|
  Tour
Description: You will arrive in the
Galapagos in the morning hours at San Cristobal airport
after a three hour jet flight from mainland Ecuador (the
islands are in the Pacific Ocean 600 miles off the coast of
Ecuador). Upon arrival you will be met by your National Park
Certified Naturalist Guide who will escort you from the
airport to the pier where you will board your home for the
next week, the
M/Y Parranda. After lunch onboard, and within
hours of your arrival to the islands, you will make the
first of many land visits accompanied by your Naturalist
Guide who will always be with you, escorting you on land
visits, lecturing each evening, and accompanying you on
snorkeling excursions and panga rides. With the exception of
the town of Puerto Ayora (Santa Cruz Island) the itinerary
will typically include visits to at least 8 uninhabited
islands of the Galapagos National Park system, each with a
different and diverse flora and fauna. Your naturalist
itinerary (08 day 07 nights) generally provides for two land
visits a day (each land visit is typically 2 to 3 hours
long) plus swimming and snorkeling opportunities. During the
evening hours your Naturalist Guide gives a briefing on all
aspects of the Galapagos and the next days activity
schedule. Each day will offer the opportunity to observe
from up close the amazing animals and birds which inhabit
these islands (and have no fear of humans) such as giant
tortoises, marine and land iguanas, sea lions, red and blue
footed boobies, frigate birds, Darwin finches, turtles,
flightless cormorants and penguins. On the last day of the
voyage you will return to San Cristobal for the flight to
Quito (or Guayaquil). |
Day 1
- Sunday
AM -
SAN CRISTOBAL ISLAND
The flight from Quito (via Guayaquil) to the Galapagos
is approximately 2 ½ hours on a Boeing 727. Our services will begin
upon arrival at
San Cristobal airport. Arriving passengers will pass through an
airport inspection point to insure that no foreign plants or animals
are introduced to the islands and it is here where the park entrance
fee of $100 will be paid (unless prepaid). Guides will meet you,
collect your luggage and escort you on the short bus ride to the
harbor. Motorized rafts, called ‘Pangas’ will transport you
to the
M/Y
Parranda and the crew will welcome you onboard. After a briefing
and a light lunch prepare for the first excursion.
|
Contact us for International airfares to
Ecuador and round trip airfares from the
mainland to San Cristobal (Galapagos). We can also arrange
for hotel accommodations and additional services
in Ecuador with your cruise |
PM - SAN
CRISTOBAL ISLAND - Isla Lobos
We will disembark at Isla Lobos which means Sea-Lion
Island. The name is certainly appropriate because here we can
appreciate the sea lions frolic, leap and make a racket. Isla Lobos
is located North of San Cristóbal, one hour across a small channel.
It is also a nesting place for blue footed boobies and a good place
for snorkeling. A panga ride will be offered to Kicker Rock, a
magnificent rock in the middle of the sea, rising 500 feet strait
from the ocean. This giant uplifted rock has the shape of a sleeping
lion. It has a split with towering vertical walls on either side,
forming a narrow channel through which small vessels can navigate.
EVE - Dinner and overnight on board.
(L, D.)
Day
2 - Monday
AM - TOWER (GENOVESA) ISLAND -
Prince Philip's Steps
Our morning excursion brings us to
Tower, where we will take a trail, called Prince Philip Steps, leading to an open area
where we observe
masked boobies, frigates, and red-footed boobies. At the end of this
trail are thousands of band - rumped storm petrels at the cliff's
edge, where they nest in crevices. Short-eared owls can sometimes be
seen here, hunting the storm petrels during daylight hours.
PM - TOWER (GENOVESA) ISLAND -
Darwin Bay Beach
Tower is a collapsed volcano and ships sail directly into its large
breached caldera to anchor at the foot of the steep crater walls.
The island attracts vast numbers of pelagic seabirds that come here
to nest and breed, Great frigate birds, red-footed boobies,
swallow-tailed gulls and storm petrels can be seen here. We will
take a trail leading from a coral beach past tidal lagoons where
lava gulls and yellow-crowned night herons can be seen, then along
the low shrubs populated by frigates and boobies, and eventually to
a cliff edge where seabirds soar.
EVE - Dinner and overnight on board.
(B, L, D)
Day 3 - Tuesday
AM - ISABELA (ALBEMARLE) ISLAND -
Punta Vicente Roca
This morning we visit
Isabela, the largest of the Galapagos islands.
It looks a bit like a
sea horse facing toward the west. Located at the ‘mouth’ of the head
of the sea horse, which forms the northern part of the islands, is
Punta Vicente Roca. Here the remnants of
an ancient volcano form two turquoise coves with a bay well
protected from the ocean swells. The spot is a popular anchorage
from which to take panga rides along the cliff that are the remains
of the volcano or explore a partially sunken cave at the water’s
edge. Masked and blue-footed boobies sit perched along the point and
the sheer cliffs, while flightless cormorants inhabit the
shoreline.
The upwelling of coldwater currents in this part
of the Galapagos, give rise to an abundance of marine life which, in
combination with the protection of the coves, make Punta Vicente
Roca one of the archipelago’s sought
after dive spots. One cove is only accessible from the sea by way of
an underwater passage. The passage opens to calm waters of the
hidden cove where sea lions like to laze on the beach having
traveled along the underwater route. The entire area of Punta
Vicente Roca lies on the flank of 2,600
foot Volcano Ecuador. This is the island’s sixth largest volcano.
Half of Volcano Ecuador slid into the ocean leaving a spectacular
cutaway view of the volcanic caldera.
PM -
FERNANDINA (NARBOROUGH) ISLAND - Punta Espinosa
Fernandina is the youngest and most active volcano in the Galapagos
with eruptions taking place every few years. In the afternoon we
explore Punta Espinosa where the flat lava offers a stark and barren landscape,
Flightless
cormorants build their nests here on the point, sea lions sprawl on the
beach or play in the tide pools and marine iguanas dot the sand.
EVE - Dinner and overnight on board.
(B, L, D)
Day 4 -
Wednesday
AM
- SANTIAGO (SAN SALVADOR / JAMES) ISLAND - Puerto Egas
In the morning we visit
Santiago island with several sites to visit at the western end of James
Bay. Puerto Egas with its black sand beaches was the site of small
salt mining industry in the 1960s and a hike inland to the salt
crater is an excellent opportunity to sight land birds such as
finches, doves, and hawks. A walk down the rugged shoreline,
especially at low tide, will turn up many marine species as iguanas
basking on the rocks and sea lions lazing in the tide pools. At the
end of the trail there is a series of grottoes or sea caves where
fur seals and night herons are found resting on shady ledges. Just
north of James Bay is Buccaneer Cove, a particularly scenic area of
steep cliffs and dark beaches.
PM -
BARTOLOME (BARTHOLOMEW) ISLAND
Close to Santiago we find the small island of
Bartolomé
with its beautiful white sand beaches,
luxuriant green mangroves and a colony of penguins. Activities will
include swimming and snorkeling and a climb to the summit of the
island for one of the most breathtaking views in all the Galapagos.
From the summit you will have the best view of the
often-photographed Pinnacle Rock.
EVE - Dinner and overnight on board.
(B, L, D.)
Day 5 - Thursday
AM - SANTA CRUZ (INDEFATIGABLE) ISLAND
- Puerto Ayora Town
Santa Cruz is the only inhabited island to be visited during this
Galapagos cruise. Puerto Ayora, with a population of about 10,000
people is the location of the Charles Darwin Research Station, world
famous for its tortoise breeding programs. After touring the
Station, journey by bus into the highlands to Los Gemelos the two
deep pit craters situated in the Scalesia forest with lots of
interesting bird life. Go for a walk through the giant lava tubes,
visit the Tortoise Reserve to search for giant tortoises in their
natural surroundings. There will be some free time to explore the
town of Puerto Ayora on your own.
PM - SANTA CRUZ (INDEFATIGABLE)
ISLAND - Highlands
In the afternoon we explore the lush greenery of the Santa Cruz Highlands, a definite contrast
with the arid scenery of the smaller, lower islands. A point of
interest is the famed lava tunnels, a fun and geologically
informative visit. The trip to the highlands ends with a visit to
the Twin Crater.
EVE - Dinner and overnight on board.
(B, L, D)
Day 6 - Friday
AM -
FLOREANA (SANTA MARIA / CHARLES) ISLAND -
Punta Cormorant
This morning we disembark at Punta
Cormorant on
Floreana island. This site offers two highly contrasting
beaches; the landing beach is of volcanic origin and is composed of
olivine crystals, giving it a greenish tinge. At the end of the
short trail is a carbonate beach of very fine white sand, formed by
the erosion of coral skeletons; it is a nesting site for green sea
turtles. Between these two beaches is a salt lagoon frequented by
flamingoes, pintails, stilts, and other wading birds. An old eroded
volcanic cone called Devil's Crown is a popular roosting site for
seabirds such as boobies, pelicans, and frigates and it is not
uncommon to see red-billed tropicbirds in rocky crevices. The center
of the crown is an outstanding snorkeling spot full of sea lions and
colorful fish.
PM - FLOREANA (SANTA MARIA / CHARLES) ISLAND -
Post Office Bay / Devil's Crown
After lunch we visit an old eroded
volcanic cone, called Devil's Crown. It is a popular roosting site
for seabirds such as boobies, pelicans, and frigates and it is not
uncommon to see red-billed tropicbirds in rocky crevices. The center
of Devil's Crown is an outstanding snorkeling spot full of sea lions
and colorful fish.
EVE - Dinner and overnight on board.
(B, L, D)
Day 7 - Saturday
PM - HOOD (ESPANOLA) ISLAND - Punta
Suarez
After breakfast we will visit
Hood, one of the oldest of the islands in the Galapagos. It
is small and flat with no visible volcanic crater or vent. Punta
Suarez is one of the most outstanding wildlife areas of the
archipelago, with a long list of species found along its cliffs and
sand or pebble beaches. In addition to five species of nesting
seabirds there are the curious and bold Hood Island mockingbirds,
Galapagos doves and Galapagos hawks and we can observe several types
of reptiles, including the brilliantly colored marine iguana and the
oversized lava lizard, unique to this island. When heavy swells are
running, Punta Suarez is also the site of a spectacular blowhole,
with thundering spray shooting 30 yards into the air.
PM - HOOD (ESPANOLA) ISLAND -
Gardner Bay
Gardner Bay is on the eastern shore and has a magnificent beach
which we will visit this afternoon. The beach is frequented by a
transient colony of sea lions, and is a major nesting site for
marine turtles. Around the small islets nearby, snorkelers
will find lots of fish and sometimes turtles and sharks. On a trail
leading to the western tip of the island you'll pass the only
nesting sites in the Galapagos of the waved albatross, huge birds
with a 6-foot wingspan. These huge birds nest here from April to
December and represent the majority of the world’s population of
this species.
EVE - Dinner and overnight on board.
(B, L, D)
Day 8 - Sunday
AM - SAN CRISTOBAL ISLAND - Puerto
Baquerizo Moreno - Departure
On this last morning we get back to
San Cristobal. On its southwestern side is the town of Puerto
Baquerizo Moreno, the capital of the providence of Galapagos. In
Puerto Baquerizo Moreno we find the Interpretation Center which was
newly opened by the Galapagos National park in 1998. This is truly
an extraordinary contribution to the information and education of
the islands communities and the travelers. It's focus is 80% on the
anthropology of the Galapagos and 20% is scientific. Free time will
be offered at leisure in the town before the transfer from the ship to
the airport for the departure flight to mainland Ecuador.
(B.)
END OF SERVICES |
