Archipel II 8 Days - Itinerary B

Arrival at Baltra Airport. Short bus ride to the harbor and settling in the catamaran. After lunch, you will visit North Seymour to see the various species of birdlife that inhabit there, like blue footed boobies and frigate birds. Return to the yacht and dinner.

Full itinerary map here: http://bit.ly/archipel-ii-8-days-b

The first activity of the day will be the visit to the beautiful volcano islet of Bartolome, which offers some of the greatest landscapes and panorames of the entire Archipelago. You will have to climb the stairs to the view on top of the island called Pinnacle Bay. After lunch, you will visit Espumilla Beach, which is an important breeding site for turtles, that return year after year to bury their eggs in the sand. At nearby, there is Buccaneers Cove, where you can practice snorkeling.

Early in the morning, you will visit Puerto Egas, a beach located at the west side of Santiago Island, its main attractive is the black sand beach. After lunch you will go to Rabida Island, ia red sand beach, due to the volcanic material that lies there. A short walk along a trail will lead you to a coastal lagoon behind the beach, where you will observe finches, doves and mockingbirds, and also a colony of flamingos.

At the beginning of this day you will visit Charles Darwin Research Station to learn about the protection and conservation of the tortoise’s species of the National Park. After lunch, you will take a bus ride to the highlands of Santa Cruz Island to the National Park boundary, where you will see the Twin Craters and then you will visit a local ranch to observe the giant tortoise of Santa Cruz Island in its natural habitat. Return to the catamaran and dinner.

Full itinerary map here: 

Early in the morning, head to Floreana Island, first to the Cormorant Peninsula, where you will be welcomed by a small Galapagos sea lion colony. You will also see a green sand beach that contains olivine crystal, and a white coral sand beach. You may also spot stingrays along the shore. After lunch, we go to Post Office bay, where you can bring your postcards and post them in the peculiar barrel of this historic site. This place commemorates the improvised mail service that was situated here during the 18th century. End of the day and dinner.

Early in the morning head to Gardner Bay at Española Island, that is an important breeding site for pacific green turtles. But the main attraction is the Galapagos sea lion colony. After lunch, head to Suarez Point, that is a basaltic cliff which forms a blowhole where water sprays high into the air. You may take your time to contemplate this emblematic viewpoint form the yacht.

The first activity of the day will be the visit to Pitt Point, which was the first sight of land that Charles Darwin spotted when we first arrived at the Archipelago in 1835. You will see a group of Galapagos sea lions, a male colony. From here you will take a trail that leads up to a tropical dry forest vegetation, and after a bit of walking you may spot various species of boobies, such as blue footed, red footed and Nazca boobies. After lunch, head to Witch Hill. Its main attraction is a coral sand beach, which is an excellent place to swim and snorkel. This place was one of the first that Darwin visited, and you may also see coastal and migratory birds. Return to the yacht and dinner.

First activity in the morning will be a visit to Lobos Islet, where a colony of Galapagos sea lions lives, in particular nurturing mothers with their babies. You may also spot male blue footed boobies and great frigate birds. After this activity you will take a shuttle back to San Cristobal Airport, to take your flight back to the continent.