Galapagos Multi Sport

After enjoying breakfast at your hotel, you will then depart to San Cristobal’s main pier to board a speedboat for the day’s tour. The first visit will be to Kicker Rock, it is located to the Northeast of San Cristobal Island. This islet is formed by two eroded rocks of volcanic tuff that emerge from the water to reach an altitude of 148 meters / 485 feet. The rocks resemble a sea lion from certain angles, hence the name “León Dormido”, or sleeping sea lion as the rocks are known in Spanish. To begin the tour, you will be brought close to the rocks to observe the wildlife, as it is populated by blue-footed and Nazca boobies, frigate birds, and pelicans. After this, your guide will instruct you on the snorkeling activity upon entering the channel between the two rocks to observe the abundant marine life such as sea turtles, rays, sharks, sea lions, schools of fish, and many other tropical fish species. This tour is also combined with a visit to a beautiful beach such as: Puerto Grande, Manglecito or Cerro Brujo where you will disembark to observe the different bird species and to swim, snorkel, or relax on the beach. In the afternoon, you will return to Puerto Baquerizo Moreno to be dropped off at your selected hotel. Meals: Breakfast – Box Lunch Activities: Snorkeling + Hiking + Birdwatching + Wildlife Observation Accommodation: Selected Hotel Difficulty: Easy to moderate Type of Tour: Shared Landing Type: Wet Landing Transportation: This tour may depart in the morning at 8:00 am or in the afternoon at 1:30 pm. You will return to Puerto Baquerizo Moreno around 12:30 pm if you leave in the morning, and 5:30 pm if you leave in the afternoon.

You will have an early start in order to get onto your flight to Isabela Island. A representative will pick you up from your hotel and provide a transfer to the airport. Once you arrive to Isabela one of our representatives will be waiting to transfer you to the hotel to leave your luggage. Your first visit of the day will be the Flamingo Lagoon. The trail is approximately 2km / 1.2 miles. The guide will explain the various vegetation and geology of Isabela, one of the youngest islands in the Galapagos. Arriving to Flamingo Lagoon you may be able to see flamingos feeding or performing their breeding dance within the artificial lake or “lagoon”. The lagoon was originally formed by excavations for construction purposes and was later filled by rainfall. After this visit, the tour continues to the Arnold Tupiza Giant Tortoise Breeding Center. It is one of the most important breeding centers in the Galapagos. Here you’ll learn more about the reproduction and breeding of the tortoises from the guide while observing the various tortoise pens and hangouts. Afterwards, you will be returned to your selected hotel where you will have time for lunch at your own preference before continuing to our next activity, kayaking in the bay near Tintoreras Islet. After a short safety briefing, you will start paddling in the bay where you can enjoy the abundant wildlife. When you arrive to the snorkeling point, get ready to jump in! The turquoise, crystal clear waters are inhabited by white-tipped reef sharks, Galapagos penguins, marine sea turtles, sea lions, and tropical fish species. Once the snorkeling activity has ended you will return by paddling back to the pier and will then be transported back to your selected hotel. Meals: Breakfast Activities: Hiking + Bird watching+ Wildlife Observation + Kayaking Accommodation: Select Hotel Difficulty: Easy to moderate Type of Tour: Shared Landing Type: Wet landing Transportation: 45-minute drive back to Itabaca Channel and cross over to Baltra Island for flight. Private ground transportation on Isabela Island to Tintoreras and Breeding Center Tour duration: 2.5 hours for the breeding center tour.

After driving up from Puerto Villamil to the trail head, you will prepare your backpack and hike into a young forest ecosystem, a world of recent geological history. On the trail you will be able to see some of the famous Darwin finches, flycatchers, mockingbirds, and occasionally the Galapagos hawk can be seen. The desired destination is the rim of the Sierra Negra crater. This is an active volcano that last erupted in June of 2018, which deposited a dramatic new layer of volcanic lava on the landscape. Upon arrival, you will enjoy the magnificent views and explore the circumference of the massive, lava-filled crater that is over six miles across at its widest point. After this, the hike continues to Volcano Chico, a secondary crater that has an interesting landscape of puffing fumaroles and colorful lava formations, great examples of the dramatic geological events that have forged the Galapagos Islands over millions of years. Afterwards, you will head back to the viewpoint of the Sierra Negra where a boxed lunch will be provided and then a transfer back to Puerto Villamil will be arranged. Meals: Breakfast - Box lunch Activities: Hiking + Birdwatching + Wildlife Observation Accommodation: Select Hotel Difficulty: Moderate Type of Tour: Private Landing Type: Dry landing Transportation: Private ground transportation. Trip duration: The Sierra Negra is a 5-hour tour in total.

After a filling breakfast the tour begins with a transfer and speedboat ride of about one hour to the Cabo Rosa lava tunnels, also known as “Los Túneles”. The tunnels were formed millions of years ago when rivers of liquid lava ran across the island, finally reaching the shore. The cold water froze their superficial layers, while isolating the interior, which kept liquid lava flowing into the sea. When the eruption was finally over, a hollow structure remained, while its outer walls later broke, allowing water to come inside and create the tunnels. The guide will snorkel with the group while discovering the tunnels with opportunities to view marine life such as sharks, lobsters, Galapagos penguins, sea lions, blue-footed boobies, sea turtles, and varied tropical fish. In the afternoon, you will be given the opportunity to use mountain bikes to explore the beautiful coastline on a trail that takes you through an incredible ecosystem with a wide variety of wildlife. The first stop is a visit to the Wall of Tears, a massive wall built with lava rocks. This site dates to the '50s when Isabela was used as a penal colony and prisoners were forced to build the wall to keep them from going mad because of the isolation they experienced. As the ride continues along the coast, pristine white sand beaches, mangrove forests, and lagoons can be explored. This area is filled with birdlife, including American oyster catchers, herons, flamingos, finches and many shore birds, as well as the abundant sea lions and marine iguanas. Meals: Breakfast - Box lunch Activities: Hiking + Birdwatching + Wildlife Observation + Snorkeling Accommodation: Select Hotel Difficulty: Moderate Type of Tour: Shared tour to Cabo Rosa/ Bike Tour is private Landing Type: Dry landing Transportation: Speedboat ride 2 hours round trip. Trip Duration: 4 Hour Round Trip to Cabo Rosa, 3 Hour Round trip bike ride to Wall of Tears. The schedule of the tours will depend on the National Park Regulations. The tour may begin in the morning at 8:00 am or 11:00 am. Your guide will advise you of the starting time.

You will meet your driver who will take you to the Isabela airport for your flight to Baltra Island. Upon arrival to Baltra Airport, a representative will be waiting for you. They will assist you with a short transfer to cross the Itabaca Channel from Baltra Island to Santa Cruz Island. Once on Santa Cruz Island, you will begin your way to the highlands of Santa Cruz. This area, in contrast to the coastal areas, has lush vegetation and forest due to the humidity in the higher elevations. Along the way to the highlands you will stop at the “Los Gemelos”, or twin craters. The Gemelos are in fact not craters, but instead magma domes that have collapsed, leaving two deep and wide holes located to the side of the road. After this stop the transfer continues to its destination in the highlands at a local ranch. Here you will enjoy a lunch made from local produce and will have the opportunity to see the emblematic giant tortoises of Galapagos in their natural habitat. This is also a great place to see the ground finch of Santa Cruz which populates these forests, along with the vermilion flycatcher or the yellow warbler. After lunch, the tour will allow you to explore iconic lava tunnels while learning more about the volcanic origin of the islands. After this, you will be transferred to the small town of Puerto Ayora to check into your hotel. You then have the freedom to rest or do some exploring on your own. Meals: Lunch Activities: Hiking + Birdwatching + Wildlife Observation Accommodations: Selected Hotel Difficulty: Easy Type of Tour: Shared Landing Type: Dry Landing Transportation: 1.5 hours in total with transfer to hotel afterwards.

On this day you will be offered one of the following navigable tours described below to an islands nearby Santa Cruz. These tours are subject to availability. If not available, a similar day tour with open space will be offered. You will be picked up and dropped off at the hotel of your preference from our selected hotels. Below are the available options. BARTOLOME ISLAND Early in the morning you will be transferred to the Itabaca Channel near Baltra Island to board a speedboat for the navigation to Bartolome Island + Sullivan Bay near Santiago Island. Upon arrival you will walk up a specially built boardwalk that will provide views of a spectacular landscape of two beautiful bays that join to form a crescent. There is also a great view of the iconic Pinnacle Rock, a massive black lava formation that has eroded over time. Afterwards, snorkeling will be done at a coral beach where sea turtles, white-tipped reef sharks, tropical fish, sea lions and many other marine species can be found. This is also a perfect area to observe Galapagos penguins, the only penguin species found north of the Equator, endemic to the Galapagos. Meals: Breakfast at hotel and lunch onboard boat Activities: Snorkeling + Hiking + Birdwatching + Wildlife Observation Accommodation: Selected Hotel Difficulty: Easy to Moderate Type of Tour: Shared Landing Type: Dry landing on Bartolome / Wet landing at Sullivan Bay Transportation: Early departure time between 5:30 and 6:00 am. Transfer from hotel to Itabaca Channel – 45 minutes. Return transfer in the afternoon from Itabaca Channel to selected hotel. Tour Duration: 10 hours total from beginning of pick-up to afternoon drop-off. NORTH SEYMOUR ISLAND You will be transferred to the Itabaca Channel to take a speedboat to North Seymour Island where a 2-mile hike takes you through some of the largest seabird colonies in Galapagos along a rocky coast and within the interior of the island. This tour is combined with a visit to Las Bachas beach either at the beginning or after the North Seymour visit. Located on the northern coast of Santa Cruz Island, this quiet little beach is the perfect spot to unwind. It got its name during World War II when the American army abandoned its barges. Two of those barges found their way to the shore of the Galápagos. The locals couldn’t quite wrap their heads around the word “barge” and called them “bacha” instead. This pristine white-sand beach is known for its incredible wildlife. Home to flamingos, Sally Lightfoot crabs, and countless birds, this is a nature lover’s paradise. It is also one of the most important sea turtle nesting sites on Santa Cruz Island. It is also a good idea to durable shoes if you want to go exploring because there are a few spots with sharp rocks. You may spot sea turtles and many colorful, tropical fish along the rocky surfaces below. Meals: Breakfast at selected hotel and lunch on boat Activities: Snorkeling + Hiking + Birdwatching + Wildlife Observation Accommodation: Selected Hotel Difficulty: Easy to Moderate Type of Tour: Shared Landing Type: Dry landing North Seymour / Wet landing at Bachas Beach Transportation: Early departure time between 6:45 and 7:30 am. Transfer from hotel to Itabaca Channel – 45 minutes. Return transfer in the afternoon from Itabaca Channel to selected hotel. Tour Duration: About 8 hours. SOUTH PLAZAS & CARRION POINT On speedboat you will arrive to South Plazas Island, located to the east of Santa Cruz. South Plazas was formed by lava pushed upwards from the bottom of the ocean and is bordered by a steep embankment. The island is home to a vast amount of diversity and concentration of wildlife. When you disembark, you may see the small dock occupied by sea lions. Once on the island the tour will continue through a small forest of prickly pear cacti with yellow flowers where land iguanas wait for the fruit and flowers to fall to the ground to eat. Your guide will explain the significance of the land iguanas and their relationship to the island. When the top of the cliff is reached along the trail you will then be in the best location to observe swallow-tailed gulls, red- billed tropic birds, frigate birds, and pelicans in flight. On the eastern end of the island is a colony of male sea lions who can often be found in a struggle to become the beach master. This tour is combined with a visit to Carrion Point. Carrion Point provides opportunities to see various sea birds nesting on the rock cliffs. In addition, Carrion Point creates a sheltered lagoon with beautiful, turquoise water. During this visit you may be able to snorkel and see a variety of fish, rays, and perhaps the harmless white-tipped reef sharks. The point is on the north coast of Santa Cruz Island. Meals: Breakfast at selected hotel and lunch on boat Activities: Snorkeling + Hiking + Birdwatching + Wildlife Observation Accommodation: Selected Hotel Difficulty: Easy to Moderate Type of Tour: Shared Landing Type: Dry Landing Transportation: Early departure time between 6:45 and 7:30 am. Transfer from hotel to Itabaca Channel – 45 minutes. Return transfer in the afternoon from Itabaca Channel to selected hotel. Duration of Tour: About 8 hours

After breakfast, you will have some free time depending on when your flight departs to mainland Ecuador. As a suggestion you could visit the Charles Darwin Research Station or take a walk on main street in Puerto Ayora for some last-minute window shopping or witness the catch of the day at the fish market. At the specific time noted within your voucher you will be picked up by your driver and transferred back to the Itabaca Channel to return to Baltra Island. You will be assisted back to the airport in order to check-in for your departing flight back to Ecuador mainland. Meals: Breakfast Transportation: Departure depends on your departing flight time. Transfer from hotel to Itabaca Channel – 45 minutes. Ferry ride across the channel and transportation to the airport.