Your Travel Experience with chilepro
Day 1
Arrival on San Cristóbal island
You will arrive on San Cristóbal in the morning where your Crew will greet you and your guide will bring you to the boat. You will be informed about the coming days and get a chance to get to know the boat and your cabin.
Snorkelling on San Cristóbal island
In the afternoon, you will go to "La Loberia", a beach where numerous sea lions relax in the sand. The long beach invites you to walk among sea lions, swim with them in the water and watch them snorkelling underwater. Other marine life you can discover are tropical fish, grazing marine lizards and rays. You will also find many bird species in the coastal skies and sea lizards among the sea lions.
Overnight stay in the Seaside Inn on San Cristóbal island.
Day 2
Leon Dormido close to San Cristóbal island
For snorkelling today you will go to Kicker Rock or "Leon Dormido" (Sleeping Lion). This natural monument was formed from the remains of a lava cone eroded by the sea. Two vertical rocks rising 150 metres above the ocean shape a small channel that can be navigated by small boats. This spectacular rock not only offers a magnificent sight but also a great spectacle in the skies. A wide variety of shorebirds congregate here, and frigatebirds and boobies circle overhead. While snorkelling, you can see colourful fish like rainbow fish and sharks swimming below you. After lunch, you'll quake on the beach and it's back to the hotel later.
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Overnight stay in the Seaside Inn on San Cristóbal island.
Day 3
After breakfast, you will travel by boat to Isabela Island. It is the largest island of the archipelago and with the most volcanic activity of the Galapagos. Formed by the six volcanoes Alcedo, Cerra Azul, Darwin, Ecuador, Sierra Negra and Wolf, five of them are still active today.
Biketour along the coast of Isabela island
In the afternoon, you will discover the island's wonderful coastline and take a bike tour through the unique ecosystem. On the way, you may spot flamingos, marine lizards and giant tortoises. The tour starts at the "Wall of Tears", a large wall made of lava rock, built in the 1950s. It was used to keep prisoners occupied who went mad without activity in isolation. Further along the coast, you will explore wonderful white-sand beaches, mangrove forests and lagoons. Your surroundings are home to a wide variety of bird species, such as American oystercatchers, herons, flamingos, finches and many other shorebirds, as well as the ubiquitous sea lions and marine lizards. Before dinner, you can enjoy a breathtaking sunset on Puerto Villamil's beach.
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Overnight stay in the Cormorant Beach House on Isabela island.
Day 4
Lava Tunnel on Isabela island
Walk along the incredible lava formations created in the last erosion of the shores volcano. The lava-formed labyrinth has lava bridges and crystal-clear waters through which sea turtles, rays, sea lions and many other sea creatures swim. The tunnels of the lava bridges form a channel into the open sea and are an excellent snorkelling opportunity for you. Before and/or after the tour, you have the possibility to also snorkel at the "Concha de Perla", go for a bike ride or relax on the white sandy beach of Isabela. Furthermore, it is recommended to visit the giant tortoise breeding centre.
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Overnight stay in the Cormorant Beach House on Isabela island.
Day 5
The vulcano Sierra Negra on Isabela island
Sierra Negra is the third-highest volcano on Isabela Island and the fifth-highest in the Galapagos. (1124 m). It erupted 7 times in the 20th century, most recently in October 2005. It is the only volcano on Isabela whose crater region is open to tourism. A half-day hike through the cloud forests brings you to a viewpoint on the rim of the crater and offers fantastic views into the caldera (clear weather is required, although unpredictable; thanks to prevailing winds, most clouds dissipate at the viewpoint). The caldera measures about 7 x 9 km and is the largest in the archipelago. A somewhat muddy path along the rim takes you through an evergreen cloud forest that exists only in the highlands of the main islands. The dense and rich vegetation includes ferns, tree ferns and endemic scalesias, laden with epiphytes such as lichens, orchids and bromeliads. The mist and drizzle - frequent in the cool Garúa season (June-December) - add to the mysterious atmosphere. Along the way, you may also spot striking songbirds such as the vermilion finch, the golden warbler and the woodpecker finch (among six other species of Darwin's finches); this particular species hammers branches like a woodpecker and uses twigs as tools to catch insects!
Las Tintoreras islets
Just off the harbour of Puerto Villamil, on the largest island of Isabela, a group of islands juts out of the ocean. The black formations, dotted with mangroves and candelabra cacti, are the remains of a lava flow that entered the ocean thousands of years ago. This has since been eroded by the waves, and today, a collapsed lava tube forms a channel that fills during high tide and closes off the channel during low tide. Marine life is retained in the channel, including the spectacular whitetip reef sharks (called "tintoreras" in Spanish). This shark species is quite common in the archipelago and is usually spotted snorkelling on the seabed as they recover from their nocturnal hunts. But in this unique place, you can comfortably observe the various animals in the crystal clear, turquoise water from the shore. Sometimes you can see turtles and elegant white-spotted eagles or golden rays gliding through the calm channel, as well as smaller fish and Galapagos sea lions. The rocky coastline, with its tidal habitat, also attracts red cliff crabs, lava herons and Galapagos penguins.
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Overnight stay in the Cormorant Beach House on Isabela island.
Day 6
Transfer to Santa Cruz island
Charles Darwin Station on Santa Cruz island
Visit the Galapagos giant tortoises and land iguana breeding programme, where the famous Lonesome George (the last surviving specimen from Pinta Island) lived for decades. The centre is managed by Galapagos National Park (GNP) staff in collaboration with scientists from the Charles Darwin Station (CDS). Here, eggs from Pinzon, Santiago and Santa Cruz Islands hatch without the risk of introduced species. After artificial incubation, the "galapaguitos" (newborn turtles) are bred until they are 5 years old so that when they are released into their native habitats, they have enough skills to survive on their own. Since the 1970s, more than 2,000 specimens have returned to their native islands. In addition, Darwin Station works on several scientific projects and botanical research and provides environmental education for local communities, schools, and tourists. If there is still time, you can take a stroll through the town of Puerto Ayora, one of the most important wetlands in the Galapagos. With bogs and lagoons, there are many things to admire here. Walk along the path on good ground or a boardwalk and observe various birds, such as flamingos, Galapagos finches, Galapagos doves, Galapagos mockingbirds and sea lizards. Those interested in the wetlands flora will not be disappointed here either. This is one of the few places where you can see all four mangrove species. These mangroves are not only crucial for the inhabitants of the wetland, but they also protect the coast from the crashing waves of the sea.
Optional: Pan Animalia Project on Santa Cruz island
In the afternoon, you have the opportunity to visit the Pan Animalia Project in Puerto Ayora. Here the focus is on the health and welfare of the animals in the Galapagos archipelago. The animal centre also focuses on reducing the number of strays on Santa Cruz Island.
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Overnight stay in La Casa de Judy on Santa Cruz island.
Day 7
A free day on Santa Cruz island
Today, you can experience the Galapagos at your pace to your own desire, whether that be scuba diving (request in advance) or just time to relax on the beach! As an option, you can go on a self-guided exploration walk through a dry forest to Tortuga Bay (3.5 mi/ 5.6 km), a beautiful white sand beach and a nesting site for thousands of marine turtles. This beautiful place invites swimming or snorkelling. Alternatively, you can join any optional activities (at an extra cost), such as a trip to Floreana Island, Bartolome Island or a scuba-diving day trip, to mention a few.
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Overnight stay in La Casa de Judy on Santa Cruz island.
Day 8
Departure from Baltra island
You will return to the harbour of Baltra. From there, transfer to Baltra Airport in time for your return flight to the mainland or continue with your planned route through the Galapagos.
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