February 8, 2025
trekking2

This tour has its emphasis on the islands Isabela and Santa Cruz. You will also visit Floreana with its misterious history but spend only two nights here. The rest of the days you will spend at Isabela to get to know this island (a highlight is the flight to Isabela in a small aircraft) and the other days on Santa Cruz. From here you will do day excursions to the uninhabitat islands like North Seymour and South Plazas. Of course you will also have some time in Quito to get to know the capital of Ecuador.

Overview Itinerary
Day 01: Arrival in Quito
Day 02: Quito City Tour
Day 03: Flight Quito – Baltra – Island Isabela
Day 04: Isabela Island – Sierra Negra
Day 05: Isabela Island – Tintoreras – Mangroves
Day 06: Isabela Island – Flamingos – Galapaguera
Day 07: Isabela Island / Island Floreana
Day 08: Island Floreana – Highlands – Loberia
Day 09: Island Floreana / Island Santa Cruz – Charles Darwin Station
Day 10: Island North Seymour / Bachas Beach
Day 11: Island South Plaza
Day 12: Flight to Quito
Day 13: international flight

Detailed Itinerary:

Day 01 Saturday: Arrival

Arrive in Quito. Assistance and transfer from the airport to the hotel Mercure Alameda in which you will be a guest for the next two nights. Accommodation at the hotel. -/-/-

Day 02 Sunday: Quito City Tour

Today you explore the colonial centre of Quito starting with a visit of Independence Plaza and its old Cathedral, the Presidential Palace, the Municipal Building and the Archbishop’s Palace. Continue to the Church of San Francisco, one of the greatest and most opulent religious buildings of Ecuador. Later you drive to the north and more modern part of Quito and visit the botanical garden in the activity playground of Carolina Park. The botanical garden offers a wonderful impression of Ecuador’s diverse flora. Return to hotel in the afternoon. B/L/-

Day 03 Monday: Flight Quito – Baltra – Isabela Island

In the morning you will drive to the airport and from there catch a flight to the Galapagos Island of Baltra. By means of small aircraft the journey continues to the Island of Isabela (for this flight there are only 10kg of baggage per person allowed). Transfer to the beachfront Hotel la Casa de Marita, where you will be welcomed and you will be shown to your room. The afternoon is at your own disposal. Dinner and overnight at the hotel Casa de Marita. B/-/D

Day 04 Tuesday: Excursion to the volcano Sierra Negra

Following the foothills of volcano Sierra Negra by private vehicle, you arrive in the highlands where you begin a hike uphill to the edge of the crater of the tremendous volcano. From here you hike to the Volcano Chico, which is a crater nearby. There you can enjoy a fantastic view over looking the north part of the island as well as the distant volcanoes Alcedo and Wolf. You will be back at the hotel by late afternoon. Dinner and night at Casa de Marita. B/L/D

Day 05 Wednesday: Boat trip and Mangroves

In the morning you will do a short boat trip through the harbor basin. On your way to the small island of Las Tintoreras look out for sea lions, pelicans and penguins. Hike through bizarre lava formations and get in touch with the huge iguana colonies. The sandy beach is the home of the local sea lion colony that rest lazily in the shade of the mangroves; the bay is a popular resting place for the white tipped reef shark. In the afternoon you can rest on the long beach at your hotel or take the chance to discover a mangrove forest at La Concha Perla bay as well as the colorful underwater life there. Dinner and accommodation in the Hotel La Casa de Marita. B/L/D

Day 06 Thursday: Flamingos and giant turtles

In the morning you will go on an excursion to a remote part of the island where flamingos fish in a lagoon. In this marshland you can observe black-necked stilts, herons and Galapagos pintails. Afterwards the trip leads you to the turtle raising station on Isabela, where the staff dutifully tries to sustain potentially endangered species. The following hike takes you through a diversity of flora ending on the beach and finally at the hotel. The rest of the afternoon is at your personal disposal. Overnight at the hotel La Casa de Marita. B/L/D

Day 07 Friday: Isabela – Devil’s Crown – Floreana

Today your tour starts from Isabela by boat to the devil’s crown and Champions Islet located close to the island of Floreana. Here you will enjoy the outstanding snorkelling grounds while bird’s circle over your heads. After an extensive adventure with doctor fish, lip fish and other colourful sea life, you will reach Floreana and the small port of Puerto Velasco Ibarra where you are going to spend your night in the Hostal Wittmer. B/L/D

Day 08 Saturday: Highland vegetation and black sanded beaches

Today’s excursion leads you to the highlands of Floreana where you will visit a fresh water spring, a pirate cave and the first farm on Floreana. While hiking around the highlands the guide tells you bizarre stories about the early inhabitants of Floreana. If you are lucky you can see Darwin finches, yellow warblers and Galapagos fly snappers. In the afternoon you get the opportunity to swim at the black-sanded beaches of the hotel bay or walk along the beach to the sea lion colony La Loberia. The Hostel Wittmer is where you spend the night. B/L/D

Day 09 Sunday: From Floreana to Santa Cruz

Arriving north by boat on Santa Cruz Island, you will be taken to the Finch Bay Eco-hotel where you will spend the night. Santa Cruz is the second largest island of the Galapagos. The small town of Puerto Ayora is the economic centre of the archipelago, with the largest population of the 4 inhabited islands (approx 15.000). In the afternoon you will visit the Charles Darwin Research Station and the Galapagos National Park offices. The station is also a tortoise breeding and rearing centre, where tortoises of different subspecies are prepared for reintroduction to their natural habitats. The most popular inhabitant of this island is probably Lonesome George, the only survivor of his specific turtle species. B/L/D

Day 10 Monday: North Seymour Island and Las Bachas Beach

Departure from the hotel is at 7:45 am. A bus will be waiting at the public dock to take you approximately 26 miles to the Itabaca Channel to board the boat. The navigation is approximately 6 miles. Lunch will be served on board. North Seymour is a small island north of Baltra. It is part of a complex of uplifted islands that includes Baltra and Mosquera. The major vegetation is shrubby and includes an endemic form of the Palo Santo tree. The largest colony of magnificent frigate birds nest on this island. Blue-footed boobies also nest on the visitor trails. The beach area is a perfect location for observing California sea lions and shore birds. Occasionally, you can watch the sea lions surf the waves on this beach. Prepare for a dry landing. The water is often slightly choppy here so, be sure you have a good handgrip with your guide when embarking and disembarking. The trail is about 1.6km with frequent stops for wildlife observation. At Las Bachas Beach you will visit a major nesting area for sea turtles. They breed and feed in the nearby Black Turtle Cove. Flamingos and lagoon birds can occasionally be found in a brackish lagoon behind the beach. There is a small outlying island where great blue herons commonly nest. This beach was used by US troops stationed in Baltra as a recreational beach during WWII. Prepare for a wet landing on the white sand beach of Bachas. This visit provides an opportunity to enjoy a beautiful open beach. Bring along your snorkelling gear. You will return the same way as the outbound journey and arrive back at the hotel between 4pm and 5pm. B/L/D

Day 11 Tuesday: Land iguanas on Plaza Sur

The motorboat brings you to the eastern side of Santa Cruz, to visit the small island of Plaza Sur. During your tour you will meet many land iguanas, which are searching for fruits between the high prickly pear cacti. Along the south shores of this island you will see the nesting places of swallow-tailed gulls, Audubon’s shearwaters, madeiran storm petrels, red-billed tropicbirds, boobies and frigate birds. Passing by some sea iguanas and yellow warblers you return to the boat and finally to Puerto Ayora. Overnight accommodation in the Ecohotel Finch Bay. B/L/D

Day 12 Wednesday: Back to the Andes

In the morning you cross the highlands of Santa Cruz and the canal of Itabaca to reach the airport of Baltra where you take your flight back to Quito. After the transfer to the hotel you can enjoy your afternoon in Quito, as you like. B/-/-

Day 13 Thursday: Return home

In the morning we will accompany you to Quito International Airport and say goodbye – until the next time! B/-/-

B: Breakfast / L: Lunch / D: Dinner


Prices per Person for 2012:

4-5 participants USD 4,370.- per person

3 participants USD 4,720.- per person

2 participants USD 5,520.- per person
Single Supplement: USD 860.- per person

Note:

Group prices upon request
Translator on request at additional cost


Included in the price:

All transfers (Bus, Boat) arrival to departure, all activities mentioned in the program, accommodation in the mentioned hotels or hotels of the same category (double room with private bath), all meals mentioned in the program, flight Quito-Galapagos-Quito, Baltra – Isabela – bilingual guide (English – Spanish).

Not included in the price:

International flight, beverages, snorkelling equipment, single supplement, Galapagos national park entrance fee USD 100,-, migration card USD 10.- international airport charge Quito (USD 41.-), personal expenses, tips, travel insurance

Note:

The guide or the boat captain can change the itinerary of the Galápagos tour due to security reasons as well as the national park administration due to changed national park rules. Nevertheless the security and the interest of the passengers always have first priority.