EcoGalaxy Galapagos Cruise

AM: Upon arrival, you will have to pay your Galapagos National Park entrance fee, and your luggage will be inspected to make sure no foreign substances are introduced.
PM: You will visit 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 sea lions. They 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.

• Activity:Arrival, Hiking, Exploring.
• Meal:Lunch, Dinner.
• Accommodation:Double or Single Cabins.

AM: Giant Prickly-pear cacti and barren lava rocks surround the landing spot at Santa Fe, located inside one of the most beautiful bays in the Galapagos. Turquoise water and white sand beaches make this location a perfect home for a large colony of sea lions which you will see basking in the sand. In land, look for endemic Santa Fe land iguanas but also look up for Galapagos hawks, which often perch at the top of the cactus looking for prey.
PM: Of the two twin islands, only South Plazas are allowed to be visited, while North plazas are kept exclusively for scientific research. This is a small islet, but it packs an impressive amount of wildlife. Right after you land you will see Galapagos land iguanas waiting under prickly-pear cacti feed on their fruits. A large colony of sea lions will give you the opportunity to see playful pups enjoying the tide pools, but also large grumpy males defending their territories. The trail will take you to a cliff where you can observe many sea birds, such as frigatebirds, red-billed tropicbirds, boobies, swallow-tailed gulls, and pelicans.

• Activity:Hiking, Birdwatching, Snorkeling.
• Meal:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
• Accommodation:Double or Single Cabins.

AM: This island is home to large colonies of both magnificent and great frigatebirds and you can see them displaying their red balloons to attract a female. Blue-footed boobies nest in the ground and perform their famous dance in the open areas, while swallow-tailed gulls perch on the cliff edges. Land iguanas are common inland while their marine cousins bask in the rocks by the sea, close to sea lions, which often like to body surf in the waves.
PM: Mosquera is mostly a barren sand bar with some rocky areas and scattered salt-resistant plants. You can walk along the beach and enjoy seeing playful sea lion pups surfing the waves and having a great time in the tide pools. Look for endemic lava gulls which are often seen flying over the beach in the search of food.

• Activity:Hiking, Exploring, Snorkeling.
• Meal:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
• Accommodation:Double or Single Cabins.

AM: Genovesa is a favorite island for birdwatchers as it is home to very large colonies of seabirds. From the minute you set foot at the beach you will be amazed by the noise of hundreds of boobies, gulls, and frigatebirds flying over your heads, perched in the bushes, or nesting on the sandy terrain. The trail is the ultimate wildlife experience as there are animals everywhere.

PM: El Barranco is located in the southern part of Darwin Bay at Genovesa Island. The cliffs that face the sea are made of very fragile fractured lava, making it the ideal place for storm petrel to build their colonies, which attracts an important population of short-eared owls preying on the nesting birds. Red-footed and Nazca boobies are abundant along the trail.

• Activity:Hiking, Exploring, Snorkeling.
• Meal:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
• Accommodation:Double or Single Cabins.

AM/PM: Either 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.

Then, transfer to the airport to take your flight back to continental Ecuador.

• Activity:Hiking, Exploring, Departure.
• Meal:Breakfast.

AM: Upon arrival, you will have to pay your Galapagos National Park entrance fee and your luggage will be inspected to make sure no foreign substances are introduced.

PM: The Charles Darwin Station is a nonprofit organization that has been working for decades together with the Galapagos National Park to preserve the biodiversity of these unique islands. During this visit, you will learn about the projects that both institutions carry together to protect the native species and eradicate the invasive ones which are threatening the Galapagos environment. One of the most important and emblematic projects has been reproducing giant tortoises in captivity. The visit is mostly outdoors in a beautiful dry native forest with giant cacti and many other interesting native plants. It is also a fantastic place to find several endemic Darwin finches, as well as flycatchers and mockingbirds.

• Activity:Arrival, Hiking, Exploring.
• Meal:Lunch, Dinner.
• Accommodation:Double or Single Cabins.

AM: Moreno Point is a magical place with extensive lava fields which look lifeless at first sight. Once inland, scattered brackish lagoons form an oasis of life where you can find flamingoes, gallinules, ducks, and herons. Along the shore, we will look for penguins, marine iguanas, flightless cormorants, blue-footed boobies, sea lions, oystercatchers, and other shore birds.
PM: Elizabeth Bay is a beautiful sheltered bay surrounded by large mangroves and barren lava fields. There is no trail here so you will take a dinghy tour to explore many channels, pools, and coves teeming with life. This is one of the best locations on the islands to see Galapagos penguins, but don’t expect to see thousands of them, as the entire population of the islands is only about 3.000 of them.

• Activity:Hiking, Exploring, Snorkeling.
• Meal:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
• Accommodation:Double or Single Cabins.

AM: This place is known for the dramatic uplifting that happened here during the 1950s. A large portion of the coast was pushed up, exposing many hectares of previously submerged land. Look carefully along the trail and you will find small shells and corals, proof that the area was underwater more than sixty years ago. The trail will give the opportunity to see land iguanas and, during certain seasons, giant tortoises. Galapagos hawks nest in the area and are often seen flying or perched on the trees.

PM: Tagus Cove is one of the places Charles Darwin visited during his exploration of the Galapagos islands. A trail will take you through dry Palo Santo forests where you can see Darwin finches and mockingbirds. You will get great views of Darwin’s lake and the large volcanos of northern Isabela.

• Activity:Hiking, Exploring, Snorkeling.
• Meal:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
• Accommodation:Double or Single Cabins.

AM: Located at the base of an imposing volcano (the most active in the Galapagos islands) this site is one of the jewels of the Galapagos National Park. As soon as you disembark you will be surrounded by hundreds of marine iguanas, as this is the largest colony for the species. Sea lions bask on the beaches while their pups play in tide pools.

PM: Surrounded by some of the tallest cliffs in the Galapagos, Vicente Roca point is a great location to observe spectacular landscapes and interesting volcanic features. There is no trail here but you will take a dinghy tour along the shore to get a closer view of pelicans, flightless cormorants, sea turtles, boobies, Galapagos fur seal and marine iguanas. The area is also known to be a good location for whales and dolphins

• Activity:Hiking, Exploring, Snorkeling.
• Meal:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
• Accommodation:Double or Single Cabins.

AM: Despite its name, there is no “port” at Puerto Egas, but you might see a few remains of the last attempts to colonize the island during the 60s. The trail goes along the coastline which is rich in wildlife, with marine iguanas basking in the sun everywhere, Galapagos sea lions, herons, oystercatchers, and many shorebirds. At the end of the trail an area called “the grottos” is home to a small colony of the endemic Galapagos fur seal, much more difficult to see at close range than its cousin.

PM: Rabida is a small island famous for its reddish lava rocks (rich in iron) which gives it a unique look. The beach is also red and hosts a small colony of sea lions. There is a small saltwater lagoon where we will see ducks and stilts and sometimes flamingoes. The trail will take you inland to get beautiful views of the beach and the lagoon. Look for Darwin finches, flycatchers, and mockingbirds.

• Activity:Hiking, Exploring, Snorkeling.
• Meal:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
• Accommodation:Double or Single Cabins.

AM/PM: Black Turtle Cove gets its name from the abundance of green sea turtles, locally known as: “Tortugas negras”. There is no landing here so you will be doing a boat tour on the dinghies, exploring shallow channels and small coves surrounded by beautiful mangrove forests. Reef sharks, sea turtles, and several species of rays inhabit this beautiful area which is considered an important mating area for turtles and a nursery for several species of sharks. Herons, pelicans, and boobies are also common here as they prey in schools of anchovies.

Then, transfer to the airport to take your flight back to continental Ecuador.

• Activity:Hiking, Exploring, Departure.
• Meal:Breakfast.

AM: Upon arrival, you will have to pay your Galapagos National Park entrance fee and your luggage will be inspected to make sure no foreign substances are introduced.

PM: 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 to 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.

• Activity:Arrival, Hiking, Exploring, Snorkeling.
• Meal:Lunch, Dinner.
• Accommodation:Double or Single Cabins.

AM: This hike is a journey into understanding the birth of these volcanic islands. You will walk in a very well-preserved flow of Pahoehoe lava, which will give you endless opportunities to see the delicate textures of these types of lava which only appear in a few places throughout the world. At first sight, the barren landscape looks completely deprived of life, but look carefully for pioneer plants, lava lizards, and small birds. By the shore, you can find penguins, pelicans, and oystercatchers.

PM: Bartolome is one of the most iconic places in the Galapagos and one of the few where you can see penguins without going to the remote areas of western Isabela and Fernandina. You will get great views of Pinnacle Rock, located in the northern side of the island, right next to a beautiful peach-color sand beach.

• Activity:Hiking, Exploring, Snorkeling.
• Meal:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
• Accommodation:Double or Single Cabins.

AM: 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.

PM: The Charles Darwin Station is a nonprofit organization which has been working for decades together with the Galapagos National Park to preserve the biodiversity of these unique islands. During this visit you will learn about the projects that both institutions carry together to protect the native species and eradicate the invasive ones which are threatening the Galapagos environment. One of the most important and emblematic projects has been reproducing giant tortoises in captivity.

• Activity:Hiking, Exploring, Snorkeling.
• Meal:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
• Accommodation:Double or Single Cabins.

AM: Punta Cormorant is located in the north of Floreana and it is known for its large coastal lagoon with American flamingoes, 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 the last years, small groups of blue-footed boobies have started to breed right by the trail. This is also a great trial to look at endemic plants.

PM: Floreana is famous for the tales of German settlers and the baroness during the late 1920s and 30s. 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 fresh water 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.

• Activity:Hiking, Exploring, Snorkeling.
• Meal:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
• Accommodation:Double or Single Cabins.

AM: This rocky trail is one the most amazing nature walks you can do in the Galapagos islands. From the moment you set foot on the island and all the way along the trail, the amount and diversity of fauna are truly amazing. Sea lions and marine iguanas will be the first ones welcoming us, followed by large colonies of sea birds, including Nazca and Blue-footed boobies, gulls, and tropicbirds.

PM: Gardner beach is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and interesting beaches to visit in the Galapagos. Its fine coral sand and turquoise water give it a totally tropical appearance, which contrasts with the presence of sea lions basking on 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.

• Activity:Hiking, Exploring, Snorkeling.
• Meal:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
• Accommodation:Double or Single Cabins.

AM/PM: Located on the outskirts of Puerto Baquerizo, this center is dedicated to the history of human presence in the Galapagos. From 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.

Then, transfer to the airport to take your flight back to continental Ecuador.

• Activity:Hiking, Exploring.
• Meal:Breakfast.