Your flight arrives at noon from Quito or Guayaquil to Baltra Airport. After a short drive, you will cross the channel Itabaca and so reach the north of the island of Santa Cruz. Then, we go to the top of the Crocker Hill, over there, on clear days, you can enjoy a wonderful view of the surrounding islands. You will learn about the typical Galapagos vegetation, for example, tree ferns, and visit the famous giant tortoises in El Chato.
Dinner and overnight on board.
Puerto Villamil is a fishing village located on the southern side Isabela Island. It covers more than half of the Archipelago's land area at 4.588km2. It is still quite popular, despite the fact that there isn't an airport. Santa Cruz is five hours away by boat. You can see sea lions on the barrier of the Island Tintorias in the morning, and sometimes white-tip sharks with some luck.
Next, we will continue on to the Wall of Tears. This is a man-made monument. The long, stone wall was constructed by convicts from the penal colony who settled here after Ecuador gained possession of the Islands. The hike continues through a brackish lagoon-filled wetland where flamingos can often be seen.
We will visit the Galapagos Tortoises Breeding Center in the afternoon. You will find out more about the Center's efforts to preserve and protect the giant tortoises of Isabela Island. This is so that they do not lose their population.
An afternoon excursion will be offered to Sierra Negra on days when the weather is good.
Overnight onboard and dinner.
Punta Moreno has small lagoons, where flamingos are often found. Here are other water birds, such as Bahamian ducks.
You will reach Fernandina island in the afternoon. It is the youngest archipelago island. Punta Mangle is located on the south coast. This snorkeling spot is one of the most popular in the Galapagos and is a great place to see penguins.
Overnight onboard and dinner.
We will be visiting Punta Espinoza, north of Fernandina. It has a fascinating lava landscape with cacti. It is home to many attractions, including sea lions, penguins, and flightless cormorants.
We will be visiting Tagus Cove on the west coast Isabela in the afternoon. This was once a popular anchorage spot for pirates and whalers. Some of these people have even written their names on the rock walls. You will eventually reach a cave after a 2 km walk. Its inscriptions date back to 1800. Charles Darwin visited Tagus Cove during his voyage on the Beagle. You will see penguins, flightless Cormorants and other marine birds here. We will find the Darwin Lagoon, a salty green crater lake by following a steep path through dry forests and Cactus. This short hike will allow you to see the island's beauty once more. You can also snorkel to enjoy the amazing underwater world.
Overnight onboard and dinner.
There are remnants of pirate times on Santiago Island (also known as James). Long walks are possible on this volcanic island with its rich structure. Puerto Egas was once a salt mine. Some of the buildings from that time are still standing. It is the beginning of a natural paradise. We can see marine iguanas snoozing on rocks and glowing red crabs. Here are three species of Galapagos sheons, along with oystercatchers and pigeons. This is also a great place to spot migrating shorebirds. You will see Galapagos fur seals, sea lions at the end of this path. You can also swim before you leave Puerto Egas.
You will find Chinese Hat on the coast of Santiago in the afternoon. This island is topped by a perfectly formed, crater. It resembles a "chinese helmet". Only specialized plants are able to hold the fragile lava together. The white coral beach is home to sea lions. It is surrounded by bushes that are adapted for saline soils.
The dinghy will take you to Black Turttle Cove's brackish lagoon with its many turtles, schools of gold rays, and sharks. Baltra Airport will launch the return flight to mainland Guayaquil and Quito at midday.
