ecuador Tours Classic Galapagos - Southern Islands

Itinerary:

Day 1  Quito
Arrive into Quito and transfer to your hotel. After a day at leisure, meet your fellow travellers tonight at a welcome meeting.

Day 2  Quito to Baltra Island
Rise early and fly to Baltra Island and take your first steps on the picturesque archipelago of the Galápagos Islands. Board your motor yacht, home for the next seven nights, before snorkelling in the shallow and protected cove of Punta Carrion. Tonight enjoy a welcome cocktail.

Day 3  Baltra Island to Floreana Island
Wake to the pristine views of Isabela Island. This morning, enjoy some of the iconic wildlife of these islands at Las Tintoreras, including blue-footed boobies, a colony of white-tipped reef sharks and perhaps a playful sea lion. Later, visit the Giant Tortoise Breeding Center and observe these graceful animals.

Day 4  Floreana Island
A highlight of any Galápagos cruise, Floreana is rich in natural wonders and wildlife. Enjoy a panga boat ride to see marine iguanas, sea lions and crabs before taking a leisurely walk to Post Office Bay. Later, see pink flamingos and other beautiful water birds wading the tranquil lagoons.

Day 5  Santa Cruz Island to Santa Fe Island
Spend some time exploring the fascinating Charles Darwin Research Station, before heading to the lush Santa Cruz highlands in search of the unique flora and giant tortoise in their natural habitat.  

Day 6  Santa Fe Island to Plaza Sur Island
This naturally beautiful island offers a dense concentration of wildlife. Lookout for Galápagos hawks, land iguanas and a variety of finches, whilst a dip in the warm waters offers the opportunity to see the playful sea lions and marine turtles. Enjoy a hike along the coast and into the Opuntia Cactus Forest before heading to the small island of Plaza Sur.

Day 7  Plaza Sur Island to  San Cristóbal Island
After an overnight sail, wake to views of Española Island, one of the most spectacular in the Galápagos. A walk along the island’s trail takes you to a cliff top viewpoint, where a magical panorama awaits as boobies line the rocky shoreline beneath you and frigate birds fly overhead. Later, relax on the beach at Gardner Bay, while snorkelling reveals the colourful tropical fish hiding beneath the surface.

Day 8  San Cristóbal Island
Visit Punta Pitt, where a walk to the top of the volcanic hill offers expansive views of the sparsely vegetated area. A panga ride takes you to see the three varieties of boobies nesting in the Galápagos and through Kicker Rock, the magnificent basalt remains of a crater in the middle of the sea.

Day 9  San Cristóbal Island to Quito
If time permits before your flight back to Quito, visit the San Cristóbal Interpretation Center, which brings to life the history and geography of the archipelago, from its volcanic origins to the present day.

Day 10  Quito
After a leisurely breakfast your tour comes to an end.

Departs: