Itinerary:
Day 1 - Sunday:
Arrive at Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, San Cristobal, Galapagos.
The flight from Quito (via Guayaquil) to the Galapagos is approximately 2 ½ hours on a Boeing 727.
Day 2 Monday: Hood (Española) Island—Punta Suarez
One of the oldest of the islands, Hood is small and flat with no visible volcanic crater or vent. Punta Suarez is one of the most outstanding wildlife areas of the archipelago, with a long list of species found along its cliffs and sand or pebble beaches.
Day 3 Tuesday: Santa Cruz (Indefatigable) Island—Puerto Ayora Town
Santa Cruz is the only inhabited island to be visited during this Galapagos cruise. Puerto Ayora, with a population of about 10,000 people is the location of the Charles Darwin Research Station, world famous for its tortoise breeding programs.
Day 4 Wednesday: Tower (Genovesa) Island—Prince Philip’s Steps
A second trail called Prince Philip Steps, leads to an open area for masked boobies, frigates, and red-footed boobies.
Day 5 Thursday: Fernandina (Narborough) Island—Punta Espinosa
Fernandina is the youngest and most active volcano in the Galapagos with eruptions taking place every few years. The flat lava of Punta Espinosa offers a stark and barren landscape, but here flightless cormorants build their nests on the point, sea lions sprawl on the beach or play in the tide pools and marine iguanas dot the sand.
Day 6 Friday: Santiago (San Salvador, James) Island—Puerto Egas
This island has several sites to visit at the western end of James Bay. Puerto Egas with its black sand beaches was the site of small salt mining industry in the 1960s and a hike inland to the salt crater is an excellent opportunity to sight land birds such as finches,and hawks.
Day 7 Saturday: North Seymour (Seymour Norte) Island
North Seymour is an uplifted (as opposed to volcanic) island and so is generally flat and strewn with boulders.
Day 8 Sunday: San Cristobal Island — Kicker Rock - Departure
Kicker Rock is a magnificent rock in the middle of the sea. Rising 500 feet strait from the ocean, this giant uplifted rock has the shape of a sleeping lion. It has a split with towering vertical walls on either side, forming a narrow channel through which small vessels can navigate.
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