Santa Cruz Island

AM: Flight to Galapagos from Quito Airport

The flight from Quito tothe Galapagos is approximately 2 ½ hours on a Boeing 727. Upon arrival at Baltra travelers pass through an airport inspection point to insure that no foreign plants or animals are introduced to the islands and to pay the park entrance fee of $100 (unless prepaid), and $10 for the INGALA card which is an identity card that you need . Guides will meet you, collect your luggage and escort you on the short bus ride to the harbour.  Motorized rafts, called ‘Pangas’ will transport you to the M/C Journey I and our crew will welcome you onboard.  After departure and lunch, the first island visit is made.

PM: Bachas Beach
These two small beaches are found to the West of Turtle Cove.  Their sand is made of decomposed coral, which makes it white and soft, making it a favorite nesting site for sea  turtles.  Behind one of the beaches there is a small brackish water lagoon, where  occasionally is possible to observe flamingos and other coastal birds, such as black-necked stilts and whimbrels.  The other beach is longer, but it has two old barges that were abandoned during the Second World War, when the USA used Baltra Island as a strategically point to protect the Panama Channel.

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San Cristobal Island

AM : Pitt Point
This place is on the north of San Cristobal. Here there are endemic species such as lava lizards and red-footed boobies. The view is impressive when you walk up to the high part of the island.
You may be lucky to see the red footed booby - the least seen of the bunch. It's also the home of the Chatham mockingbird, only found here on San Cristobal island.

PM: Kicker Rock
Also known as the Sleeping Lion because of its resemblance, it is located of the coast of San Cristobal. The remains of a lava cone eroded by the sea, the two vertical rocks rising 500 feet from the ocean form a small channel that is navigable by small boats.  This Galapagos Islands natural monument has become a favorite sight for cruises due to the many tropical birds, frigates, and boobies that fill the surrounding air.  
Beneath the sea the nearly crystal waters offer a brilliant show of colorful tropical fish and invertebrates.

Lobos Island
Isla Lobos is about an hour by boat from Port Baquerizo Moreno. The length of the trail is 850 meters and the estimated travel time is one hour.  There is a small population of blue-footed boobies and common frigate birdsnesting on this site. You can observe the two species of sea lions present in the archipelago.  During the tour you go through a dry vegetation zone, substrate of volcanic rocks and a sandy area.  During the panga tour brown pelicans and several species of shorebirds can be observed; although, snorkeling, it's common to see juvenile sea lions, manta rays and sea turtles.
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San Cristobal Island

AM: Interpretation Center
An Interpretation Center's, lush gardens and sweeping ocean views are a strong contrast to the 1960's style buildings at the Charles Darwin Center. Visitors to the Interpretation Center can learn about both the geological and human history of the islands, conservation issues, and natural history. The older Museum of Natural History attempts to preserve the natural history of the islands.

Frigate Bird Hill
To reach Frigate Bird Hill the trail begins starts just on the road beyond Cabañas Don Jorge. At the end of the road there are two paths one leading through the woods and along Playa Mann Beach and the other up a rocky path. A pleasant journey goes up one way and returns along the other path.
The trip to the Hill takes approximately 20-40 minutes. Once there, visitors are treated to a spectacular view of the white beaches on one side and the roofs of Puerto Baquerizo on the other.
The hill is often visited by frigatebirds, giving it its name. Both magnificent frigatebirds and great frigatebirds can be seen. The birds are not always present, making it is best to ask park officials as to the best times to see the birds when planning your trip. Here it is possible to see magnificent frigatebirds and great frigatebirds in the same colony. This is the perfect place to compare and learn to distinguish them.

PM: La Lobería
The beach is 10 minutes from the airport of San Cristobal. It is a coral sand beach with sea lions.  La Loberia is a piece of coast that has been named for the large number of sea lions resting on the rocks and sand. Despite being outside the boundaries of the National Park area, due to its great importance, the park staff obliges for its care and maintenance.  The tour will find button mangrove, white mangrove, chala, palo santo, cotton, Tiquilia, morning glory and other species of the littoral zone as the cacho de chivo, whose seeds is the main source of food for several species of finches. Besides the sea lions, yellow warblers, frigates and various species of finches can be seen. On the rocks, large Galapagos marine iguanas can be found, unique in the world.

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Española Island

AM: Punta Suarez
This rocky land spot sustains one of themost impressive and varied colonies of sea birds in the Galapagos. Along its southern shore, high cliffs rise up from the sea affording the visitor spectacular views of soaring birds and of the blow whole where water spouts up to 50-75 feet into the air according to the intensity of the surf.
 

PM: Gardner Bay
Located on the north-eastern coast of Hood, Gardner Bay provides an excellent beach for relaxing, swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, and the opportunity to observe sea lions. Here we can also observe sharks in the crystal clear ocean waters.

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Floreana Island

AM: Cormorant Point
This site offers probablythe best flamingo lagoon in the Galapagos; it is also one of the largest in the islands. It’s situated between two tuff lava cones that give the area a special atmosphere. There are various species of shorebirds to observe besides flamingos; the most frequent are common stilts, white-checked pintail ducks, and other migratory birds. It is very interesting to see the two distinct beaches: “The Green Beach” (due to its high percentage of olivine crystals in the sand) and the “Flour Sand Beach” which is made up of coral.

Devil's Crown
The Devil's Crown, located just off Punta Cormorant, offers some of the best snorkeling in the Galapagos. In fact, the only way to see the Crown is by water; it is termed a Marine Visitor Site, and no landings are allowed. Sometimes referred to as Onslow Island, this is an almost completely submerged volcano, and erosion has transformed the cone into a series of jagged peaks; as a result, this site really does look like a devil's crown.

PM: Post office bay & Baroness Lookout
Historically, this site is thelocation of a wooden barrel that was placed in the 18th century by the crew of a whaling ship.  It has been used since this time by mariners and tourists as a post office. The idea is to carry letters or postcards to their destination by hand. Apart from being the Post Office Barrel, this site was the landing area for some of the first colonists. We will continue to the north of the island and will ascent to an elevated slope to enjoy a beautiful vista at the Baroness lookout. It is said that Baroness Eloisa Von Wagner loved this place and spent several hours watching the horizon. Within walking distance (30 m) are the ruins of what is known as her house. From this lookout, the landscape covers the coastline from the Enderby islet to Post Office Bay, as well as Cerro Pajas, the pool of flamingos and wide forest of Palo Santo.

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Santa Cruz Island

AM: Charles Darwin Station
Although the great majority ofGalapagos visitors come here to observe and appreciate natural wonders, it is also interesting to learn how the protection and conservation of the islands are carried out.  One of the main attractions are the National Park information center, the Van Straelen Exhibition Hall, the Breeding and Rearing Center for young tortoises, Lonesome George (turtle from Pinta), and adult Galapagos tortoises in captivity.

After the morning excursion you will be taken to the airport for your flight to the mainland.

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