Santa Cruz II Western 5 Days - Itinerary B

Upon your arrival to the airport on Santa Cruz Island, you will be transferred to the dock to get onboard Santa Cruz II Ship. After settling in the catamaran and lunch, you will head to Dragon Hill, where you will visit a brackish-water lagoon, frequented by shorebirds, ducks and American flamingos, and also a trail to a Cliffside where you will have a beautiful view of the entire place. End of the day and dinner onboard.

Full itinerary map here: http://bit.ly/santa-cruz-5-days-b

After breakfast, your first visit will be to Vicente Roca Point at Isabela Island by a panga ride. You will see the complex geology of this volcanic spot, and also spot flightless cormorants, fur seals, and several species of boobies. You can also snorkel at this place. During the afternoon, head to Espinosa Point, at Fernandina Island, one of the youngest on the entire Archipelago. There’s a unique environment that has preserved a high density population of marine iguanas, that share their space with sea lions and Galapagos penguins. End of the day and dinner onboard.

Early in the morning, you will disembark at Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island, and after a brief bus ride you will visit Charles Darwin Research Station to learn about the scientific and conservation efforts done by the National Park administration to preserve the tortoise endangered species of the archipelago. Following our visit, we board our transport to enjoy lunch in the cooler highlands of Santa Cruz Island, a completely different ecosystem. We have several options available for the afternoon, which can be discussed in advance with your Expedition Leader. Options include beach walks, kayaks, walks along the tortoise reserve, etc.

First activity of the day will be heading to Floreana Island, by a panga ride to visit Baroness Cove, then you will land at Post Office Bay, where you will observe and learn the history of the historic barrel that once served as a post office for buccaneers and whalers and nowadays the visitors can post their letter too, as a tradition. After lunch, you will head to Champion Islet by a panga ride, to admire this extinct volcano, this is also a snorkeling spot.Finally, you will land Cormorant Point where you will visit an olivine sand beach and a white sand beach, that is a nesting place for sea turtles. Return to the yacht for dinner and rest.

After breakfast, the yacht will take you to Baltra Island, and once you disembark you will be transferred to the airport to take your flight back to the continent.