Passion Eastern 8 Days - Itinerary A

Upon your arrival to the airport on Baltra Island, you will be transferred to the bay to get onboard Passion Yacht. After lunch, you will take a panga ride to Black Turtle Cove, where you will see a mangrove ecosystem, and the species that live there, such as pelicans, herons, sea turtles, and golden rays. After his activity, return to the yacht for dinner and rest.

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

Early in the morning, the yacht will take you to Darwin Bay, at Genovesa Island, a place that used to be a shield volcano, and now you can visit one of the sides of its collapsed caldera, where a wide variety of birds reside, especially red-footed boobies. You can also snorkel at this spot. During the afternoon, you will head to El Barranco, also known as Prince Phillip ́s steps, that consist of a rocky path up a cliff from which you will have an amazing view of the entire Genovesa Island. You can also snorkel at this place. End of the day and dinner onboard.

At the beginning of the day, you will land at Bartolome Island. Here, you will climb up up a set of wooden steps to reach the summit of a spatter cone for a breathtaking panorama of the island’s iconic Pinnacle Rock and views of neighboring Santiago, and other central islands in the distance. You can snorkel at this spot too. After lunch, head to Chinese Hat (Sombrero Chino), a volcanic cone that forms an islet with this particular shape. You can visit a white san beach, and snorkel from here, along sea lions and penguins. After this activity head back to the yacht for dinner.

At the beginning of the day, you will land at Rabida Island, where a red sand beach waits for you. We hike a short trail to a water lagoon, home to wading flamingos, and also visit a Palo Santo Forest.  In the afternoon you will visit Dragon Hill, where you will visit a Salt Water Lagoon, home to Greater Flamingos, black-necked stilts, and white-cheek pintails. This is also a land iguana nesting site. End of the day and dinner onboard.

At the beginning of this day you will disembark at Puerto Ayora in Santa Cruz Island, and take a bus ride to Santa Cruz Highlands, where you will visit a private ranch to see giant tortoises roaming freely. After lunch, the next visit will be to Fausto Llerena Tortoise Breeding Center, where you will see tortoises from the different islands in captivity, and learn about the conservation efforts made to preserve this species. After this activity, you will have leisure time to explore Puerto Ayora and finally you will head back to the yacht for dinner.

Early in the morning, the yacht will take you to South Plaza Island, home to an incredible amount of diverse flora and fauna, like frigate birds, sea lions, and swallow-tailed gulls, and coppery-orange land iguanas. You can take a hike to the highest spot of this place to observe the amazing landscape and the adults and pup sea lions swimming along the shore. After this activity, you will visit Santa Fe Island. There is a white sand beach, where sea lions usually rest. This island is also home to yellow land iguanas, the largest of the archipelago. After this activity, head back to the yacht for dinner.

First activity of the day will be landing at Gardner Bay at Española Island, where a great variety of native fauna can be found, like sea lions, marine iguanas and the endemic Española mockingbird. From here, you can also visit a good snorkeling spot, called Garner Islet, and if you want to experiment deep water snorkel, you can visit Osborn Islet, not far from this spot. During the afternoon, you will visit Suarez Point, one of the most amazing landscapes at the entire archipelago, and also a nesting site for waved albatross, and other species ‘home like blue-footed and Nazca boobies.

First activity of the day will be disembarking at Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island, and take a bus ride for the last visit to the Twin Craters, that are actually magma domes that have collapsed leaving two deep wide holes that form an amazing landscape to admire. After this activity you will be transferred to the airport to take your flight back to the continent.