Tour Complete - Santa Cruz, Isabela & San Cristobal 8D/7N With T

Accommodation

3 nights of Budget class accommodation in Santa Cruz. Private room with private bathroom. 2 nights of Budget class accommodation in Isabela. Private room with private bathroom. 2 nights of Budget class accommodation in San Cristobal. Private room with private bathroom.

Transport

Day 1: Private transport with Spanish speaking driver Day 2: Transfer to dock of Santa Cruz Transport in lancha to Isabela Transfer to hotel on Isabela Island Day 4: Transfer to dock of Isabela Transport in lancha to Santa Cruz Transfer to hotel on Santa Cruz Day 5: Transport Day 6: Transfer to dock of Santa Cruz Transport in lancha from Santa Cruz to San Cristobal Transfer to hotel on San Cristobal Day 7: Transport Day 8: Transfer to airport

Others

Day 1: Itabaca canal Visit to highlands Lunch Meet & greet Welcome package Day 3: HD tour Tintoreras Snack Day 4: Activities as described Day 5: Activities as described in full day tour Lunch Snorkeling equipment Day 7: Day tour with activities as described Lunch Snorkeling equipment Day 8: Breakfast

Meals

As described in the itinerary.

Not included:

Flights

Flights from Quito/Guayaquil to Baltra (Day 1) and from San Cristobal to Quito/Guayaquil (Day 8). Please note the program starts in Baltra Island and finishes in San Cristobal Island, so please be sure to buy your tickets in the correct way.

Others

Day 1: Dinner INGALA migration card Entrance fee NP Galapagos Day 2: Taxi boats Entrance fee Puerto Villamil (Isabela) Lunch Dinner Day 3: Taxiboats Dinner Day 4: Taxiboats Lunch Dinner Day 5: Taxiboats Dinner Day 6: Taxiboats Lunch Dinner Day 7: Dinner Day 8: Lunch

Guide

Guided visits on days 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7.

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Day 1 Day 1: Arrival To Galapagos
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 1: Arrival To Galapagos

Today you will arrive at the airport of Baltra, one of the Galapagos Islands. You will be picked up at the airport and transferred to the island of Santa Cruz. You will first cross the Itabaca channel by ferry boat and then you will continue by car. Your first stop will be at the highlands of Santa Cruz. The “Parte Alta” as the highlands are called in Spanish is very lush and green and is the natural habitat of the giant Galapagos tortoises. You will visit a private ranch where you will have lunch. Here you walk between the trees and search for the giant tortoises that prefer to stay close to the small lagoons. You also will visit the lava tubes, which are formed when the surface of a lava stream solidifies, but the inside stays liquid and flows out like a river. After this tour, you continue by private transport to your hotel. Here you will have a meet & greet with one of our staff members who will explain the rest of your itinerary to you. You have the rest of the afternoon free to explore Santa Cruz on your own.

Included: Private transport with Spanish speaking driver – Itabaca canal – Public bus ticket from Baltra Airport to Canal Itabaca - Visit highlands – Lunch – Meet & greet – Welcome package – Overnight BB

Not Included: Lunch & dinner – National flight – INGALA Transit Control Card - Entrance fee national park
Day 2 Day 2: Tour Around Santa Cruz And Travel To Isabela
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 2: Tour Around Santa Cruz And Travel To Isabela

Today you will have a half Bay Tour. This half-day tour starting from the harbor of Puerto Ayora takes you across the canal to Academy Bay, also called La Loberia, with a small boat. When arriving with the boat, you can observe blue-footed boobies and other birds resting on the cliffs. From the landing point, you will start a guided walk, past a viewing point of the canal from where with a bit of luck you can spot white-tipped reef sharks resting. You continue along the path to “Playa de Los Perros”, where you will find many marine iguanas resting on a sunny day. The huge cacti, the red color of the rocks, and the turquoise ocean will set a perfect scenery for beautiful pictures. Afterward, the tour continues with a snorkeling excursion along the bay and a walk to Las Grietas.

In the afternoon you will be transferred from your hotel to the dock of Santa Cruz from where you will take a lancha (motorized small boat) to the island of Isabela. The boat ride will take about 2 hours and depending on the weather, it can be a bit bumpy. Arriving to the dock of Isabela you will be transferred to your hotel.

Included: Half Baytour with Bilingual naturalist guide and snack - Transfer to dock of Santa Cruz – Transport in lancha to Isabela – Transfer to hotel on Isabela Island – Overnight BB

Not Included: Taxi boats – Entrance fee Puerto Villamil (Isabela) - Lunch – Dinner
Day 3 Day 3: Tour Sierra Negra
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 3: Tour Sierra Negra

Today you will have a Sierra Negra walking tour. In the morning, you will be picked up for a transfer by car or chiva (open wooden bus) to the foot of Volcano Sierra Negra. From here you start to hike up the volcano to see the second-largest crater in the world, almost 10km in diameter. Here you will see an alien landscape of lava fields and fumaroles. Then you continue the hike for another 1- 1,5 hours to the spectacular sights of Volcano Chico who had its last eruptions in 1979 and 2005. This hike will take you about 6 hours and on the way, you will be offered a small box lunch. Although it is possible to see animal life, the focus of this hike is on the interesting geology. The lava eruptions have created a beautiful landscape. The hike is a hard one as you will walk up the hill and partially on rocky lava stones so bring enough water.

Included: Tour Sierra Negra with Bilingual naturalist guide and box lunch - Overnight BB

Not Included: Lunch - Dinner
Day 4 Day 4: Visit Las Tintoreras And Travel Back To Santa Cruz
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 4: Visit Las Tintoreras And Travel Back To Santa Cruz

Today you will have a half-day tour to ´Las Tintoreras´. The islet Las Tintoreras is located south of Puerto Villamil which you will visit in a small boat with a naturalist guide. During your boat ride, you will most likely be able to observe Galapagos penguins, blue footed boobies, sea lions, and more. The bay of Tintoreras is connected to a crevice of crystal clear water, that’s shallow and when the tide is low, the entrance closes. In this crevice, you can see how reef sharks rest and swim. After half an hour you will set foot on the islands. Most of the trail is lava AA, except for a white sand beach and a black stone beach. At the first beach are colonies of sea lions, it is also a nesting site for marine iguanas, during the nesting season. Throughout the trail, you can see many marine iguanas in the rocks or under the mangroves. Las Tintoreras is one of the few places where the iguanas breed successfully because of the absence of non-native animals that could kill the youth. After the walk, it is time to snorkel in the bay.

In the afternoon you will be transferred from your hotel to the dock of Isabela. Here you will take the lancha back to Santa Cruz Island, which will take about 2 hours. Once you have arrived, you will be transferred to your hotel in Santa Cruz.

Included: HD tour Tintoreras with Bilingual naturalist guide and snack - Transfer to the dock of Isabela – Transport in lancha to Santa Cruz – Transfer to hotel on Santa Cruz – Overnight BB

Excluded: Taxiboats - Lunch - Dinner
Day 5 Day 5: Explore The Archipelago
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 5: Explore The Archipelago

Today you will have a day tour to North Seymour or Bartolome or Santa Fe or Plazas. Please be aware that you will visit one of these places in your day tour. Which one this is, will be confirmed with you at a later stage. See the descriptions of the day tours below. In all tours, lunch and snorkeling equipment are included.

- Plazas:

Your first stop will be a refreshing one; you will be snorkeling at Punta Carrion where you will see colorful fish and sea turtles. Afterward, you continue to Plazas. There are actually two islands, Plaza Norte and Plaza Sur. Only Plaza Sur, the southern bigger island is visited by tourists. This island has a lot to offer. The flora and fauna will astonish you. This island is mostly known for the many land iguanas that live on it. When you are a little further from the coast, it looks like you’ve walked into the movie “Jurassic Park”, because you will be eye to eye with beautiful green, yellow and orange land iguanas. This is all surrounded by beaches, beautiful cacti, and in the background the blue ocean. At the coast, the male sea lions live in peace. The militant lifestyle is only maintainable for males who are in their prime. The elders spend their last days in colonies, of which one can be found at Plaza Sur. It is sensational to see how the sea lions and iguanas mix. They play together as real pals. This island also offers a lot to bird lovers and a so-called “birdwatchers paradise” can be found; a cliff with swallow-tailed gulls, masked boobies, blue-footed boobies, tropical red bill birds, frigates, pelicans, and Audubon’s. The gulls, partners forever, are always here cuddling or nesting.

- North Seymour:

North Seymour is located north of the island of Baltra. The island has a surface area of only 1.9 square kilometers and is almost totally flat. At this island, there are the breeding colonies of the frigates, the blue-footed boobies, and the swallow-tailed gull. To impress the female frigates, the male blows up his red throat bag. To attract more attention they fly around in the surroundings of the female. You can imagine that this is not too easy with a blown-up throat bag, because they lose their balance quicker. It is interesting to watch. Afterward, you will navigate towards the beach of Bachas. Here you can relax at the beach and follow the trails of the nesting sea turtles and snorkel a bit and swim at the beach. There is also a trail leading to a flamingo pool where there might be flamingos, on the way you see the shipwreck of Bachas.

- Santa Fe:

The beauty of this Island is best appreciated from the trail which climbs the fault cliff overlooking the southern half of the bay. This plateau is also the best place to find the large land iguanas (Conolophus Pallidus) that are endemic to Santa Fe Island. The Santa Fe land iguana lives nowhere else in the world and, in fact, on no other Galapagos Island. A sub-species of the famous endemic Galapagos land iguana, the Santa Fe variety is yellowish-green in color and can grow to over one meter in length. At the beach of Santa Fe, you can observe a sea lion colony and in the bay, there are often rays, white tip sharks, and sea turtles. At the rocky side of the bay, you will snorkel with colorful fish.

- Bartolomé:

This is a day tour and breakfast (in most cases), lunch, and snorkeling equipment are included.

Bartolomé is a bit further away than other islands, therefore you start early today. The first stop will be a refreshing one. At Sullivan Bay, you snorkel from the boat or relax at the beach. Here you can find, from December until April, green sea turtles that come ashore to lie in the sun. This is special because in other places the turtles only come ashore at night to lay eggs. During the day they are staying in the safe water. Snorkeling is almost a must here. With a little luck, you will see the “Moorish Idol”; this is the most beautiful fish from the Galapagos. Afterward, you continue to Bartolome. The island has a surface area of only 1.2 square kilometers and the highest point of the island is 114 meters. You can reach this point by taking a path through an almost surrealistic landscape and past recent signs of volcano eruptions. You will visit the highest point of the island with a spectacular view over the lava in different colors, the many volcanoes, and the deep blue sea as well as the famous “Pinnacle Rock”.

Included: Day tour with activities as mentioned – Lunch – Snorkeling equipment Transport - Overnight BB

Not Included: Taxiboat - Dinner
Day 6 Day 6: Travel To San Cristobal Island
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 6: Travel To San Cristobal Island

You will have the morning off to explore the beautiful island of Santa Cruz on your own. In the afternoon you will be transferred from your hotel to the dock of Santa Cruz from where you will take a lancha (motorized small boat) to the island of San Cristobal. The boat ride will take about 2 hours and depending on the weather, it can be a bit bumpy. Arriving at the dock of San Cristobal you will be transferred to your hotel.

Included: Transfer to the dock of Santa Cruz – Transport in lancha from Santa Cruz to San Cristobal –Transfer to hotel on San Cristobal – Overnight BB

Excluded: Taxiboats - Lunch – Dinner
Day 7 Day 7: Discover Isla Lobos Or Kicker Rock
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 7: Discover Isla Lobos Or Kicker Rock

Today you will have a day tour to either Kicker Rock or Isla Lobos. Please be aware that you will visit one of these places in your day tour. Which one this is, will be confirmed with you at a later stage. See the descriptions of the day tours below. In both tours, lunch and snorkeling equipment is included.

- Isla Lobos:

With a small boat, you will go to Isla Lobos. From the boat, you can already observe much of the wildlife, before you disembark on Isla Lobos, where during the guided visit over the land you can observe frigate birds, blue-footed boobies, and sea lions that inhabit the island. You will take a walk on the land. Afterward, you will have time to snorkel in the small canal between the two islands and will be able to swim with playful sea lions and observe rays and turtles. After this visit, the tour will continue to Playa Ochoa or a similar beach. This white coral beach offers the opportunity to walk around and relax and swim in shallow waters before returning to Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. You will have a lunch box on the boat or some days you will have lunch afterward in a local restaurant.

- Kicker Rock (León Dormido):

With a small boat, you set sail for the lava formation in the middle of the ocean called Kicker Rock (or León Dormido in Spanish as they say it looks like a sleeping sea lion). First, you will circle the rock formation to observe the different bird species that use the rock formation as a resting or nesting place. Afterward, the boat will anchor and you will jump off the boat to snorkel the canal in between the rock formation. Beware that the currents can be strong and that you will be snorkeling in open waters without being able to see the bottom. Here you will be able to spot different shark species (sometimes even hammerheads!), turtles, rays, and more. In some seasons you might encounter jellyfish which can sting, however, a wetsuit will be provided when this is the case. After the snorkeling, you will continue to Manglecito or a similar beach. This white coral beach offers the opportunity to walk around and relax and swim in shallow waters before returning to Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. You will have a box lunch on board.

Included: Day tour with activities as described – Lunch – Transport - Snorkeling equipment – Overnight BB

Excluded: Dinner
Day 8 Day 8: Departure
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 8: Departure

In the morning you will have time to explore the island of San Cristobal on your own before you will be transferred to the airport of San Cristobal. From here you will take your flight back to the mainland.

Included: Breakfast – Transfer to airport

8 days tour

Complete - Santa Cruz, Isabela & San Cristobal 8D/7N With T

This tour includes:

Not included:

Start planning your experience

Itinerary of your trip Complete - Santa Cruz, Isabela & San Cristobal 8D/7N With T

Day 1: Arrival To Galapagos

Day 2: Tour Around Santa Cruz And Travel To Isabela

Day 3: Tour Sierra Negra

Day 4: Visit Las Tintoreras And Travel Back To Santa Cruz

Day 5: Explore The Archipelago

Day 6: Travel To San Cristobal Island

Day 7: Discover Isla Lobos Or Kicker Rock

Day 8: Departure

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