Galapagos Eric, Letty and Flamingo
ITINERARY DAY BY DAY
8 days / 7 nights
Sunday to Sunday
Day 5
Puerto Egas (Santiago Island) / Bartolome Island
This morning, stroll along the shore at Puerto Egas, Santiago Island looking for octopus, starfish and other sea life caught in the tide pools. At low tide, catch a glimpse of marine iguanas as they feed on exposed green algae. Watch for great blue herons, lava herons, oystercatchers and yellow-crowned night herons.
On Bartolome, it seems like you are walking on the moon. This young Island is inhospitable to most plants and animals. After a dry landing, climb 30 minutes up a steep slope to the summit of a once active volcano. Pause along the way to marvel at lava bombs, spatter cones and cinder cones. From the top, gaze out across a panoramic view which includes the famous "Pinnacle Rock," an eroded tuff cone. Down below, crystal cleat water invites you to snorkel with schools of tropical fish. Penguins often swim in this area.
Day 6
Charles Darwin Station / Highlands (Santa Cruz Island)
This morning, you visit the Charles Darwin Research Station. Scientists from all over the globe work at the station and conduct biological research from anatomy to zoology. Get your picture taken with the giant tortoises. Observe year-old tortoises and learn about the captive-breeding program. Next, stroll through the town of Puerto Ayora (population: 10,000) –the largest town in the Galapagos. Buy souvenirs, mail postcards and absorb local charm in the social heart of the Islands.
After lunch on board, you climb aboard a bus and take an excursion to the highlands of Santa Cruz Island. Watch the scenery change as you wind your way through all seven vegetation zones found in Galapagos. From June to January you can find giant tortoises on a private farm in the highlands. The rest of the year, travellers visit Los Gemelos “The Twins”, a pair of large pit craters where you find the bright red male vermilion flycatcher. Afterwards, you head to "the tunnels", the largest lava tubes found in Galapagos.
Day 7
Gardner Bay / Punta Suarez (Espanola Island)
This morning, step onto Gardner Bay, Espanola Island. Walk along seemingly endless stretches of sandy beach where you’ll find colonies of sea lions. Swim and snorkel with the sea lions and enjoy the colorful diversity of sea life near Gardner Islet.
This afternoon, you disembark at Punta Suarez, Espanola, where you witness the highest rate of “endemicism” in the Galapagos. Sea lions noisily greet you as you land on their beach. Curious mockingbirds peck at your shoelaces. From April to November waved albatross perform their wild mating rituals only on Espanola. Colonies of blue-footed boobies engage in “sky-pointing” while masked boobies busily care for their young. Stunning swallow-tailed gulls and red-billed tropicbirds take shelter under the cliffs. Other species endemic to Espanola include Darwin’s Finches, Galapagos Doves and Galapagos Hawks. Observe a unique species of marine iguana identified with traces of red and green colorings. Colorful sally lightfoot crabs crawl along the shoreline near to the famous "blow hole."
Day 8
Interpretation Center / San Cristobal Island departure
If time permits, you visit the Interpretation Center located at Puerto Baquerizo Moreno in San Cristobal Island, which opened in 1998. Here, you gain a more complete understanding of the natural and human history of the Galapagos Islands. It is located in a natural setting with the express purpose to enhance the educational experience. Return flight from San Cristobal Island to the Ecuador mainland to Guayaquil or Quito.