagos Giant tortoises in their natural environment. This is the best place in the Galapagos to see these gentle giants (reaching over 300 kg / 600 pounds!) casually grazing and resting in freshwater ponds. This is also home for a great diversity of birds rarely found at the lowlands, including finches (tree, woodpecker and vegetarian finches), flycatchers and several species of water birds. You will visit a lava tunnel (depending on the itinerary) and learn how these extraordinary formations were created by ancient volcanic eruptions.
DAY 2: SUNDAY
AM: FLOREANA: CORMORANT POINT / DEVIL'S CROWN
Punta Cormorant is located in the north of Floreana and it is known for its large coastal lagoon with American flamingos, white-cheeked pintails, black-necked stilts and other shorebirds. There is a beautiful white sand beach which is an important nesting ground for green sea turtles where we can also see rays and reef sharks. In recent years, a small group of blue footed boobies have started to breed right by the trail. This is also a great trail to look at endemic plants.
Snorkel: It will be done at Devil’s Crown, a heavily eroded little volcano right by Floreana island. This is considered by many as one of the best snorkeling sites in the entire archipelago as the current funnels plankton through the Crown, attracting huge schools of snapper, Creole fish parrot fish, angelfish, reef sharks, sea turtles, rays and a phenomenal amount of marine life.
PM: FLOREANA: POST OFFICE BAY
Floreana is famous for the tales of German settlers and the baroness during the late 1920’s and 30 ‘s.
Assassinations, disappearances and other unsolved mysteries are the ingredients of this fascinating story. Post office bay was often used by whalers to anchor their ships and go up to the highlands to get freshwater and tortoises. Most boats visiting the Galapagos had to come to this place sooner or later, so a system of mail was established more than 200 years ago: a barrel near the beach became the way to leave messages to other ships and also to the outside world. This mail system is still in use and will allow you to send postcards from the Galapagos to the outside world. Aside from a small beautiful beach and a lava tunnel, the area is great for dinghy tours to look for sea lions, green sea turtles, shorebirds, small sharks and, with some luck, Galapagos penguins.
Snorkel: There is great snorkel from the beach, as you can see lots of sea turtles, rays, great diversity of fish and, if you are really lucky, Galapagos penguin,
DAY 3: MONDAY
AM: ESPANOLA: SUAREZ POINT
This is one of the most astonishing tours you can take in the Galapagos Islands on a panga. From the moment you arrive, the sheer amount and diversity of wildlife will immediately awe you. Sea lions and marine iguanas will be the first to welcome us, followed by large colonies of seabirds, including Nazca boobies, blue-footed boobies, gulls, and tropical birds. We'll have the chance to observe a Galapagos albatross colony (from April to January) - the archipelago's largest bird and one of the most intriguing due to its powerful flight and intricate courtship rituals. The Galapagos albatross only nests on Española, making this the only spot to see them up close.
AM: ESPANOLA: GARDNER BAY / OSBORN ISLET
Gardner beach is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and interesting beaches to visit in the Galapagos. It's fine coral sand and turquoise water give it a totally tropical appearance, which contrasts with the presence of sea lions basking in the beach. You will have the opportunity to walk along the beach and learn about the biology of sea lions and other endemic species, such as the Española mockingbird, marine iguanas and Galapagos hawks.
Snorkel: There are several great snorkeling places at Gardner bay. It is a fantastic site to swim with sea lions, reef sharks, rays and many species of fish, including; Angelfish, Parrotfish, Damselfish, Surgeonfish and many others
DAY 4: TUESDAY
AM: SAN CRISTOBAL: INTERPRETATION CENTER / KICKER ROCK
Located in the outskirts of Puerto Baquerizo, this center is dedicated to the history of human presence in the Galapagos. Since the times of the early Spanish explorers to the present times, including illustrious visitors such as Charles Darwin, this permanent exhibition will take you through the dangers and struggles of the first settlers trying to survive the harsh Galapagos environment.
Highlights: Endemic plants, exhibition on human history. Trail: 0,2 km / 650 ft Rising up vertically to more than 460 ft. high, Kicker Rock is an imposing volcanic formation a couple of miles off the coast of San Cristobal. Its vertical cliffs are a breeding ground to boobies and tropicbirds, while the slopes in the northern side host breeding colonies of frigatebirds. No landing allowed but a circumnavigation will give spectacular views of the rock while you look for birds from the sundeck.
Snorkel: Depending on the itinerary, snorkel is allowed around Kicker Rick. Very good place to see sharks, sea turtles, rays and a lot of different species of fish. Great diversity of invertebrates growing in the vertical walls.
PM: SAN CRISTOBAL: LOBOS ISLAND
Lobos island is a small islet separated from San Cristobal by a narrow channel, forming a sheltered bay where sea lion pups play in tidal pools. Despite its small size, the island is surprisingly packed with wildlife, especially with “lobos marinos”, the Spanish name for sea lions. Groups of sea lions will welcome you at the landing spot, but as you walk a few steps inland, male frigatebirds displaying their inflated red balloons will be perched on the bushes and trees. A small colony of blue footed boobies, which often nest right on the trail, will give you the opportunity to observe their famous courtship dance.
Snorkel: This is a great snorkeling location as the water are usually calm and the sea lions often play with divers to show off their swimming skills. Sea turtles and rays are often seen resting in the sandy bottoms.
DAY 5: WEDNESDAY
AM: SANTA CRUZ: BACHAS BEACH
Bachas gets its name from the remains of two large barges (mispronounced by locals as “bachas”) left by the Americans during WWII. At low tide you can still see the iron skeletons of the barges buried in the white sand. From November till May, this place is also one of the most important sea turtle nesting grounds in the entire Galapagos islands. There are also several small saltwater lagoons where we often see flamingoes, herons, and other aquatic birds.
