GALAPAGOS 5 ISLANDS
8D/7N
Discover the “Enchanted Islands” that Charles Darwin chose for his studies of species and Theory of Evolution. You can connect with nature, walk close to iguanas, sea lions and blue-footed boobies, feeling part of this natural habitat. Its species of flora and fauna, mostly endemic, are one of the reasons why the Archipelago was designated as a Natural World Heritage. In addition, you will have the opportunity to lie on the white sand of its beaches, which together with its crystalline waters complement this enchanting landscape.
With this tour you will visit the iconic sites of five islands: Santa Cruz, Isabela, Bartolomé, South Plaza and North Seymour. You can observe the flora, fauna and landscapes that characterize each one of them.
Day 1: Quito – Baltra – Isla Santa Cruz
Our services start at Mariscal Sucre Airport, where you must be on time to take your assigned flight for this tour. Once you arrive at Baltra Airport, one of our representatives will be waiting to guide you to the bus for crossing the Itabaca Canal. The guide will indicate the ferry on which you must embark to cross the channel to Santa Cruz Island. On the other hand, our private transportation will be waiting for you to pick you up and take a trip to the southern part of the island (Puerto Ayora), where your selected hotel is located. In the afternoon, you visit the Charles Darwin Scientific Station, where you will learn about the unique flora and fauna that Galapagos has, you can see the “lonely George”, the last giant tortoise of its species that became extinct in 2012. You can also look the turtle breeding center that the station has. This activity takes two hours approximately and then you have the afternoon free for knowing the port or return to your hotel. (Meals included: Lunch)
Day 2: Isabela Island (Isabela and Tintoreras Islet)
After breakfast, you will prepare to visit Isabela Island. We recommend that before leaving the hotel, you put on your swimsuit, sports shoes or sandals and sunglasses, also you should include in your personal items: sunscreen, a pair of binoculars, a cap or hat and drink water. Next, our guide accompany you to the dock to help with baggage inspection and to show you the fiberglass boat on which you will travel for two and a half hours approximately until arriving at Isabela.
Isabela, shaped like a horse, is the largest island and the second youngest island in the archipelago, 500,000 years old. You will arrive at Puerto Villamil, smaller in relation to Puerto Ayora, where a naturalist guide will be waiting for you at the dock to welcome you and give some indications before starting the tour.
You take a walk to the Fausto Llerena Breeding Center, where you will have the possibility to look the variety of turtles in shape, weight and measure of both Isabela and other islands. It is possible to visualize turtles from months to 8 years of age. On your way you can see finches and mockingbirds. Later, you will walk through the Wetlands, a set of brackish lagoons among the mangrove forest, where flamingos are usually seen with their extraordinary bright pink plumage and Galapagos ducks during all the year.
After lunch, you navigate to the Tintoreras islet. This volcanic formation is very recent and it presents two types of volcanic formations that you can identify. After a trail of 400 m., where you see brown pelicans, herons, frigates, sea lions, dozens of sea iguanas, blue-footed boobies and the famous Galapagos penguins on the rocks you will arrive at the place chosen for snorkeling, the last activity of the day. (Meals included: Breakfast and lunch)
Day 3: Isabela Island (Sierra Negra Volcano –Chico Volcano – Concha y Perla)
In the morning, after breakfast, you will take a bus to the base of Sierra Negra Volcano, from there you start a walk for approximately 1 hour 20 minutes to reach the caldera, which is one of the 50 most boilers large in the world, having a diameter of 7 to 10 km, being its last eruption in 2005. Then you have a new walk to reach Chico Volcano where you will enjoy of one of the best views of the archipelago, in this place you have time to take the box lunch.
Then, you will have the opportunity to fresh inside of crystal clear waters of Concha y Perla, an excellent place where you can snorkel and enjoy its very calm waters.
In the afternoon you will go to the hotel and taste the typical food of the island. (Meals included: Breakfast and lunch)
Day 4: Tortuga Bay – Highlands (Santa Cruz Island)
Early you will be transferred to the entrance of Tortuga Bay, one of the most recognized beaches in Santa Cruz. Then, you have to walk fo 30-minutes approximately to Playa Brava, where you will have a few minutes to take the respective photographs. After walking 15 minutes more you finally reach Playa Mansa. On this site you can relax and enjoy the morning surrounded by iguanas, which walk free throughout the beach. After lunch, you go to the Highlands of the island, the first site is El Rancho where you can observe giant turtles in their natural state; birds are also be part of the landscape, such as Darwin’s finches. Finally, you walk inside a lava tunnel to contemplate this natural formation, before returning to your hotel for rest. (Meals included: Breakfast and lunch)
Day 5: South Plaza Island (South Plaza – Punta Carrion)
After breakfast, you will be transferred to the Itabaca Channel; there you will take the boat for going to South Plaza Island. After sailing approximately one hour, you will disembark at the dock of the island and start a walk about 1 km away. Next, you will sail for 20 minutes until reach Punta Carrion, where you can enjoy snorkeling activity inside of calm and shallow waters. You have the possibility to see tropical fish and white tip sharks locally called tintoreras.
South Plaza, is a small island located on the east side of Santa Cruz Island that receives little rain compared to the amount that large islands receive. The vegetation of this island is very picturesque; color of the opuntia cactus contrasts with the beautiful reddish color of the sesuvium (plant) in the dry season. It has a colony of land iguanas represented by about 450 individuals who are the smallest of its kind. It is also possible to look a colony of sea lions enjoying in their natural habitat some inside of water and others on the rocks, aggressive adult males moving in the water near the coast from one side to another patrolling their territory, especially during their mating season. (Meals included: Breakfast and lunch)
Day 6: Bartolome Island
In the morning, you will take a bus to go to the Itabaca Channel, where you will take the boat for going to Bartolome Island; navigation is approximately 2 hours. Once on the island, a dry landing takes place and you have to walk until get the top of the island, the hike to reach it is 400 meters on a sandy flat terrain and to ascend you will take a staircase of 372 steps. Upon your return, you have the opportunity to swim and snorkel, enjoying the beach.
Bartolome is a small island of 1.2 km² and approximately 114 m high. The main attractions are: the beaches, the volcanic landscape, the pinnacle and the small penguin colony of Galapagos, which can be seen inside of water at your fishing site or resting on the rocks. Once at the top of the island you have the opportunity to enjoy the volcanic beauty, the most representative landscape of the Galapagos Islands, especially the pinnacle that is part of a cone formed of sediment volcanic ash. You also have the famous Galapagos penguins that belong to the only species that breeds in the two hemispheres, north and south.
Day 7: North Seymour Island (North Seymour – Las Bachas Beach)
Early take a bus that will transfer you to the Itabaca Channel, from there you have to take the boat for going to North Seymour Island (30 min. of sailing approximately). Once on the island, you have a dry landing and a walk for about 1 hour and a half. You will return to the boat for lunch and then continue with 30-minute navigation to Las Bachas Beach, in the northern part of Santa Cruz Island. After a wet landing, you have a small hike to a lagoon where occasionally you can see flamingos, Galapagos patillos, coastal and migratory birds. You also have time to snorkel and swim from the beach.
North Seymour Island is located in the north of Baltra Island and has a trail approximately 2 km away. North Seymour is one of the islands that have been formed by the lifting of volcanic underwater lavas. In 1932 and 1933, around 70 land iguanas were introduced from the Baltra Island with the intention that these iguanas could survive in better conditions in a natural state. North Seymour is a small island with a wide variety of wildlife such as frigate colonies, being the only island on which its courtship can be observed throughout the year (royal frigate and common frigate); in the nesting season of blue footed boobies, you can also see their unique dance that makes them so special for visitors; we also have sea lions, bifurcated tail gulls, land birds such as finches, canaries, Galapagos pigeons and some reptiles such as land iguanas and lava lizards.
Day 8: Baltra – Quito
Your guide will be waiting outside your hotel for transfer you to Baltra Airport. There, you must take your designated flight on the Baltra – Quito route. On the way to the airport, you have a last sto in Los Gemelos, a natural formation of two large holes, which preserves the native flora of the islands, mainly famous for its scalecia forest. The tour will culminate at Mariscal Sucre Airport, where you can take your connecting flight to continue your trip, or in turn move to Quito to continue knowing Ecuador. (Food included: Breakfast in all cases, lunch depending on flight itinerary)
*END OF OUR SERVICES*
Transportation
- Transfer in/out from and to Baltra Airport.
- Land transportation, private and comfortable.
- Maritime transportation between islands, for the activities included in the tour.
Accommodation
- 7 nights of accommodation in tourist class hotels. Accommodation in matrimonial, double and triple rooms depending of needs.
Meals
- Breakfast and lunch
Guide
- Naturalist Bilingual Guide, authorized by the Galapagos National Park.
Excursions
- All excursions and visits included in the itinerary.
Extra services
- Permanent assistance during all the trip.
- Equipment for snorkel.
Domestic Flights
- Flight Quito – Baltra – Quito route.
International Flights
- Flights before and after the tour are not included, you can organize your flights on your own from anywhere in the world.
Meals
- Dinner
- Additional food and/or beverages not included in the itinerary.
Taxes and additional values
- Traffic Control Card (TCT) $ 20.00 per pax. (This value must be canceled at the offices of the Governing Council of the Galapagos Special Regime, located at Mariscal Sucre International Airport).
- Entrance fee to the Galapagos National Park: Tourists from one of the countries belonging to the CAN or MERCOSUR $ 50.00; Foreign tourists from other countries $ 100.00. (This value is paid only once, upon entering the Galapagos National Park).
- Fee for transportation airport / Itabaca channel / airport $ 5.00 per person, per way.
- Dock fee in Isabela Island $ 10.00 per pax.
- T / C Fee
- You can purchase travel insurance according to your needs by your own.
Important for considering:
In cases of force majeure and / or fortuitous event, the Operator reserves the right to make the respective modifications in the itinerary, trying to change as little as possible the travel proposal initially presented. Cases of force majeure are those unforeseen situations external to the nature of the tour, such as: natural disaster, adverse weather conditions, fires, floods, damages caused by landslides or earthquakes, pandemics or epidemics, popular demonstrations, road closures and / or factors of risk before which a state authority prohibits the entrance to a certain zone, etc.
It is recommended to purchase travel insurance according to your needs.
In case of cancellation, the penalty is 30% of the total value if it’s made 20 days before the start of the tour and 100% if it’s made 5 days before the tour.
Our tourist packages are adjustable to requirements of tourist.
Rates valid for the Year 2019, apply for holidays.
USD $ 2168
To reserve the following information is necessary: copy of passport, email, food restrictions and allergies.
The 50% of the total tour value must be paid at the time of reservation, and 100% of the value 20 days before the start of the tour
If the payment is made with a credit card, you must pay an additional 10% to the total value, for the transaction made.
