Galapagos Cruise

Depart from Quito or Guayaquil to Baltra (2 ½ hours flight). Passengers are greeted and picked up at the airport by guides and taken to the pier to board the Legend. Continue to Bachas Beach on Santa Cruz Island to encounter sea birds, marine iguanas, sea turtles, and have the opportunity to walk on the white sand beach.

Arrive at South Plaza Island. Observe land and marine iguanas, sea lions, blue-footed boobies and many other sea birds. Later on at Sante Fe Island, there are opportunities to see a number of endemic species including Galapagos hawk, Galapagos snake, rice rats, a variety of finches and one of the four species of Galapagos mockingbirds. Also, there will be time for deep-water snorkeling.

See a rocky reef called Pitt Point on San Cristóbal Island. This is probably the only site where the three booby species of the Galapagos can be seen together: nazca, blue-footed, and red-footed; as well as two species of frigate birds, and a sea lion colony. The view is impressive when you walk up to the high part of the island. Continue to Witch Hill “Cerro Brujo,” which is an eroding tuff cone which forms cliffs where seabirds are often seen nesting. It looks over a beautiful white sand beach where you can spot sea lions, pelicans, blue-footed boobies, marine iguanas.

Today, explore the Cerro Colorado Tortoise Reserve. It has been built to improve the status of the population of the island tortoises, Geochelone chatamensis in an environment with conditions similar to their natural state; it is one of the few places where you can see Calandrinia galapagosa, a plant endemic to San Cristobal in danger of extinction.

Explore Española Island today! Visit Gardner Bay, where you may spot Galapagos hawks, American oyster catchers, Galapagos doves, hood mockingbirds, 3 species of Darwin finches, yellow warblers, lava lizards, and marine iguanas. Travel to Suarez Point, where you will explore volcanic formations and see riveting wildlife. Suarez Point is a very important site for sea lion colonies and bird watching. A major highlight is their mating season, from May through December.

Continue the famous tradition of placing unstamped postcards inside the barrel at Post Office Bay. Also, observe the mocking bird of the Galapagos, some species of Darwin’s finches, yellow warblers, and lava lizards. Visit Cormorant Point, which features endemic plants such as Scalesia villosa, Galapagos daisies, white sand black mangrove, and holy stick.

Visit Cerro Mesa Reserve where you can observe numerous endemic plants, 7 subspecies of Darwin’s finches, vermillion flycatcher. See the impressive view of Baltra, Santiago, Isabela, Santa Fé, Daphne Islands. In the afternoon, spend time at the Charles Darwin Research Station. Observe the giant tortoises that are part of the reproduction program.

Daphne is a volcanic tuff cone, formed by successive explosions produced by the mixture of lava and water. Observe Darwin’s finches, blue-footed boobies, nazca Boobies, red-billed tropicbirds, swallow-tailed gulls, and brown noddies. After seeing Daphne, depart for Baltra Airport for return flights to the mainland.