Ultimate Galapagos

Day 1: Quito

Arrive in Quito (9,200’), the highland capital of Ecuador, where you are met by our Quito staff for a private transfer to our group hotel, the Hotel Hilton Colon, superbly located at the juncture of old and new Quito and near many fine restaurants. Our rooms are on the exclusive Club Floor, with private breakfast buffet, complimentary cocktail hour in the club lounge, and other amenities...Meals on your own

Day 2: Quito

Enjoy a half-day tour of colonial Old Quito, a World Heritage Site, at its most magnificent in the sprawling Iglesia San Francisco church and monastery, built over an Inca holy site, and the ornate La Compañia church, said to have seven tons of gold on its ceilings, walls, and altars. Charming La Ronda, Quito’s oldest street, is here, with its whitewashed colonial buildings, blue-trimmed windows brimming with geraniums, and cafes and artisan shops. The afternoon is at leisure to explore on your own. Lunch and dinner are on your own. Overnight at Hotel Hilton Colon...B

Day 3: Galápagos Cruise / Baltra / Mosquera / Punta Carrion

In the morning, transfer to the airport for the one-hour flight to the Galápagos, 600 miles off Ecuador’s coast. On arrival at Baltra Island in the Galápagos at around 11 am, you are met by your Trip Leader and escorted to the Mary Anne for the start of your Galápagos adventure. We set a course for Mosquera Inlet, a small sandy islet near Santa Cruz Island, with lunch en route. At Mosquera, we land at a beautiful white-sand beach inhabited by the largest Galápagos sea lion colony in the islands. We should also see lava gulls and other coastal birds. Continuing to Punta Carrion, we enjoy our first snorkeling opportunity in these amazingly clear waters. We enjoy our welcome dinner tonight. Overnight aboard yacht...BLD

Day 4: South Plaza Island / Santa Fe Island

Sailing to tiny South Plaza, we hike among land iguanas as they nibble on the fruit of prickly pear cactus. South Plaza captivates visitors with its vibrant colors, from green prickly pear cactus to the copper-colored land iguanas. Huge seagoing marine iguanas roam the shores, and swallow-tailed gulls and redbilled tropicbirds are often found here. In the afternoon, we explore the whitesand beach on Santa Fe Island, where Galápagos sea lions laze. This island has its own species of land iguana, the Santa Fe land iguana. We’ll keep an eye out for land birds such as Darwin’s finches and yellow warblers. Overnight aboard yacht...BLD

Day 5: San Cristobal / Cerro Brujo / Punta Pitt

On San Cristobal Island, we land at one of the most scenic beaches in the Galápagos, with the dramatic eroded volcanic cone of Cerro Brujo as a backdrop. This was one of the first places Darwin landed on his visit in 1835 aboard the HMS Beagle with Captain Robert Fitzroy. It’s an ideal place to swim, snorkel, or stroll in the company of Galápagos sea lions. A salt-water lagoon right behind the beach shelters black-necked common stilts and white-cheeked pintail ducks. This afternoon, we head around the island to Punta Pitt, a series of volcanic cones where all three species of boobies—red-footed, blue-footed, and Nazca—can be seen. Landing on a beach, we hike to a viewpoint to watch seabirds riding the thermals. Great frigatebirds are seen in this area, the northeastern-most point in the Galápagos. Overnight aboard yacht...BLD

Day 6: Española / Gardner Bay / Punta Suarez

We sail to fascinating Española, southernmost island in the archipelago, with its long white beaches. This island has a high degree of species differentiation due to its remoteness. We arrive at Gardner Bay, where green sea turtles often rest in the dunes. Galápagos sea lions, marine iguanas, Darwin’s finches, and Española’s endemic mockingbird are found here. This afternoon we head to Punta Suarez for a spectacular walk on a trail lined with marine iguanas, blue-footed boobies, and Galápagos sea lions. Other major sights on Española include an impressive blowhole that shoots water as high as 90 feet in the air. One of the island’s most spectacular birds is the huge waved albatross, with its seven-foot wingspan. The birds nest here from April through December. Waved albatross are considered endemic not only to the Galápagos but also to this island, where they exist in colonies of about 12,000 pairs. Punta Suarez is also a good place to observe endemic land birds: Darwin’s finches, Galápagos doves, and Galápagos hawks. Overnight aboard yacht...BLD

Day 7: Floreana / Punta Cormorant / Post Office Bay

On Floreana, with its myriad volcanic cones and fascinating human history, we land on Punta Cormorant for a walk to a salt-water lagoon where elegant pink flamingos wade in the shallows. We walk farther to a beach known as “Flour Beach” for its fine white sand where sea turtles nest. If the weather and tides are cooperative, there is some wonderful snorkeling to be had at Devil’s Crown, the remnant of a volcanic crater whose pinnacles rise up from the sandy bottom. Here we can see profuse coral development, a variety of tropical fish, and sometimes rays and sea turtles. In the afternoon, we head to Floreana’s Post Office Bay to visit the historic Post Office Barrel, where in the 18th century, sailors left letters to be posted by passing ships. Overnight aboard yacht...BLD

Day 8: Santa Cruz / Santa Cruz Highlands / Puerto Ayora

Heading to Santa Cruz Island, we drive into the lush Santa Cruz highlands, where we look for Galápagos tortoises. In the small town of Puerto Ayora, we visit the Charles Darwin Research Station’s tortoise-breeding facility. The Research Station is the Galápagos-based branch of the international, non-profit Charles Darwin Foundation. Established in 1959, the Darwin Station works closely with the Galápagos National Park Service to protect the islands and surrounding marine reserve. The Darwin Station conducts research, assists other researchers within the park, and provides environmental education to communities and schools within the islands. The station is home to Lonesome George, the most famous tortoise in the Galápagos and last survivor of the Pinta Island tortoise population. Overnight aboard yacht...BLD

Day 9: Isabela Island / Punta Moreno / Elizabeth Bay

Isabela was originally six islands, each with an active volcano. Extensive lava flows joined together to form what is today the largest island in the Galápagos. Five of these volcanoes are still active and contribute to Isabela’s dramatic scenery and spectacular coastline of basaltic bluffs. At Punta Moreno, we land on a superb pahoehoe lava flow surrounded by giant shield volcanoes, some still active. There are flamingos, gallinules, and ducks in ponds and lagoons here, and we may spot cormorants and Galápagos penguins. This afternoon, we take a panga ride through a salt-water mangrove lagoon at Elizabeth Bay, where the largest red mangrove trees in the Galápagos grow. Green sea turtle heads will pop up here and there, and Galápagos penguins will “fly” right next to us as they chase fish. Overnight aboard yacht...BLD

Day 10: Isabela Island / Urbina Bay / Fernandina Island / Punta Espinosa

Isabela’s Urbina Bay was a site of remarkable tectonic activity in 1954 when miles of coastal seabed was dramatically uplifted 15 feet. On this island, we land on a dark, sandy beach often used by green sea turtles as a nesting site. We scramble along the rocky coast to see the large coral heads and other marine forms stranded after the uplift. Our hike brings us over varied terrain as we observe large land iguanas, a variety of endemic plants, and sometimes giant tortoises in their natural habitat. The afternoon finds us walking along Punta Espinosa on Fernandina Island, a true delight with its shoreline full of marine iguanas, flightless cormorants, Galápagos sea lions, and colorful Sally Lightfoot crabs. Punta Espinosa extends out from the base of the Fernandina Volcano, the most active volcano in the Galápagos. Overnight aboard yacht... BLD

Day 11: Isabela Island / Tagus Cove / Punta Albemarle

On Isabela, we enjoy a long walk through a beautiful Galápagos landscape that brings us to Darwin Lake, a salt-water crater lake surrounded by tufa stone. At the end of the trail, we can see the vast lava flows that connect the volcanoes of northern Isabela. This afternoon we land at Punta Albemarle, one of the most pristine visitor sites in Galápagos National Park, where marine iguanas and flightless cormorants will greet us. Overnight aboard yacht...BLD

Day 12: Santiago Island / Espumilla / Puerto Egas

Cruising to Santiago Island, we hike a trail through palo santo forest and keep an eye out for yellow warblers, Darwin’s finches, and Galápagos flycatchers. At Puerto Egas, a magnificent stretch of coastline, erosion in the lava has formed pools, caves, and inlets where we see a great variety of wildlife from marine iguanas to Galápagos fur seals, herons, and shorebirds. Overnight aboard yacht...BLD

Day 13: North Seymour Island / Baltra / Black Turtle Cove

We cruise to North Seymour for a hike among prehistoric-looking marine iguanas. North Seymour is a small, uplifted island just north of Baltra with abundant sea lions and blue-footed boobies. Marine iguanas and swallow tailed gulls are also found here, as well as a large colony of magnificent frigatebirds. After a stop in Baltra, we navigate a short passage to Black Turtle Cove on Santa Cruz Island. The mangrove lagoon on the north coast of Santa Cruz is the second largest in the Galápagos. Pelicans and herons roost on the mangrove branches, while green sea turtles cruise right next to us as our panga makes its way through the lagoon. Overnight aboard yacht...BLD

Day 14: Tower Island / Darwin Bay / Prince Philip Steps

We awake in Tower (Genovesa) Island to enjoy a walk among its huge colony of photogenic red-footed boobies perched in palo santo trees, in red mangroves, and on soft-haired prickly pear cactus. Red-footed boobies are the only members of the booby family to nest in trees. Great frigatebirds are also seen here on Tower, while elegant swallow-tailed gulls rest under the salt bush. At magnificent Darwin Bay, a flooded caldera, we land at a coralline beach for a walk that should bring us Darwin’s famous finches, including sharp-beaked finches and large cactus finches, along with Galápagos doves and swallowtailed gulls. Our landing at Prince Philip Steps, so named for the prince’s visit here in 1964, brings us nesting frigatebirds and Nazca boobies. Overnight aboard yacht...BLD

Day 15: Bartolomé / Santiago Island / Sullivan Bay

A hike to the top of Bartolomé offers us breathtaking views of photogenic Pinnacle Rock, the Galápagos’ most famous icon, and neighboring Santiago Island. On Santiago, we walk the recent lava flows of Sullivan Bay, with their fresh pahoehoe formations. Marine iguanas and sea lions reside on Rabida. Overnight aboard yacht...BLD

Day 16: Rabida Island / Santa Cruz Island / Cerro Dragón

Rabida, the red island, is a landscape of colorful eroded hills. We explore its fascinating maroon-tinted interior and salt-water lagoon, with lots of Darwin’s finches, Galápagos mockingbirds, and yellow warblers. On the northwest shore of Santa Cruz Island at Cerro Dragón, our walk inland leads to a nesting site of Galápagos land iguanas. The saltwater lagoon is inhabited by greater flamingos, black-necked commons stilts, and white-cheeked pintail ducks. Tonight we enjoy our farewell dinner aboard the Mary Anne. Overnight aboard yacht...BLD

Day 17: Daphne / Baltra / Quito

Before heading for Baltra, we cruise past the little islet of Daphne, where the cliffs teem with Nazca boobies, red-billed tropicbirds, and Darwin’s finches. Only scientists are allowed on this tiny island because it is the site of the longest ongoing evolutionary field research in the Galápagos. Arriving at Baltra, we fly back to Quito, with lunch on board the aircraft, and transfer to the hotel upon arrival. Overnight at the Hotel Hilton Colon...BL

Day 18: Depart

Transfer to the airport for departure on homeward flights or extend your stay with one of our optional extensions...B