Galápagos My Way

Day 1 USA / Quito, Ecuador

Depart today on your flight to Quito, capital city of Ecuador. Evening transfer to our hotel and overnight. 

Day 2 Quito

Enjoy breakfast at our hotel, followed by a morning city tour of Quito. We visit the old colonial section with its Spanish-style cathedral and palace, stroll down winding cobblestone streets, and explore spacious plazas adorned with flowers before driving to a panoramic view of the city and picturesque snowcapped mountains. We return to our hotel for lunch; the rest of the afternoon is at leisure. Join us in the evening for a briefing and dinner. Overnight at our hotel.

Day 3 Quito / Baltra and North Seymour Islands, Galápagos

After breakfast we transfer to the airport for the flight to Baltra Island, where we board our yacht, the Isabela II. We have an onboard orientation as the yacht makes her way to nearby North Seymour Island, the first stop on our expedition. We walk along the coast and the interior of the island, observing colonies of blue-footed boobies, magnificent frigatebirds, and swallow-tailed gulls, as well as sea lions and marine iguanas. Return to the yacht for our first onboard briefing and dinner.

Day 4 Española (Hood) Island

This rocky point of land sustains one of the most impressive and varied colonies of seabirds in the Galápagos. In the morning we stroll along the beautiful white-sand beach  of Gardner Bay, enjoying views of blue-footed boobies diving for fish. Other likely sightings include Hood Island mockingbirds, Galápagos hawks, three species of Darwin’s finches, and marine iguanas. A highlight of our day is the chance to swim and snorkel with the friendly and frolicking sea lions that populate these waters.   We cruise to Punta Suárez for an exciting walk on lava terrain to see one of the largest birds in the Galápagos Islands, the waved albatross. Virtually the entire population of 12,000 pairs of albatross nests here from May to December. Other features of the island include red-billed tropicbirds, blue-footed and Nazca boobies, swallow-tailed gulls, and dramatic views of the famous Punta Suárez blowhole surrounded by colorful red-and-green marine iguanas.

Day 5 Floreana Island

From sea turtles to penguins, the chances for wildlife encounters are outstanding, making our visit to Floreana an exhilarating experience. At Punta Cormorant we may see greater flamingos, black-necked stilts, and pintail ducks in a brackish lagoon. Our hike takes us to a fine coral-sand beach where green sea turtles nest from December to June, and our ultimate snorkeling spot is an eroded volcanic cone. Take the opportunity to snorkel among (or view through the glass-bottom boat) sea lions, tropical and subtropical fish, and possibly hammerhead or whitetip reef sharks. In the afternoon, visit the whaler’s post-office barrel, one of the oldest working sea-mail drops, at Post Office Bay. Zodiacs take us to nearby islets to observe rays, sea lions, and sea turtles, great blue herons and boobies, and maybe even Galápagos penguins.

Day 6 Santa Cruz Island

At Puerto Ayora, the principal commercial port of the Galápagos, we disembark and drive through lush green highlands to visit the scalesia forest and the twin-pit craters of Los Gemelos. Depending on weather conditions, we search for two of “Darwin’s” finches—tree and woodpecker; vermilion flycatchers; and giant tortoises. In the afternoon we visit the Charles Darwin Research Station to learn about conservation efforts and research being conducted at the station, as well as see giant tortoises and land iguanas being raised for reintroduction to their island habitats. Afterwards, stroll through the small town of Puerto Ayora to buy souvenirs and mail postcards before reembarking our ship. 

Day 7 Genovesa (Tower) Island

We cross the equator overnight, arriving at Genovesa Island. Entering Darwin Bay, formed by the caldera of a partially eroded volcano, we disembark and set out on a trail from the coral beach. Passing by swallow-tailed and lava gulls, we enter a forest of salt bush where colonies of great frigatebirds and red-footed boobies nest. Afterward, we swim and snorkel along the cliffs of this colossal harbor, where we encounter an array of fish species and, with luck, get a look at the elusive, scalloped hammerhead shark. Because of the influence of northern currents, we find the warmest of all Galápagos waters off this island. A short Zodiac tour along the coastline takes us to Prince Philip’s Steps, where we may find red-footed boobies nesting in palo santo trees. Nazca boobies nest on the ground, along with storm petrels and short-eared owls, one of the archipelago’s few predators. Keep a lookout for fur seals along the shore.

Day 8 Isabela & Fernandina Islands

The cool waters of the Cromwell Current upwell around these islands and bathe the jagged shorelines of Isabela and Fernandina. These nutrient-rich waters provide great feeding sources for whales and dolphins, so be up on deck at sunrise today as we round Isabela to the north. As we navigate along Bolívar Channel we also enjoy the impressive views of the northern volcanoes that helped create Isabela, the largest of the Galápagos Islands. On the northwest shore of Isabela, we stop at secluded Tagus Cove, which was in past centuries a favorite anchor for pirates and whalers. The vegetation in the area includes more of the unusual palo santo trees, and an uphill hike through the forest takes us to Darwin Crater, filled with salt water. Depending on time and conditions, we may spend the morning in Zodiacs or snorkeling along the coast of Isabela, observing recent and unique geological features, flightless cormorants and Galápagos penguins, as well as other natural wonders of these enchanted isles. In the afternoon we arrive at Punta Espinosa on Fernandina, the youngest island of the Galápagos, where we depart on a hike along the shore and the interior. Here we observe the largest colony of marine iguanas in the Galápagos, flightless cormorants, and moonscape-like lava fields. This is one of the largest, most pristine islands in the world with no introduced 

Day 9 Santiago (James) & Bartolomé Islands

Santiago is the island where Charles Darwin spent most of his time while in the Galápagos, staying nine days to explore and gather data. Although we won’t be able to match the duration or scope of the great naturalist’s studies, we acquaint ourselves well during our time ashore, seeking the marine mammals, particularly fur seals, that call Santiago home. We cruise into Puerto Egas in the morning and disembark to walk along a coastal trail to a nearby fur seal grotto. Most of the landscape is tuff-stone layers and lava flows, and the many crevices, cracks, and cuts are perfect hiding spots for camouflaged pinnipeds. Along the shore we can look for more sea lions, octopuses, starfish, and other sea life in tide pools where great blue herons, lava herons, oystercatchers, and yellow-crowned night herons feed. At low tide we may have the chance to watch marine iguanas grazing on marine algae or sea lettuce. If time and conditions permit, we take an inland trail to a salt lake to view more finches, mockingbirds, hawks, and perhaps flamingos. After a short lunch cruise and time spent on deck looking for the dark-rumped petrel, we arrive at Bartolomé. The frequently photo-graphed pinnacle rock of this island is a massive stone tower erupting from the sea. Take the steep trail and wooden staircase for a 30-minute walk past pioneer plants, lava tubes, and spatter cones to the summit of a once-active volcano. Zodiac cruises, swimming, and snorkeling are also excellent here, often revealing Galápagos penguins as well as sea turtles.

Day 10 Baltra Island / Guayaquíl

After a late brunch we disembark for the flight to Guayaquíl. On arrival we transfer from the airport to our hotel. After check in, we have a tea buffet at our hotel with time afterwards to relax before our farewell dinner and overnight.

Day 11 Guayaquíl / USA

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your return flight homeward.