Isabela II Galapagos Cruise

After landing at Baltra Airport, we drive to the Itabaca Channel to take a ferry across to Santa Cruz Island. After lunch, we drive to a nearby reserve that is one of the best places in the archipelago to see giant tortoises in their natural habitat. The tortoises are easy to spot, lumbering around, munching on grass and leaves, and wallowing in small pools.

• Activity:Walking. Wildlife watching.
• Meal:Lunch. Dinner
• Accommodation:Double or Single Cabins

Following a wet landing on the black, sandy beach, our trail takes us to enjoy close-up encounters with recently reintroduced land iguanas, plus land and marine birds amid a landscape of tuff-stone layers, jagged rocks, and lava flows. This islet, formed only relatively recently, makes a wonderful afternoon visit as we explore the wildlife along its 1,312 ft long (400 m long) trail, which begins at a crescent-shaped, white sandy beach.

• Activity:Walking. Wildlife watching. Snorkeling. Kayaking. Panga Ride
• Meal:Breakfast. Lunch. Dinner
• Accommodation:Double or Single Cabins

The day kicks off with a panga ride along the cliffs of “Bird Island” as Genovesa is affectionately nicknamed, followed by a landing at a steep staircase that connects us with a flat plateau. We land after lunch at the beautiful white beach of Darwin Bay. Here we walk amid literally hundreds of birds, most of which are frigatebirds, red-footed and Nazca boobies, as well as gulls, herons, finches, and mockingbirds.

• Activity:Walking. Wildlife watching. Snorkeling.
• Meal:Breakfast. Lunch. Dinner
• Accommodation:Double or Single Cabins

We take the dinghy over to this idyllic sandy-white beach populated by colonies of sea lions. Galapagos hawks are often easily observed, perched atop salt bushes. Following lunch and some rest, we disembark (dry landing) in this channel, whose turquoise waters contrast brilliantly with the white sand and black lava of the shoreline. Beyond, a carpet of scarlet sesuvium succulents serves as a groundcover for a grove of luminescent green prickly-pear cactus.

• Activity:Walking, Wildlife watching, Snorkeling, Kayaking, Panga Ride
• Meal:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Accommodation:Double or Single Cabins

Our journey ends at Baltra Island where we transfer to the airport to take the flight back to the mainland. Baltra is one of the gateways to the Galapagos Islands where Seymour Airport is located, also known as Baltra Airport. This small island is also known by the local name of South Seymour.

• Activity:Walking, Wildlife watching
• Meal:Breakfast
• Accommodation:Double or Single Cabins

After landing at Baltra Airport, we drive to the Itabaca Channel to take a ferry across to Santa Cruz Island. At the eastern end of Puerto Ayora, the largest town in the archipelago, we visit the Charles Darwin Research Station and the Giant Tortoise Breeding Center, the islands’ headquarters for scientific research and conservation. Later in the afternoon, we stroll along the main street of Puerto Ayora before embarking.

• Activity:Walking. Wildlife watching.
• Meal:Lunch. Dinner.
• Accommodation:Double or Single Cabins

This morning, a Galapagos icon awaits Bartolome Island. A great way to start the day, with a steep climb up a wooden staircase: the panoramic view from the top is well worth the effort! After lunch, we board the pangas (inflatable dinghies) and land at Sullivan Bay on the east coast of Santiago, a white coral sand beach that is ideal for swimming.

• Activity:Walking. Wildlife watching. Snorkeling. Panga Ride.
• Meal:Breakfast. Lunch. Dinner.
• Accommodation:Double or Single Cabins

The north coast of Santa Cruz hosts the fascinating landscapes of Dragon Hill. After disembarking, the first part of our walk passes a brackish-water lagoon frequented by shorebirds, ducks, and American flamingos.
After lunch, we explore the coastline along the impressive cliffs of Buccaneer Cove, learning about the area’s distant and recent history. The cove is home to a large number of marine birds, sea lions, and inter-tidal organisms.

• Activity:Walking, Wildlife watching, Snorkeling, Kayaking, Panga Ride
• Meal:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Accommodation:Double or Single Cabins

Since there is no landing site at this location, we explore the captivating coast by dinghy, seeking out abundant wildlife including colonies of Galapagos fur seals, the nesting sites of Nazca boobies, not to mention flightless cormorants, penguins, and marine iguanas. We end our journey on a high note by visiting the island of Fernandina, the youngest island of the archipelago, and arguably one of the most pristine ecosystems on the planet.

• Activity:Walking, Wildlife watching, Snorkeling
• Meal:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Accommodation:Double or Single Cabins

Our journey ends at Baltra Island where we transfer to the airport to take the flight back to the mainland. Baltra is one of the gateways to the Galapagos Islands where Seymour Airport is located, also known as Baltra Airport. This small island is also known by the local name of South Seymour.

• Activity:Walking. Wildlife watching.
• Meal:Breakfast.
• Accommodation:Double or Single Cabins

We land at Baltra Island by plane in the morning and transfer to the nearby dock to board the Santa Cruz II, where we receive a welcome introductory briefing, boat drill, and lunch.
This beautiful visitor site is located on the north shore of Santa Cruz Island, a glorious white beach with a couple of brackish lagoons only a few steps away from the sea.

• Activity:Walking. Wildlife watching. Snorkeling.
• Meal:Lunch. Dinner.
• Accommodation:Double or Single Cabins

We disembark at Puerto Baquerizo Moreno and drive 40 minutes to the island’s southern shore. At Cerro Colorado, we visit the breeding center for highly endangered giant tortoises amid a fantastic deciduous forest. In the afternoon, we land on the eastern tip of the island. The trail that ascends from the beach provides spectacular views of the shoreline and is the only site in the Galapagos where the 3 species of boobies can be found together, as well as the two frigatebird species, plus a colony of bachelor sea lions.

• Activity:Walking. Wildlife watching. Snorkeling. Kayaking. Panga Ride.
• Meal:Breakfast. Lunch. Dinner
• Accommodation:Double or Single Cabins

In the morning, we’ll set foot on this beautiful, white coral beach and go on a short walk to observe the sea lions, mockingbirds, finches, or enjoy the beach. Following lunch on board, our afternoon outing at Punta Suarez takes us on an exciting trail across lava/boulder terrain. Along the way, we can enjoy unique sea bird colonies, including the beautiful waved albatrosses, boobies, swallow-tail gulls, and the famous “blowhole”.

• Activity:Walking, Wildlife watching, Snorkeling, Kayaking, Panga Ride
• Meal:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Accommodation:Double or Single Cabins

We disembark in the morning at the curiously green-tinged, olivine-crystal beach that makes for an easy walk to a brackish water lagoon where bird species like American flamingos can be observed. After lunch, we land at Post Office Bay to visit the historic barrel that has served as an informal post office in the archipelago for over two centuries.

• Activity:Walking, Wildlife watching, Snorkeling, Kayaking, Panga Ride
• Meal:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Accommodation:Double or Single Cabins

In the morning, following a meander through the mangroves in search of sea turtles, we disembark amid a landscape dominated by the giant volcanoes of southern Isabela Island, some still active. In the afternoon, we’ll explore Fernandina’s coastline aboard our pangas (inflatable dinghies). The archipelago’s youngest ecosystem is home to small Galapagos penguins and green-eyed flightless cormorants that rest on the shore’s black rocks.

• Activity:Walking. Wildlife watching. Snorkeling. Kayaking. Panga Ride.
• Meal:Breakfast. Lunch. Dinner.
• Accommodation:Double or Single Cabins

A panga ride takes us to Eden Islet, located off the coast of Santa Cruz, where we can observe blue-footed boobies, reef sharks, and frigates. We have saved one of the best visitor sites in the archipelago for last. In the afternoon, we disembark for a walk along the coast and the interior of this beautiful flat island.

• Activity:Walking. Wildlife watching. Snorkeling.
• Meal:Breakfast. Lunch. Dinner.
• Accommodation:Double or Single Cabins

Our journey ends at Baltra Island where we transfer to the airport to take the flight back to the mainland. Baltra is one of the gateways to the Galapagos Islands where Seymour Airport is located, also known as Baltra Airport. This small island is also known by the local name of South Seymour.

• Activity:Walking. Wildlife watching.
• Meal:Breakfast.
• Accommodation:Double or Single Cabins