Aida Maria 6 Days - Itinerary F

Upon your arrival to Baltra Airport, you will be transferred to the Aida Maria Yacht. After lunch, you will visit the Highlands of Santa Cruz Island, a fertile are with lots of vegetation and animal life endemic to this zone. You can spot Darwin’s Finches, Yellow Warblers, and Bright Red Vermillion Flycatchers, and you may also see Galapago´s giant turtles roaming freely a this place. After this activity, end of the day and dinner onboard the yacht.

Full Itinerary map here: http://bit.ly/aida-maria-6-days-f

Our first visit in the morning will be to Sierra Negra Volcano on Isabela Island; this is a large shield volcano at the South eastern end of Isabela Island in the Galapagos that rises to an altitude of 1124m. We trek up to see the impressive old lava flows inside the caldera. In the afternoon after lunch, you will go to visit the wetlands, a mangrove area with small brackish water lagoons that create the perfect environment for a small type of shrimp that serves as the food for the island’s flamingos.

Early in the morning visit Moreno Point in the north coast of Isabela, between volcanoes Sierra Negra and Cerro Azul, through a trail of solidified lava until a coastal lagoon where you will see several species of birds. During the afternoon we go to Elizabeth Bay, the excursion has no landing point so we travel by zodiac. You will visit the Marielas islets to see the most important penguin colony and a cove that is surrounded by red mangroves where you can observe seas turtles, flightless cormorants, spotted eagle rays, brown pelicans and sea lions.

The day begins when you disembark at Espinoza Point, a site rich in wildlife, such as sea lions, penguins, flightless cormorants, crabs& herons, living in the native mangrove forest. This site is also home to one of the largest colonies of marine iguanas at Galapagos. After lunch, visit to Vicente Roca Point (Isabela Island), this site is a large bay with spectacular sea life. You will also have the opportunity to see penguins, blue footed boobies and Nazca boobies.

First activity of the day will be a wet landing at James Bay, also known as Puerto Egas. An easy walk takes you to observe iguanas and sea lions along the coast line. We may also swim or snorkel here. In the afternoon, we head to  Rabida Island , where lavas rich in iron have turned the sand red. There is a Galapagos sea lion nursery, and nesting area for brown pelicans. You can also practice snorkeling at the beach. End of the day and dinner.

Early in the morning we visit North Seymour to see the various species of birdlife that inhabit the island, such as blue footed boobies and frigate birds. Afterwards we land at Puerto Ayora and are transferred to Baltra Airport to take your flight back to the continent.