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(Floreana) Sally Lightfoot Crab

Islands Circumnavigation

Example 15 Day Cruise
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Take your time circumnagivating the Galapagos Islands on this 15-day cruise aboard the Eden. On this tour you have a chance to see all that the Galapagos offers. Travel to islands such as Santa Cruz, Isabela, North Seymour, Genovesa and more. Learn from a bilingual guide about the flora and fauna that surround you. Witness sea lions, white-tipped sharks, sea turtles, golden rays, iguanas, and a large variety of birds. Don't miss out on this chance to snorkel, hike, and swim around the Galapagos on this unique adventure!
(Santiago)View of Isabela From FernandinaKicker Rock, San CristobalPinnacle rock in Bartolome(Floreana) Sally Lightfoot Crab
Highlights
  • Get an up-close look at a sea turtle nesting site
  • Snorkel around Devil's Crown, one of the best spots in the Galapagos
  • Visit Post Office Bay and leave a postcard in the barrel
  • Hike to the Sierra Negra Volcano
Activity Level: Relaxed
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
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Full Itinerary

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Day 1: Baltra | Embark | Bachas Beach

  • 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Arrive in Baltra and your bilingual naturalist guide greets you at the airport. During lunch you are introduced to the islands, flora, and fauna that you can encounter at Las Bachas Beach. 

The white sand beaches of Las Bachas give you a closer look at the sea turtle nesting area as well as pink flamingos and other migratory birds. Take a swim in the Pacific Ocean and then enjoy a welcome dinner aboard the ship.

Day 2: Genovesa

  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Land at Genovesa "Tower" Island and anchor at Darwin Bay. Take a walk and witness several swallow-tailed gulls. On your way back from the beach see a variety of Opuntia cactus and mangroves. Tower is an outpost for many sea birds. There are almost no land reptiles except for the marine iguanas. 

Visit El Barranco during the afternoon and then return to the boat for dinner.

Day 3: Bartolome | Sullivan Bay

  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Explore Bartolome and climb to the highest point for one of the most photographed vistas in the archipelago. The island is fairly young and quite volcanic so only a handful of plant and animal species call it home. 

Visit nearby Sullivan Bay and admire the lava flow.

Day 4: Daphne Island | Black Turtle Cove | Cerro Dragon

  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Arrive at Daphne Island, a cone formed by the accumulation of volcanic ash. It is home to thousands of birds such as blue-footed boobies, frigatebirds, tropic birds and many more. You do not go ashore here, but instead navigate around the island to look at the birds. 

Move on to Black Turtle Cove, a red mangrove lagoon on Santa Cruz. Be on the lookout for white-tip reef sharks, golden rays, spotted eagle rays, scalloped hammerhead sharks, black-tip sharks, and maybe even turtles. 

After lunch visit Cerro Dragon and make a dry landing on lava rocks. Observe the many land iguanas that live in the area. 

Day 5: Santa Cruz Island

  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Sail to Santa Cruz Island and visit the Charles Darwin Station. This is one of the best places to see land tortoises, including Lonesome George, the last survivor of his subspecies. Go to the station's Tortoise Rearing Center and find tortoises that range from babies the size of your hand to adults over 500 pounds. 

Santa Cruz Island is also home to the largest town and economic center of the Galapagos, Puerto Ayora. Explore the portside town and then move on to the upper region of the island. Learn about the vegetation and animal life in the area and see Darwin's finches, yellow warblers and vermillion flycatchers. 

Day 6: Floreana

  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Visit Punta Cormorant and follow a path to a flamingo lagoon. On your way pass by Carolina Beach, a sea turtle nesting area with countless sea birds and sea rays. 

Next, stop at the Devil's Crown, a sub-marine crater that offers some of the most spectacular snorkeling in the Galapagos. This is a great spot for seeing a wide array of tropical fish and white-tipped sharks.

After lunch sail to Post Office Bay, the island's original post office which is really just a wooden barrel! Drop off unstamped letters and postcards and pick up whatever mail you can hand deliver when you return home. 

Day 7: Espanola

  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Take a dingy to the shore of Espanola and watch sea lion pups sunbathing with marine iguanas. Also see blue-footed boobies and the Galapagos hawk. Depending on the season, you may be able to witness the blue-footed booby mating dance. 

As you walk along the island's path, pass hundreds of blue-footed booby nesting sites and one colony of masked boobies. There is also a good chance you see the frigatebird, the red-billed tropic bird, and the swallow-tailed gull. Pass El Soplador, a giant blowhole that explodes to heights of 25 feet. You may also see sea lions lounging in the nearby tide pools. 

After lunch visit Gardner Bay, a perfect place to relax, swim and snorkel near lionfish, flycatchers, and Galapagos hawks. 

Day 8: San Cristobal

  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Arrive at San Cristobal, the capital city of the Galapagos. The first site is Kicker Rock, a tuff volcanic cone that has been eroded by the wind and marine currents making it look like a sleeping lion. This site is home to blue-footed boobies, frigatebirds, and many others.

After navigating around Kicker Rock, continue on to the Interpretation center in Puerto Baquerizo. Your guide explains the formation of the islands and how the flora and fauna arrived. Visit the corrals where there are several species of giant tortoises under the care of the National Park Service. 

Day 9: Santa Fe | South Plaza Island

  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Continue to Santa Fe Island and enjoy a noisy welcome from the sea lion colony. Follow your guide along the path to reach Santa Fe's main attraction, a towering forest of giant cacti. Look for marine and land iguanas, lava lizards and land tortoises throughout the forest. After the walk, snorkel with sea lions, lionfish, and sea turtles. 

After lunch head to South Plaza Island to see a large colony of sea lions lounging in the sun. Enjoy cacti, lava gulls, yellow warblers, and red-billed tropic birds. 

Day 10: Santa Cruz Island

  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Travel to Tortuga Bay and view plants, flowers, gecko lizards, and birds. Swim and surf the beaches separated by a red mangrove. Explore the exotic and endemic plants around the beach. 

Day 11: Isabela

  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Hike to the Sierra Negra Volcano, one of the oldest volcanos in the Galapagos. Next visit the humedales, which is a mangrove area with small brackish water lagoons that create the perfect environment for a small type of shrimp that serves as the food for the island’s flamingos.

Following this visit you are transported to “The Wall of Tears.” When the Ecuadorian government first took possession of the islands their main purpose was to harbor Ecuadorian prisoners; since there was not much for them to do they were forced to carry rocks to a far location and build a wall.

Day 12: Isabela

  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Arrive in Punta Moreno on the west coast of Isabela. There are three kinds of cacti found here and the vegetation in this area is sparse and concentrated mainly in the mangrove area and around the lakes. 

The main attractions at Punta Moreno are the coastal lagoons amid black lava flows where there are several species of birds. Here you have a panoramic view of three of the most active volcanoes in the Galapagos. Continue to Elizabeth Bay and observe marine life. You can usually spot the the Galapagos penguins on the rocky islet at the entrance of the bay. 

Travel through a small passage lined with mangroves and emerge into an enclosed cove. Here look for marine turtles, rays, flightless cormorants, sea lions, and the Galapagos hawk.

Day 13: Isabela | Fernandina

  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
The visitor’s site of Tagus Cove is located west of Darwin Volcano on Isabela Island. The entire distance of the trail is about 1800 meters. This was a favorite spot for pirates and whalers, and the tradition of inscribing the names of boats is a tradition still observed today. At the beginning of the walk, going up and passing the staircase, is a small cave where you can find inscriptions dating to the 1800s. The trail offers a chance to view various land birds and leads to the lava fields of the Darwin Volcano. 

After lunch arrive in Punta Espinoza, a narrow ledge of lava and sand that extends from the base of the volcano to the sea. It is a place famous for its large colonies of marine iguanas and species like the flightless cormorant, Galapagos penguin, Galapagos hawk, snakes and others. 

Day 14: Santiago | Rabida

  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Travel to the black sand beaches of James Bay. Explore the surrounding area and then head to Rabida. Rabida Island has beautiful red sand beaches, a coastal lagoon, and a loop trail. The color of the rocks and sand on the beach is due to the very porous volcanic material, which with the help of environmental factors, has acted as an oxidizing agent. 

Day 15: North Seymour | Baltra | Disembark

  • 1 Breakfast
After breakfast arrive at North Seymour Island. Here see frigatebirds, blue-footed boobies and sea lions. 

Sail to Baltra Island to catch your plane back to the mainland.

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Included
  • 14 Breakfasts, 13 Lunches, 14 Dinners
  • 14 Nights Accommodations
  • Accommodations as listed
  • Ground transportation as listed
  • Activities as listed
  • Meals as listed
  • Access to a 24-7 Emergency line while traveling
  • Gear Rental: Snorkeling Gear
  • Bilingual Naturalist Guide 
  • Adventure Life Pre-departure Services and In-Country Assistance (Quito Representative)
  • Shore Excursions, Swimming and Snorkeling 
  • Transfers and Baggage Handling in the Galapagos
Excluded
  • Gratuities
  • Travel Insurance
  • Personal Expenses
  • Flight costs (please request a quote)
  • Additional excursions during free time
  • Fuel and transportation surcharges (when applicable)
  • Galapagos Park Entrance Fee: $200 per adult, $100 per child under 12 (fees of $100 per adult and $50 per child valid on arrivals through Aug 1, 2024). Payable upon arrival to the Galapagos, only in cash dollars. Subject to increase by Galapagos Park Service.
  • Internal Flights: Mainland Ecuador - Galapagos - Mainland Ecuador: $475-675
  • Wetsuits are not included but are available to rent on board with cash - $60 for an 8 day cruise or $35 for a 4 or 5 day cruise. If you have special requirements, please reserve in advance.

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The trip was terrific with great planning on your part. Most of the adventures were not mainstream and somewhat off the beaten path which made it especially enjoyable!! We felt taken care of and you all were readily available to respond to questions and issues. I would highly recommend your company and friends have already expressed interest based on our pictures and excitement.
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