Galápagos Islands | Climb for Cancer Expedition

Upon arrival, you will be met and escorted to your hotel in downtown Quito. Check-in starts at 3 pm.

After breakfast this morning, take a city tour of Quito, including a visit to the Middle of the World Monument near the equator. Surrounded by volcanoes and sitting 9,350 feet above sea level, Ecuador's capital city is the second highest in the world. It boasts one of the largest and best-preserved colonial centers in the Americas, earning it recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The old town in central Quito is an area of colonial churches, monasteries, museums, and white-washed buildings with red-tiled roofs. Return to the hotel with time to freshen up before dinner at a local restaurant.

Today, fly from Quito to San Cristóbal Island and transfer to the pier to board your vessel. Attend an orientation, have a light snack, and then set sail. This afternoon, learn about the islands' history in the Museum of Natural History in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, the capital of the Galápagos province. This Interpretation Center tells the story of the geological and human history of the islands and their conservation.

This morning, hike and snorkel at Cerro Brujo, an eroding tuff cone that at several locations is composed of a'a lava formations. Cerro Brujo offers beautiful views of Kicker Rock, the southern part of San Cristóbal, and the adjacent coast. Visit a lagoon and look for migratory bird species like the Black-necked Stilt, Ruddy Turnstone, Whimbrel, and White-cheeked Pintail. Return to the boat for lunch. This afternoon, take a high-intensity hike on rocky terrain. The trail includes a 295-foot-long, olivine beach and a path that climbs through several magnificent viewpoints to the top of a volcanic tuff. This is likely the only site where all three booby species can be seen together, as can two species of frigatebirds and a sea lion colony. It is also excellent for dinghy rides and snorkeling, where a good range of sea birds can be observed.

Española is the oldest island in the archipelago, geologically speaking, and also displays high levels of endemism due to its isolation from the rest of the islands. After breakfast, visit Punta Suárez and hike along lava beds and scenic cliffs to observe lava lizards, colorful Sally Lightfoot crabs, large colonies of sea lions, and birds like the Española Mockingbird, Nazca Booby, Galápagos Dove, Galápagos Hawk, Swallow-tailed Gull, and the spectacular Red-billed Tropicbird. The island's marine iguanas are also notable for their turquoise and red coloration during the breeding season. From mid-March to December, this is one of the best places in the world to see the Waved Albatross, which nests primarily on this island. A somewhat lengthy hike brings visitors to nesting grounds that sometimes overlap the trail. These large and graceful flyers start to perform intricate courtship rituals in April, and by May begin nesting. Admire the island's dramatic backdrop, featuring the famous "Soplador," a seaward blowhole that shoots water up to 75 feet into the air. Later, take a walk on a beautiful white coral sandy beach guarded by a colony of sea lions. There are no trails, so you'll stay along the shore where you can spot Galápagos Hawks, American Oystercatchers, Galápagos Doves, Española Mockingbirds, Yellow Warblers, lava lizards, marine iguanas, and three species of Darwin's finches: the Española Ground-Finch, Small Ground-Finch, and Gray Warbler-Finch. Swimming and snorkeling offer a great variety of the Galápagos' marine wildlife: king angelfish, Creole fish, damsel fish, parrotfish, manta rays, and white-tipped reef sharks.

Disembark on an olivine green, sanded beach and hike from the black mangrove beds to a brackish lagoon, which usually holds one of the largest flamingo populations in the Galápagos. Floreana Island features some endemic plants such as Scalesia villosa, Lecocarpus pinnatifidus, and Galápagos Milkwort, as well as white and black mangroves and palo santo. The trail continues to a beautiful white sandy beach, an important nesting site for Pacific green sea turtles. It is important to avoid walking in the water due to the stingrays that may be hiding in the sand, which can be dangerous if accidentally stepped on. From the beach, one can spot sea turtles, Blue-footed Boobies plunging into the water, and small reef sharks floating along the shoreline in search of food. Return to the olivine beach to swim or snorkel among sea turtles, reef fish, sea lions and, on a good day, white-tipped reef sharks. A small colony of Galápagos Penguins resides on Floreana and can sometimes be observed as well. This afternoon, visit the north side of Floreana, including Post Office Bay. In the 18th century, whalers placed a wooden barrel at this site to use as an informal post office, and today, visitors continue the tradition by leaving their own postcards in the barrel. Snorkelers can practice on the main beach among playful sea lions and green sea turtles.

This morning, visit the Highlands Tortoise Reserve on Santa Cruz Island. In the mountains of Galapagos is possible to admire different kind of birds, such as: tree and ground finches, vermillion flycatchers, paint-billed crakes, yellow warblers,
and cattle egrets (usually standing on the tortoises’ shell). The journey to the reserve offers great opportunities to see the contrasts that the island offers in reference to the variety of ecosystems. The road goes from the coast through the agricultural zone and straight up to the dense humid forests. Often, Galapagos Giant Tortoises are also seen on the way,
wandering through pastures in the paddocks. This spot is a birdwatchers’ haven, since almost every land bird present on the island lives or migrates here. After lunch, visit the Charles Darwin Research Station, which manages a Gálapagos giant tortoise breeding program as part of its efforts to preserve the fragile Galápagos environment. The CDRS also works to provide environmental education to local communities, schools, and tourists. Prior to his death in 2012, this was the home of Lonesome George, the famous last survivor of the giant tortoise species found on Pinta Island. Admire a prickly pear cactus forest and a variety of Darwin's finches and other land birds. You will also have some free time to visit the town of Puerto Ayora and shop for souvenirs.

El Barranco Prince Philip´s Steps on Genovesa Island is host to a variety of sea life that uses the crevices of the lava cliffs for shelter. Red-billed Tropic birds fly overhead, switching between their nests and the bay, and a small colony of fur seals may be found near the landing site. You will be dropped off at a steep stairway that begins on rocks at the foot of a path that leads through a seabird colony full of Nazca and Red-footed Boobies. At the plateau, the trail continues inland
allowing you to see more nesting booby colonies in the thin Palo Santo forest. Near the end of the trail, over a rocky lava plain, Wedge-rumped Storm-Petrels can be observed flying in all directions. If you are lucky, you may catch a glimpse of a Short-eared Owl. This afternoon, wet landing at Darwin Bay. Disembark onto a small sand and coral beach. A short trail heads west along a tidal lagoon and then up a rocky hill that leads to a point overlooking the cliffs and Darwin Bay. Along the trail near the tidal lagoon, visitors will see pairs of Swallow-tailed Gulls, Lava Gulls, Yellow-crowned and Lava Herons. The trail continues through Palo Santo trees, Opuntia cacti, and Saltbushes inhabited by Great Frigate birds and Red-footed Boobies. This is one of the few places in the islands where visitors are guaranteed to see Red-footed Boobies. It is estimated that more than 200,000 Red-footed Boobies live in the trees and bushes of Genovesa.

This morning, arrive at Rábida Island. This small island, with its dramatic red-sand beach, lies at the heart of the archipelago and is home to sea lions, mockingbirds, finches, endemic Galápagos Doves, and Vermilion Flycatchers. Take a dinghy ride along the cliffs to observe nesting seabirds. Snorkeling here can be excellent, often with large schools of black-striped salemas, sea lions, and sea turtles. Later, journey to the center of the archipelago, Bartolome, one of the most frequently visited sites of all the islands. The island is separated from the island of Santiago by the Sullivan Bay. It is an excellent site for snorkeling, filled with the breathtaking volcanic landscapes that make this corner of the world so unique. The first landing possibility is by a dock, made out of lava and concrete, which soon turns into a wooden staircase built to avoid erosion and consists of 372 steps. It leads to the island’s summit, where you will find what probably constitutes the most photographed site in the Galapagos: the Pinnacle Rock. Due to its altitude, the lack of vegetation is immediately noticeable. Pioneer plants can be observed, which are called this way because they are the first to establish roots on new ground. They include Tiquilia nesiotica (which is endemic to the island) and Chamaesyce (known as sand mat or spurge in English), lava cactus, and Scalesia bushes. Behind the beach, there are dunes covered by mangroves. The second type of landing possibility is at coralline beach next to Pinnacle Rock which is a wet landing site. From this point, you will be able to snorkel among tropical fish, perhaps sea lions and penguins as they rest on the lava floors of the intertidal zone and sometimes decide to take a dip.

This morning, enjoy a dinghy ride around Black Turtle Cove, a mangrove lagoon on the north shore of Santa Cruz Island that's only accessible by sea. Turtles visit the calm waters, peeking their heads above the surface while fish, rays, and white-tipped reef sharks circle below. Also look for sea birds, including pelicans, herons, and egrets. This afternoon, disembark and transfer to Baltra Airport for your flight back to Quito. You will be met at the airport and taken to your hotel. The remainder of the day is at leisure to relax or explore on your own before a farewell dinner at the hotel.

Return to the airport for your flight home. Check-out is at 12 pm.