Your Travel Experience with chilepro
Day 1
Transfer from the airport to the port Baltra
After your arrival at the airport of Baltra Island, transfer to the boat.
Black Turtle Cove, Santa Cruz Island
Afternoon: Black Turtle Cove is a red mangrove lagoon serving as a nursery for sharks and rays. Black Turtle Cove is a great location to observe mating sea turtles during nesting season. Travellers often see large groups of resting white-tip reef sharks, schools of golden rays and the incredibly beautiful spotted eagle rays. As the water is usually very calm, this area can be navigated using paddles instead of the loud panga engines, increasing your chances of wildlife encounters.
Day 2
Punta Vicente Roca, Isabela Island
Morning: The largest in the archipelago, this seahorse-shaped island is also one of the most volcanically active. While there is no cleared landing site at Punta Vicente Roca, your guide will explain the impressive geology and wonderful wildlife diversity in the area from aboard the dinghy. Explore the two coves and the large bay with spectacular sea life. Keep an eye out for seahorses, sea turtles, and the weird and wonderful mola-mola, also known as sunfish. In good conditions, Punta Vicente Roca is considered one of the best snorkelling sites in the Galapagos.
Punta Espinoza, Fernandina Island
afternoon: At 700,000 years young, Fernandina is the youngest island in the archipelago. In the midst of a cactus and mangrove-covered lava landscape is the visitor's site Punta Espinoza. At Punta Espinoza, a colony of sea lions and hundreds of marine iguanas sunbathe on the black lava rocks and on the beach. Snorkeling in this area will get you close to the resident penguins, often seen whizzing through the water.
Day 3
Urbina Bay, Isabela Island
Morning: Urbina Bay graces the southeast flank of the Alcedo Volcano. After volcanic activity in 1954 caused a significant uplift, the coast expanded almost a kilometer out. Marine life found a way to thrive in this newly fertile area and many species chose to stay. Today, this area is a great place for snorkeling. During your hike, you may see a large colony of land iguanas, Darwin's finches, giant tortoises (from June to September) and flightless cormorants.
Several species of whale have been spotted in the waters you'll be navigating through today.
Tagus Cove, Isabela Island
Afternoon: The historical pirate hideaway of Tagus Cove has been frequented by sailors since the 1800s. The names of visiting ships were often painted and carved in to the cliffs surrounding the cove.
Trails wind their way around Lake Darwin up to a ridge, offering wonderful views of the landscape, the ocean and Wolf and Darwin Islands on the horizon. Punta Tortuga, just north of Tagus Cove, is another idyllic tropical beach surrounded by mangroves. Later, take a danghy ride through the cliffs, observing penguins, flightless cormorants, boobies, pelicans and Sally Lightfoot crabs. Return to the cove to relax on the shore or snorkel.
Day 4
Puerto Egas, Santiago Island
Morning: After landing on the black sand beach of Puerto Egas, Santiago Island you hike along a 2 km long coastal area boasting sea lions, Sally Lightfoot crabs, lava lizards, Galapagos hawks and lava herons. The rugged lava coast with natural pools, where sea lions bathe and herons play, marks the end of your hike.
An excursion to Santiago Island is also one of the rare chances to see Galápagos fur seals in the wild, though not in large numbers.
Sullivan Bay, Santiago Island
Afternoon: On the other side of the island, you will reach the white coral beach of Sullivan Bay. Although this beach deserves its place in the highlights list, the day will surprise you with another highlight: the special pahoehoe lava flows.
Almost 100 years ago, lava flowed across the island and left behind various forms of soil - braided and stringy lava fields alternate with sharp-edged jagged formations. Feel the warmth of the black, unreal lava landscape under your hands and move back to the time of origin, when volcanoes raged here, ultimately creating a paradise.
Day 5
Highland on Santa Cruz Island
Morning: As you venture into Santa Cruz's higher altitude areas, you will notice the changes in the vegetation as the climate becomes wetter and warmer. The earth in the upper altitudes is rich in minerals. Coffee plantations and fruit orchards line the streets. Here you can observe the famous Galapagos giant tortoises in the wild, using the new knowledge you gained at Charles Darwin Station in the morning.
The Scalesia forests in this area offer the opportunity to discover endemic species of the Galapagos Islands, as well as giant cacti and a variety of deciduous trees and edible fruits.
Here you can also visit the twin 'craters' Los Gemelos. While they are not craters in the technical sense, these 70-meter vertical gullies with a carpet of lush vegetation are an impressive sight to behold.
Transfer to the Airport
Transfer to the airport for your return flight to Guayaquil or Quito.