You will arrive at Baltra and explore the Santa Cruz Highlands, walking through lush forests and seeing giant tortoises in their natural habitat.
You will visit the Wetlands, where you can walk to the largest coastal lagoon in the Galápagos. Along the way, you will stop at scenic viewpoints, natural pools, beaches, and mangroves, and observe flamingos in their natural environment.
Finally, you will visit the Giant Tortoise Breeding Center, a conservation program dedicated to protecting these iconic creatures after they nearly went extinct in the 1950s.
You will arrive at Puerto Villamil and visit the Giant Tortoise Breeding Center, where you will learn about the conservation program protecting these iconic creatures.
You will explore Flamingo Lagoon, walking along the largest coastal lagoon in the Galápagos and spotting flamingos, mangroves, beaches, and natural pools along the way.
Finally, you will visit the Wall of Tears, a historic site built by prisoners of a former penal colony, many of whom lost their lives between 1946 and 1959.
In the morning, you will visit Punta Moreno and explore its interesting landscape, which is home to black lava flows and a unique system of brackish lagoons that draw in a wide range of wildlife. Spot Darwin’s finches, Galápagos doves, penguins, and more! Be sure to bring your camera for shots of the island’s amazing scenery. Punta Moreno boasts a panoramic viewpoint of three of Isabela’s imposing volcanoes: Alcedo, Sierra Negra, and Cerro Azul.
In the afternoon, you will head out by panga to explore, keeping an eye out for wildlife hiding among the mangroves. Search for marine turtles, rays, and flightless cormorants in the sheltered waters. Also spot blue-footed boobies, penguins, and pelicans feeding on the abundant marine life.
Stop for a visit at Tagus Cove and hike to a lookout to get a stunning view of the bay. Spot old graffiti on the cliffs from whalers and pirates who once visited the the cove. Tagus cove is an anchorage site that was popular among whalers and pirates. Tour the area on foot for spectacular views of Darwin Lake (a spherical saltwater crater), the bay, and Darwin and Wolf volcanoes. Upon landing, take the wooden stairway to the trail entrance, and follow the trail through a dry vegetation zone. Continue on an ascent to a promontory made up of spatter cones (small volcanic cones).
In the afternoon, you will head to Punta Espinoza on Fernandina, the youngest of the Galápagos Islands where you can witness the large colony of marine iguanas and a variety of bird life. Tour a number of different trails at this not-to-be-missed landing site that’s home to some of the largest colonies of marine iguanas and sea birds. Follow the path along the beach and across lava flows for a unique opportunity to explore one of the least-visited areas of the Galápagos.
In the morning, you get to enjoy the spectacular shoreline of Puerto Egas, also known as James Bay. Spot a great number of shore birds and reptiles – the beach area is home to a plethora of wildlife. Grab a snorkel and jump into the water right off the beach to explore Puerto Egas' interesting underwater world. Keep your eyes peeled for rays, turtles, and reefsharks while snorkelling. After, visit the large tidal pool area – marine iguanas and Sally Lightfoot crabs are everywhere.
In the afternoon, we head to Rábida Island, where you get to explore a red beach and its trails. A short trail leads to a saltwater lagoon; another trail goes past the lagoon to the interior, where the revered palo santo trees grow. (When burned, the branches of this tree give off a pleasing aroma and ward off mosquitoes.) Head back to the beach to see prehistoric-looking pelicans nesting among low-lying bushes – it's a rare treat to watch parent pelicans return with gullets full of fish for the squawking youngsters.
Before leaving the islands, you get to have a last amazing wildlife experience visiting North Seymour Island – this island is teeming with life! Follow trails to see all the action (you may need to give way to a passing sea lion or marine iguana while walking). See blue-footed booby nests where mating pairs perform their courtship dance. Head to a rocky shore to see flocks of pelicans having lunch in a dive bomb feeding frenzy, then turn inland to a large nesting site of magnificent frigatebirds. These huge, dark acrobats have two-metre (6.5 ft) wingspans, and males, with their puffed-up scarlet throat sacks, sit precariously perched in low bushes to watch over their equally large chicks. Top off the excursion with a snorkel among sea lions and rays.
After, it´s sadly time to head to the airport for your flight back to the mainland.
