This 5-day tour through the Galapagos Islands offers a unique island-hopping experience. You will explore Santa Cruz Island, home to the Charles Darwin Research Station, and enjoy guided visits to various pristine locations such as Bartolome, North Seymour, and Plazas Islands. Activities include hiking, snorkeling, and wildlife observation, allowing for close encounters with native species like giant tortoises, frigates, and blue-footed boobies.
- Experience the Galapagos’ unique wildlife up close, including giant tortoises, sea lions, and blue-footed boobies.
- Snorkel in clear waters, observing marine life like sea turtles, penguins, and colorful reef fish.
- Visit the Charles Darwin Research Station and learn about conservation efforts in the Galapagos.
- All transfers from arrival to departure in private vehicles, including sightseeing and overland tours as per the itinerary.
- Accommodation in the mentioned hotels or hotels of a similar category (double room with private bathroom).
- Meals as outlined in the program.
- All entrance fees and national park permits.
- Services of an English-speaking tour guide throughout the trip.
- Airfare
- Galapagos National Park entrance fee: USD 200.00
- INGALA Migration Control Card: USD 20.00
- Soft drinks and alcoholic beverages
- Tips
Itinerary
Day 1 : Quito/guayaquil – Baltra – Puerto Ayora
Flight from Quito or Guayaquil to Baltra´s airport where a naturalist guide will transfer you to Puerto Ayora. On the way, the guide will make a stop in order to visit the highlands and the giant land tortoises. Here, you would have time for lunch, and enjoy the view. Afterwards, you will continue with the transfer to the hotel. In the afternoon, the guide will take you to enjoy Tortuga Bay. Here, you walk for approximately 45 minutes, through a cactus trail on to the first beach, which is called Playa Brava due to its strong currents. On this beach you would see a lot of marine iguanas, marine birds and pelicans. After visiting Playa Brava, we continue with an additional 15 minute walk to reach Playa Mansa. This second beach is a natural lagoon visited by blue footed boobies and pelicans. It is also a beautiful place for swimming and relaxing on the beach. You will be walking the same distance to return to the hotel for accommodation.
Note: To execute this itinerary, it is important to choose an early flight that arrives maximum at 10am to Baltra
Day 2 & 3 : Navigation (bartolome Or North Seymour Or Plazas Or Santa Fe)
NAVIGATION (Bartolome or North Seymour or Plazas or Santa Fe)
Only one of the islands you will visit per day.
After breakfast, you will go on your own to the meeting point in town and start the tour (please note that you will visit 1 island per day depending on its availability). In the afternoon, you would return to the port. North Seymour Island is a spectacular place to hike, swim, and enjoy snorkeling. The main attractions are: the frigates, boobies, gulls, hawks, green sea turtles and the famous Galapagos Sharks. Bartolome Island is the most attractive landscape of the archipelago. This island is undoubtedly the most photographed in all the Galapagos Islands. You can appreciate a spectacular view of two beautiful bays and observe the fascinating formations of lava and volcanic cones. Two islands form Plazas. The turquoise waters of the channel contrast brilliantly with the white sand and black lava coast. It is a wonderful spot to observe marine life, including manta rays. Coasts are a perfect spot for snorkeling activity. Santa Fe Island (Spanish: Isla Santa Fe), also called Barrington Island after admiral Samuel Barrington, is a small island of 24 square kilometres (9.3 sq mi) which lies in the centre of the Galapagos archipelago, to the south east of Santa Cruz Island. Geologically it is one of the oldest, since volcanic rocks of about 4 million years old have been found. The vegetation of the island is characterized by brush, palo santo trees and stands of a large variety of the prickly pear cactus Opuntia echios. Then, you will return to the hotel for accommodation.
Island will be chosen according to available spaces.
Day 4 : Free Day Santa Cruz
After breakfast, enjoy a leisurely day in Santa Cruz Island, the perfect opportunity to relax and immerse yourself in the charming atmosphere of Puerto Ayora. Stroll along the waterfront, enjoy the island’s vibrant ambiance, and take in the unique beauty and peaceful surroundings of the Galapagos at your own pace before your return to mainland Ecuador.
Return to the hotel for accommodation.
Day 5 : Santa Cruz – Baltra
After breakfast, the guide will take you to visit the Charles Darwin Station. Here you will see a variety of species of Giant Tortoises. You will also hear about the ongoing conservation efforts directed at preserving the Giant Tortoises, as well as the environment of the archipelago as a whole. Afterwards, you and the guide would take the route to the airport, which lasts approximately 1 hour. At the airport, you will take your flight back to Quito or Guayaquil. Note: To execute this itinerary, it is important to choose a late flight that departs not before 11am from Baltra.
