San Cristobal Island Hopper Backpacker 5D

Welcome to the island of Baltra! Your flight arrives in the morning and our guide will be waiting for you at the arrival area and carry a sign with your names on it for you to recognize. A short bus ride takes you first to the Itabaca Channel where you will catch the ferry to cross over to the other side from where your trip starts. 

The first visit is at the Highlands of Santa Cruz – this is the best place to see the Giant Tortoise up close in the wild. They roam the lush highlands searching for food or cooling off in the muddy pools. You will wander the trails while your guide will explain some interesting facts about these gentle giants. There is also a lava tunnel that you can explore. 

After this activity, you will visit the incredible Tortuga Bay. You can visit the Playa Brava where the waves and currents are strong, but right at the beach you can observe marine iguana´s and other wildlife. You can also visit the Playa Manso, which is laid in a tranquil cove surrounded by mangrove trees. This is a great place for snorkeling and swimming with a good chance of seeing the white tipped reef shark. There is also a large variety of small fish, birds, including the brown pelican and Galapagos tortoise. It is also possible to rent kayaks here to discover the mangroves and beautiful tranquil Tortuga Bay.

Tour duration: 4 Hours / Type: This is a privately organized tour

Today you have the opportunity to discover one of the uninhabited islands on a boat excursion. The tour includes a guided hike on the island and some time for snorkeling, with lunch on board. The exact destination depends upon daily availability, but will be one of the following options:

Bartolome: the site of the iconic Galapagos landscape of Pinnacle Rock, where you can take your perfect photo. You do have to climb 364 steps to get here, but the reward is immense. Along the way you can see lava fumaroles, and enjoy the incredible lunar style landscape. With a bit of luck, you may also see the world´s only tropical penguin here! After the land visit, you´ll have time to explore the amazing underwater wildlife while snorkeling.

North Seymour: One of the best islands for Galapagos birdlife, where you can see Frigate Birds, swallow tailed gulls and the famous Blue Footed Boobies who nest here. With red colored soil and red carpet vine growing on the island the scenery is exotic. Another interesting species found on North Seymour is the Land Iguana, a unique species from the ones seen on other islands.

South Plazas: This small but scenic island has a fantastic concentration of wildlife, from Sea Lions to Land Iguana´s and many bird species, including Frigate Birds, Lava Gulls and Red-Billed Tropicbirds. The dramatic cliffs, blue seas and spectacular natural red-carpet of algae make the scenery of this island particularly pretty.

Santa Fe: A very diverse island with a beautiful white sand beach where Sea Lions bask in the sun. The island is covered with huge cactus trees, food for the Land Iguana population that is endemic to this Santa Fe. The walk up is quite rocky buy you´ll be rewarded with stunning views at the top. Santa Fe is also considered one of the best snorkeling sites in Galapagos where sharks are often seen!

Tour duration: 7-8 Hours / Type: This is a shared tour service

In the morning, you will take the inter-island speed boat to San Cristóbal Island. 

In San Cristóbal your guided tour begins with a visit to El Junco Lake which is a beautiful lake in the highlands with 360 degrees view over the whole island of San Cristobal. A gentle hike around the lake shore takes approx. 30 minutes, where you can see Frigate birds cleaning the salt water from their feathers.

Next stop is the Galapaguera Tortoise breeding center where young tortoises are cared for until they are big enough to be released into the national park. The tour takes about one hour, during which time you will see giant tortoises, and learn about conservation work to protect this fascinating species. There are also baby tortoises in protected pens, where they are kept safe from predators until they reach the age of 7 years.

The trip ends with another highlight, the secluded Puerto Chino beach. On the rocks you can often find Blue Footed Boobies, as well as Sea Lions on the sand, lazing around, cuddled up in pairs. The tranquility on the beach is only broken when the Alpha Male turns up! There is free time to relax at the beach, or go for a swim or snorkel.

Tour duration: 3-4 hours / Type: This is a privately organized tour

Today you´ll go on a fun snorkel trip to the famous Kicker Rock. In the morning we sail to the Kicker Rock for about an hour and a half. The Kicker Rock is an ancient volcanic rock which was shaped by erosion throughout thousands of years. There are two enormous rocks that stick out of the ocean to a height of approximately 148m (486 ft). Between these rocks there is a beautiful channel which is great for snorkeling. On the rocks, you can see blue-footed boobies, Nazca boobies, frigate birds, pelicans, and sea Lions. Under water, you can see hammerhead sharks, Galapagos sharks, sea turtles, eagle rays and schools of tropical fish. 

The Kicker Rock tour also includes a visit to one of the secluded white sand beaches north on the island of San Cristobal. One of the following beaches is visited: Manglecito, Puerto Grande, or Cerro Brujo. The choice between these three options depends on the Galapagos National Park authorities. On the beach the guide will take you on a short walk, and if time allows you can go for a swim or do some snorkeling. 

Tour duration: 6-7 hours / Type: This is a shared tour service

After breakfast check-out.