Day 1 Friday
Guayaquil or Quito
Welcome to Ecuador! You will be met, assisted with baggage, and trasnfered to your first class hotel in Quito(Dann Carlton or similar) or Guayaquil(Grand Hotel or similar).
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Day 2 Saturday
Guayaquil or Quito
Colonial City Tour of Quito
(4 HOURS)
Visit the colonial center of Quito and see a variety of colonial churches, plazas and museums. Finally, drive up to el Panecillo Hill to have a spectacular view of Quito and to see the amazing 20 meter high statue of the winged virgin over looking the city.
OR
Guayaquil City Tour
(3 HOURS)
Experience downtown Guayaquil; walk through Las Penas, a lively 1900's neighborhood, experience the bustling riverfront at Malecon 2000 and the many attractions featured at this walkway.
BLD
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Day 3 Sunday
Central Islands
Guayaquil or Quito, Baltra, Galapagos yacht cruise, Santa Cruz
Transfer from hotel to airport for your flight to Baltra airport in Galapagos. As you board the Eden yacht, receive a safety briefing. Your first visit and introduction to your Galapagos island cruise is at Bachas beach, here we find nesting sea turtles, flamingos and other migratory birds. First opportunity for snorkelling. Welcome cocktail before dinner, evening briefing. BLD
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Day 4 Monday
Galapagos yacht cruise, Genovesa island also known as Tower
Disembark at El Barranco also known as Prince phillip's steps in the morning and Darwin Bay in the afternoon. Enjoy open areas where you can spot small marine iguanas, and many birds. Our first view of Galapagos volcanoes, Darwin bay is an eroded crater under water, nearby is the white coral beach where will find many birds, opuntia cacti forests and mangroves. Time is allowed for swimming and snorkeling. BLD
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Day 5 Tuesday
Galapagos yacht cruise, Bartolome isle, Santiago island
Visit Bartolome, if you hike to the summit of this small island you will have one of the most impresive landscapes of the Galapagos. Great opportunity for snorkelling with a vast marine life. After lunch, we visit Sullivan bay and walk on lava fields, both types pahoehoe and aa lava, enjoy watching a colony of penguins. BLD
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Day 6 Wenesday
Galapagos yacht Cruise, Santiago island, Rabida island
At Egas Port we disembark and follow a footpath across the island to find marine iguanas, Darwin finches, rainbowed lava lizards, and endemic Galapagos hawks along the way. A special sight on Santiago are the fur seals cooling off in the shade formed by the seashore grottos. After lunch we visit the seashell pink sands of Rabida Island. Here we will see a pelican nesting area and many sea birds flying above. One of the best snorkelling spots in the islands.
BLD
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Day 7 Thursday morning
Galapagos yacht cruise, Santa Cruz island
Visit the world-famous Charles Darwin Station, a non-profit institution that dedicates itself to studying and protecting Galapagos wildlife. This is one of the best places to see land tortoises, including Lonely George, the last survivor of his subspecies. We will also visit the station's Tortoise Rearing Center. If your tour is a 5 day tour, our visit to Charles Darwin Station will complete our Galapagos cruise. From the station we will take a bus to the airport for departure flight to mainland Ecuador. Upon arrival transfer to hotel.
(B,L,[D])
Extensions are available.
Eastern Islands
Thursday afternoon
Santa Cruz island, Galapagos yacht cruise
Welcome at Baltra Airport! New arrivals, lunch in the highlands of Santa Cruz. Our cruise "veterans" after shopping in Puerto Ayora and lunch, will join our new arrivals and explore the upper region ('parte alta'). Learn about the vegetation and animal life of this zone, strikingly different than that found at lower elevations. Darwin finches, yellow warblers, and bright red vermillion flycatchers. Beautiful views of the surrounding archipelago. In the late afternoon we return to town. For those who wish to familairize themselves with Galapagos nightlife, this is your chance: the boat will be docked in port most of the night. Orientation. Afternoon . ([B],L,D)
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Day 8 Friday
Galapagos yacht cruise, Hispaniola island
Disembark at Suarez Point in the morning and Gardner Bay in the afternoon. Enjoy open areas where you can spot lava lizards, iguanas, and many birds: blue footed boobies, masked boobies, Galapagos hawk, Frigate bird, giant waved albatross. Time is allowed for swimming and snorkeling. BLD
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Day 9 Saturday
Galapagos yacht cruise, South Plazas island, Santa Fe island
We will sail to Plazas Island, where a large colony of sea lions lounges daily in the equatorial sun. Isla Plaza is also peppered with hundreds of land and marine iguanas, towering cacti "trees" that form the principal diet for both the land iguanas and the cactus finch. After lunch we visit Santa Fe Island and the local sealion colony. The main attraction, a towering forest of giant cacti, marine and land iguanas, the rainbow-streaked lava lizards and, if you are lucky, Galapago land tortoises. BLD
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Day 10 Sunday
Galapagos yacht cruise, North Seymour island, Baltra, Guayaquil or Quito
After an early breakfast we will disembark at North Seymour Island. Here we will see frigatebirds, the clownish blue-footed booby, and of course the ubiquitous sea lions. Depart to Airport. Flight to Guayaquil or Quito. Upon arrival you will be met and transfered to your hotel. BL
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Day 11 Monday
Guayaquil or Quito
Breakfast at hotel. Transfer to airport for homebound flight($25USD departurte tax from Quito, $10 from Guayaquil) or trip extension. Thank you for joining a Latin Trails Expedition.