Day 1 Baltra Island | Embark | South Plaza Island
Your private adventure begins with a morning flight to Baltra Island and immediate transfer to the dock to board Yacht La Pinta. There’s a welcome introductory briefing, boat drill, cabin assignment, and then lunch. Weigh anchor and start sailing for your first afternoon outing. The turquoise waters of the channel here contrast brilliantly with the white sand and black lava of the shoreline, while a carpet of scarlet sesuvium succulents serves as groundcover for a grove of luminescent green prickly-pear cactus beyond, populated by yellow-gray land iguanas. Along the coastline one finds sea lion colonies, while sea birds play with the thermals that form along the cliffs of this small but spectacular island.
Day 2 Santa Fe | San Cristobal
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Take the dinghy over to this idyllic sandy-white beach populated by colonies of sea lions. Galapagos hawks are often easily observed, perched atop salt bushes. The Santa Fe land iguana, unique to just this island, may be spotted during the walk. Following the walk, snorkel and swim along a natural wave barrier or ride the glass-bottom boat. After lunch, disembark at Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, the island's capital, and drive 40 minutes to the island’s southern shore. At Cerro Colorado, visit the breeding center for highly endangered giant tortoises in the midst of a fantastic deciduous forest, home to dozens of bird species, including the San Cristobal mockingbird, and the San Cristobal lava lizard, both island endemics.
Day 3 San Cristobal
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Land at the Eastern tip of San Cristobal Island this morning. The trail that ascends to Pitt Point from the beach provides spectacular views of the shoreline; observe frigates, plus a colony of bachelor sea lions. After the walk, if conditions are favorable, there is a chance to swim from the beach and snorkel. In the afternoon following lunch on board, a dinghy ride along the shores of tuff-stone layers takes you to Cerro Brujo's expansive, white coral beach, great for walking, with rewarding bird-watching featuring seabirds and shore birds. Also, look out for Galapagos sea lions. These are the same shores that Charles Darwin walked upon, back in September 1835.
Day 4 Española
Your morning outing in Punta Suárez provides an exciting walk on lava/boulder terrain to visit its unique sea bird colonies, including the waved albatrosses (April - January), boobies, swallow-tail gulls, and the famous “blowhole” lava formation. Also, look for red-green-black marine iguanas. Many regard this site as the best in the Galapagos. Back on board for lunch. In the afternoon, set down at this beautiful Garden Bay, white coral beach for a short walk to observe the sea lions, mockingbirds, finches, or enjoy the beach. There is great snorkeling in this area, or else there’s time to kayak or ride the glass-bottom boat.
Day 5 Santa Cruz | Disembark | Baltra
Disembarking in the morning, visit the Charles Darwin Research Station and the captive rearing program for the giant tortoises. Here witness the efforts and results of Galapagos fieldwork and study done in the name of science. Transfer via bus across Santa Cruz Island and a short ferry ride to Baltra. Your journey ends at Baltra Island. Be transferred to the airport to take the flight back to the mainland. Baltra's flat substrate (due to its uplifted origin) is the reason why the island was chosen back in the 1940s as the construction site for an airport.
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