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Flight from the Ecuadorian Mainland to the Galapagos Islands – Santa Cruz Highlands – Puerto Ayora
AM: You will be picked up from your hotel in Quito and driven to the airport for your flight to the Galapagos Islands.
Upon arrival in the archipelago at Baltra airport, you will travel by bus to the Itabaca Channel, followed by a 5-minute ferry ride to Santa Cruz Island and then an hour’s drive to the town of Puerto Ayora. En route, we will stop at a Highlands reserve to see amazing Galapagos giant tortoises in the wild. You will also have a chance to walk through lava tunnels before having lunch at a local restaurant.
We will reach Puerto Ayora in the afternoon, where you will check in at your selected hotel and still have plenty of free time to explore the town at your leisure. Later that evening, there will be a welcome dinner for you at a local restaurant.
Scuba Diving Tour
AM: [Important: In order to participate in diving in the Galapagos Islands, one is required to have a PADI license and previous diving experience.]
Diving options for the day include:
Floreana Island One of the older volcanic islands, Floreana Island has an uneven profile that is the result of numerous volcanoes and parasitic cones. This was also the first island in the Galapagos to be inhabited by humans.
Floreana presents an excellent selection of varied dive sites and a few official visitor sites. (Punta Cormorant, Enderby and Champion Islet)
Location: South of Santa Cruz Island, 3 possible dive sites, 90 minutes away from our base. Site Conditions: Normally this site does not have strong currents. Some spots are reef dives, where coral and sponges can be found, while others are wall dives. Activity: Most of the interesting activity takes place in the shallow waters where the current strikes the reefs. On your dives, you are likely to sight sea lions, Galapagos sharks, Whitetip Reef sharks, green turtles, reef fish, stingrays, eagle rays, barracudas, and a variety of invertebrates.
Gordon Rocks
(Minimum experience to participate: 30 logged dives or the previous evaluation by our dive guides at another site)
Location: Gordon Rocks is one of the best dive sites in the central islands. It is an eroded crater at the top of a tuff cone. Near the east coast of Santa Cruz Island, this destination offers 2 dive sites located 45 minutes from Itabaca Channel (on the north side of Santa Cruz Island). Site Conditions: This rock formation is a world-renowned site appropriate for intermediate and advanced divers due to the strong currents and surges. Activity: Hammerhead sharks, Galapagos sharks, Whitetip Reef sharks, mobula rays, turtles, reef fish, stingrays, eagle rays, Galapagos eel, barracudas, a variety of invertebrates.
North Seymour Island
Location: North of Santa Cruz Island, here you will find 2 dive sites located 30 minutes from Itabaca Channel (on the north side of Santa Cruz Island). Site Conditions: Site appropriate for all levels of divers, although sometimes there can be strong currents. Platform reefs with a diversity of marine species. Activity: Sea lions, and many kinds of sharks (including Galapagos, Whitetip Reef and hammerhead sharks), mobula rays (small mantas), turtles, reef fish, stingrays, eagle rays, Galapagos eels, barracudas, and a variety of invertebrates.
Mosquera Islet
Location: North of Santa Cruz Island between Seymour Island and Baltra Island, this low rocky islet possesses sandy beaches where sea lions rest. Its one dive site is located 25 minutes from Itabaca Channel (on the north side of Santa Cruz Island). Site Conditions: Normally there are no strong currents at this site, which has a sandy bottom at between 15 and 18 meters, with garden eels and pelagic species. There is also a wall that starts at 18 meters, where you will find black coral and a variety of invertebrates. Activity: Hammerhead sharks, Blacktip Reef sharks, Whitetip Reef sharks, sea lions, turtles, barracudas, reef fish, stingrays, Eagle rays, mobula rays, Galapagos eel and a variety of invertebrates.
Beagle Rocks
Location: Off the south coast of Santiago island, Beagle Rocks are three large, steep rocks – the only remains of a tuff cone. Located about 90 minutes from Itabaca Channel (on the north side of Santa Cruz Island). Site Conditions: Normally there are no strong currents at this site. It is a reef dive with many corals and sponges. Activity: Sea lions, Galapagos sharks, turtles, reef fish, stingrays, eagle rays, barracudas, a variety of invertebrates, manta rays and probably solitary hammerhead sharks.
Daphne Minor Island
Location: Near the north coast of Santa Cruz Island, Daphne Minor Island appears as a large flat-topped exposed rock that is actually an eroded tuff cone. Located 30 minutes from Itabaca Channel (on the north side of Santa Cruz Island). Site Conditions: Moderate currents at this site, a drift dive along the impressive drop-off at the top of a sloping wall to a rocky and sandy bottom. Activity: Here you can find a small cave (though this is NOT a cave dive) where Whitetip reef sharks rest. In addition, there is a pinnacle where you will find a diversity of rays, Galapagos sharks, turtles, reef fish, barracudas, black coral walls and a variety of invertebrates.
Bartolome Island
Location: Located on the east side of Santiago Island, on this small island you will see the famous Pinnacle Rock. Bartolome is situated within 90 minutes from the Itabaca Channel (on the north side of Santa Cruz Island). Site Conditions: Experiencing a moderate current, you will find a platform at about 10 meters (33 ft.) deep, with a variety of reef fish. At the edge of this platform is an underwater canyon dropping to a depth of 15 meters (50 ft.), where you will have a chance to encounter pelagic species. Activity: Whitetip Reef sharks, reef fish, barracuda, turtles, mobula rays, stingrays and a variety of invertebrates and mollusks.
Cousins Island
Location: Located on the east coast of Santiago Island near the island of Bartolome, within 90 minutes from the Itabaca Channel (north side of Santa Cruz), Cousins Island is a triangular-shaped islet. Site Conditions: No strong currents under normal conditions. Diving is on a shelving reef, with many endemic black corals on the walls. Activity: Pacific seahorses, barracudas, sea lions, Galapagos sharks, Whitetip sharks, sea turtles, reef fish, stingrays, spotted eagle rays, and a variety of invertebrates and mollusks.
Kayaking and transfer to Isabela Island
AM: After breakfast, we will go kayaking and sail around Divine Bay and Punta Estrada, paddling through multiple lava channels of calm, turquoise waters. In these channels, Whitetip reef sharks and stingrays patrol beneath the waves, while colonies of Blue-footed boobies, tropic birds, herons and marine iguanas are perched along the jagged cliffs.
After lunch, we will leave for Isabela Island by speed boat, a voyage of about 2-1/2 hours, depending on sea conditions. Upon our arrival, you will check in at your selected hotel and still have time to leisurely explore the town of Puerto Villamil. Dinner (included) will be at a local restaurant that evening. You will then return to the hotel for the night.
Hike to the Sierra Negra & Chico Volcanoes
AM: Today we head to the highlands of Isabela Island and delve into a world of modern geological history. The continuing volcanic activity on this island is a microcosm of the dramatic geological events that have formed the Galapagos Islands over millennia.
After driving up to the trailhead, we will hike into a young dry-forest ecosystem. Our destination is the rim of the Sierra Negra, an active volcano that last erupted in October 2005.
Upon our arrival, we take in breathtaking views and explore the circumference of the massive crater, which is over six miles across at its widest point. If sky is clear, you will also enjoy views of Isabela’s other volcanoes, the Perry Isthmus, and beyond.
If you feel energetic, we can continue our hike to Chico Volcano, a secondary crater that has a wild untamed landscape of puffing fumaroles and colorful lava formations. In the afternoon, we will return to Puerto Villamil to enjoy our last afternoon on Isabela’s exotic white sand beaches.
“Wall of Tears,” Wetlands Tour and Snorkeling at Tintoreras
AM: After settling in, we will head out on our mountain bikes to explore the beautiful coastline on an exclusive trail that takes us through an incredible variety of coastal ecosystems.
We will begin with a visit to the “Wall of Tears,” a massive wall built with lava rock that dates back to the era when Isabela was used as a penal colony and prisoners were forced to build the wall to keep them from going stir crazy.
As we continue riding along the coast, we can explore pristine white sand beaches, mangrove forests, and brackish lagoons. This area is filled with bird life, including oystercatchers, herons, flamingos, finches and many shore birds, as well as the ubiquitous sea lions and marine iguanas.
After our ride and a rejuvenating lunch, we will visit (in a shared tour) Tintoreras, a set of small, rocky islets tucked in Isabela Bay. Tintoreras islets are filled with wildlife, most notably Galapagos penguins, the only species of penguin that lives on the equator. We will also see sharks, sea turtles, sea lions and more, as well as explore the small coves and beaches of Tintoreras.
Isabela Island – Santa Cruz Island – Flight back the Ecuadorian mainland
AM: We will head out on an early morning departure (6:00 a.m.) to Santa Cruz Island. Upon arrival, we will visit the famous Charles Darwin Research Station. This center includes an information center, a museum, a library, and a tortoise breeding station. Park rangers and park managers — along with others who make tremendous efforts to preserve this UNESCO World Heritage Site — work here for the conservation of the islands. In the tortoise breeding center you can see tortoises of different subspecies that are being prepared for reintroduction into their natural habitats.
Enjoy your last look at these “enchanted islands,” a unique and wondrous paradise! You will then be accompanied to the Baltra airport for your return flight to Quito.
*Note: Depending on sea conditions and flight schedule departing from Baltra, the visit to Charles Darwin Station will be schedule for first or last day.
Price per person
First-Class Superior or Luxury (Double)
USD$ 3708
First Class (Double)
USD$ 3181
Tourist (Double)
USD$ 2726
First-Class Superior or Luxury (Single Supplement)
USD$ 1419
First Class (Single Supplement)
USD$ 958
Tourist (Single Supplement)
USD$ 430
Included in the price
- Accommodations in double room (in selected hotels or comparable ones)
- Private transportation
- Professional bilingual (English/Spanish-speaking) guide
- Excursions, as indicated in the itinerary
- Meals, as indicated in the itinerary
- Speedboat passage between islands (shared basis)
- Scuba diving tour (shared basis) with complete dive gear (2-piece 7mm wetsuit, regulator, BCD, mask, fins, hood, gloves, weight belt and tanks, though this does not include a dive computer).
- Snorkeling gear
- Kayaks
- Bikes
- Immigration Control Transit Card: $20 per person
Not included in the price
- International flights & domestic flights (Quito – Galapagos Island – Quito)
- Galapagos National Park entrance fee: $100 per adult
- Public bus transportation from Baltra – Itabaca Channel – Baltra ($10 per person for TAME airline passengers)
- Travel Insurance (highly recommended)
- Personal expenses
- Items not included in the itinerary
- Alcoholic and bottled drinks
- Tips and gratuities
- Use of wet suits
