Itinerary

ITINERARY 8 DAYS / 7 NIGHTS 

Travel  to San Cristobal Airport, at your arrival a guide will be waiting for you in order to transfer you to the hotel. Lunch  and in the afternoon you will visit El Junco Lagoon, the only freshwater spring of the islands, it is a crater of an extinct volcano, here we will find stilts, White-cheeked pintail ducks and Common Gallinules and the Great Frigate Bird and the Magnificent Frigate Bird, these two last species will be taking a bath in the lagoon, this is something very uncommon in these birds. In San Cristobal Highlands you will look for the Galapagos Rail, Galapagos Flycatcher, Paint Billed Crake, Small Ground finch, Medium Ground finch, Yellow Warbler, Woodpecker finch and the two species of Frigate birds. Late in the afternoon return to the hotel for diner and overnight.

(L.D)

DAY 3 (SATURDAY) : ESPAÑOLA ISLAND: PTA SUAREZ-GARDNER ISLET BY ESPAÑOLA

After an early breakfast you will depart to Española Island.In the morning you will visit Gardner Islet (Española), great place for snorkeling, where it is possible to see fascinating creatures including snake eels, marble rays, diamond rays, Galapagos pufferfish, plenty of red-lipped batfish and occasional hammerhead. Lunch on board and in the afternoon you will visit  Pta. Suarez, this is a rocky point of land that sustains one of the most impressive and varied colonies of sea birds in Galapagos. Along its southern shore, steep cliffs rise up from the sea, for a spectacular view of soaring birds and the famous blowhole. A noisy colony of Sea Lions and curious mockingbirds (Hood Mockingbird) greet you as you land on their beach.You will meet a multitude of Blue-footed Boobies, Masked boobies, Albatross, Red billed Tropic Birds, Galapagos Shearwater, Phaloropes, Storm Petrels, Large Cactus Finch, Galapagos Hawk and endemic Marine iguanas with unique traces of red and green soak up the heat from the sun. 

DAY 4 (SUNDAY): SAN CRISTOBAL – FLOREANA – ISABELA ISLAND 

After breakfast you will be transferred to the pier in order to depart to Isabela Island, on route if the Galapagos National Park and the conditions permit it is a possibility to circumnavigate Champion Islet to search for the extremely rare Floreana Mockingbird. The specie is Critically Endangered and the surviving population is tiny. It survives on two small satellite rocks that are located close to Floreana (Champion and Gardner Islet by Floreana). Then you will continue to Floreana Island where you will visit the highlands looking for the Medium tree Finch, the only site for this super rare bird and others. Besides you will visit a tortoise reserve and the freshwater spring.  Lunch in a local restaurant and in the afternoon you will depart to Isabela. Transfer to your hotel for dinner and overnight.

(B.L.D)

DAY 5 (MONDAY): ISABELA ISLAND: SIERRA VOLCANO - MARSHLANDS

After an early breakfast depending on Galapagos National Park regulations and established schedule for our excursion, your guide will be waiting for you in order to depart to Sierra Negra Volcano, that is one of the most impressive volcanoes in the archipelago. You will hike up the trail to the caldera, which is the largest of all of the Galapagos volcanoes (c. 10km wide).The caldera is our best place to look for the Galapagos Martin, besides in Sierra Negra it is possible to find Galapagos Rail, Woodpecker Finch, Green Warbler Finch, Small Tree Finch and Galapagos Flycatcher. Lunch in a local farm and then you will stop in a transitional zone where you will look for species like Vegetarian Finch. Then on the way back to Puerto Villamil you stop at the Flamingo pond. In the afternoon you will visit Humedales or Marshlands, this place has a pristine ecosystem of tidal lagoons that is the habitat of flamingos and migratory birds. Four species of mangroves can be found here. This is a great place to see several species of Darwin Finches, Mangrove Warbler and others. Return to the hotel to dinner and overnight.

(B.L.D)

DAY 6 (TUESDAY): ISABELA ISLAND: IGUANA COVE-EL RADAR-TUNNELS

After an early breakfast your guide will transfer you to the pier, where a small speedboat will be waiting for you in order to depart to Iguana Cove here you will have the opportunity to see one of the most amazing endemic species of Galapagos, the Flightless Cormorant, this incredible Galapagos endemic specie is the biggest  cormorant in the world, it is unique because they have evoluted into Cormorant withshort wings in order to dive to get their food. So they have lost their ability to fly. Also you can see other bird species like the incredible Galapagos Penguin, Frigate Birds, Shearwaters, Phalaropes, Greater Flamingo and some species of finches. Box lunch on route and in the afternoon you will visit the Tunnels, one of the best places of Isabela for snorkeling, then you will return to Puerto Villamil where you will dinner and overnight.

(B.BL.D)

DAY 7 (WEDNESDAY): ISABELA - STA CRUZ HIGHLANDS

Early in the morning you will catch a speedboat to depart to Santa Cruz Island.  Once in Puerto Ayora you will enjoy of a delicious breakfast, later  you will travel to the highlands of Santa Cruz that is continually changing and you will ascend through all seven different vegetation zones.There you are able to see the Giant tortoises in the wild at a private farm where you will lunch. This is a good place to see the Vegetarian Finch and with luck the Paint-billed Crake. In the afternoon you will visit a pair of large pit craters called “Los Gemelos", one of the best places to spot for Woodpecker Finch, Large Tree Finch, Green Warbler Finch and others. If time permits you will search for Galapagos Rail at Media Luna.  After this visit you will return to Puerto Ayora where you will diner and overnight.

(B.L.D)

DAY 8 (THURSDAY): GALAPAGOS - QUITO

After breakfast your guide will be waiting for you in order to visit the Charles Darwin Research Station where you will learn at first hand of the conservation and research efforts in the islands seeing the tortoise hatchlings and breeding programs, which are saving several races of tortoises from extinction.

After this visit you will have the last chance to look for some of the finches that surround the Charles Darwin Station, species like Small, Medium and Large Ground Finches and Galápagos Mockingbird can be found here. Transfer to Baltra airport in order to catch your flight back to Quito.

(B)

IMPORTANT: This itinerary is subject to Galapagos National Park regulations 

Possible extension to the Rainforest under request!

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