8 days B Itinerary

San Cristobal Island, the fifth-largest island in the Galapagos, is located farthest East. This is also where Darwin landed in 1835, and where the first permanent settlements were established. The capital of Galapagos is Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. It houses the Ecuadorian Navy and many government offices. There are also daily flights to Ecuador from the airport. The island is facing conservation challenges from invasive plants such as blackberry and the guayaba, and insects such as the blackfly.

Lobos Island can be found about an hour from San Cristobal. Seasonally, blue-footed boobies nest here. Recent years have seen frigate birds nesting here. There are many sea lions and marine iguanas. The site is peaceful and serene with stunning views of Kicker Rock in the distance.

Interpretation Center & La Galapaguera

La Galapaguera is an Interpretation Center that has been open to the public from 1998. It provides extensive information about Galapagos' history, ecosystems, geology and flora & fauna. The center also houses giant tortoises, which are bred in the semi-natural habitat that was created by its employees. The center has meeting rooms, interpretive panels, auditoriums and exhibits.

Espanola Island is the Galapagos' southernmost and oldest island. It is believed to be approximately four million years old. This is due to its isolation from other islands. This is a great place to take amazing photos of the endemic birds that only live on Espanola, and stunning landscapes created by millions years of erosion.

Gardner Bay

Gardner Bay is one the most beautiful beaches in the Galapagos. A large colony playful and friendly sea lions lives on the white sandy beach. There are three types of finches to be found. The Espanola Mockingbird, although friendly, is probably searching for food. Tourists must have once given the Espanola Mockingbird water or food. This taught them bad habits. This is where the eggs of green sea turtles are laid between January and March.

Suarez Point

Suarez Point is an amazing spot where you can see many of Espanola Island’s endemic species. The only Waved Albatross breeding area will be passed by the trail. You might be able to see a young albatross fly for the first time in up to five years. Older birds spend months at sea and only return to breed. They share the same mate throughout their lives and will only meet up to reproduce each year. You can also see marine iguanas which are brightly colored all year, Galapagos doves and blue-footed bobies, Nazca boobies and Nazca boobies as well as swallow-tailed birds, red-billed tropical birds, Darwin finches, and Nazca boobies.

Floreana Island has a fascinating human history. Floreana Island was home to the first resident of the Galapagos Islands, an Irishman. He lived there from 1807-1809. It is also the location of the first postoffice in the group of islands that was established by the whalers in 1797. It was colonized by Ecuadorians in the 1700's, but it is still quite isolated today. It is still surrounded by mystery. In 1930, there were several disappearances. This was due to tension between a baroness (and her three servants) who arrived after a settled husband and wife. They had given birth to the first Galapagos baby. Another couple, a doctor and a female companion, lived off the land in their garden. Today's small population lives off the land and grows their own food. They also get water from the rain-filled ponds in the rainy season. The only telephone in Velasco Ibarra is in one hotel. Most residents live in the highlands. Transport is very limited. It is available only every two weeks.

Cormorant Point

Cormorant Point is another interesting and fun visitor spot. There are two beaches that can be visited. Flamingoes can also be seen swimming through brackish lagoons in search of shrimp. This gives them their vibrant and bright colors. The olivine crystals make one beach green and the other Flour Beach, a powdery white made from finely pulverized coral, is appropriately named Flour Beach.

Devil's Crown

Devil's Crown is a popular tourist site with the best snorkeling. Amazing volcanic structures have been submerged in the seafloor over time. You will find hundreds of colorful fish species amongst the coral reefs. Common visitors include sharks, sea turtles and hammerhead sharks. This underwater spectacle is something you should not miss.

Post Office Bay

Post Office Bay, a site that is completely human-influential, was established by passing whalers in 1797. It is the first officially recognized post office. Visitors continue to follow the tradition by leaving messages on postcards in the barrel for future visitors. They also pick up any post cards left by previous visitors to send home. Many visitors love this exchangeable activity.

Baroness Lookout Point is a historic viewpoint and beautiful landscape located in the north part of the island. It is named after an Austrian Baroness, who was the subject of numerous mysterious disappearances as well as well-known stories about loathing among Floreana residents.

Charles Darwin Station

Charles Darwin Research Station is involved in many research projects. It also provides assistance to researchers, governmental agencies, and institutions, including the Galapagos National Park. Many of the research results are published in popular scientific journals, magazines, and online. The research station plays an important role in education in Galapagos. The Giant Tortoise Restoration Program, which has been in operation for many years, includes all stages of the giant tortoise's life cycle: eggs, hatchlings, and adults.

Highlands

Because of the rich wildlife, hills and ferns as well as volcanoes, the Highlands of Santa Cruz are a fascinating place. It is an amazing and unforgettable experience to explore the lava tubes. You can view all of the agricultural zones in Galapagos from one spot. This is a paradise for birdwatchers because of the variety of birds.

Charles Darwin visited Santiago Island, the second Island he visited. It was named after King James II of England. It was home to a lot of water and salt and provided food for passing whalers and buccaneers. A salt mine was located inland, which was used to salt fish or tortoise meat. The island was once home to land iguanas, but they are now extinct. Darwin himself noted that the land iguanas thrived because there was nowhere to pitch a tent. Today, Santiago Island is one of the most popular islands.

Santiago Island: Sullivan Bay

Sullivan Bay is a satellite Island of Santiago. It is one of the most beautiful places to see the Galapagos fur-seal. Although there isn't much wildlife here, the old lava formations with tuff cones and pyroclastic coni are worth a visit.

Bartolome Island

Bartolome Island, another satellite island that comes from Santiago Island, is also called Bartolome Island. It is the home to the Pinnacle Rock. The island is named after James Sullivan who was a friend and colleague of Charles Darwin. This island is the most photographed of all and was featured in the 2003 film "Master and Commander".

Pinnacle rock is an expelled magma from an underwater volcano. The hot lava was cooled by the sea and the pieces exploded as they came into contact. This created this massive rock with many layers of basalt. A small number of green sea turtles nest on the beach that forms this huge rock. Here, Galapagos penguins congregate and you can swim to see colorful schools of fish as well as curious sea lions.

Genovesa Island, a horseshoe-shaped volcanic island, was created by an eruption of a shield volcano that had large slopes made by gradual lava flows. Because of the large number of birds that can be spotted, it is called "Bird Island". The marine iguana is the only reptile found on the island. It is also the only place where red-footed bobies can gather in large numbers.

Darwin Bay

Darwin Bay is formed by the shield volcano, where one side of the caldera was eroded over many years. This is the Galapagos' only place where red-footed bobies are guaranteed to be found. Genovesa's trees and bushes are home to over 200,000 red-footed bobies.

El Barranco

El Barranco, also known as Prince Phillip's Steps is a steep and rugged path that leads to a spectacular view on a cliff. Palo Santa Forest is another place where nesting red-footed bobies and other birds can be found.

Egas Port

Egas port is also known by the name James Bay. This is where you can find Galapagos lava Lizards, Galapagos fur Seals and great snorkeling.

Buccaneer Cove

Buccaneer cove is best known for its excellent snorkeling opportunities. It was once a refuge for pirates and British buccaneers. It is home to many species of fish and amazing underwater formations.

Espumilla Beach

We will also be visiting Espumilla Beach, where we can see marine iguanas relaxing and Sally-Lightfoot Crabs performing the dance of predators and prey right in front of our eyes. It is a great idea to snorkel, as you might come face-to-face with an octopus or moray eel shark or other tropical fish species.

Carrion Point is not a place where you can land so you will either be able to go on a panga ride, or going snorkeling. It is located on the Northern coast Santa Cruz, at the Itabaca Channel's entrance. It offers beautiful turquoise water and is a protected lagoon.

Your cruise is officially over. We hope you enjoyed your Galapagos Cruise! We will transfer you to the Baltra Airport for your departure to mainland Ecuador. Enjoy safe travels