Today we get ready to explore the most amazing archipelago on the Pacific coast and the place where Charles Darwin based his theory of the evolution of species. We will board a morning flight from Quito to the island of San Cristóbal. Once we arrive, we have a transfer to the hotel in the town of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno and a short briefing about the next days, before the adventure begins. In the afternoon we will head to “La Loberia”, which is a home beach for large Galapagos sea lions. We will hike for approximately 1 hour. The ground in this hike is flooded along the shoreline at high tide. It is a fairly leisurely walking activity that takes you through a lot of lava rocks and some mangroves. During this excursion, we will have the possibility to spot the red-billed tropicbird, blue-footed bobbies, and Nazca bobbies. We also get to see yellow warbler birds, frigate birds, and several species of Darwin’s finches along the beach. In between the rocks, we can find marine iguanas, which you can only see in Galapagos. After that, we will enjoy a shallow water snorkelling activity to spot sea lions and sea turtles. Sea lions are very curious and approach to swim next to you underwater. They may also be lazing over rocks or just lazy dozing in the sand. We also have the time to go for a refreshing swim, explore the waters with our snorkel equipment and enjoy the beach.

In the morning, we will take a boat to Kicker Rock, located off the coast of San Cristóbal, also known as the Sleeping Lion (Leon Dormido) because of some resemblance. This is the remains of a lava cone eroded by the sea, two vertical rocks rising 500 ft (150 m) above the ocean form a small channel that is navigable by small boats. This Galapagos Island’s natural monument has become a spectacular site due to the many tropical birds, frigate birds and boobies that fill the sky in this area. Beneath the sea, the crystal waters offer a brilliant show of colourful fish, such as rainbow fish and sharks, like the hammerhead and white tip. After lunch, we will spend some time on the beach and travel back to the hotel.

In the morning, hop to Isabela Island, the largest island in the archipelago, and where most of the volcanic activity in the Galapagos is reported. The island was formed by six shield volcanoes, Alcedo, Cerra Azul, Darwin, Ecuador, Sierra Negra, and Wolf; five of them are still active which makes the island one of the most volcanically active places on earth. In the afternoon, we will explore the beautiful coastline on an exclusive trail on our bikes, taking us through an incredible ecosystem with a wide variety of wildlife including flamingos, marine iguanas, and giant tortoises. We start with a visit to the Wall of Tears, a massive wall built with lava rocks. This site dates to the 1950s when Isabela was used as a penal colony and prisoners were forced to build the wall to keep them from going mad, because of the isolation they experienced. As we continue our ride along the coast, we will explore pristine, white sand beaches, mangrove forests, and lagoons. This area is filled with a plethora of birdlife, including American oystercatchers, herons, flamingos, finches, and many other shorebirds, as well as the ubiquitous sea lions and marine iguanas.

Explore the amazing formations of lava created by the last eruptions of the volcanic island along the seashore. This magical place has historically been filmed by BBC and National Geographic for their documentaries. It is a labyrinth of lava arches made of crystal-clear water full of sea turtles, eagle rays, sea lions, sharks and more. The turtles navigate their own highway from the mangroves to the open sea through “Los Tunnels”. Here, we will have the best snorkelling opportunity with all these beautiful animals, including the curious Galapagos penguins playing around. Before or after the trip, you can enjoy some optional activities such as snorkelling at “Concha de Perla”, biking or just relaxing on the exotic white-sand beaches of Isabela Island. We recommend you take some time to visit the giant tortoise breeding centre located within local distance from the hotel.

After breakfast, at around 08h00, you will depart to Sierra Negra Volcano. You will drive to the highlands of Isabela where you would normally start hiking. The volcano, with its height of around 1,500 meters and an outer diameter of approximately nine kilometres, is the second biggest lava dome in the world.
You will have lunch at a local restaurant in the highlands at around 13h00, a beautiful organic farm whose owners prepare their food with vegetables and fruits grown locally at the farm. Prepared at a lava rock-grill, enjoy a delicious meal and after lunch take a walk among the fruit trails or just take a nap in one of their hammocks and breathe the clean air above a big Mango tree.
We then make our way back to the pier, arriving at 14h30, where, after a short briefing we will start kayaking at the bay where we can enjoy the local wildlife. On the way we can observe penguins, blue-footed boobies, pelicans, iguanas Marinas, sea turtles, sea lions, eagle rays and sometimes Sharks “Tintoreras” juveniles. To finish this day, at 16h30 we will have a short visit to Concha & Perla, a small beach in Puerto Villamil where we will snorkel. A short, beautiful walk through the mangroves on a boardwalk will lead you to the spot with turquoise waters and wildlife galore! You can expect to see plenty of other tourists alongside colourful fish, sea lions, sea turtles, pelicans, mockingbirds and maybe even marine iguanas! Hiking time: 4 hours both ways.
Hiking distance: 6 miles (9.6 km) (10 miles -16 km- optional to Volcán Chico)
Hiking elevation gain: 950 feet (289.5 meters)
Maximum elevation while hiking: 3687 feet (1124 meters)
Kayaking time: 2 hours
Snorkelling time: 1 hour
What to wear today for hiking: shorts, t-shirt, tennis shoes, rain jacket, hat, buff, sun cream, mosquito repellent.
What to wear today for kayaking and snorkelling: sandals, shorts, water long sleeve t-shirt, bathing suit, hat, sun cream, mosquito repellent.

In the morning, traverse from Isabela to Santa Cruz Island to visit the Charles Darwin Research Station. Once we arrive, we will check in at the hotel. We will then visit the Charles Darwin Research Station to learn more about many of the endemic species seen in the wild, as well as the ongoing conservation and management efforts on the Galapagos Islands. Later, we will continue by car to our first stop in the highlands of Santa Cruz. The highlands are home to the iconic giant Galapagos tortoises. Here you will visit a private ranch where you will enjoy lunch before heading out for a walk-in search of the giant tortoises. During this visit, you will also visit some lava tubes, which are formed when the surface of a lava stream solidifies. Afterward, we will continue to the other side of the island to Garrapateros beach, in route, we will stop at the Trapiche to learn about the process of making sugarcane liquor. Finally, we will return to Puerto Ayora to spend the evening in Galapagos’ most populous town.

Today, you can experience the Galapagos at 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 to thousands of marine turtles. This beautiful place invites swimming or snorkelling. Alternatively, you can join any of the optional activities (at an extra cost), such as a trip to Floreana Island, Bartolome Island or a scuba-diving day trip, just to mention a few.

After our final breakfast on the Galapagos Island and the last photos taken of sea lions, we have a transfer to Baltra’s airport in time to catch the flight back to mainland.

Today our trip will end, and you will have your international departures. Take with you your memories and photos and leave a piece of your heart, as you will want to return to Ecuador soon to experience more of this enchanted land. We wish you a “buen viaje”!