Galapagos Islands Voyage

Saturday

Fly into Baltra Airport where you will be met by one of our reps and transferred to the Ocean Spray. After lunch onboard, we’ll spend the afternoon exploring Chinese Hat, a volcanic rock formation named after its similarity to an Asian style of hat. It’s a great opportunity to spot a diverse array of Galapagos wildlife, including penguins, hawks, and sally lightfoot crabs

MEALS INCLUDED : Lunch, Dinner

Sunday

After breakfast, we’ll visit Vicente Roca Point, which is located on the northwest coast of Isabela Island. Its twin coves provide important nesting sites for blue-footed and Nazca boobies, as well as storm petrels and brown noddy terns. The cool waters of the Cromwell Current carry nutrients for large ocean mammals, such as whales, dolphins, and sea lions, with the chance to see some incredible feeding frenzies. 

In the afternoon, we’ll visit one of the most pristine islands in the archipelago, Fernandina, which is yet to be invaded by foreign species. Espinoza Point is the only visitor site on the island and a wonderful spot for seeing marine iguanas and Galapagos hawks. In addition to snorkeling, you can enjoy a walk around one of the world’s most untouched natural islands. 

MEALS INCLUDED : Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Monday

Today begins with a visit to Tagus Cove on Isabela Island, which was once a pit stop for 19th-century sailors and pirates. A walking trail offers magnificent views across the cove and its fringing mangrove forest that provides a home for around 35 pairs of mangrove finches. 

This afternoon will see us in Urbina Bay, which lay on the ocean floor before volcanic uplifts resulted in it rising to where it is today. Sea lions and land iguanas can be observed during beach walks here, together with flightless cormorants, Galapagos hawks, and sally lightfoot crabs. 

MEALS INCLUDED : Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Tuesday

Our day begins with a dinghy ride around Elizabeth Bay, which is only observable from the water to ensure its preservation. During the cruise, you can observe some of the marine life that inhabits the crystal clear waters, including a variety of tropical fish and Galapagos sharks. 

In the afternoon, we will visit the rocky shores of Moreno Point, which is one of the archipelago’s top birding destinations. Great blue herons, flightless cormorants, and Galapagos hawks have all been observed here. We’ll search for white-tipped sharks in the coastal lagoons while enjoying stunning views of Sierra Negra and Cerro Azul. 

MEALS INCLUDED : Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Wednesday

Start the day with a visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station, a research facility that boasts an impressive collection of native plant specimens. It’s not only a biological research station but also an active breeding center for giant tortoises. Learn about the conservation efforts being spearheaded here to eliminate invasive and non-native species from the islands. 

In the afternoon, we will travel into the highlands of Santa Cruz where the landscape is completely different from anything else seen on this trip. Its lushly vegetated hills and volcanic landscapes provide a habitat for giant tortoises and mockingbirds, as well as lava lizards and several species of Darwin’s finches. 

MEALS INCLUDED : Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Thursday

Our destination this morning is South Plaza, a tiny island that boasts a diverse array of flora and fauna. It’s particularly renowned for its prickly pear cactus, which provides an important food source for the resident land iguanas. Their numbers have bounced back after the devastating impact of invasive mice, which were recently eradicated from the island. South Plaza is a photographer’s dream, with its black lava formations juxtaposed against the turquoise waters of the Pacific Ocean. 

After lunch, there will be the opportunity to see endemic Santa Fe iguanas amidst the island’s forest of Opuntia and Palo Santo trees. Created by volcanic uplift, Santa Fe has two different hiking trails, one of which leads to a small beach and the other to a scenic viewpoint.

MEALS INCLUDED : Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Friday

After breakfast, we will visit Suarez Point to observe some of Española Island’s endemic species and see the only waved albatross breeding site in the Galapagos Islands. If you are lucky, you may see some of the young birds taking their first flight and older birds returning to mate and breed. In addition to Nazca and blue-footed boobies, swallow-tailed gulls, red-billed tropic birds, and brightly colored marine iguanas can also be seen here. 

In the afternoon, we will visit Gardner Bay, a stunning beach that is renowned for its resident sea lions. Several different finch species are regularly spotted here, alongside Española mockingbirds that are particularly tame. There will also be the option to go snorkeling around Gardner and Osborn islets where you can get up close to tropical fish, sea turtles, and playful young sea lions.

MEALS INCLUDED : Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Saturday

Begin your final day in the Galapagos Islands with a visit to the San Cristobal Interpretation Center, which has been open to the public since 1998. It offers a fascinating insight into the natural and human history of the islands, as well as the conservation work being conducted here. Not to miss is the exhibition dedicated to the volcanic birth of the archipelago and how this has impacted the landscape today.

It’s then time to head to San Cristobal Airport for your return flight to mainland Ecuador. 

MEALS INCLUDED : Breakfast