Galápagos Islands | Cruising the Western and Central Islands

Upon arrival in Quito you will be met and escorted to your hotel.

After breakfast, take a city tour of Quito, Ecuador's capital. Surrounded by volcanoes, Quito is a unique city that boasts one of the largest and best-preserved colonial centers in America, earning it recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Lunch will be at a local restaurant to enjoy some typical Ecuadorian food. Later, travel north of the city to the equator and the Middle of the World complex to experience being in two hemispheres at the same time. Before dinner, attend a lecture, "Introduction to Geology of the Galápagos Islands."

Fly from mainland Ecuador to Baltra. After boarding M/Y Tip Top IV, attend your first orientation and have a light snack. In the afternoon, take a panga ride around Black Turtle Cove, a series of mangrove surrounded coves and islets. Here you can observe whitetip reef sharks, sea turtles, spotted eagle rays, and yellow cow nosed rays. Each day there will be a briefing about the next day's activities, and daily opportunities for swimming, snorkeling, and/or kayaking.
*Cruise itineraries are subject to change without prior notice due to unforeseen circumstances (e.g. safety, weather, etc.) or at the discretion of the captain, guide, or the Galápagos National Park.

This morning, we make a wet landing on Darwin Bay to walk and observe frigatebirds, herons, mockingbirds, boobies, shorebirds, turtles, marine iguanas, etc. There will be time for those who would like to swim, snorkel or kayak. Transfer to the boat for a delicious lunch. Later in the afternoon, we make a dry landing on Prince Phillips's Steps (Barranco), we walk and observe the interesting lives of the birds here. Dinner on the Yacht, and then our orientation about conservation efforts made to protect the Islands.

Today visit the Interpretation Center Fausto Llerena Breeding Center inside the Charles Darwin Research Station. Learn about the station's important conservation and education work, and see some of the giant tortoises that are being raised for reintroduction into the wild. After lunch explore the native forests in El Chato Reserve, then go to a farm to search for giant tortoises in the wild. Return to the yacht for dinner and our night orientation.

After breakfast, we make a panga ride on Punta Vicente Roca to observe plenty of sea lions, marine iguanas, blue-footed and masked boobies, and flightless cormorants. There will be time for those who would like to swim and/or snorkel. In the afternoon, we make a dry landing on Punta Espinoza to observe and see a large colony of sea lions, marine iguanas and the flightless cormorants and clumps of lava cactus. Return to the Yacht for dinner and our nightly orientation.

After breakfast, we make a panga ride on Tagus Cove, a protected cove between the shoulders of two volcanic craters which protect it from the open sea; we observe penguins, marine iguanas, sea lions and a variety of birds including flightless cormorant and blue footed boobies. In the afternoon, take a panga boat ride around the islets of Elizabeth Bay to look for marine iguanas, marine turtles, seabirds, shorebirds, herons, Galápagos Penguins, and Blue footed Boobies. Tonight attend an orientation to learn about conservation efforts to protect the islands.

After breakfast disembark on Isabela Island at Urbina Bay, a coral area at the base of Alcedo Volcano with land iguanas, Flightless Cormorants, and giant tortoises. Return to the yacht for lunch. This afternoon sail to Punta Moreno, again we make a wet landing. We make a walk along shore lagoons located among petrified lava flows where different type of birds can be seeing. On top we have a panoramic view of the famous volcanoes Sierra Negra and Cerro Azul, as well as the highest part of Fernandina Island. Return to the yacht for dinner and our night orientation.

This morning land on the green beach at Floreana's Cormorant Point, then walk inland to a brackish lagoon to see American Flamingoes and shorebirds. Continue walking to La Picona, a beautiful white sand beach that is an important nesting site for Galápagos green turtles. At the start of the year, pregnant turtles come ashore at night to dig nests and lay their eggs; by April and May the hatchlings begin to emerge from the sand and make their perilous journey to sea. Head back to the green beach to enjoy swimming and snorkeling among reef fish and sea lions. This afternoon disembark on the beach at Post Office Bay and follow a short trail to its historic mail barrel site. In the 18th century, British whalers placed a wooden barrel here to use as an informal post office, and today, visitors continue the tradition by leaving their own postcards in the barrel. Continue to Baroness Viewpoint, named after the Baroness Eloise von Wagner, who once lived here. Enjoy the beautiful landscape and observe the ruins of her house.

After breakfast, make an early wet landing on Mosquera Islet. Formed as a result of a volcanic uprising, this small islet consists of a white sand beach, tide pools, and a reef of rocks and coral. Observe colonies of sea lions, Brown Pelicans, Blue footed Boobies, and Sally Lightfoot crabs; the contrast between the crabs' bright red and blue coloration against the black lava is stunning. Afterwards continue to the Baltra airport. Lunch at the airport is on own today. Enjoy the afternoon in Quito at leisure before gathering for a farewell dinner at the hotel this evening. For those departing this evening, you will be taken to the Quito International Airport for your flight(s) home.

Today you will transfer to the airport for your flight home.