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Bewitched IslandsNaturalist Cruise of the Galapagos Islands
The perfect way to get into the magical World of Galapagos is through our "Bewitched Islands Cruise". For this we have selected some of the best yachts that will be part of the enchantment of the islands. The itinerary covers the western part of Isabela and also the island of Fernandina. On this trek, you will be able to visit the most outstanding sites and learn a bit more about the diversity of the wildlife of the Galapagos Islands. Our 8 day long itinerary on the islands will allow you to see much more than the traditional cruises, make the most of every single day on the islands and live a unique experience that you will cherish forever.
- 11 days / 10 nights tour program (*) 3-Star Hotel Café Cultura. Other options available upon request. (**) Welcome and farewell dinner + lunch at some of the best restaurants in Quito We have selected our preferred yachts for this itinerary:
Day 1 - Monday: Arrival in Quito, private transfer to the Hotel. Day 2 - Tuesday: Quito city tour. Visit of the colonial district, with its ancient churches, 500-year old buildings constructed over Inca ruins and its colonial Spanish-style plazas. Day 3 - Wednesday: Morning flight to the Galapagos. Arrive at Baltra Airport. Our Guides will escort you on a short bus ride to the harbor. After a briefing and a light lunch the first site is visited. North Seymour is the perfect place for marine bird watching, like blue footed boobies, frigates, swallow tailed gulls, all of these nesting in season. The sound, the variety of their activities, the colonies sizes, is part of one of the most fascinating experiences in Galapagos. In the other side of the Island, you will be able to see sea lions, playing with the waves, which afterwards crash against the rocks that are covered with marine Iguanas. Day 4 - Thursday: South Plaza is one of the smallest islands visited, 426 feet wide (130 meters) and just over ½ mile (800 meters) long. Here you can watch land iguanas, in a small Opuntia cactus forest. A trail will take you, from the sea lion colony, to the cliffs, where you can observe sea birds, such as frigates, swallow tail gulls, boobies, red billed tropic birds, pelicans, and so on. Santa Cruz Island. In Puerto Ayora functions the National Park's office, as well as the Charles Darwin Research Station, where you will see the incubation and raising of the Giant tortoises. Here you will observe the baby tortoises before their repatriation to their natural habitat. After touring the Station, a journey by bus into the highlands to Los Gemelos, the two deep pit craters situated in the Scalesia forest with lots of interesting bird life. Go for a walk through the giant lava tunnels, of more than a kilometer in length. Lava tubes were made by the solidification of the surface of a lava flow. When the flow stops, the liquid lava inside keeps on flowing, leaving the exterior surface solidified and forming the tunnels. Day 5 - Friday: Española Island. In Gardner Bay you will find one of the most beautiful white sand beaches in the Islands, with excellent opportunities of swimming and snorkeling around the nearby small, rocky islands. This beach is frequented by a transient colony of sea lions, and is a major nesting site for marine turtles. Around the small islets nearby, snorkelers will find lots of fish and sometimes turtles and sharks. On a trail leading to the western tip of the island you'll pass the only nesting site in the Galapagos of the waved albatross. These huge birds nest here from April to December. In the afternoon we head for Punta Suarez, one of the most interesting places in the whole archipelago, where you will be able to see a subspecies of marine iguanas with red and green spots, endemic to Española. You will also see blue footed boobies, masked boobies, Hood mockingbirds, swallow tailed gulls, oystercatchers and red-billed tropicbirds. Day 6 - Saturday: In Floreana Island, one of the most interesting places is Punta Cormorant, with its green beach due to olivine crystals. A short walk takes you to a lagoon where you can see flamingos next to a few other wading birds. A spectacular place to snorkel and dive is the Devil's Crown, the top of a partially submerged volcano that resembles a black crown. Over the tops of the rocks that emerge from the sea, red-billed tropicbirds and Audubon Shearwaters are nesting. Under the water, you will find thousands of colorful fish, rays and coral formations. In the afternoon, the visit to Post Office Bay can be very pleasant for those who are interested on the human history of the Islands. Day 7 - Sunday: Isabela Island. To the southwest lies Punta Moreno, where one lands on an impressive lava flow, and there can be found several species of pioneering plants. Walking on this flow will take you to several sunken brackish water ponds, with moor hens, pin tailed ducks, frigates, pelicans, and occasionally flamingos and pied bill grebes. At Elizabeth bay, you will be able to snorkel, and find rays and sea turtles. A dinghy ride on the hidden lagoons will give you the opportunity to observe dozens of sea turtles on a pristine and peaceful environment. After this, still on the dinghy, a trip around the "Marielas", where penguins roost and nest. Day 8 - Monday: Isabela Island. Urbina Bay is an easy wet landing on a gentle sloping beach. This area is very interesting in that it is a perfect example of the geological activity of the islands. In 1954 over 3 miles (5 kilometers) of the marine reef at the edge of the shore were uplifted by 13 feet (4 meters). You will find here flightless cormorants, pelicans, penguins, blue-footed boobies and marine and land iguanas, as well as Alcedo tortoises, if you get lucky. At the bay you will find rays and sea turtles. Fernandina Island has remained almost intact in the face of man's presence in the archipelago, due to its remoteness, making it probably the most pristine Island in the Galapagos, where at least up until today, no introduced species are found. Volcanically, this island is the most active and its very young volcanic landscapes are impressive. Here you can find formations of pahoe-hoe and aa lava, which gives you an idea of how everything started in this planet. The only visitor's site is Punta Espinosa, where you can see the largest concentrations of marine iguanas in the Archipelago, as well as flightless cormorants, sea lions, penguins, Sally Lightfoot crabs, lava lizards, hawks, and mangrove forests. Day 9 - Tuesday: Santiago Island has several sites to visit at the western end of James Bay. Puerto Egas is one of the most popular sites of the islands. There is a wet landing on a black sand beach and then the walk goes along the shore, where black lava formations, tide pools, caves and entries will captivate you with their shapes and colors, and so will the wildlife you will find in this place. Big marine iguana colonies feed from green seaweed that contrast above the black lava from the shores, next to the red Sally light foot crabs that attract lava herons which are their predators. At the end of the road you will meet a colony of fur seals, and walking to the interior you can always see some Darwin's finches, large billed fly catchers, Galapagos doves, Galapagos mockingbirds, dark billed cuckoos and the Galapagos Hawk. Bartolome is the most photographed island in the Archipelago. A walk through an unusual lava landscape, and then up some wooden stairs, will take you to the top, from where the view is more spectacular than what the images suggest. There is a beautiful crescent shaped beach where you can snorkel among the endemic penguins from Galapagos, marine turtles and tropical fish schools. Day 10 - Wednesday: Santa Cruz Island. Black Turtle Cove is a salt-water lagoon surrounded by different mangrove species and in its quiet crystal clear waters you can observe marine turtles, sharks and rays. In the afternoon we head for Baltra, and return to Quito. Day 11 - Thursday: Depart home or take a trip extension Note: This is our standard Galapagos National Park approved itinerary. Itinerary may be different for each yacht. Some Yachts depart from San Cristobal Island. Time spent at each site will depend on environmental variables such as wildlife, weather, etc. Changes will be decided upon by captains. All itineraries are subject to change by the authorities of the Galapagos National Park or acts of providence. Hikes in two visitor sites every day, through nature trails, on sand, dirt or volcanic rock, usually one or two miles long (both ways). Dry or wet landings, on rocks, jetties or directly on a sandy beach. This type of adventure is graded EASY level of difficulty, although one should be in decent physical form and be an active person. Quito is situated at 9,180 feet above sea level. Bewitched Islands - 11 Days / 10 Nights
Cost Includes:
- 8 days / 7 nights Naturalist Cruise of the Galapagos Islands Not included in cost:
- Flight Quito - Galapagos - Quito: US$ 425 (subject to change) Note: Air tickets and park fees are subject to change without previous notification Prices valid until December 31 / 2010
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Trip Details
