Petrel 15 Days - Itinerary 8A+8B

Upon your arrival to the airport on Santa Cruz Island, you will be transferred to the dock to get onboard Petrel Catamaran. After settling in the catamaran and lunch, you will take a panga ride to North Seymour Island, place formed by uplifted submarine lava, this island is home to a huge colony of marine iguanas and large populations of sea lions, blue-footed boobies and magnificent frigate birds. You can also snorkel of the shore. After this activity head back to the yacht for dinner and rest.

Full itinerary map here: http://bit.ly/petrel-8-days-a

First activity of the day will be taking a panga ride to Vicente Roca Point at Isabela Island, place that has outstanding geological formations, and is a great spot to see various bird species like blue-footed boobies and Nazca boobies. You can also snorkel at this place. During the afternoon after lunch, you will head to Espinosa Point, the only visitor site at Fernandina Island, where you can enjoy a hike to the highest spot of this place or snorkeling at the bay. End of the day and dinner onboard.

Early in the morning, you will take a panga ride to Tagus Cove, which used to be a pit stop for pirates and sailors in the 1800s. Once you land, you will hike to a cliff, which will provide incredible views of the cove and the mangrove forest found a t this spot. You can also snorkel at this place, and watch sea lions, and marine iguanas while doing this activity. During the afternoon, head to Urbina Bay, where you can see the geological lava formations that compose this island. Several species like sea lions, land iguanas and flightless cormorants inhabit this place. In here it’s also possible to snorkel. End of the day and dinner onboard.

First activity of the day will be taking a panga ride to Elizabeth Bay. There is not a landing point in here, so you will see the marine life from afar, like sea lions, frigate birds, flightless cormorant, and marine iguanas that inhabit this place. During the afternoon, after lunch, head to Moreno Point, the perfect place for birdwatching. Once you land, you will visit the coast lagoons where white tipped sharks can be seen, and after a brief hike, you will have a panoramic view of Sierra Negra and Cerro Azul Volcanoes at the distance.

First activity of the day will be disembarking at Isabela  island Port, from here you will take a bus ride to Sierra Negra Volcano, where you will go for a hike to its caldera, that shows evidence of the most recent activity back in 2005. During the afternoon, after lunch, you will be transferred to the Wetlands of this island and see the humid ecosystem and the species that reside here. Small lagoons, mangrove trees, and swamps have formed this unique and amazing ecosystem. Home of a large variety of birds, the wetlands are considered a sanctuary for many endangered species and one of the best places to admire the different varieties of birds that inhabit the island. Among them we find greater flamingos, common stilts, whimbrels, white-cheeked pintails, and gallinules. We continue later to the Wall of Tears. This structure is testimony of the penal colony that was established on Isabela. The extreme conditions and severe punishments in which the felons faced gave this grim wall its name. Today only a portion of the wall is still standing. We say goodbye to the small town of Villamil and we continue our cruise to the next destination

First activity of the day will be disembarking on Puerto Ayora at Santa Cruz Island, where you will visit Charles Darwin Research Station, place created to show information about the wildlife and geology of Galapagos Islands, and where you will learn about the endemic wildlife and the conservation efforts that have been made to observe the species that reside in the archipelago. During the afternoon, you will visit the Highlands of Santa Cruz.The Galapagos Islands are filled with surprises and the highlands of Santa Cruz are one of them. The presence of the now extinct volcanic cones, that once gave birth to the island, have created unique and complex ecosystems among them, the cloud forest of the highlands. Hidden in the mist, this exuberant forest is the home of giant Galapagos tortoises, colorful birds, and hundreds of plants that give a unique touch of green to the slopes of the now extinct volcanoes. We hike with our guide, discovering this buoyant habitat, and then we head to the town of Puerto Ayora where we board our yacht and continue our adventure.

First activity of this day, will be a short visit to South Plaza Island, one of the smallest islands, home to an incredible amount of diverse flora and fauna, like frigate birds, sea lions, and swallow-tailed gulls, but most importantly, a recent population of land iguanas, that grew healthily after the mice were eradicated from this place. After this activity, you will visit Santa Fe Island, home to the endemic Santa Fe iguana, and a place where you can visit a forest of Opuntia and Palo Santo Trees. After this visit, head back to the yacht for dinner and rest.

Early in the morning, the catamaran will take you to Lobos Island, named after the sea lions that reside here. This place is also home to many different species of birds like pelicans and frigate birds, and there is also a small channel where you can easily spot sea turtles, sea lions and white - tipped sharks. In the afternoon, you will visit San Cristobal Interpretation Center at Baquerizo Moreno Port. This place offers extensive knowledge about Galapagos´ history, and about the conservation efforts that have been made to preserve the native and endemic species at this island. You will also visit the Galapaguera, a breeding and conservation center for giant tortoises, where you will see this species roam freely in a semi natural habitat created by the center. End of the day and dinner onboard.

Early in the morning, you will head to Gardner Bay on Española Island, this place is home to a large and varied wildlife population, like boobies, frigate birds, sea lions, and endemic Española mockingbird. You can also swim or relax at the beach, or head for a dinghy ride to Osborn Islet, for snorkeling or diving. In the afternoon you will visit Suarez Point site where you will get to see many species such as sea lions, marine iguanas, Galapagos Hawks, and Nazca boobies, but the most important of all is the waved albatross, since this is their breeding site. If you are lucky enough you may see a young albatross take off for its first flight to the sea. End of the day and dinner onboard.

First activity of the day will be a visit to Cormorant Point, place recognized by its two types of beaches, a green one, composed by olivine crystals, and a white one, composed of coral, used as nesting site for sea turtles. After his visit you will head to Devil ́s Crown, a volcano structure emerged form under water, that is the perfect place for snorkel along with sharks, rays, sea turtles, sea lions and rays. During the afternoon, you will head to Post Office Bay in which a wooden barrel was placed, by whalers during the 18th century to use as a mailbox. Nowadays visitors can also post their letters here, as a tradition. You can also swim of snorkel from this place ́s beach.

Today, you can either explore Santa Cruz on your own, or you can join the group for a second visit to the Highlands and Charles Darwin Station:

First activity of the day will be disembarking on Puerto Ayora at Santa Cruz Island, where you will visit Charles Darwin Research Station, place created to show information about the wildlife and geology of Galapagos Islands, and where you will learn about the endemic wildlife and the conservation efforts that have been made to observe the species that reside in the archipelago. During the afternoon, you will take a bus to Santa Cruz Highlands, where you can see the different agricultural zones, and the lava soil, product of the volcanic origin of the archipelago. This area is great to spot wild giant tortoises roaming freely. After this visit return to the catamaran for dinner and rest.

After breakfast, the yacht will take you to Sullivan Bay, place that was used as a salt mine by buccaneers in past centuries, and where you will see the geological formations product of lava flows due to the recent eruptions of the still active volcanoes around this bay. In the afternoon, you will visit Bartholomew Island, where you will take a trail to the highest point of this place and from this spot, you will watch one of the most amazing and recognized landscapes on the entire archipelago. You will also see Pinnacle Rock, and visit the two beaches that are at this island, and enjoy swimming or snorkeling during the rest of the afternoon.

Early in the morning head to Darwin Bay at Genovesa Island. This place used to be a shield volcano, thousands of years ago, and nowadays you can visit one of the sides of its collapsed caldera. This place is also known to be home of a variety of bird species like red-footed boobies, Nazca boobies and red-footed boobies. In the afternoon, you will head to El Barranco, also known as Prince Phillip’s Steps, this place consists of a steep rocky path to a cliff, from where you can view the entire Island, and there is also a Palo Santo Forest home to various shorebirds.

First activity of the day will be landing at Egas Port, known to be one of the best snorkeling sites in Galapagos, and home to Galapagos Lava lizards and fur sea lions that reside at the grottos and tide pools around this place. In the afternoon, we disembark on the small beach of Espumilla, named after the white foam that forms at its shore. This paradisiacal beach gives us the opportunity to snorkel in turquoise waters surrounded by colorful fishes and swim along with the magnificent green marine turtles. Espumilla is one of the predicted nesting sites for the green marine turtles, so we might be able to spot their nests. Be observant and pay close attention to your guide, you could take a unique memory back home. After his activity, you will head to Buccaneer Cove, that was once a refuge for passing sailors and pirates, and is also a nice place for snorkeling and swimming, while watching species like marine iguanas, sea lions, tropical fish species and sea turtles. End of the day and dinner onboard.

First visit of the last day will be to Carrion Point by a panga ride, and you will be able to see from afar the beautiful turquoise waters, full of life, like sea lions, white- tipped sharks and sea turtles that reside here. After this activity you will be transferred to the airport at Baltra Island to take your flight back to the continent.