Elite 11 Days - Itinerary A+C

Upon your arrival to San Cristobal Airport, you will head to the first visiting site, El Junco Lagoon, an impressive crater lake located in the highlands of San Cristobal Island, where you will enjoy superb panoramic views of the island, and also spot frigate birds diving in the clear crystal water at the lagoon. After this activity, you will be transferred to the yacht to settle in and for dinner.

Full itinerary map here: http://bit.ly/elite-11-days-ab

First activity of the day will be heading to North Seymour, a small island, and characteristic for its large population of blue footed boobies and swallow tailed gulls, along with frigate birds. If you are lucky enough you may spot the marvelous bright chests of male bird frigates when they court the females. In the afternoon, you will visit Dragon Hill at Santa Cruz Island, place named after the large population of land iguanas that live here, and that resemble miniature dragons, hence the name of this place. You will spot this species and also visit the Palo Santo forest here. This is also a nice place to snorkel

Early in the morning, you will take a panga ride to Tintoreras, a chain of Islets near Isabela Island, that have created a unique habitat for a variety of wildlife. You can snorkel, kayak, or paddle board at this spot. Then you will visit Sierra Negra Volcano at Isabela Island, one of the most active in the Galapagos. As you walk to the top of the caldera you will spot forest of guava trees, and if the weather allows it you will have a spectacular view of the entire island. After lunch, you will head to Arnaldo Tupiza Breeding Center, where you will learn about the conservation efforts that have been made to preserve the two species of Galapagos giant tortoises that inhabit here. Then you will be transferred to Isabela wetlands, a spot comprised of lagoons, swamps, and mangroves, which have become a paradise for migratory birds like stilts and flamingos.

After breakfast, you will take a panga ride to Moreno Point, located on the west coast of Isabela, while spotting sea turtles and white-tip sharks. Once you land you will take a trail to a place with a multitude of green lagoons and mangroves. You may also spot penguins, blue herons, and flamingos here. In the afternoon you will visit Urbina Bay, located at the foot of Alcedo Volcano, and result of a major volcanic uplift, resulting in a coral reef being lifted out of the ocean. You can observe corals and remains of marine life that were stranded due to this event. This place is also home to giant land iguanas and giant tortoises, Galapagos hawks and flightless cormorants. You can also snorkel at this spot.

First activity in the morning will be heading to Espinosa Point at Fernandina Island, by a zodiac ride. You will be able to spot marine iguanas, sally light foot crabs, and once on land you will explore the mangrove plants, lava cacti and the lave formations that can be found here. In the afternoon you will visit Vicente Roca Point by a panga ride. This is a beautiful large bay with two coves that provide nesting sites for blue-footed and Nazca boobies, gulls storm petrels and Brown Noddy Terns. You can also snorkel here, while spotting a great abundance ofmarine life, like sea lions and dolphins.

After breakfast, you will visit Tagus Cove. Rabida and Bartolome Island: Early in the morning, after breakfast, you will take a panga ride to Rabida Island, most known for its dark red sand beach surrounded by a backdrop of cliffs and steep volcanic hills, full of Palo Santo trees and endemic cacti. You can also spot blue-footed and Nazca boobies, and a large sea lion colony at the shore. This is also the only site where all nine Darwin’s finches are found. You can also snorkel, kayak or paddleboard at this spot. In the afternoon, head to Bartolome Island, an islet located in Sullivan Bay, famous for the huge volcanic cone named Pinnacle Rock. A walking trail leads to a viewpoint at the summit of the island where you can enjoy spectacular views of Pinnacle rock and the entire island. The northern beach of this place is perfect for snorkeling and spotting eagle rays and reef sharks.

San Cristobal - Kicker Rock

Kicker Rock is an iconic feature of the Galapagos that has been formed over time by the erosion of the cone of an extinct volcano. In addition, on the rock formation itself, blue-footed boobies, frigatebirds and sea lions can often be seen perched on the ledges above, which makes an excellent site to take great pictures while the vessel circumnavigate the rock formation.

San Cristobal - Witch Hill

Witch Hill features an idyllic white sand beach which can be accessed by panga and is a superb vantage point for seeing Kicker Rock in the south of the island. The hill itself is an eroded tuff cone and the calm waters at the base of it offer a magnificent spot for snorkeling. Meanwhile, a walk along the beach or on one of the inland paths, provides opportunities to see a variety of shore birds, finches and mockingbirds.

Giant Tortoises’ Reserve, off San Cristobal

The visit to the Giant Tortoise’s Reserve is the longest hike on San Cristobal; the walk is about 5 km one way and may be quite hot. This is an excellent site for observing giant tortoises in their natural habitat. San Cristobal has a population of six thousand giant tortoises; in a good day, hundreds of them can be seen along with other endemic species, such as lava lizards, and mockingbirds. Snorkel is a great activity as you have opportunities to see sea turtles and tintoreras (white tipped reef sharks). The beach of this visitor site is a nesting area for sea turtles.

After breakfast, you will disembark at San Cristobal Island, to visit the Interpretation Center, that provides an overview of the fascinating history of the islands, and learn about the natural history, human history and the conservation for the future. After this activity, you will go to David Rodriguez Breeding Center, a place that provides information about the origin and evolution of the giant tortoise and explains the importance of this place to safeguard the future of these creatures. You can also see baby tortoises being reared in semi-natural conditions. After this activity, you will be transferred to the yacht for dinner and rest.

Early in the morning, you will head to Suarez Point at Española Island. This place is packed with wildlife and is best explored by following a circular trail, here you will observe nesting sites of large colonies of Nazca and blue/footed boobies and mocking birds. Red and marine iguanas are also present. There is also a geological highlight: several blowholes capable of shooting water 25, onto the air, which makes this place an amazing landscape. In the afternoon, you will visit Gardner Bay, place with a pristine sand beach, dotted with sea lions. This is a perfect spot to relax, kayak or paddle board. A short panga ride from here will take you to Gardner and Osborn Islets, superb locations for snorkeling with young sea lions and a variety of colorful tropical fish and corals.

First activity of the day will be heading to Cormorant Point at Floreana Island, where you can find two contrasting beaches, one with green tinted sand due to the high content of olivine crystals, and another with pure white sand, derived from pulverized coral (known as “flour beach”) There is also a saltwater lagoon frequented by one of the largest population of Galapagos flamingos, as well as other shorebirds like stilts, white cheeked pintails and large billed flycatchers. You can also take a panga ride to Champion Islet, an extinct shield volcano which provides a nice opportunity to snorkel. In the afternoon you will visit Post Office Bay, a place established by British whalers in the 18th century that was used by them to post their letters, and visitors can still take part in today. Then you will head to Baroness’ Lookout, a volcanic formation named after an Australian baroness, who visited the island in the 1930s. From here you have a panoramic view of the coastline.

Early in the morning you will head to Mosquera Islet, a flat small islet located between Baltra and North Seymour Islands, place where you will encounter a large population of sea lions, shorebirds and the striking sally light foot crabs that cling to the dark rocks. After this visit you will be transferred to Baltra Airport to take your flight back to the continent.