Day 1: Quito
On arrival, check into your hotel and feel free to explore the culturally and historically vibrant capital city of Ecuador. Quito is lined with a variety of shops, churches occupied by fine art, overflowing market stands, hat makers, diverse food and nightlife displays. This city is well known for its ‘Old Town’, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site comprising stunning colonial monuments, sculptures and architecture.
Day 2: Bachas Beach (located in Santa Cruz)
Take an early morning flight to Baltra Aiport in the Galapagos Islands.
By the afternoon you will visit Bachas beach where the sand is made of decomposed coral, making it soft and white, and a favourite site for nesting sea turtles. Spot abundant Sally Lightfoot crabs on the lava rocks along the water's edge, eating anything they can get their claws on! Trek further with your naturalist guide to see a wide range of wildlife, including flamingos, hermit crabs, black necked stilts, and sea lions. Retreat into your spacious cabin aboard the Yolita and enjoy an Ecuadorian or international cuisine. Walk along the white coral sands of Darwin Bay surrounded by bustling sea birds.
Day 3: Darwin Bay & El Barranco (located in Genovesa Island)
In the morning land onto Darwin Bay and follow a trail to see nesting frigatebirds, gulls, and boobies. Be sure to bring your camera to take some snaps of these feathered creatures. Later visit a sunken caldera for a great snorkelling opportunity to see large schools of tropical fish swarming near the vertical walls, and, if your lucky, catch a glimpse of a manta ray or hammerhead shark.
In the afternoon, you will visit El Barranco also known as Prince Phillip's Steps located on the southern tip of the island for an amazing wildlife watching opportunity. Hike up the steps to gaze at the breeding grounds for red-footed boobies and masked boobies.
Day 4: Isla Bartolome & Sullivan Bay (located in Santiago)
Disembark onto Bartolomé for a guided tour to see the island's dramatic volcanic features. Hike to Bartolomé's summit for a stronger perspective of the islands' not-too-distant volcanic origins, and enjoy the best panoramic view. See other Galápagos Islands in the distance as well as Pinnacle Rock, the island’s famous towering landmark. Spot Galápagos penguins which are the only species of penguin found north of the Equator, walking precariously along narrow volcanic ledges at the base of the summit.
By the afternoon, land onto Sullivan Bay to see striking and fascinating giant lava formations. Very few plants have managed to survive on this island due to its harsh environment and relatively new lava flow. Enjoy a walk along the lava formations before coming to a white-coral sand beach, where abundant Sally Lightfoot crabs and sea lions gather on shore.
Day 5: Sierra Negra Volcano & Giant Tortoise Breeding Centre (located in Isabela Island)
Early landing in the small town of Puerto Villamil before you start your journey in Isabela Island. Hike to the rim of the 10km (6.2 mile) wide crater of the Sierra Negra volcano, which has the largest basaltic caldera in the Galápagos. Trek across the moon-like landscape of the lava fields and fumaroles, and enjoy spectacular views looking north toward Fernandina and the rest of Isabela Island. The volcano last erupted in October 2005, making it the most recent eruption of the Galápagos.
In the afternoon, head back to the town’s wetlands and then visit the Giant Tortoise Breeding Centre. Pass basking iguanas and flamingos, and head into the forest to see the gentle giants in their natural habitat at this reserve. This centre was built to protect the noble giant tortoise which was on the brink of extinction during the late 1950's.
Day 6: Elizabeth Bay & Urbina Bay (located in Isabela Island)
In the morning you will alight onto Elizabeth Bay which offers amazing bird and marine life viewing opportunities. Enjoy a thrilling panga (dinghy) ride to explore the shallows, keeping an eye out for wildlife hiding among the mangroves. Search for marine turtles, rays, and flightless cormorants in the sheltered waters. Also spot blue-footed boobies, penguins, and pelicans feeding on the abundant marine life.
After lunch, you will approach Urbina Bay for a unique walk among a massive marine reef that was raised out of the water in 1950 during an uplift. Marvel at the natural sculptures of dried coral and other ocean formations while touring the area on foot. Urbina Bay also offers great opportunities to see land iguanas that have astonishingly yellow skin, flightless cormorants, brown pelicans as well as marine turtles and rays.
Day 7: Tagus Cove & Punta Espinosa (located in Fernandina Island)
Enjoy your morning at Tagus Cove which is an anchorage site that was popular among whalers and pirates . Spot old graffiti on the cliffs left behind by the whalers and pirates. After this you will walk up a wooden stairway to start a trail through a dry vegetation zone. Continue on an ascent to a promontory made up of small volcanic cones. Continue your trail by foot for spectacular views of Darwin Lake (a spherical saltwater crater), the bay, and Darwin and Wolf volcanoes.
In the afternoon, continue to Punta Espinosa that’s home to some of the largest colonies of marine iguanas and sea birds. Follow trails along the beach and across lava flows to explore the rest of this least-visited site.
Day 8: Rabida Island & Playa Espumilla
In the morning, you will land onto the enchanting red sands of Rabida Island. The excursion includes a short trail that leads to a saltwater lagoon and another trail that goes past the lagoon to the interior, where the revered palo santo trees grow. Head back to the beach to see prehistoric-looking pelicans nesting among low-lying bushes. It's a rare treat to watch parent pelicans return with gullets full of fish for the squawking youngsters.
In the late afternoon, visit Playa Espumilla which is one of the most idyllic beaches of the Galapagos Islands. Explore the beach and discovers its thick mangroves and sea turtle nesting sites.
Day 9: Daphne Island North Seymour Island
Enjoy the morning at Daphne, a tiny conical island, home to nesting blue-footed boobies, frigatebirds, Darwin's finches, and other wonderful wildlife. Dr. Peter Grant conducted a long-term study of Darwin's finches on the island, which is why you will notice the finches are banded.
Later, you will be arrive at North Seymour for an exciting wildlife experience. Follow trails to see all the action of frolicking sea lions and resting marine iguanas. See blue-footed booby nests and mating pairs perform their courtship dance. Head to a rocky shore to see flocks of pelicans having lunch in a dive bomb feeding frenzy, then turn inland to a large nesting site of magnificent frigatebirds. These huge, dark acrobats have two-metre wingspans, and males, with their puffed-up scarlet throat sacks, sit precariously perched in low bushes to watch over their equally large chicks. Top off the excursion with a snorkel among sea lions and rays. Retreat to your spacious cabins aboard the Yolita and enjoy an Ecuadorian or international cuisine.
Day 10: Cerro Brujo, Kicker Rock & Isla Lobos (located in San Cristobal)
In the morning visit Cerro Brujo to explore its coastline, and look for wildlife on the beach, in the water and in the air. Learn about the human and natural history of the area from your naturalist guide. Take a refreshing dip in the turquoise waters, and then head out to a freshwater lagoon to witness herds of wading flamingos.
Afterwards, dive into the best snorkelling experience at Kicker Rock one of the most stunning landmarks that rises 150m (492 ft) above the ocean's surface, and is home to an incredibly diverse range of marine life that inhabits the nutrient-rich water. See an array of sharks, rays, and a variety of tropical fish that are drawn to the rock.
Head off to Isla Lobos for another snorkelling experience off the beach amid families of sea lions and their inquisitive pups. Finally enjoy a thrilling panga (dinghy) ride in the waters of Isla Lobos to view nesting shore birds, a small colony of blue-footed boobies as well as two species of sea lions.
Day 11: Bahia Gardner & Punta Suarez (located in Espanola Island)
Set sail to Gardner Bay and relax on its white sandy beach home to sea lions and sea birds. Then you can enjoy a snorkeling session to search for incredible sea life including young sea lions, manta rays, whitetip reef sharks, yellow-tailed surgeonfish, king angelfish, and bump-head parrot fish to name a few.
In the afternoon, head off to Punta Suárez on Española Island, the southernmost island in the Galápagos archipelago and home to several wildlife species. Hike to the top of the cliff for spectacular photo opportunities, and explore the island's untamed natural beauty.
Day 12: Sante Fe Island & South Plaza Island
Visit Santa Fé for amazing wildlife watching opportunities. Hike towards the cliffs along the island's northern shore to view a forest of giant prickly pear cactus known as Opuntia. This cactus forest is home to the endemic land iguana which feed on the cacti pads. Santa Fe is also one of the best locations to see sea turtles, swim with sea lions, and get a glimpse of a whitetip reef shark.
By the afternoon, set sail to South Plaza, one of the smallest islands in the Galápagos, but has one of the largest populations of land iguanas. Trek through a cactus forest and view a combination of dry and coastal vegetation home to a wide range of fauna, such as red-billed tropicbirds, and indigenous swallow-tailed gulls.
Day 13: El Chato & Charles Darwin Research Station (located in Santa Cruz)
Board a morning flight from Quito to the Galapagos Islands then transfer to the vast land of Puerto Ayora. Head to Santa Cruz’s verdant highlands and the El Chato Reserve, a perfect place to see giant tortoises in their natural environment. Explore the reserve’s lagoon and lava tunnels, keeping an eye out for owls that often roost in the tunnels’ entrances.
Later in the afternoon, you will visit the Charles Darwin Research Station and training centre that allows scientists, researchers and volunteers to work together and conserve the Galapagos ecosystem and wildlife. You will receive a tour of the exhibition centre and view photographs of recent volcano eruptions, charts outlining geological formations and drawings of evolutionary development of endemic species. Meanwhile observe the many species of tortoises and land iguanas as well as young turtles kept in the centre's nursery. In the afternoon fly back to Quito and enjoy the evening.
Day 14: Devil's Crown & Pot Office Bay (located in Floreana Island)
In the morning dive into an incredible snorkeling experience at Corona del Diablo known as 'Devil's Crown' to gaze upon tropical fish, rays, reef sharks and sea turtles. Finally you will visit Punta Cormorant and discover two contrasting beaches. The first beach has green sand consisting of olivine crystals and the other consists of purely white sand suitably named Flour Beach. Continue the trip by observing flamingos and other shore birds feeding in a lagoon and locate penguins and marine iguanas at the water's edge.
Enjoy the afternoon at Mirador de la Baronesa on Floreana Island to visit Post office Bay which is historically known as the place where English whaling vessels placed a barrel to be used as a post office. It is maintained today by tourists who send a postcard from the famous destination and help deliver any letters that are close to an address back home
Day 15: Chinese Hat Island & Cerro Dragon
Spend the morning at a small island named Chinese Hat named by its hat-shaped land mass. Here you will visit the white coral sand beach, then indulge in a snorkeling session with playful sea lions and penguins. There are swimming opportunities in the cove for the more adventurous.
After a delicious lunch, visit Cerro Dragon for some prime bird watching opportunities. Take a short walk from the beach to a hypersalinic (saltier than the ocean) lagoon filled with pink flamingos, common stilts, pintail ducks, and other species of birds. Later trek through a Scalesia tree forest; endemic to the area, there are only 400 specimens of Scalesia trees left in the world.
Day 16: Black Turtle Cove
In the morning you will explore the mangrove lagoon at Black Turtle Cove. Explore the mangroves by a thrilling panga (dinghy) ride to find rich marine wildlife between the fresh and salt waters. Keep any eye out for manta rays and sea turtles in this tranquil ecosystem. Mighty whitetip reef sharks can also be seen gliding by. In the afternoon, transfer for a flight back to Quito for one last night on the town. In the afternoon fly back to Quito and enjoy the evening.
Day 17: Quito
Feel free to explore enchanting Quito for the last time before you depart back home. Remember to ask your CEO who can help with travel arrangements and extend your adventure.
