Description:
Seven days of kayaking, snorkeling, biking, horseback riding, hiking and relaxing in the unforgettable Galapagos Islands. Stay in hotels on three different islands, taking advantage of the diverse land formations, wildlife and fauna on each.
Activites:
Hiking, Kayaking, Snorkeling, Biking, Horseback Riding
Itinerary:
Day 1: Travel Day and Hiking in San Cristóbal
We pick you up in the morning to board your flight to San Cristobal Island. Once we arrive, we hike to nearby Frigate Hill for splendid views of the coastline and Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. Get your first encounter with local wildlife, as the hill is often visited by the magnificent frigate birds and others like blue footed boobies, swallowed tailed-gulls, and Darwin finches. On our way back we can swim at the white sand Mann Beach. We spend our first evening free to explore around town.
Day 2: Sea Kayak at Playa Ochoa and Snorkel at Leon Dormido
We slip into our ocean kayaks and spend the morning paddling along the coast to reach Playa Ochoa. This journey is filled with sea lions, marine turtles, blue footed boobies and frigates birds. In Playa Ochoa we take-out to relax, enjoy the beach, or swim with the sea lions. After lunch we paddle to Leon Dormido, the jagged remains of an old tuff cone whose flanks are covered with sea birds. Leon Dormido offers excellent snorkeling, and for certified divers, one of the best dives in the Islands. Here we get good opportunities to see hammerhead and white tipped sharks, eagle and golden rays, and dozens of species of tropical fish, clams, starfish and marine invertebrates. In the afternoon we return for our hotel for our last evening in San Cristobal.
Day 3: Snorkel in Santa Fe Island and Sea Kayak in Santa Cruz
After breakfast we navigate in a fast boat from San Cristobal to Santa Fe and the Santa Cruz Islands. Santa Fe Island is home to a beautiful crystal water cove where we'll snorkel with playful sea lion pups and florescent fish. We also explore a submerged rock where rays and marine turtles can be found. We continue in our boat to Santa Cruz, where we pick up our kayaks to travel around Divine Bay and Punta Estrada paddling through multiple lava channels of calm and turquoise waters. Within the channels, we encounter white tipped sharks, rays, and colonies of blue footed-boobies, tropic birds, herons and marine iguanas, perching out from the cliffs. We return to Puerto Ayora in the afternoon and spend this evening at leisure: dining, exploring and taking advantage of the nightlife in Galapagos’ most populated capital.
Day 4: Hike and Mountain Bike in the Santa Cruz Highlands
We transfer to El Chato reserve in the upper domain of the Santa Cruz Island, natural habitat of the Galapagos tortoise. As we set out to see the giant tortoise, we will also encounter pintail ducks, egrets, flycatchers, finches and frigate birds bathing in freshwater lakes. We will explore lava caves, incredible volcanic tunnel formations, and Media Luna, an old collapsed crater on top of Santa Cruz Island. This area trails through a Miconia forest with great views down to the coastline. Following lunch, we prepare our mountain bikes to ride mostly downhill through highland farmlands and small villages down to El Garrapatero beach. El Garrapatero is a large beach area with a fresh water lake where you can come across pink flamingos, herons, grebes, stilts and other shore birds. Relax on this perfect white beach after a full day of hiking and biking. On the way back to our hotel, we visit the Charles Darwin Research Station to learn about conservation and management efforts. This evening is at leisure to relax in your beach-front hotel, or join the local nightlife.
Day 5: Hike and Explore Isabela Island
We embark in a fast boat from Puerto Ayora to Puerto Villamil. Isabela is the largest Island in the archipelago, formed by the merger of six shield volcanoes - Alcedo, Cerro Azul, Darwin, Ecuador, Sierra Negra and Wolf. Five of the six volcanoes are active, making this Island one of the most volcanically active places on earth. Here we visit the Galapagos Rearing Center, to learn about tortoise conservation. We explore the bay in search of the unique Galapagos penguin and trail along the coastline to observe dramatic lava formations and to see a large colony of sea lions. The local mangroves and salty lagoons feature the mangrove finch, endemic to Isabela. We may also spot American oyster catchers, herons, flamingos and many other shore species. You have the afternoon is free to explore exotic white sand beaches. The evening is also free to enjoy at your leisure in this tranquil port town.
Day 6: Horseback Ride and Hike on Isabela Island
We head up to the highlands from Puerto Villamil. We set up our horses to ride about 6 miles (9 km) on uneven terrain until we arrive to the Sierra Negra volcano rim. Sierra Negra is the second widest crater in the world. From this viewpoint you have fantastic sights to the 6 x 5 -mile-wide crater, the rest of the volcanoes, and the Perry Isthmus. From here we hike to Chico Volcano to watch the striking lava formations, examples of the geological occurrences that have created the Galapagos Islands. In the late afternoon, we return to Puerto Villamil for our last evening in the Enchanted Islands.
Day 7: Isabela- Santa Cruz, Trip Back to Mainland Ecuador
In the morning we take a boat back to Santa Cruz Island, to transfer by bus to Baltra Island, for our flight back to the continent. An optional one or more days Diving Tour Extension is highly recommended.