Grand Queen Beatriz 8 Days - Itinerary A

Arrival at Santa Cruz Airport and be transferred to the harbor to get onboard Grand Queen Beatriz Catamaran. After lunch, the catamaran will take you to Punta Carrion, a shallow and protected cove, ideal for your first snorkel and swim in the Galapagos. After this activity head back to the catamaran for dinner.

Full itinerary map here: http://bit.ly/grand-queen-beatriz-a-8-days

First activity of the day will be heading to the South Coast of Isabela Island, then you will take a dinghy ride to las Tintoreras, a narrow sea channel where you will see a colony of white-tipped reef sharks swimming and sleeping, and the occasional playful sea lion among them. After this activity, you will be transferred to Arnaldo Tupiza Tortoise breeding Center, where you will see young tortoises and adult Galapagos tortoises in captivity, and also learn about the conservation efforts done to preserve this species.  Next, you will visit the Wall of Tears, constructed from lava by prisoners of the penal colony here between 1946 and 1959 as punishment. After this activity head back to the catamaran for dinner.

Early in the morning, head to Floreana Island, your first stop will be Cormorant Point, 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 flour sand beach made up of finer white coral sand. You will also spot stingrays beneath the shore. You can also snorkel at Devil´s Crown After lunch, you will go to Post Office bay, that was established in the 18th century by British whalers to send letters to and from England, and even today, visitors have the opportunity to send letters of their own. End of the day and dinner.

Early in the morning you will visit the Highlands of Santa Cruz, where you will see Galapagos Giant Tortoises in its natural habitat at a private reserve. Then you will visit to Charles Darwin Station to learn about the protection and conservation of the island, where you will visit the Breeding and Rearing Centre for young tortoises and adult Galapagos tortoises in captivity. After this activity head back to the yacht for dinner.

First activity of the day will be landing on Santa Fe Island, which is a great place to snorkel and swim along sea lions or take a hike towards the cliffs and have and amazing view form here. This place is also the home of endemic species like the Galapagos Hawk, Galapagos snake and a variety of finches. In the afternoon, after lunch, you will head to South Plaza Island where you will see various species of land iguanas, marine iguanas and hybrids of this species. After this activity, dinner will be served onboard.

Early in the morning head to Gardner Bay, home to a large and varied wildlife population, like boobies, frigate birds and sea lions. This is also a great place to swim form the shore or just relax at the beach. During the afternoon, you will visit Suarez Point on Española Island, that is a basaltic cliff which forms a blowhole where water sprays high into the air. A hike to the top makes a great opportunity to take spectacular pictures. You can also watch sea lions, sea birds, Marine Iguanas, masked and blue footed boobies, among others. After this activity, dinner will be served onboard.

The first activity of the day will be the visit to Pitt Point, where you will take a walk to the top of this island´s volcanic hill and you will see a group of Galapagos sea lions, a male colony. You can also practice snorkel at Kicker Rock, also called Leon Dormido which is a magnificent rock, and its shape resembles a sleeping lion. After lunch, head to Isla Lobos to take a dinghy ride and watch the two species of sea lions that inhabit this place. End of the day and dinner onboard.

After breakfast, you will head to San Cristobal Interpretation Center, where you will learn about the colonization of the Islands, their Natural History and conservation efforts that have been made to preserve the species. After this visit, you will be transferred to the airport to take your flight back to the continent.