Day 8-10: Galapagos Islands
Breakfast in the hotel. Transfer to the airport for flight to the Galapagos Islands. Day 1 Upon arrival at Baltra Airport, your guide will meet you and help you with your luggage and escort you to the bus. Itabaca Canal, which separates Baltra Island from Santa Cruz Island, is a 10-minute drive away. Motorboat crossings across the canal to Santa Cruz Island take 5 minutes. From here we will travel by private transport (approximately 45 minutes drive) across the island to the town of Puerto Ayora and your hotel. Notice the change in environment from the red rocky surface in the north to the green wildlife in the highlands and south. From the airport, the guide will go with the group to the highlands of Santa Cruz Island. As we travel through the island's agricultural zones with the surrounding wild landscape and various species of flora and fauna, we will be able to see the finches that served as the basis for Darwin's theory of evolution. Watch the famous Galapagos land tortoises in their natural habitat and learn how private farms are helping to conserve these unique animals and their habitats. You can hear them making noises while plucking leaves from trees or searching for tasty food. Here you can see turtles of different ages and sizes: young ones with sparkling shells and lazy old ones with partially cracked shells - traces of a long life. The well-known lava tunnels are another goal of our trip. The channels, resulting from the uneven cooling of lava flowing from the slopes of the volcano, extend from the highlands to the shores. Lava tubes have been destroyed in several places. However, there are preserved lava tunnels that can be walked through in 30 minutes. You will be able to see and understand how they were formed, in some places difficult to pass, and in others with collapsed boulders. The guide will share a detailed history of the origin of these tunnels. Lunch included. Transfer to the hotel. A welcome reception at the hotel will be followed by accommodation in our spacious rooms. You will then have free time to explore the port town of Puerto Ayora, where there are many souvenir shops. Accommodation at the Fiesta 4* hotel (breakfast, lunch) Day 2 SEA EXCURSION TO BARTOLOME ISLAND Early in the morning you will depart from the hotel by bus to the Itabaca Channel, where a pleasure yacht will be waiting for you, ready to sail. A day awaits you in a unique corner of the Earth with beautiful white sandy beaches, an out-of-this-world environment, a sea with crystal clear waters and a variety of animals. During the two-hour sail, you will have a unique opportunity to have breakfast and watch the sunrise at sea. Also in the early hours of the morning you can often see dolphins and other sea creatures very close to the yacht. Landing on the shore of Bartolome Island. You will have to hike up for about 30 minutes; You will cross an almost lunar landscape and reach the highest point of the volcanic island. From there you will have amazing views of the islands of Santiago, Seymour Norte, Baltra, Santa Cruz, Rabida and the island of Chinese Hat, as well as the famous Pinnacle Rock - the remains of an ancient volcano. This place is the habitat of thousands of birds. The landscape opening from the top is a symbol of the Galapagos Islands, captured by many photographers. Next is a change of clothes for visiting the beach. During the boat ride, our guests will see Galapagos penguins (only 50 centimeters tall) standing at the foot of a cliff or swimming at the speed of a bullet in the clear waters of the ocean. Once ashore, tourists will enjoy a short hike through the dunes to the northern beach. This is a pelican nesting site. Here you can see small reef sharks. Return to the south beach, where the shallow sea gives you the opportunity to swim and snorkel alongside Galapagos penguins, sharks, starfish, stingrays, sea turtles and a variety of exotic colorful fish, and you will also be able to see several species of the islands' permanent inhabitants: marine iguanas, marine lions, pelicans and much more. Lunch on board after this amazing adventure. Today will end with a return to the hotel in the evening. You will have some free time to explore the town of Puerto Ayora. Accommodation at the Fiesta 4* hotel (breakfast, lunch) Day 3 SEA EXCURSION TO SEYMOUR OR PLACE ISLAND (confirmed after booking; both islands are equally interesting): SEYMOUR ISLAND This excursion day will give you an amazing opportunity to visit Seymour North Island and the beaches of Bachas. We will travel by bus to our yacht in the Itabaca Channel and then sail for one hour to Seymour North Island. Landing on a rocky shore near a small forest of gray and silver palo santo trees, which are leafless most of the year. Seymour Island is famous for its numerous colonies of different species of birds. Particularly memorable are the male frigatebirds with their red crop, which they use to attract females during the mating season, and the famous blue-footed boobies. These seabirds have a wedge-shaped tail and long, pointed wings. During mating dances, males raise one wing and one blue paw and begin to dance in order to impress the females. The tour will continue to a beach with small cliffs where you can see sea gulls, many sea lions, marine iguanas and pelicans. Most animals can be observed at arm's length. Freshly prepared lunch is served on board the yacht. During the afternoon rest, the yacht will continue sailing to the beaches of Bachas on the northern coast of Santa Cruz Island. First we will go to the lagoon behind the beach, often visited by flamingos. Next we will have a refreshing swim and snorkeling on a paradise uninhabited beach with white sand and turquoise water! Sea lions, different types of stingrays, sea turtles and tropical fish can join you on this underwater adventure! Return to Puerto Ayora at approximately 16:30. Free time to stroll along the pier, buy souvenirs or enjoy the sunset. PLACE ISLAND Departure from the hotel to the north, to the Itabaca Canal. Board the yacht and sail to the island of Plaza Sur. It is one of the smallest islands in the archipelago, located near the eastern tip of Santa Cruz Island. After an hour and a half of sailing, the Plaza welcomes guests with a red and green carpet of sesuvium, endemic plants scattered throughout the island, and the friendly barking of several families of sea lions that live here. The turquoise water of the ocean is in perfect harmony with the white sandy beaches and rock formations on the shore. Hiking around the island is very easy - the trail passes sea lions and sea lions and reaches the highest cliff, where ragged gulls cut the air with their calls, and sea lions, who cannot resist their rivals, climb up the almost vertical wall. At the same time, tropical birds, blue-footed boobies and frigate birds glide softly through the air. We recommend bringing binoculars to see this extraordinary wildlife up close. The view from the highest point of the ocean and the mighty waves crashing against the cliffs is an unforgettable sight. Next, the journey will continue to Cape Carrion. Lunch on board. This is a unique place to snorkel and swim alongside stingrays, sharks and hundreds of colorful tropical fish. Return to the hotel. Accommodation at the Fiesta 4* hotel (breakfast, lunch)