GALAPAGOS INTENSE 5 DAYS EXPEDITION – SANTA CRUZ – 5 days 4 Islands

DAY 1 – FLY TO GALAPAGOS – TURTLE RANCH, LAVA TUNNELS:

You will meet a person from our team in Guayaquil or Quito airport and we will offer assistance at the process of paper work for the Galapagos. You will check in for your flight to the Galapagos.

At arrival, you will meet their tour guide who will be holding a sign with your name. You will then visit the Santa Cruz highlands.

The first stop will be the twin craters, which are impressive holes were formed by magma (lava) domes which hardened on the outside but continued to flow on the inside, leaving huge but empty chambers that collapsed with the passing of time, creating this breathtaking scenery that resembles two pit crates.

After that you will visit the Tortoise Ranch, this is the place to go to for seeing giant tortoises roaming around free. You will have lunch at this place. After that, you will go to the walk through the lava tunnels, which are underground tunnels formed by ancient lava that once flowed across these islands. When the outside layers of lava cooled, they formed a crust while the interior lava still flowed hot and fast.

Eventually, the lava inside flowed out of the crust and left a tunnel or a tube behind. Leaving the highlands you will visit Charles Darwin Interpretation Center, dedicated to scientific research for the conservation of the environment and biodiversity of the Galapagos archipelago.

The facilities include offices and labs for marine and terrestrial investigation, a conference hall and natural history collections. After this, the tour guide will take you to the Fiesta Hotel for check in.

DAY 2 – TOUR TO SEYMOUR ISLAND

You will be picked up at your hotel between 07h30 – 08h00 to go to Seymour Island. You will go to the Itabaca Cannal to board the boat. You will enjoy a navigable tour to North Seymour, a 1.9 km² island located northbound from Baltra.

The main fauna species of this island are Land Iguanas, the Magnificent Frigate bird with their incredible scarlet regular pouch, blue-footed boobies and their particular courtship dance and sea lions surfing across the waves. Lunch on board.

After lunch we will do snorkeling in Bachas OR Mosquera where you will be able to discover tones of different fish species and also swim with sea lions.

Guests will be back at the hotel around 4.30pm.

DAY 3 – TOUR TO SANTA FE

You will leave the hotel at 08h00 to the pier of Puerto Ayora, where we will take our boat to Santa Fe. Santa Fe Island is located South East of Santa Cruz Island.
The snorkel will take place in a bay called Fisherman Bay in Santa Fe Island; here you may spot sea turtles, rays, sea lions, fishes, Galapagos sharks and many more in this rocky reef.

Lunch is on board. The tour also visits a beach called Playa Escondida.

After this you will go back to Santa Cruz.

DAY 4 – TOUR TO BARTOLOME:

Early in the morning around 6am you will transfer to Baltra to start our 3 hour navigable tour to Bartolome. Bartolome is a small island located next to Santiago Island. One of the Islands´ principal attractions is the “pinnacle rock” In order to see it properly will make an easy hike for around and hour.

In this excursion you will learn from the volcanic landscape of the island and see different species such as: lava lizard or cacti, once we reach the top will have a magnificent view of the Pinnacle rock in contrast with the volcanic landscape blended with the turquoise waters of the surrounding beaches. After the excursion we will proceed to do snorkeling in one
of the coral beaches of the areas where if we are lucky we will see: Marine turtles, sea lions, multicolor fish and penguins. Lunch will be on board in the afternoon we have a 3 hour ride
back to return to hotel for accommodation.

You will be back to the hotel around 6pm.

DAY 5 : TRANSFER TO AIRPORT – FLIGHT OUT.
You will be picked up at the hotel in the morning and go to the airport to take your flight out to Quito or Guayaquil.

Included:

Accommodation every night in nice local hotels: In Santa Cruz Hotel Ninfa or Hotel Fiesta.

Galapagos airport transfers and transportation in the islands.

All tours mentioned in the itinerary with certified guides and boats.

Private tours in land. Shared tours on boats.

All breakfasts and lunches.

Excluded:

Flight to the Galapagos. We offer it separate for $450 (expect late December and early January).

Ingala card: $20 each

Entry fee to the Galapagos: $200 adults $100 for kids. (Subject to change)

Activities not mentioned in the itinerary and optional activites.

Wetsuits rentals, is an option for Santa Fe and Seymour. ($10 each)

Dinners.

Travel or medical insurance.

Gratuities.

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