Danubio Azul Itinerary Naturalist - 8 days
ITINERARY NATURALIST - 8 DAYS
TUESDAY
AM: Baltra Arrival and Transfer to the Boat
PM: Santa Cruz Island: Black Turtle Cove
WEDNESDAY
AM: South Plaza Island
PM: Santa Fe Island, Barrington Bay
THURSDAY
AM: San Cristóbal Island: Cc David Rodríguez
PM: San Cristóbal Island: Witch Hill
FRIDAY
AM: Floreana Island: Bahia Post Office
PM: Floreana Island: Cormorán Point
SATURDAY
AM: Santiago Island: Sullivan Bay
PM: Bartolome Island
SUNDAY
AM: Rábida Island
PM: Santiago Island: Chinese Hat
MONDAY
AM: Eden Island
PM: Santa Cruz: Ballena Bay / Fausto Llerena
TUESDAY
AM: Santa Cruz: Las Bachas Beach
PM: Baltra Airport
HK: HIKE / SN: SNORKEL / PR: PANGA RIDE / KY: KAYAK /
PB: PADDLE BOARD
DAY 1: TUESDAY
AM: BALTRA ARRIVAL AND TRANSFER TO THE BOAT
Once you arrive at the airport baltra 10h23 our transportation will be prepared to transfer you to our great vessel Danubio Azul, ready start this exciting adventure.
PM: SANTA CRUZ: BLACK TURTLE COVE
Your visit to Black Turtle Cove will be done through our motor panga ride service which will allow you discover the mangrove inlets. These lagoons provide a refuge to the rays, sharks, and sea turtles that are clearly visible alongside the boat. Once the engine is turned off, you will slowly approach the different species that live in this peaceful place.
DAY 2: WEDNESDAY
AM: SOUTH PLAZAS
The dry landing takes you to its brilliant combination of life and colors. Ground iguanas wondering through bright red carpet weed, Swallow tailed gulls nesting around the overhang tops and red-billed tropicbirds and shearwaters flying with dancing displays. Mind the pirates of the sky; they will strike if you drop your guard. It is one of the best spots in the archipelago to see land iguanas and swallow-tailed gulls, both indigenous to the Galapagos. There are iguana nests scattered all over the hill. The sheer cliffs of the southern shore are a perfect bird habitat, making it an unparalleled bird observatory for especially swallow-tailed gulls, Audubon shearwaters, and red-billed tropicbirds.
PM: SANTA FE / BARRINGTON BAY
The bay looks as if artist had ornamented it. Barrington Bay is one of the most picturesque inlets of all visitor sites of the Galapagos. The white sand on the seabed reflects the light to turn the calm waters turquoise. A small forest of gigantic prickly pear cactus grows on a peninsula that keeps the bay sheltered. All that has been mentioned before are suitable conditions for a large sea lion colony. Santa Fe is an ancient extinct volcano and it has been isolated from other island long enough to have an endemic land dragon. Paler in color than its relatives, the Barrington terrestrial iguana has a primitive morphology. Galapagos Hawks, mocking birds, finches and endemic rice rats make company to yellowish monster. The snorkeling won’t disappoint you.
DAY 3: THURSDAY
AM: SAN CRISTOBAL: CC DAVID RODRIGUEZ
Located at the southeast of San Cristobal Island; Here you can see the giant tortoise in a semi-natural habitat. The objective of this place is to preserve and rescue the population of these spices of turtle which before used to be on the whole Island. You will see from the just born tortoise until the ancient, you will also be explained about their live through the exhibition room placed at this rescue center.
PM: SAN CRISTOBAL: WITCH HILL
Located on the north coast of San Cristobal Island, Witch Hill’s main attraction is a paradisiacal white sandy beach which separated by the lava flow, at the same time this separated the two salt water lagoons, which is also an attractive as well as other flora and fauna.
In the lagoon, locals historically mined for salt to preserve their food, and today it is a great place for birdwatching. In addition, Witch Hill’s landscape allows a perfect viewpoint of Kicker Rock, the southern part of Upper San Cristobal and the adjacent coastline. It is a perfect place to do long walk, panga ride, and snorkeling.
DAY 4 : FRIDAY
AM: FLOREANA: POST OFFICE BAY
Survival, mystery and murder are the main history ingredients for our next stop which will become our expedition an entire adventure. Post Office Bay has left a legacy of pirates, whalers, scientific expeditions and intense stories of slay and constant ambiguity. After a wet landing we walk a very short distance to be part of the most important Galapagos tradition. Later we will ride our panga to the west. We will go through a small set of islets with a sea lion colony, boobies and mangroves. Finally, following our ride we will land at the Baroness lookout. On top of this eroded spatter cone we will embrace the vivid obscurity of the human history of “Las Enchanted”.
PM: FLOREANA: CORMORANT POINT
Punta Cormorant lies on the northern shore of Floreana and is the house of greater flamingos and sea turtles. On one side, the point is partially flooded with a brackish lagoon where flamingos nest and feed. Whimbrels, herons and stilts are other common shore and migratory birds of the wetlands. On the other side sea turtles use every corner of a white sand beach to deliver their eggs. You often see stingrays and reef sharks from the shore and if you are lucky turtles ending basking.
DAY 5: SATURDAY
AM: SANTIAGO: SULLIVAN BAY
The genesis of the islands is easy to acknowledge at Sullivan Bay. The coiled shiny structures of the pahoe-hoe lava appear as if they were formed yesterday. Located on the east shores of Santiago Island these 131 years old lava flow has intact driblet cones. Older cinder cones were flooded by the rivers of lava and are a great example of aging igneous rocks. The contrast of colors and shapes of the basalt and the distinction of rust and shine of its surface will take you back to Mars, if you’ve been there before.
Passengers having a 5 day itinerary will disembark after this visit and transported to Baltra airport.
Passengers starting their 4 day cruise will be transported from Baltra airport to the yacht.
PM: BARTOLOME
Bartolome Island offers an explosive volcanic landscape. Get ready to climb above 270 feet to admire the dramatic spatter cones and the view of Pinnacle Rock that everyone wants. Later, take a walk on magical golden beaches where sea turtle nest (December to March). Don’t forget to make time to swim near penguins, sharks and lava tubes.
DAY 6: SUNDAY
AM: RABIDA
Galapagos offers a diversity of geological formations without boundaries. The island of Rabida has lavas rich in iron and after millions of years of exposure to air they have turned red. The rusted volcanic material has eroded to form a beautiful crimson sand beach, lovely for a walk. The protected shore provides excellent conditions for a Galapagos sea lions nursery and brown pelicans use the nearby saltbushes as a resting and nesting area. Hawks and mocking birds are common visitors of the lowlands. Furthermore, you will find that snorkeling of the beach can be very exciting; sharks, rays and many colorful fish are often visible.
PM: SANTIAGO: CHINESE HAT
Chinese Hat is a little island shaped as its name implies which sits off the southeastern tip of Santiago Island. Its small white beaches have a sea lion colony. Snorkeling is usually very good, and with luck you might see the Galapagos penguins in the water.
DAY 7 MONDAY
AM: EDEN ISLET
It is a small islet that is near the Island of Santa Cruz.
PM: SANTA CRUZ: WHALE BAY
To the south of our island we have Whale Bay and an extension of both the island of Pinzón and its channel. Its diameter is 600 meters and its highest score is 77 meters of altitude.
These places are famous for their turtles and have 9 types of them so in which site you enjoy to watch them.
DAY 8: TUESDAY
AM: SANTA CRUZ: BACHAS BEACH
The visit conduces us naturally toward the opposite borders of the beach Las Bachas, where we can go through lagoon paths visited by flamencos and a diversity of shore birds.
After this last visit our transportation will be waiting for you to give you the ride back to the airport.
