Experience the Central Islands and abundant wildlife of the Galapagos on this 4-day journey aboard the Darwin. Explore pit craters, Scalesia forests, tidal pools, and underwater formations while snorkeling, swimming, hiking, and dinghy cruising on this Galapagos Discovery tour.
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
Upon arrival at Baltra Airport, meet your guide and transfer via a short bus ride to the port of Seymour. Please note: A park entrance fee of $100 is charged at the airport inspection point.
Embark the Darwin Yacht and meet the Captain and crew. In the afternoon, visit the high part of Santa Cruz Island, “Los Gemelos” or “The Twin Pit Craters”. They are, geologically speaking, seen as craters but their formation is not directly due to volcanic action. Rather they were created as a result of the collapse or sinking of surface materials into cracks or manholes. In 1989 a circular path around the largest crater was opened, which passes through the interior of the Scalesia forest, an excellent place to observe land birds, especially the woodpecker finch and the vermillion flycatcher. Another plant that draws attention is the Galapagos guava or guayabillo tree, Psidium galapageium, which has a clean and smooth bark and branches covered with epiphytes and brown liverworts.
Spend the day exploring Santiago Island. Port Egas is a black sand beach located on the west side of James Bay and northwest of Santiago Island. South of the beach is Sugarloaf Volcano, which has deposits of volcanic tuff, the same that has formed the black sand beach. The Crater is just north of this site. It has a saltwater lagoon, which during the summer dry season becomes a salt mine.
Next head to Espumilla Beach on the northern coast of Santiago Island in James Bay. The main attractions here are a palo santo forest, beach, and the landscape. The beach is an important site for nesting marine turtles (Chelonia midas agassizi).
In the morning go to Bartolome Beach, a flagship site in the Galapagos Islands due to its beauty. Possessing masterful landscapes, its main attractions are the beaches, the dunes, and Pinnacle Rock (a tuff cone or volcanic ash sediment). Among the species present are the sea turtles (Chelonia mydas), which choose this place as a nesting site, and the Galapagos penguins. This site has two beaches: North Beach and South Beach. At North Beach you can practice swimming and snorkeling; South Beach is accessed by a small path along the mangroves and over the great sand dune.
In the afternoon go to Sullivan Bay, located southeast of Santiago Island. This site is of great geological interest. The landing can be performed either on the rocky shore (dry landing) or the white sand beach (wet landing). The length of the trail is approximately 1.5 km; travel time is one hour and a half. The area is covered by Pahoehoe lava flows (solidified lava in corrugated or accordion form). It was very active in the last 25 years of the nineteenth century - the Sullivan lava formed in 1897 and is geologically very young. The magma formed is flat, but the movement of underground lava, the rapid cooling and other eruptions led to the break in many places.
Day 4: North Seymour / Disembark on Baltra
1 Breakfast
In the morning go to North Seymour (located north of Baltra), where you can walk along a 2 mile trail. This site, in addition to South Plaza and North Plaza, Baltra, northeastern Santa Cruz, Santa Fe and part of Española, was formed by uprisings of underwater volcanic lavas. They were part of a volcanic lava table deposited in sheet form along cracks located on the ocean floor. The uprisings occurred sporadically and lasted more than a million years to reach current levels. The largest nesting colony of great frigatebirds in the Galapagos is found here, at its westernmost range. The common frigatebird is also present.
Transfer to the Baltra airport for your flight back to the mainland.
Apologies for the inconvenience. Prices for not yet published. Below per person rate based on previous season. Contact us to confirm upcoming season pricing.
Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
Child Discount
10% discount for children under age 5 at time of Galapagos cruise
Children under 12 may receive discounts on Galapagos flight fares and entrance fees. Contact us for details.
Galapagos Flights
Quito - Galapagos Roundtrip
$530 - $675
Guayaquil - Galapagos Roundtrip
$475 - $620
Optional Hospitality Packages
$230-$310 Two hotel nights in Quito and two domestic transfers
$200-$290 Two hotel nights in Guayaquil and two domestic transfers
Initial deposit is 35% ($400 minimum), and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card.
Final payment is due 115 days prior to departure by bank transfer, check or credit card. All final payments by credit card may be subject to a surcharge and maximum of $20,000 charge
Everything was amazing! The planning with Adventure Life went smoothly. The actual trip was fantastic! One of the best trips I have experienced. The cruise staff members were knowledgeable and attentive. I will be writing more about this on the blog!
Justin Chappelle
TrustScore 4.8 | 133 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 133 reviews on
21 hours ago
Kelly and Rhenee were excellent to work with on planning our trip. The logistics all worked smoothly and everyone was friendly and on time. Our accommodations were very good, particularly the incredible Patagonia Camp in Torres del Paine! Our guides on every excursion were outstanding and made the hikes memorable! Overall we had a wonderful trip with incredible memories!
Scott Gibson
23 hours ago
Adventure Life is definitely a first-class safari tour company, and our representative was Franny Friesz. First of all, she responded immediately after we contacted Adventure Life. We told Franny that we had never been on a safari, and she was more than eager to offer a mountain of information about the trip. She informed us fully about all the ups, downs, and all arounds! She even prepared a number of packages for us to review -- even after we made changes to the areas we wanted to explore. Friendly, helpful, professional, and extremely knowledgeable -- these words describe Franny, and what a wonderful trip she prepared! We couldn't have asked for better service than Franny of Adventure Life. We HIGHLY recommend her and her outstanding company! Bon Voyage!
Prima Burke
1 day ago
The staff at Adventure Life made planning my family's trip to the Galapagos Islands as easy as possible. They listened to what we were hoping to experience and made thoughtful suggestions about how to accomplish our vacation goals while meeting the needs of travelers ages 17-76! They patiently answered questions and follow up questions in the months leading up to the trip. They helped us trouble shoot and customize the trip in every way possible. The logistics involved in traveling from Boston to the Galapagos are innumerable. The Adventure Life staff helped us arrange every detail and the team they assembled in the Galapagos was tremendous. I have never done a trip this big before and after working with Adventure Life this time--would not hesitate one second in working with them again.
Jennifer Howard Schroeder
2 days ago
Kevin got right on our request and had us booked within the week
Linda Cummings
3 days ago
The info on the website was laid out very well. I did some comparisons with other tours and found Adventure Life met a lot of what I wanted in an Antarctica trip at the cheapest price. Requested a quote on Claudia contacted me right away. She answered a lot of questions the I had via email even though she offered to discuss via phone call. I’m more of an email person so appreciated how she accommodated that and answered all my questions. And when I was ready to book, she quickly got the ball rolling with getting our spots reserved on the trip my friend and I wanted. Thanks again, Claudia!