Galapagos: Coral I 4-Day Itinerary

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Overview

Itinerary - 4 Days: Day 1 Baltra / Santa Cruz, 2 Española, 3 Floreana, 4 North Seymour / Baltra / Quito or Guayaquil / Departure.

Duration :4 days / 3 nights
Departures: Every Sunday
Low and high season dates vary throughout the year

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ITINERARY

DAY 1: Baltra / Santa Cruz (Sunday)

Departure from Quito or Guayaquil to Baltra airport in Galapagos (2-1/2 hour flight). Passengers are greeted by guides at the airport and transferred to the Itabaca canal, cross to the Island of Santa Cruz, and travel to Puerto Ayora.

One of the options is to cross the highlands of Santa Cruz where passengers will visit Cerro Chato. In this visit, you'll be able to observe the famous giant tortoises that gave the name to these islands. Alternatively, travelers can literally get into the Galapagos by walking in the dormant lava tubes.

DAY 2: Española (Monday)

Travelers enjoy a dry landing at Suarez Point (Española). Upon landing, visitors will learn more about the lava terrain while crossing the inactive lava fields. Aside from the sea lion colonies, this is one of the most important sites for bird watching.

As soon as visitors step foot on this island, many species of birds can be spotted and observed closely. Among the many species, the Hooded Mockingbird and Red Billed Tropic. After crossing the nesting grounds you will reach the world's largest colony of Waved Albatross (approximately 15,000). The Waved Albatross mating rituals are a highlight of the visit.

Nearing the end of this excursion passengers will visit the famous blowhole, where water shoots into the air at almost 23 m ( 75 ft ).

In the afternoon, passengers visit Gardner Bay (Española Island). This is a wet landing on a white coral beach amidst a large colony of sea lions. This site has no trails, so hiking is not possible.

Gardner Bay is considered an open area where you can spot Galapagos hawks, American oyster catchers, Galapagos doves, hood mockingbirds, three species of Darwin finches, yellow warblers, lava lizards, and marine iguanas. All of these species are endemic to this island. This is a great place for swimming and snorkeling. The best place at this spot is by the rock outcropping that looks like a turtle.

Often snorkelers see many of the Galapagos marine species such as king angelfish, Creole fish, damsel fish, parrot fish, manta rays, white tipped reef sharks, and many more.

DAY 3: Floreana (Tuesday)

This day starts with a wet landing on a greenish-colored sand beach at Floreana Island (Cormorant Point). Passengers will hike a well marked trail beginning in the Black Mangrove beds heading towards the back of the lagoon. The large, brackish lagoon holds one of the largest populations of flamingos in the Galapagos.

This island is best known for its endemic plant life, such as the Galapagos millwork, Passion flower, and unique button mangrove (one of the four species in Galapagos). Novice snorkelers can practice back on the main beach where the sea lions. are playful, while experienced snorkelers can roam the waters around Devil's Crown.

Post Office Bay, located on the north side of Floreana Island, is so-named due to the empty barrel of rum thought to be installed by Captain James Colnett in 1793. This served as an informal post box for the sailors who periodically passed through the Galapagos, taking with them letters for their next ports of call or final destinations.

Today, visitors continue the tradition by placing postcards without stamps inside the barrels which reach their destinations free of charge. Sometimes it takes weeks, sometimes months, and sometimes the cards never get there at all!
A short walk from the famous barrel, across typical vegetation of the island, visitors come to a tunnel formed by lava flows. It's quite a tricky way down to a path where you can observe land birds such as mocking bird of Galapagos, some species of Darwin's finches, yellow wardle, and lava lizards.

After a wet landing on "Mirador de la Baronesa." Your naturalist guide will tell the murder and mystery legend of the Baronesa. This viewpoint is located on the north of the Floreana Island. It is a tuff basalt formation between Cormorant Point and Post Office bay. The climb on the trails is very easy. Steps are placed in this area for security.

DAY 4: North Seymour / Baltra / Santa Cruz (Wednesday)

After a dry landing, guests will encounter Swallow Tailed Gulls and sea lions. This site is also known for being a major nesting colony of Blue Footed Boobies, and the largest colony of the Magnificent Frigate Bird (a different species from the Great Frigate Bird).

Travelers will also spot both endemic species of iguanas, the Marine Iguanas and Land Iguanas. Passengers will enjoy a relaxed hike around the nesting sites.

After disembarking at the docks (Isle of Baltra), passengers board a bus that drives them to the airport for their flight back to mainland via Guayaquil to Quito.

PRICING

Price per person:

DOUBLE EXTERIOR CABINS WITH AIR CONDITIONING	Number of Cabins	Low Season	High Season
Standard Cabin	2	$ 980	$ 1030
Moon Cabin	8	$ 1165	$ 1220
Junior Cabin	8	$ 1395	$ 1465

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DESTINATIONS

Galapagos

Ecuador Tours

Preparation