Grand Majestic 8 Days - Itinerary B

Upon your arrival to the airport in San Cristobal Island, you will take a boat ride to be transferred to Grand Majestic Yacht. After settling in the yacht and lunch, your first visit will be to David Rodriguez Breeding Center, a place where you will be able to admire the hatchling turtles and adult individuals, and also learn about the conservation program of Galapagos giant tortoises.

Full itinerary map here: http://bit.ly/grand-majestic-8-days-b

Early in the morning, you will visit North Seymour Island, home of the largest colony of magnificent frigate birds in the Galapagos. There is also a large population of blue-footed boobies that perform an amusing courtship dance when nesting conditions are right. In the afternoon, you will visit Black Turtle Cove, located on the north shore of Santa Cruz, it is a living illustration of how mangroves alter the marine environment to create a rich and unique habitat You will take a panga ride to observe the amazing marine life that inhabits there, like eagle rays, mustard rays and white-tipped reef sharks.

After breakfast onboard, the first visit of the day will be to Bartolome Island, and its main visiting site, the Pinnacle Rock, from where you can observe one of the most beautiful scenarios in the archipelago. Then you will head to the beaches at the base of the pinnacle, home to marine turtles and a small colony of Galapagos penguins. During the afternoon, you will visit Egas Port, on Santiago Island, where you will have the chance to discover a black sand beach and walk through a trail to the rim of an extinct volcano crater. You can also take another path to a series of land lagoons, home to flamingos. This place is also a snorkeling site where you can spot sea turtles, sea lions, and golden rays. End of the day and dinner onboard.

At the beginning of the day, the first point to visit will be Tagus Cove, that was used as an anchorage for pirates and whalers. The cove’s quiet waters make for an ideal zodiac ride beneath its sheltered cliffs, where blue-footed boobies, brown noddies, and pelicans make their nests. From the landing point, you can take a stairway to Darwin Lake a perfectly round saltwater crater, and from this point, you will have a spectacular view of the landscape. After lunch, head to Urbina Bay, located west of Isabela ́s Volcano Alcedo, this is a great place to snorkel, and spot native species like land iguanas, Darwin ́s finches, and Galapagos Tortoises. End of the day and dinner onboard.

After breakfast, the first visit will be to Fernandina Islands, specifically Espinosa Point, a narrow spit of land in the northeast corner of the island, where a number of unique Galapagos species can be seen in close proximity by a zodiac ride, species like marine iguanas and sea lions. You can also snorkel at this spot. After lunch, you will visit Vicente Roca Point, that is formed by two coves with a bay well protected from the ocean swells, and where you will see masked and blue-footed boobies and is also a nice snorkeling site. End of the day and dinner onboard the yacht.

Early in the morning, the first site to visit will be Buccaner ́s Cove, that used to be a pirate ́s hideout to provide them selves of water and fresh meat during their trips. After this visit, head to Espumilla beach, where you will take a trail through a Palo Santo Forest, and see the many species of birds that inhabit there like pink flamingos and white cheeked pintails. This is also a nice place to practice kayaking.

In the afternoon, after lunch, you will visit Sullivan Bay, place distinctive for its lava formations that form and amazing sighting. In the evening you can again swim or snorkel with the sea lions that inhabit this place. End of the day and dinner onboard.

Early in the morning, you will visit Las Bachas, placed comprised of two sandy white coral beaches that is a major egg laying site for sea turtles and used to be a strategic point that the U.S used to defend Panama Chanel during WWII. In the afternoon you will visit the Tortoise Breeding Center called Fausto Llerena at Santa Cruz Island, where you will learn about the conservation efforts to preserve Galapagos giant tortoises and also the species that inhabit this center. End of the day and dinner onboard.

At the beginning of the last day, you will take a zodiac ride to Kicker Rock or León Dormido, asleep Lion in English, named like this due to its form, and see various species undersea like reef sharks, rays and sea lions. After this activity, you will be transferred to San Cristobal Island, then to the airport to take your flight back to the continent.