Private Charter - Islands Circumnavigation - West

Upon arrival, reception and assistance at the airport, transfer from Baltra Airport to the M/C Grand Ocean Spray.

This site offers rare, up-close viewing of Galapagos wildlife and well-preserved remnants of fragile volcanic rock that can't be found in such a unique condition anywhere else. The island is named after the similarity of an Asian type of hat. Here you can see American Oystercatchers and Galapagos Penguins swimming along the shores.
Activities: Walking, snorkeling, kayaking, dinghy ride
Difficulty: Moderate
Landing: Wet landing
Possible Wildlife: Sea lions, various shorebirds, white-cheeked pintail ducks, penguins, Galapagos Hawks, various tropical fish, and sally lightfoot crabs.

Vicente Roca Point has outstanding geological formations and is a great place to see various bird species. Because this visitor site is located on the western area of the island, the Cromwell Current provides cold water that carries many nutrients for both land and aquatic species, offering the chance to see amazing feeding frenzies.
Activities: Dinghy ride, snorkeling
Difficulty: Easy / Moderate
Landing: No landing
Possible Wildlife: Sea lions, various shorebirds, blue-footed boobies, Nazca boobies, fur seals, whales, sea turtles, various tropical fish, sally lightfoot crabs, and other marine species.

As one of the most pristine islands in the archipelago, Fernandina has never had a foreign species invade. It is also the most active island and farthest west. Espinosa Point is the only visitor site on the entire island. Here you can see marine iguanas and Galapagos hawks and enjoy a hike and/or snorkeling activity at one of the most natural, unspoiled sites in the entire world.
Activities: Walking, snorkeling
Difficulty: Easy/Moderate
Landing: Dry landing - may be slippery
Possible Wildlife: Flightless cormorants, marine iguanas, land iguanas, penguins, sea lions, various shorebirds, Galapagos Hawks, various tropical fish, sally lightfoot crabs, and sea turtles.

If you like historic remnants, then you will enjoy finding what was left behind by pirates and sailors in the 1800s. This site was one of their preferred pit stops while traveling the seas. The hike here will provide incredible views of the cove and on the other side the mangrove forest where the last 35 pairs of Mangrove finches thrive.
Activities: Walking, snorkeling, kayaking, dinghy ride
Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult
Landing: Dry
Possible Wildlife: Sea lions, various shorebirds, flightless cormorants, Galapagos penguins, marine iguanas, sally lightfoot crabs, and mangrove finches.

Millions of years ago, Urbina Bay was once lying on the ocean floor. Volcanic uplifts caused it to rise, and now it is occupied by sea lions, land iguanas, and flightless cormorants. It is a great place to enjoy some free time on the beach, or the guide may suggest a hike.
Activities: Walking, snorkeling
Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult
Landing: Wet
Possible Wildlife: Sea lions, various shorebirds, flightless cormorants, marine iguanas, sea turtles, land iguanas, Galapagos Hawk, sally lightfoot crabs, Galapagos tortoise.

This visitor site is visited by panga only as the park authorities have no authorized landing in order to protect the island. While in the panga you can appreciate a large abundance of marine life that can be seen in the clear waters.
Activities: Dinghy ride
Difficulty: Easy
Landing: No Landing
Possible Wildlife: Sea lions, frigate birds, sea turtles, various shorebirds, flightless cormorants, marine iguanas, pelicans, sally lightfoot crabs, tropical fish, and marine life such as Galapagos sharks.

The beautiful rocky shores of Moreno Point offer a plethora of birds to be seen. It is truly a birder's delight. The main attraction is the coast lagoons where white-tipped sharks can be seen and the panoramic views of Sierra Negra and Cerro Azul volcanoes cannot be missed.
Activities: Walking, snorkeling, and a dinghy ride
Difficulty: Moderate
Landing: Wet
Possible Wildlife: Sea lions, great blue herons, various shorebirds, flightless cormorants, marine iguanas, sally lightfoot crabs, sea turtles, land iguanas, Galápagos Hawk, Galapagos tortoise.

The Charles Darwin Research Station is one of the Galapagos Island’s most important sites for visitors. It is a research facility that has an extensive collection of Galapagos plant life specimens carefully preserved and also acts as a biological research station and active breeding center operated by the Charles Darwin Foundation. Their biggest conservation efforts are to one day eliminate all invasive and non-native plants and animals destroying endemic species within the islands.
Activities: Walking
Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult
Landing: Dry
Possible Wildlife: Galapagos tortoises in captivity and various stages of tortoises.

The highlands are located in the northern part of Santa Cruz and can reach elevations up to 1500 meters. This area is rich in hills, ferns, volcanoes, and wildlife. A great contrast to the molten lava-hardened beaches and rocky areas of other islands already seen. It is home to giant tortoises, mockingbirds, finches, and many other species.
Activities: Walking
Difficulty: Moderate
Landing: Dry
Possible Wildlife: Galapagos tortoises, finches, mockingbirds, lava lizards, pintail ducks, and other shorebirds.

South Plaza is one of the smallest islands with a visitor site, but it is home to an incredible amount of diverse flora and fauna. It has a large population of Sesuvium plants, like the prickly pear cactus tree, which is an important source of food for the land iguana. Just a few years ago, mice were finally eradicated from the island, helping the population of land iguanas grow healthily once more. The amazing colors of the turquoise waters against the black lava create a setting for amazing photography opportunities.
Activities: Walking
Difficulty: Moderate
Landing: Dry
Possible Wildlife: frigatebirds, sally lightfoot crabs, sea lions, land iguanas, swallow-tailed gulls, various shorebirds, and seabirds.

Santa Fe is home to the endemic Santa Fe iguana. The island was created by a volcanic uplift that now hosts a forest of Opuntia and Palo Santo trees. It is a picturesque island with two different trails, one leading to a scenic viewpoint and the other leading to a small beach. Giant tortoises were once native here but went extinct after pirates and sailors took them aboard as a source of food.
Activities: Walking, snorkeling, kayaking, and a dinghy ride
Difficulty: Moderate
Landing: Dry
Possible Wildlife: Santa Fe land iguanas, frigatebirds, sally lightfoot crabs, sea lions, finches, and various shorebirds.

This is a phenomenal site where you will get to see many of Española Island's endemic species. The trail will pass by the only Waved Albatross breeding site in all of the Galapagos. If you are lucky, you might see a young albatross take off for its first flight after up to five years at sea. Older birds stay at sea for months at a time, only coming back to breed. They have the same mate for life and will meet each other each year, only here to reproduce. Other species that can be seen are marine iguanas that stay brightly colored year-round, Galapagos doves, Nazca boobies, blue-footed boobies, swallow-tailed gulls, red-billed tropic birds, and Darwin finches.
Activities: Walking
Difficulty: Easy/Moderate
Landing: Dry
Possible Wildlife: Sea lions, marine iguanas, Galapagos hawk, waved albatross, red-billed tropic birds, various shorebirds, Nazca boobies, swallow-tailed gulls, finches, and sally lightfoot crabs.

This white sandy beach is home to a large colony of sea lions and incredibly blue and turquoise waters. Three different finches can be seen, as well as the Española mockingbird. Over time, the mockingbird must have been offered water or food from tourists, and now they have no fear of walking on your things or landing very close to you. It is so important not to feed or touch the animals. It can disrupt their normal behaviors and threaten their future.
Activities: Walking, snorkeling, kayaking, and dinghy ride
Difficulty: Easy
Landing: Wet landing
Possible Wildlife: Sea lions, various shorebirds, mockingbirds, stingrays, and sea turtles.

A short distance from the center of San Cristobal is the San Cristobal Interpretation Center, open to the public since 1998, which provides extensive knowledge about the fascinating history of the archipelago and give visitors a more holistic understanding of these islands' unique habitats and wildlife. The main areas of focus, which are addressed through a number of expositions are natural history, human history, and conservation for the future. For those who are interested in the geology of the archipelago, there is a complete exhibit on the volcanic birth of the Galapagos and how this impacted the habitats present here.
Activities: Walking
Difficulty: Easy
Landing: Dry Landing

After this last visit, transfer to the San Cristobal airport for your return flight to mainland Ecuador. Assistance and farewell at the airport.