Option 1
Length 8 days
Departs on Friday
from Baltra Island Airport
Ends on Friday
at Baltra Island Airport
Visitor Sites
Click on each site for more information
-
Day 1 AM
Baltra Island Airport account_balance
28%Baltra Island Airport
The first airport here was built by Americans during the 2nd World War - remnants of that military base can be easily observed. The latest airport here touts itself as the world’s first “green” airport. It opened in December 2012. The terminal consists of recycled steel tubes taken from oil drilling operations in the Amazon. It spreads over 6,000 square meters and required an investment of just over $24 million. The new complex uses clean, renewable technologies such as solar energy, wind farms, and seawater desalination, among other environmental innovations. It is kept cool(ish) simply by design - no air conditioning is required.
Wildlife Sightings
- check Land Iguana
Site Rating 28%
public Iconic Species -
Day 1 PM
Mosquera Island
56%Mosquera Island
Located between the islands of Baltra and North Seymour, this sand covered reef of rocks and coral (the result of an uprising) has one of the largest populations of sea lions. You can also observe several species of shorebirds and the curious sally lightfoot crabs. There have been occasional reports at this site of Orcas (Orcinus orca) feeding on sea lions. Landing: Wet. Difficulty: Easy
Wildlife Sightings
- check Sea lions
Site Rating 56%
public Iconic Species -
Day 2 AM
Santiago Island, Sullivan Bay
58%Santiago Island, Sullivan Bay
While it doesn’t boast much wildlife, Sullivan Bay provides visitors with an opportunity to walk across a recent lava flow and examine its otherworldly beauty. Don’t worry; the lava isn’t hot, as it was formed in the late 19th century. The trail here crosses pahoehoe lava, dotted with pyroclastic cones. Inland, striking red and yellow tuft cones rise above the flow. Landing: Dry. Difficulty: Easy.
Wildlife Sightings
- check Galapagos penguin
Site Rating 58%
public Iconic Species -
Day 2 PM
Rábida Island
67%Rábida Island
On its red sands, spot marine iguanas and a noisy colony of sea lions. Brown pelicans make homes by the beach in saltbushes. Behind the beach is a lagoon where wading birds and white-cheeked pintail ducks feed, while blue-footed and nazca boobies linger in the cliffs. Landing: Wet. Difficulty: Easy/Moderate.
Wildlife Sightings
- check Sea lions
- check Nazca booby
Site Rating 67%
public Iconic Species -
Day 3 AM
Fernandina Island, Punta Espinoza
90%Fernandina Island, Punta Espinoza
Only a few hundred thousand years old, and free of invasive species, this is likely the most pristine island you'll see in your lifetime. Its central volcano dominates the landscape, spreading lava fields all the way to the shore. The island's highlight features the flightless cormorant nesting site, "marine iguana city", penguins and if you're lucky, the Galapagos hawk. Landing: Dry. Difficulty: Moderate.
Wildlife Sightings
- check Flightless cormorant
- check Galapagos hawk
- check Galapagos penguin
- check Sea lions
Site Rating 90%
public Iconic Species -
Day 3 PM
Isabela Island, Elizabeth Bay
71%Isabela Island, Elizabeth Bay
A panga ride site. A tour around the vary quiet mangrove inlets and adjacent lagoons may reveal Galápagos green turtles, golden cownose rays, spotted eagle rays, and white-tip reef sharks. Galápagos penguins prefer the rocky islets, and marine iguanas enjoy the plentiful algae. Other species seen here include flightless cormorants, pelicans and lava herons. Landing: None (panga ride). Difficulty: Easy.
Wildlife Sightings
- check Flightless cormorant
- check Galapagos penguin
- check Sea turtles
- check Sharks
- check Rays
Site Rating 71%
public Iconic Species -
Day 4 AM
Isabela Island, Urbina Bay
58%Isabela Island, Urbina Bay
A trail leads away from a pleasant beach and into the arid zone of the island. Surprisingly, this flat, scrubby area contains old corals on land - the result of a major uplift in 1954. You might encounter land and marine iguanas and giant tortoises. Closer to the water you may see flightless cormorants. Landing: Wet. Difficulty: Easy/Moderate.
Wildlife Sightings
- check Flightless cormorant
- check Giant tortoise in the wild
- check Land Iguana
Site Rating 58%
public Iconic Species -
Day 4 PM
Isabela Island, Tagus Cove account_balance
70%Isabela Island, Tagus Cove
A deep water cove frequented by whales and pirates as attested by old graffiti on shoreline cliffs. A short steep hike leads to the salt water Darwin Lake, lying within a tuff cone. With nice vistas, you can spot a variety of finch species, hawks, yellow warblers, Galapagos flycatchers. A panga ride along the cliffs may reveal flightless cormorants, Galápagos penguins, and Galápagos sea lions. Landing: Dry, with slippery rocks. Difficulty: Moderate/Difficult.
Wildlife Sightings
- check Flightless cormorant
- check Galapagos penguin
- check Sea lions
- check Sea turtles
Site Rating 70%
public Iconic Species -
Day 5 AM
Santiago Island, Puerto Egas
71%Santiago Island, Puerto Egas
This is the jumping off point for two trails. The first leads to fur seal grottos – a stretch of rocky coastline that offers them shade and protection. The second trail leads to the Salt Mine Volcano, a small crater that features a seasonally flooded lagoon, where flamingos and Galapagos hawks can sometimes be spotted. Landing: Wet. Difficulty: Easy/Moderate.
Wildlife Sightings
- check Fur seals
- check Galapagos hawk
- check Flamingo
Site Rating 71%
public Iconic Species -
Day 5 PM
Bartolomé Island
68%Bartolomé Island
Bartolomé Island has two visitor sites that are usually combined into one visit. The first is a swim and snorkel off a nice beach, around the iconic Pinnacle Rock; the underwater world there is really impressive. Snorkelers are in the water with the penguins, marine turtles white-tipped reef sharks, rays and other tropical fish. The second site is accessible via a long staircase leading up to a spectacular view point from which you can see the manifestations of recent volcanic activity. Landing: Dry. Difficulty: Moderate
Wildlife Sightings
- check Galapagos penguin
- check Sharks
- check Rays
- check Sea turtles
Site Rating 68%
public Iconic Species -
Day 6 AM
Sombero Chino Island
67%Sombero Chino Island
The landing site is at a small crescent-shaped white-sand beach. A trail runs from the landing site — where you may see penguins, sea lions and Sally Lightfoot crabs — to the rocky shore of the western part of the island. Here, you’ll enter a primeval world of volcanic rubble, sharp outcroppings, and lava formations. A visit usually includes a snorkel/swim. Landing: Wet. Difficulty: Moderate.
Wildlife Sightings
- check Galapagos hawk
- check Galapagos penguin
- check Sea lions
Site Rating 67%
public Iconic Species -
Day 6 PM
Santa Cruz Island, Cerro Dragon
54%Santa Cruz Island, Cerro Dragon
Wildlife Sightings
- check Mockingbirds
- check Rays
- check Sharks
- check Land Iguana
- check Flamingo
Site Rating 54%
public Iconic Species -
Day 7 AM
Santa Cruz Island, Los Gemelos - Highlands
62%Santa Cruz Island, Los Gemelos - Highlands
Los Gemelos (The Twins) are a pair of large pit craters on the road from Puerto Ayora to Baltra. They were created when the surface material covering empty magma chambers collapsed. You can walk along the rim of the craters and enjoy breathtaking views. The trail around the larger crater passes through a Scalesia forest and is good place to see a variety of bird species. Landing: None. Difficulty: Moderate.
Wildlife Sightings
- check Scalesia forest
- check Vermillion flycatcher
Site Rating 62%
public Iconic Species -
Day 7 PM
San Cristóbal Island, Interpretation Centre account_balance
35%San Cristóbal Island, Interpretation Centre
The center, which is just outside of the town of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, was opened in 1998 and features exhibits showcasing the natural and human history of the Galápagos and the ongoing efforts to preserve and protect the islands. Landing: None. Difficulty: Easy
Site Rating 35%
public Iconic Species -
Day 8 AM
North Seymour Island
83%North Seymour Island
From the small dock, the trail leads along the coast — past an area where marine iguanas nest — and then loops into the palo santo forest by the nests of frigatebirds and boobies. The frigatebirds rely on the fishing success of the blue-footed boobies for their survival, stealing their catches. Landing: Dry. Difficulty: Easy
Wildlife Sightings
- check Nazca booby
- check Land Iguana
Site Rating 83%
public Iconic Species -
Day 8 AM
Baltra Island Airport account_balance
28%Baltra Island Airport
The first airport here was built by Americans during the 2nd World War - remnants of that military base can be easily observed. The latest airport here touts itself as the world’s first “green” airport. It opened in December 2012. The terminal consists of recycled steel tubes taken from oil drilling operations in the Amazon. It spreads over 6,000 square meters and required an investment of just over $24 million. The new complex uses clean, renewable technologies such as solar energy, wind farms, and seawater desalination, among other environmental innovations. It is kept cool(ish) simply by design - no air conditioning is required.
Wildlife Sightings
- check Land Iguana
Site Rating 28%
public Iconic Species
account_balance Is of cultural or historical significance
Itinerary Rating
Combined score of all sites visited
Rating: 66%
public Iconic speciesWildlife Sightings
- check Flamingo
- check Flightless cormorant
- check Fur seals
- check Galapagos hawk
- check Galapagos penguin
- check Giant tortoise in the wild
- check Land Iguana
- check Mockingbirds
- check Nazca booby
- check Rays
- check Scalesia forest
- check Sea lions
- check Sea turtles
- check Sharks
- check Vermillion flycatcher