BALTRA AIRPORT – BARTHOLOMEW ISLAND

Upon arrival, you will get assistance and a warm welcome at Baltra Airport before making the trip to the M/C Endemic.

You’ll reach Bartholomew Island after lunch. Upon arrival, you will ascend to take in the breathtaking view of Sullivan Bay and the renowned Pinnacle Rock. Snorkeling is a great activity from the beaches at the base of Pinnacle Rock, where you can explore the fascinating underwater environment and, with any luck, swim among penguins.

FLOREANA ISLAND: Devil´s Crown /Cormorant Point – Baroness’ Lookout/ Post Office

After breakfast in the morning, the first location to be seen is Devil’s Crown, an underwater volcanic crater almost entirely covered by Galapagos waters. From above, only a tiny piece of the rock structure is visible, and it resembles a crown. The marine wildlife and coral reefs in the underwater environment are exceedingly diverse. Due to its location in open waters, birds are also a component of this visitation attraction.

Or go to Cormorant Point, where you will touch down on a beach with green olivine sand. You will soon arrive at a lagoon with flamingos after traveling down a walkway for 100 meters.

You will visit the Baroness’ Lookout in the afternoon (Mirador de la Baronesa). North of Floreana Island is where you’ll find this vantage point. The trail and ascent are pretty simple, and steps have been added here for safety. Your naturalist tour guide will recount the Baroness’s murder and the mystery of her mythology.

You could also visit the Post Office Bay, where the fabled post barrel that was once used by whalers to post their letters is still kept.

SANTIAGO ISLAND: Chinese Hat – NORTH SEYMOUR ISLAND

After breakfast in the morning, you will go to Chinese Hat, a little islet off Santiago’s southern coast with a maximum elevation of 160 feet (52 meters). Chinese Hat is conveniently close to Santa Cruz, yet most people only travel on a Galapagos cruise to visit it.

North Seymour island will be found in the late afternoon. It is a small distance north of Baltra. It is a small, level island that was created by the rising of submerged lava. It has the largest colony of beautiful frigate birds in the Galapagos, which is covered in low, thick vegetation. A sizable number of blue-footed boobies are also present, and when nesting conditions are favorable, they have a humorous courtship dance.

SANTA CRUZ ISLAND: Black Turtle Cove – Las Bachas Beach

After breakfast, enjoy your excursion to Black Turtle Cove, which is on Santa Cruz’s north shore. It is a tangible example of how mangroves transform the maritime ecosystem to provide a diverse and special habitat. The lagoon extends about a mile inland and is covered in three different mangroves.

You will have the opportunity to spot eagles and mustard rays that swim in a diamond configuration as you float over calm seas in the zodiac. While Pacific green sea turtles surface for air and mate, white-tipped reef sharks swim beneath the boat. Pelicans, herons, and egrets feed on fish in the cove. You will feel at ease in this serene setting.

Visit Las Bachas, a stunning white-sand beach on Santa Cruz Island’s northern shore, in the late afternoon. You can take a stroll there or go snorkeling in the calm water. The border of the greenery is where sea turtles deposit their eggs. Additionally, search for a rusting pontoon from the Second World War. The term «bachas» is a mispronunciation of the word «barges,» two of which were wrecked nearby at the time. The mispronunciation remained, and the name became known as «bachas.»

GENOVESA ISLAND: Darwin Bay – El Barranco (Prince Philip’s Steps)

Visit Darwin Bay, the only sandy beach in the caldera of Genovesa, in the morning. Along the beach, one can find Great Frigate colonies. Males show females their crimson balloon pouch, hoping to find a mate. In contrast to the other two booby species, which build their nests on the ground, red-footed boobies do it in trees.

In the afternoon, you will visit El Barranco, also known as Prince Philip’s Steps. This will take you to a broad plateau where you can see several masked boobies, frigate birds, storm petrels, and duck colonies in their natural habitats. On this leisurely stroll, you will pass through a small Scalesia woodland, the short-eared owl’s habitat. Afterward, you will return to the boat.

SANTA CRUZ ISLAND: Twin Craters – BALTRA AIRPORT

After breakfast, you’ll visit the Twin Craters first thing in the morning. These beautiful craters, seen in Santa Cruz’s highlands, are around 30 meters deep. The Scalesia forest, home to several bird species like the Yellow Warbler and the Vermilion Flycatcher, encircles these two enormous land depressions. The trip includes stunning views of the lush, green highlands forest.