Galapagos: Coral I 8-Day Itinerary

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Overview

Itinerary - 8 Days: Day 1 Baltra / Santa Cruz, 2 Española, 3 Floreana, 4 North Seymour / Baltra / Santa Cruz, 5 Rabida / Santiago, 6 Fernandina / Isabela, 7 Bartolome / Santa Cruz, 8 Santa Cruz / Baltra / Quito or Guayaquil / Departure

Duration :8 days / 7 nights
Departures: Wednesday or 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 (aprox. 2 and a half 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. Additionally, 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 Mocking bird 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 mts. ( 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 Galápagos.

This island is best known for its endemic plant life, such as the Galápagos 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 Devils 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, while they enjoy a relaxed hike around the nesting sites.

During this excursion visitors head for Dragon Hill (Santa Cruz Island). After a dry landing, passengers walk to a hypersalinic lagoon behind the beach, occasionally visited by pink flamingos. The trail then leads up to Dragon Hill, which offers a beautiful view of the bay. This area is a nesting site for a large number of land iguanas that were reintroduced by the Charles Darwin Research Station. There is also a bizarre scalesia tree forest.

Next is a dinghy ride around the islet along the coast of Santa Cruz. The land iguanas that live in Venice are protected from the wild dogs that live on the island of Santa Cruz. In Santa Cruz, it is possible to observe the vegetation and marine animals such as spotted eagle rays and golden rays, mullets, white tipped reef sharks and pacific green sea turtles which rest in the calm waters of the coves and channels.

Day 5 RABIDA / SANTIAGO (Thursday)

Today starts with a wet landing at the dark red colored beach of volcanic origin frequented by sea lions (Rabida Island). It is often considered the geographic center of Galapagos because it has the most diversified volcanic rocks of all the Islands. A short trail leads to a salt water lagoon, where you will occasionally find flamingos.

July thru September is a good time of the year to observe how brown pelicans nest in the salty bushes found at the far side of the salty lagoon. Also to be observed are boobies and 9 species of Darwin’s finches. There is a dingy ride by the reefs and an excellent opportunity for snorkeling.

Visit the dark sand beach at Egas Port during a wet landing (Santiado Island). Most of the landscape is tuff-stone layers and lava flows, the surrounding area is prime for spotting and observing hunting herons, great blue herons, lava herons, oyster catchers, and the yellow crowned night herons. Passengers enjoy the sight of marine iguanas grazing upon algae beds at low tide sharing space with red sally light-foot crabs.

There is a colony of fur-sea lions swimming in deep pools of cool water called “grottos”. On this beach you can swim and snorkel in search of octopuses, sea horses, star fish and other sea life species.

Day 6 FERNANDINA / ISABELA (Friday)

After a dry landing at Espinosa Point (Fernandina Island), passengers will see the largest colony of Marine Iguanas mingling with Sally-light Foot Crabs. They also will enjoy the Flightless Cormorants nesting sites, the Galapagos Penguins, Galapagos Hawks, and Sea lions.

Among the flora and volcanic formation observers will note brachycereus cactus, and two kinds of lava formations “pa-hoe-hoe” lava and ”AA”. Numerous mangrove beds extend into the sea, depicting a healthy and thriving eco-system.

Next is the largest island in the Galapagos, the Isabela Island. At Tagus Cove, passengers enjoy a dry landing. Visitors will learn more about the eruption of five volcanoes that flowed together to form this land mass.

The marked trail leads to Darwin’s salt water lagoon and an excellent view of the lava fields, scoured with unique volcanic formations.

Passengers are offered the opportunity to observe marine life from the dingy. Frequently visitors see Galapagos penguins at this site.

A view of graffiti dating back to the 1800’s can help passengers to better appreciate the relationship between the islands and tourism today. Most of the graffiti is believed to be done by pirates and buccaneers.

Day 7 BARTOLOME / SANTA CRUZ (Saturday)

This morning starts with a dry landing at Bartolomé Island. Arriving on this island, passengers will see volcanic formations including lava bombs, spatter, and cinder cones. After a hike to the summit, visitors will have an impressive view of the surrounding islands, including the eroded tuff cone of Pinnacle Rock. During the hike to the summit, travelers will often see large colonies of marine iguanas, lava lizards, tiquilla bushes and various cacti.

Visitors will also enjoy a chance to cool off while snorkeling. Here it is possible to see the Galapagos penguins, sea turtles, and white tipped reef sharks from a safe distance.

Next arrive at Black Turtle Cove located near Las Bachas beach in the north coast line of Santa Cruz Island. This excursion provides passengers with a “dingy” ride though the mangrove, during which the outboard motor of the small boat is turned off. This allows the close observation of marine turtles, white tipped reef sharks, spotted eagle rays, and yellow rays.

Day 8 SANTA CRUZ / BALTRA (Sunday)

Today travelers will have the chance to investigate the Charles Darwin Research Station in Puerto Ayora, staffed with international scientists conducting biological research and conservation projects. Here you can also admire giant tortoises that are part of the breeding program.

Next disembark at the docks (Baltra). Passengers will take a bus to the airport for their flight back to mainland via Guayaquil to Quito.

NOTE: This itinerary begins on Sunday. For Wednesday departures, refer to Day 4 Baltra/Santa Cruz as your first day.

PRICING

2010 Price per person for Coral I -- 8-days/7-nights:

DOUBLE EXTERIOR CABINS WITH AIR CONDITIONING	Number of Cabins	Low Season	High Season
Standard Cabin	2	$ 2890	$ 3090
Moon Cabin	8	$ 3430	$ 3590
Junior Cabin	8	$ 4090	$ 4330

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