M/C Endemic
ItineraryF
5-NightCruise
Tuesday-Sunday
DAYBYDAYITINERARYDESCRIPTION
(B:breakfast/L:lunch/D:dinner)
TUESDAY
BALTRAAIRPORT–SANTIAGOISLAND:SullivanBay
Uponarrival,receptionandassistanceattheairport,transferfromBaltraAirporttotheM/CEndemic.Intheafternoon,youwillvisitSullivanBay, locatedontheeastcoastofSantiagoIsland.Welandonawhite coral sandbeachandbeginourwalkover lava that flowed less than100years ago. This is theperfectplacetoseeandfeelthevolcanicoriginofGalapagos.Alsointhisareayouwilladmireflorathatgrowsinlavafields.
(-,L,D)
WEDNESDAY
ISABELAISLAND:Wetlands/SierraNegravolcano–BreedingCenter/WallofTears
IsabelaIslandisthelargestofthearchipelagowithasurfaceof4,588squarekilometers.ItencompassesmorethanthehalfofthetotallandareaofGalapagos.
Inthemorning,youwillbetransportedtotheWetlands(Humedales),thatareacomplexoftrailsof6kilometerslong,locatedsouthofIsabelaIsland.Theyhaveawidevarietyoffloraandabundantbirdlife,includinggallinules,finches,stiltsandducksamongothers.
OryoumayvisitSierraNegraVolcano,oneoflargestcratersinthearchipelagowithadiameteroffivekilometers.Itoffersmesmerizingviewswithgreatcontrastincolorsbetweenlavafields,vegetationandfumaroles.
OnthewayuptoOrchillahill,gianttortoisesandmarine iguanaswillappear.Fromtheviewpointthespectacular scenery of the bay, the town of Puerto Villamil, volcanoes, islets and rocks can beappreciated.Isabelawetlandshasendemicandintroducedspecies.
AfterlunchvisittheArnaldoTupizaBreedingCenterofIsabela,infantandjuvenilegianttortoisescanbeseenuntiltheyarereadytobereleasedandsurviveinthewild.
OryoumayvisittheWallofTears.This isaman-mademonumentwhichhasbeenbuilt inthe40’sbyprisoners,sinceIsabelaislandwasonceanEcuadorianpenalcolonyandbuildingupthewallwaspartofthepunishment.
Onthewaybacktotheyacht,bereadytospotflamingosandotherwaterbirds.
(B,L,D)
THURSDAYISABELAISLAND:ElizabethBay–UrbinaBay
Inthemorning,youwilldiscoverElizabethBay,whichisamarinevisitorsite.Theexcursioniscarriedoutin a zodiac and so there is no landingpoint. Your zodiac ride startswith a visit to theMarielas isletswherethereisthelargestandmost importantpenguincolonyintheGalapagosIslands.Theexcursioncontinuesintothecovethatissurroundedbyredmangroveswhereyoucanspotseaturtles,flightlesscormorants,spottedeaglerays,goldenrays,brownpelicansandsealions.
In the afternoon, Urbina Bay will be visited. Here you can see coral formations, large colored landiguanas.Thepossibilityofseeinggiantturtles,flightlesscormorants,blue-footedboobies,penguinsandmarineiguanasisexcellent.
(B,L,D)
FRIDAY
ISABELAISLAND:TagusCove–FERNANDINAISLAND:EspinozaPoint
Afterbreakfast,TagusCovewillbethefirstattractiontosee.AridealongthecliffsinazodiacwillgivevisitorsagoodchancetoseetheGalapagospenguin,theflightlesscormorantandotherseabirds.Fromthelandingdockitisabouta30-minutehikealongthetrailuptothetopoftheclifffromwhereyoucanview Darwin Lake, a saline lake saltier than the sea. You can also see several volcanoes from thislocation.
After lunch, Espinoza pointwill be visited,which is one of Fernandina’s visit points. Locatedwithin afascinatinglavascenerywithLava-Cactuses.Onthesurfaceofthelava,mangrovesthrive.Thehighlightsare sea lions, penguins, the flightless cormorant (especially in spring and summer), and one of thebiggestiguanacoloniesofGalápagos.
(B,L,D)
SATURDAY
SANTIAGOISLAND:BuccaneerCove/EspumillaBeach–RABIDAISLAND
Inthemorning,youwillhavetheopportunitytodiscovertheBuccaneerCovethatislocatedjustnorthofJamesBay.Itwasknownasasafehaveninthe17thand18thcenturyforpiratestostashtheirloot,takeon freshwaterandcapture tortoises for food. It is aniceplace fora zodiac ride, snorkelingandkayaking.Blue-footed,Nazcaboobys,furseals,andGalapagoshawkscanbeseenflyingoverhead.
Orvisit toEspumillaBeachwill takeplace. It isapristinesandybeachandapopularplace formarineiguanas and Sally Lightfoot Crabs. The crabs attract the hunting herons, performing the dance ofpredatorandprey.Withanabundanceofmarinelifeincludingoctopi,morayeel,andshark,snorkelingisrecommendedandavailable.
Intheafternoon,youwillbetakentoRabidaIsland.Itsmainattractionistheredsandbeach,famousforits cactus groves and rock formation scenery, aside from the vegetation of the arid zone and thepresence of native and endemic species. During thewalk on the red sand beach youwill see brownpelicans’nests,andalagoonwhereflamingosareseenfromtimetotime.
(B,L,D)
SUNDAY
MosqueraIslet–BALTRAAIRPORT
In themorning, visit toMosquera, a small islet foundbetweenBaltra&North Seymour Islands. Lavagulls,sealions,Sallylightfootcrabsinhabitthissandbankwithanextensionofover600meters.Italsohoststhelargestpopulationsofsealionsandorcawhalesthatcanbeseenoccasionallydependingontheseasonyouvisittheislet.After this last visit, transfer to Baltra airport for your return flight to mainland Ecuador.Assistanceandfarewellattheairport.
(B,-,-)
***Endofcruise***
*Theoperatorreservestherighttochangetheitinerarywithoutpreviousnoticeduetoweather,NationalParkregulationsornotificationsandunforeseeablecircumstances.