Welcome to Quito! The largest, best-preserved colonial city of America – declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978.

The city is considered the Cultural Capital of South America and is located on the equator in a valley at the foothills of the Pichincha volcano. Depending on arrival time, you can spend your day exploring the old town of Quito and the surrounding area.

Overnight at Sheraton or similar

Today we get ready to explore the most amazing archipelago on the Pacific coast and the place where Charles Darwin based his theory of the evolution of species.

We will board a morning flight from Quito to the island of San Cristóbal. Once we arrive, we have a transfer to the hotel in the town of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno and a short briefing about the next days, before the adventure begins. In the afternoon we will head to “La Loberia”, which is a home beach for large Galapagos sea lions.

We will hike for approximately 1 hour. The ground in this hike is flooded along the shoreline at high tide. It is a fairly leisurely walking activity that takes you through a lot of lava rocks and some mangroves. During this excursion, we will have the possibility to spot the red-billed tropicbird, blue-footed bobbies, and Nazca bobbies. We also get to see yellow warbler birds, frigate birds, and several species of Darwin’s finches along the beach. In between the rocks, we can find marine iguanas, which you can only see in Galapagos.  After that, we will enjoy a shallow water snorkeling activity to spot sea lions and sea turtles. Sea lions are very curious and approach to swim next to you underwater.

Accomodation Blue Marlin Hotel or similar Meals included Breakfast

In the morning, we will take a boat to Kicker Rock, located off the coast of San Cristóbal, also known as the Sleeping Lion (Leon Dormido) because of some resemblance. This is the remains of a lava cone eroded by the sea, two vertical rocks rising 500 ft (150 m) above the ocean form a small channel that is navigable by small boats. This Galapagos Island’s natural monument has become a spectacular site due to the many tropical birds, frigate birds and boobies that fill the sky in this area.

Beneath the sea, the crystal waters offer a brilliant show of colorful fish, such as rainbow fish and sharks, like the hammerhead and white tip. After lunch, we will spend some time on the beach and travel back to the hotel.

Accomodation Blue Marlin Hotel or similar Meals included Breakfast, Lunch

In the morning, hop to Isabela Island, the largest island in the archipelago, and where the most of the volcanic activity in the Galapagos is reported.  The island was formed by six shield volcanoes, Alcedo, Cerra Azul, Darwin, Ecuador, Sierra Negra, and Wolf; five of them are still active which makes the island one of the most volcanically active places on earth.

In the afternoon, we will explore the beautiful coastline on an exclusive trail on our bikes, taking us through an incredible ecosystem with a wide variety of wildlife including flamingos, marine iguanas, and giant tortoises. We start with a visit to the Wall of Tears, a massive wall built with lava rocks. This site dates back to the 1950s when Isabela was used as a penal colony and prisoners were forced to build the wall to keep them from going mad, because of the isolation they experienced. As we continue our ride along the coast, we will explore pristine, white sand beaches, mangrove forests, and lagoons. This area is filled with a plethora of birdlife, including American oystercatchers, herons, flamingos, finches, and many other shorebirds, as well as the ubiquitous sea lions and marine iguanas.

Accomodation Isamar Hotel Meals included Breakfast

Explore the amazing formations of lava created by the last eruptions of the volcanic island along the seashore. This magical place has historically been filmed by BBC and National Geographic for their documentaries. It is a labyrinth of lava arches made of crystal clear water full of sea turtles, eagle rays, sea lions, sharks and more. The turtles navigate their own highway from the mangroves to the open sea through “Los Tuneles”.

Here, we will have the best snorkeling opportunity with all these beautiful animals, including the curious Galapagos penguins playing around.

Accomodation Isamar Hotel or SimilarmMeals included Breakfast, Lunch.

After breakfast, at around 08h00, you will depart to Sierra Negra Volcano. You will drive to the highlands of Isabela, where you would normally start hiking. The volcano, with its height of around 1,500 meters and an outer diameter of approximately nine kilometers, is the second biggest lava dome in the world.  You will have lunch at a local restaurant in town at around 13h00. Enjoy a delicious meal prepared at a lava rock grill, and after lunch, enjoy some leisure time exploring the  surroundings or resting on the beautiful islands. We then make our way back to the pier, arriving at 14h30, where, after a short briefing, we will start kayaking at the bay, where we can enjoy the local wildlife.

On the way, we can observe penguins, blue- footed boobies, pelicans, iguanas, Marinas, sea turtles, sea lions, eagle rays, and sometimes Sharks “Tintoreras” juveniles. To finish this day, at 16h30, we will have a short visit to Concha & Perla, a small beach in Puerto Villamil, where we will snorkel. A short, beautiful walk through the mangroves on a boardwalk will lead you to the spot with turquoise waters and wildlife galore! You can expect to see plenty of other tourists alongside colorful fish, sea lions, sea turtles, pelicans, mockingbirds, and maybe even marine iguanas!

Overnight Isamar Hotel or Similar breakfast

In the morning, traverse from Isabela to Santa Cruz Island to visit the Charles Darwin Research Station. Once we arrive, we will check in at the hotel. We will then visit the Charles Darwin Research Station to learn more about many of the endemic species seen in the wild, as well as the ongoing conservation and management efforts on the Galapagos Islands.

Later, we will continue by car to our first stop in the highlands of Santa Cruz. The highlands are home to the iconic giant Galapagos tortoises. Here you will visit a private ranch where you will enjoy lunch before heading out for a walk in search of the giant tortoises. During this visit, you will also visit some lava tubes, which are formed when the surface of a lava stream solidifies.

Accomodation La Isla or similar Meals included Breakfast.

Today, you can experience the Galapagos at your own desire, whether that be scuba diving (request in advance) or just time to relax on the beach. As  an option, you can go on a self-guided exploration walk through a dry forest to Tortuga Bay (3.5 mi/ 5.6 km), a beautiful white sand beach and a nesting site to thousands of marine turtles. This beautiful place invites swimming or snorkeling.

Alternatively, take advantage of other optional activities available at an extra cost. These include trips to Floreana Island, Bartolome Island, or a full-day scuba diving adventure, among others. Whatever you choose, this day offers you the opportunity to make the most of your Galapagos experience.

La Isla or Similar  Breakfast

After our final breakfast on the Galapagos Island and the last photos taken of sea lions, we have a transfer to Baltra’s airport in time to catch the flight back to mainland.

Overnight Sheraton Hotel   breakfast

Transfer to Quito International Airport for your flight home