Galapagos Islands with Andy Dehart

B - Breakfast | L - Lunch | D - Dinner

Day 1 Arrive Quito

Arrive in Quito at any time. There are no planned activities, so check in and enjoy the surroundings. There are several excellent museums scattered throughout the city. The Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana boasts an interesting display of traditional musical instruments and Ecuadorian traditional dress, a large art collection and a small natural history museum. For archeology, the best museum to visit is the Museo del Banco Central with its well-displayed pottery, gold ornaments, skulls showing deformities and early surgical methods, a mummy and many other objects of interest.

Day 2 Baltra/ Bachas (B,L,D)

We will transfer early to the airport for our flight to the Galapagos Islands. Upon arrival, we will meet our expert naturalist guide, who will assist with the transfer to the catamaran, moored in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island. Visit the Charles Darwin Research Station, see giant tortoises and learn about Darwin’s studies of Galapagos wildlife. Enjoy some free time in the afternoon to do some shopping and exploring. Santa Cruz is the most populated island within the archipelago and Puerto Ayora is its main town. Turtle Bay is a 45-minute walk from Puerto Ayora along a well-established trail. This pristine, white sand beach is a tranquil place, with white surf accentuating the Caribbean blues of the deeper waters. Follow the beach to a small peninsula to find a large lagoon on the other side.

Day 3 Floreana (B,L,D)

This morning we will explore Post Office Bay on Floreana Island. The history of Floreana Island (also called Charles) has evolved to reach near-mythic proportions based on a tremulous love story chronicled in "the Galapagos Affair". Later in the afternoon, we will continue to Punta Cormorant on the northern part of Floreana. The landing is on a beach of green sand, colored by olivine crystals, volcanic-derived silicates of magnesium and iron. From the beach we will take a short hike to a lake normally inhabited by flamingos and other shorebirds. We will continue to a beach of fine white sand particles known as “Flour Beach”, an important nesting site for turtles. Around the point, Devil's Crown derives its name from the broken remains of a partially submerged volcanic cone. This is a perfect spot to go snorkeling from the boat, as the waters are home to a multitude of colorful fish and sea lions.

Day 4 Española (B,L,D)

Early this morning we will arrive at Española Island (also called Hood Island), the southernmost island of the Galapagos. We will explore Garner Bay, an excellent swimming and snorkeling site where we may find ourselves swimming with sea lions or even reef sharks. We'll continue in the afternoon to Punta Suarez on the western side of Española Island, where views are spectacular: gargantuan waves break on jagged cliffs and large bird colonies thickly populate the interior of the island. During our hike, we will follow the trail through a rookery and learn the geological history of the island from our naturalist, including its dramatic volcanic features, climate, flora and fauna.

Day 5 Santa Cruz (B,L,D)

In the morning, we will arrive back to port in Puerto Ayora, on Santa Cruz Island where we will visit the renowned Charles Darwin Research Station. Santa Cruz is the second largest in the island group and boasts the most varied of the islands’ vegetation zones: coastal, transition, scalesia, miconia and pampa. The Charles Darwin Research Station is a 10-minute walk from the center of the town. Here, an exhibition displays photos of recent volcanic eruptions, charts outlining geological formations and drawings of the evolutionary development of endemic species. In the afternoon, we may have the opportunity to visit the highlands and see giant land tortoises in the wild.

Day 6 Dragon Hill/Rabida (B,L,D)

This morning we will visit Dragon Hill, then make our way to Rabida Island (also called Jervis) where our boat lands on Rabida’s red sand beach. We will take a short hike along the trail leading to a salt water lagoon, often home to wading flamingos. We will continue along another trail past the lagoon into the interior, where the revered palo santo trees grow. When burned, the branches of this tree give off a pleasing aroma and ward off mosquitoes. Walking back to the beach we will search among low-lying bushes for the nests of prehistoric-looking pelicans. This is the best area for close viewing of these nesting birds and it's a rare treat to watch parent pelicans return with gullets full of fish for the squawking youngsters.

Day 7 Sullivan/ Bartolomé (B,L,D)

In the morning, we will visit Sullivan Bay on Santiago Island to explore the huge black lava flows that are a century old. Walking along the lava trail, we will view various volcanic formations including lava bubbles and pahoehoe, a real treat for those interested in geology and earth sciences. Afterward we will continue to Bartolomé Island. We will take a hike up to the summit of the island to get a clearer perspective of the not-too-distant volcanic origins of this area. The panoramic view from here is one of the best among the islands and a favorite spot for group pictures. After the summit hike, we will stop at the beach to relax in semi-tropical tranquility. Here we will find fantastic snorkeling among the submerged volcanic rock and around the base of the tower. A short hike to the beach on the opposite side is also worth the minimal effort. It is not unusual to see sharks in these shallow waters, and marine turtles nest here from January through March.

Day 8 South Plazas/ Santa Fé (B,L,D)

This morning we will visit the South Plazas Island, famous for its unusual cactus forest. There are two hikes:one leads from the beach into a sparse forest of prickly pear cactus, the other longer trail goes up a cliffside into an area inhabited by land iguanas. In the afternoon, we will continue to Santa Fé Island which is well known as a great place for observing (and swimming with) sea lions.

Day 9 North Seymour/Quito (B)

This morning we will make a brief visit to North Seymour Island for one last look at frigate birds, blue-footed boobies and sea lions. As one of the most exciting island photographically, bird life abounds on Seymour Island. Close to the trail we will find many nesting pairs and young chicks. Seymour is also home to the Galapagos’s largest colony of magnificent frigate birds. We will then sail to Baltra Island and transfer to the airport for our flight to Quito. Transfer to our group hotel upon arrival. Enjoy the day at your leisure and explore the historic city of Quito.

Day 10 Depart Quito (B)

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