Departing from Quito or Guayaquil to Baltra Island (approx. 2:30-hour flight). Arriving in the Galapagos, passengers are picked up at the airport by our naturist guides to take advantage of the time in the archipelago. They will be taken directly to Santa Cruz Island for lunch. First visit of the itinerary.

Charles Darwin Research Station (Santa Cruz Island)
Dry landing. Once home to the famous Lonesome George, the last tortoise of the Pinta race, the breeding and relocation center is named in honor of his long-time guardian. The center is set in the Galapagos National Park Service where various interpretative buildings are available to visit. The grounds, with large stands of native vegetation, are one of the better places to spot some of the seldom seen Darwin’s finches such as the woodpecker, cactus and vegetarian finches.
Highlights: Giant tortoises, Darwin finches, pricky-pear cactus, Interpretation Center.
Difficulty level: intermediate
Type of terrain: flat
Activities: 1 hour 45 min bus ride round trip / 1 hour 30 min hike and visit

Dry landing. Be marveled at the variety of sea life that uses the crevices of the lava cliffs for shelter. Red-billed Tropicbirds fly overhead, switching between their nests and the bay, and a small colony of fur seals may be found near the landing site. You will be dropped off at a steep stairway that begins on rocks at the foot of a path that leads through a seabird colony full of Nazca and Red-footed Boobies. At the plateau, the trail continues inland allowing you to see more nesting booby colonies in the thin Palo Santo forest. Near the end of the trail, over a rocky lava plain, Wedge-rumped Storm Petrels can be observed flying in all directions. If you are lucky, you may catch a glimpse of a Short-eared Owl.
Difficulty level: Moderate
Type of terrain: rocky - lava
Activities: 45 min walk

Riding your dinghy to the far side of the caldera, red-billed tropicbirds display vociferously overhead while Galapagos fur seals can be seen on the shoreline. Once at the top of the rocky stairway you are immediately met by Nazca boobies, red-footed boobies, mockingbirds and finches that line your way through a palo santo forest until you arrive at an expansive open lava field. Wedge-rumped storm petrels swarm above the lava where you keep your eyes peeled for short-eared owls.
Difficulty level: Moderate
Type of terrain: Mix (Sand & Lava)
Activities: Approx. 2 ½ hours walk

Wet landing. Lying at the heart of the archipelago this dramatic island, with its distinctive red-sand beach, is home to sea lions, mockingbirds, finches, endemic Galapagos doves and vermillion flycatchers. A walk takes you through a forest of palo santo and cacti to a beautiful overview of the bay. Snorkeling here can be excellent, often with large schools of black-striped salemas, sea lions and the ubiquitous turtles.
Highlights: Incredible landscape, Brown pelicans, nesting spots of seabirds, red sandy beach.
Difficulty level: easy
Type of terrain: sandy & grabble
Activities: 1 ½ hour hike / 1 hour beach snorkeling / 1 hour dinghy ride

Considered the most iconic landscape of the entire archipelago the view from the top of Bartolome Island, overlooking the famous Pinnacle Rock and the austere Santiago Island beyond, is well worth the climb up the wooden boardwalk. This volcanic scene has often been likened to a lunar landscape. Your subsequent snorkel here might put you face to face with Galapagos penguins, white-tipped reef sharks, and playful sea lions.
Highlights: Landscape, Pinnacle Rock, penguins, blue-footed boobies.
Disembarking:
Landing 1. dry, to trek up Summit Trail
Landing 2. wet, to visit Bartolome Beach
Difficulty level: intermediate
Type of terrain: wooden path of 372 stairs.
Activities: 1 ½ hour hike / 1 hour beach time, snorkeling, swimming or snorkeling

Here, you can find four species of mangrove in the extensive tidal lagoon system that stretches for almost a mile inland. During your dinghy ride through the labyrinth you will spot many turtles, herons of several species, sharks and rays. The experience is otherworldly and seems to transport you back to the beginning of time.
Highlights: Four species of mangrove, declared a "Turtle Sanctuary"
Difficulty level: easy
Activities: 1 hour dinghy ride

Dry landing. In the central highlands of Santa Cruz Island you have your best opportunity to interact at close quarters with totally wild, Galapagos giant tortoises. A short walk among these huge, 600lb, reptiles will also offer the chance for more highland species, especially several species of the famed finches.
Difficulty level: easy
Type of terrain: flat & muddy (depending on season)
Activities: 45-minute drive / 1 ½-hour walk

This is a spectacular visitor site, surrounded by immense cliffs of the eroded volcano. Studded with resting sea birds such as brown noddies and Nazca boobies, you will enjoy them in close proximity from your dinghies. Snorkeling here is superb, with certain species of fish only found in the west of the archipelago. You also have a very real chance of swimming with penguins and potentially a plethora of green turtles.
Difficulty level: moderate
Type of terrain: water
Activities: 1-hour snorkeling / 1-hour dinghy ride

Dry landing. The youngest island of Galapagos and one of the most pristine in the world. Fernandina is simply the ‘marine iguana capital of the world´, This desolate volcanic backdrop is home to a huge concentration of these enigmatic reptiles. Incongruously, sharing the same shoreline, you can find the diminutive Galapagos penguins. Here you also have the exciting opportunity to snorkel with marine iguanas feeding underwater, penguins, turtles and the bizarre, endemic, flightless cormorants.
Difficulty level: moderate
Type of terrain: flat / rocky
Activities: 2-hour walk / 1-hour snorkeling

Wet landing. At the far end of a long, level hike you arrive at a strange phenomenon where large blocks of coral lie completely exposed after a dramatic geological uplift in 1954. Located at the western base of Alcedo Volcano you hope to run into a few very impressive land iguanas as well as some of the volcano´s endemic Galapagos giant tortoises during the wet season.
Difficulty level: moderate
Type of terrain: flat & rocky
Activities: 1 ½-hour walk / 1-hour snorkeling

Dry landing. A well-known hideout and deep-water anchorage in the days of pirates, Tagus Cove was also one of the few sites visited by Charles Darwin and the HMS Beagle in 1835. A beautiful hike leads us past an overview of Darwin Lake and on to a stunning volcanic landscape revealing Isabela island´s dramatic northern volcanoes. Once back at sea level the perfect activity is to snorkel along a submerged wall with turtles, lots of fish, penguins and potentially flightless cormorants. You might even be tempted by a dinghy ride or kayak!
Difficulty level: moderate/difficult
Type of terrain: steep
Activities: 2-hour walk / 40-minutes dinghy ride / 1-hour deep water snorkeling

Wet landing. The black volcanic sand sets this landing apart from most. It is best known for the dramatic shoreline where you meet a host of species that chose to live between land and sea. Particular among these are the endemic Galapagos fur seals which maintain a small colony at the end of your walk. Other species of note include American oystercatchers, sea lions, waders, herons, lava lizards and even Galapagos hawks. An optional visit takes you to an abandoned salt mine famous in its day for supplying salt to mainland Ecuador.
Difficulty level: moderate
Type of terrain: flat & semi-rocky
Activities: 1 ½-hour walk / 1-hour snorkeling

Wet landing. Although, when viewed from the sea, the site does not look especially interesting visitors are always totally enthralled by the amazing beds of pahoehoe lava from the recent flow on the island. It is a landscape and macro photographer´s dream. The importance of pioneer plants such as the tiny Mollugo will be discussed as you hike over the lava. After your land visit you can enjoy a refreshing snorkel in the company of sea lions, turtles and rays.
Difficulty level: demanding
Type of terrain: flat volcanic lava
Activities: 1 ½-hour walk / 1-hour snorkeling / beach time

Wet landing. Named for some wrecked World War II barges whose ribs are still visible in the sand this visitor site offers great swimming, a lovely walk along the shore and a visit to a lagoon behind the high tide line with wading birds, marine iguanas and sometimes even flamingoes. The two beaches are also favorite nesting sites for green turtles which often leave tractor-like tracks in the sand.
Difficulty level: easy
Type of terrain: sandy
Activities: 1-hour walk / beach time

After the visit, passengers transfer to the airport for your return flight to Guayaquil or Quito.