Galapagos Angel – 8 Day Itinerary B

AM: Morning flight from Quito to Baltra, Galapagos Islands.

You will arrive at Baltra Island in the morning. After passing through immigration and baggage claim, you will be met by a Galapagos Angel staff member and transferred to the yacht. You will be shown to your cabin where you will have some time to settle in before lunch and a welcome briefing.

PM: Bachas Beach

Bachas Beach is located on the north shore of Santa Cruz and is a beach for swimming. One of the few remnants of the U.S. World War II presence in the Galapagos, a floating pier, can be seen here. You may see flamingos, Sally Lightfoot crabs, hermit crabs, black-necked stilts, and whimbrels. Sea turtles also nest on the beach.

Highlights: World War II remnants, Sally Lightfoot crabs, sea turtles
Activities: Easy Hiking

AM: Dragon Hill

Situated on Santa Cruz Island, Dragon Hill is one of the newest visitor sites accessible to tourists in the Galapagos Islands. One of the lengthier Galapagos walking trails will lead visitors along a beach and up a trail to the lagoon lookout where bright flamingos, pintail ducks, and land iguanas can be spotted.

Highlights:  Land iguana nesting spot, Galapagos flamingos, common stilts, palo santo trees, cacti forest

Activities:  Panga ride, short hike

PM: Pinnacle Rock

You will head to Bartholomew Island where the famous Pinnacle Rock is found. Bartholomew consists of an extinct volcano with a variety of red, orange, black and even green volcanic formations. We will take a trail of stairs to the summit of the volcano (about 30 or 40 minutes) where you will enjoy one of the best views of the islands! You will also visit a small, beautiful beach surrounded by the only vegetation found on this barren island. The beach is perfect for snorkeling where you may even see and swim with
Galapagos penguins.

Highlights: Pinnacle Rock, lava cactus, snorkeling: penguins, reef sharks, rays, colourful fish

Activities:  Dinghy ride, snorkeling and hiking (2 km)

AM: Vicente Roca Point

Comprised of two separate coves, Vicente Roca Point is a large bay with spectacular sea life. Keep an eye out for seahorses, sea turtles, and the strange yet fascinating Mola mola (or sun fish) while you snorkel.

Highlights: Penguins, blue-footed boobies, terns, Nazca boobies, two types of sea lions, sea turtles, rays and puffer fish

Activities:  Snorkeling and dinghy ride

PM: Espinoza Point

Crossing the Bolivar Channel that divides Isabela and Fernandina Islands, you will land at Espinoza Point, and after walking past a colony of marine iguanas and a group of sea lions, you will reach the island’s highlight: the flightless cormorant nesting site. This area also provides a great opportunity to see the Galapagos hawk.

Highlights: Flightless cormorant, marine iguanas, sea lions, penguins, active volcano “La Cumbre”

Activities:  Hiking (2km)

AM: Tagus Cove

You will visit Tagus Cove on Isabela Island which is located across from Fernandina Island, near the Bolivar Channel dividing the two islands. This spot has been frequented by ships since the 1800s, using the area as an anchorage site. Trails winding by Lake Darwin up to a ridge display wonderful views.

Highlights:  Penguins, flightless cormorants, Darwin Volcano and Lake

Activities:  Long hike, snorkeling, panga ride, kayaking

PM: Elizabeth Bay

Elizabeth Bay is located on the east coast of Isabela Island. The bay contains many islets, which can be visited by dinghy. Penguins and blue-footed boobies can be spotted on the rocky islets. With an abundance of marine life and clear water, the area is perfect for snorkeling and viewing schools of colorful fish, sea lions, and perhaps even sharks.

Highlights:  Mangrove forest, sea turtles, penguins, rays, herons, sea lions

Activities:  Hiking (1 km) and dinghy ride

AM: Urbina Bay

Urbina Bay is located at the base of Alcedo Volcano on the west coast between Tagus Cove and Elizabeth Bay. This area experienced a major uplift in 1954 causing the land to rise over 16 feet. The coast expanded half a mile out leaving marine life stranded on the new shore. This area is also a great place for snorkeling.

Highlights: Big land iguanas, hawks, coral reef, giant tortoises, snorkeling: turtles, rays, tropical fish

Activities:  Snorkeling, dinghy ride, 2 hiking trails: short (1 km) or long (3 km)

PM: Moreno Point

Moreno Point is located southwest of Elizabeth Bay. Here a dry landing onto what was once flowing lava is possible. The lava has left craters in its wake which formed crystal tide pools. By looking into the pools, you can peer into another world as the marine life drifts by your window. In the brackish pools of this area, you may see pink flamingos, white-cheeked pintails, and common gallinules. If you look carefully into the pools, you may see white-tip reef sharks and some sea turtles.

Highlights: Flamingos, gallinules, pintail ducks, turtles, white-tip reef sharks

Activities:  Snorkeling, panga ride, hike (2 km)

AM: Sierra Negra Volcano

Visit to the Sierra Negra Volcano, which is the largest basaltic caldera in the Galapagos with a diameter of 6.2 miles (10 km). The site offers impressive views and the opportunity to observe up to seven species of finches and a rich display of vegetation. The north side of the caldera provides evidence of its most recent volcanic activity in 2005.

Highlights: Basaltic caldera, stunning views, finches

Activities:  Hiking, walking

PM: Arnaldo Tupiza Breeding Centre

Arnaldo Tupiza Breeding Center is located about one mile (1.5 km) from Puerto Villamil. Here, tortoise populations from South Isabela, Sierra Negra Volcano, Cerro Azul, Cazuela, Cinco Cerros, Roca Union, San Pedro, Tables and Cerro Paloma have been bred in captivity. In total there are 330 juvenile and adult tortoises.

Highlights: 2 of the 5 species of the giant tortoise

Activities:  Easy walking

AM: Devil’s Crown

You will have a chance to snorkel around Devil’s Crown which is the rocky remains of an offshore volcano sticking out of the water. This is a great location to spot a wide range of marine creatures.

Highlights: Large array of marine species

Activities:  Snorkeling, panga ride

PM: Cormorant Point

Cormorant Point hosts a large flamingo lagoon where other birds such as common stilts and white-cheeked pintails can also be seen. The beaches on this island are distinct: The Green Beach is named so due to its green color, which comes from a high percentage of olivine crystals in the sand, and the Flour Sand Beach is composed of white coral.

Highlights: Flamingos, green-coloured beach

Activities:  Dinghy ride and hike (2 km)

AM: Daphne Island

Daphne Major and Daphne Minor are located between Santa Cruz and Santiago Islands. Most tourists are restricted from visiting these islands by the Galapagos National Park; however, the islands continue to be a popular stop for scientists researching the unique qualities of the Galapagos finches.

Highlights: Birdwatching, including Galapagos finches

Activities:  Panga ride

Baltra Airport Departure

After this final visit, you will be transferred to the Baltra airport in time for your flight back to the mainland.