Adventure Program

Day 1: Arrive at Baltra, transfer in, and visit the Charles Darwin Research Station

• Your Naturalist Guide will greet you at the airport and accompany you to your hotel in Puerto Ayora.
• Lunch in a local restaurant
• In the afternoon we will visit the Charles Darwin Research Station founded in 1964. Here we will walk around the corrals observing the Galapagos tortoises in captivity. Some of them were pets of the first inhabitants that arrived to the islands and, after the National Park was founded, they were taken to the Charles Darwin Station.
• We will also have the opportunity to see the famous Solitary George. This embalmed tortoise was one of the last of his species that was found on Pinta Island in 1971 by a park ranger. He was taken to the Charles Darwin Research Station where the scientists tried to encourage him to mate but the attempts never worked. He died on June 24, 2012.
• 17:30 Return to hotel
• Briefing for next day’s activities

Day 2: Day Tour to Santa Fe Island / Escondida Beach OR Pinzon Island

• 08:00 Your Naturalist Guide will meet you at your hotel and we’ll walk to the municipal pier of Puerto Ayora. There we will board the yacht and set sail for Santa Fe Island.
• After 45 minutes of navigation, we’ll reach the island and will swim in a bay with crystalline waters. This bay is home to a large colony of sea lions and sea turtles, and sometimes we can see white-tipped reef sharks.
• Lunch aboard the yacht
• In the afternoon we’ll navigate 45 minutes to Playa Escondida, a beautiful beach where we can walk and snorkel from the beach. Here we can swim with sea turtles and sea lions.
• 17:00 Return to your hotel in Puerto Ayora
• Briefing for next day’s activities

  Day 3: Travel to Isabela Island; Visit Tintoreras, Giant Tortoise Breeding Center and the Caleta Wetlands

• 06:30 Your Naturalist Guide will meet you at your hotel in Puerto Ayora and take you to the boat that will be waiting for you. After navigating for two hours, we will arrive at Isabela Island and disembark.
• Your Naturalist Guide will take you to visit the giant tortoise breeding center where you will learn more about the life cycle of these amazing creatures. Then you will enjoy a walk through the wetlands where you can see flamingos, ducks, and marine iguanas.
• Lunch in a local restaurant
• In the afternoon we will go to the dock and do a short navigation to observe birds and Galapagos penguins. We will disembark on Tintoreras Island which is located in front of the Puerto Villamil bay and walk for about 40 minutes to observe nesting marine iguanas, the shark channel, sea lions and blue-footed boobies. After reboarding the boat we’ll snorkel with sea turtles, sea lions, Galapagos penguins and many colorful fish.
• Free time on beach
• 16:00 Return to hotel
• Briefing for next day’s activities

  Day 4: Snorkel Tour to Los Túneles de Cabo Rosa; return to Santa Cruz

• 07:30 Your Naturalist Guide will meet you at your hotel in Puerto Villamil and take you to the yacht that will be waiting for you. After sailing for 1.5 hours we’ll arrive at El Finado. Here we will snorkel through small volcanic tubes that were formed thousands of years ago. The water is crystal clear and not very deep. We may see white fin sharks, Galapagos sharks, sea lions and seahorses.
• 12:00 Lunch aboard the yacht
• In the afternoon we will snorkel at Los Túneles. Here we can swim around small islets that are nesting sites for sharks and sea turtles. We may be accompanied by Galapagos penguins and sea lions. This site is ideal for swimming with children since the waters are very calm.
• After snorkeling, we will walk for about 20 minutes to observe blue-footed boobies nesting and see the tube-shaped formations that make this place unique.
• During our 50 minute return navigation to Puerto Villamil, we may see whales and dolphins that come to the Bolivar Channel to feed. (in the cold water season - June, July, August)
• 14:00 Return to your Puerto Villamil hotel
• 15:00 Departure by speedboat to Santa Cruz Island
• 17:00 Arrive at Puerto Ayora and transfer to your hotel
• Briefing for next day’s activities

  Day 5: Day Tour to North Seymour and Bachas Beach

• 07:00 Your Naturalist Guide will pick you up from your hotel and you will travel 35 minutes by bus to the Itabaca Canal. There you will board the yacht and navigate approximately 45 minutes to North Seymour Island.
• On North Seymour you will enjoy a one hour walk to observe nesting frigate birds, blue-footed boobies, and land iguanas.
• Lunch aboard the yacht
• In the afternoon we disembark at Bachas Beach, a beautiful place to snorkel and relax on the beach. Here we can swim with sea lions and sea turtles, which may also be observed on the beach during the nesting season (Nov to Feb). We’ll also walk to a small lagoon where we can see flamingos and some endemic birds of the islands.
• From here we navigate back to the canal and return by bus to Puerto Ayora.
• 17:30 Return to your hotel in Puerto Ayora

  Day 6: Transfer to Baltra and Visit Los Gemelos

• 08:30 Depart from your hotel and, on your way to the Itabaca Canal, you’ll stop at Los Gemelos, two collapsed volcanic craters. You will have the opportunity to see some endemic vegetation of the island, Galapagos finches feeding, and beautiful scenery.
• 09:30 Travel the remaining distance to the canal and continue onward to Baltra
• 10:30 Check in for your flight at Baltra Airport

 END OF PROGRAM