Wildlife Cruise Adventure in the Galápagos Islands - 6 Days

Highlights

• Get up close to friendly sea lions and male frigatebirds on your arrival day
• Hike to a pristine area where you can meet giant tortoises in their natural habitat
• Snorkel around a volcanic rock formation known for its vibrant marine life
• Learn how whalers and fur sealers used to send their mail at the "post office"

Brief Itinerary

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive on Isla San Cristóbal, Board Cruise, Explore Isla Lobos 

Welcome to the Galápagos! This volcanic archipelago with 19 islands is located off the coast of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean. You'll first arrive at Isla San Cristóbal—the Galápagos' easternmost island—in the morning. After passing through immigration and baggage claim, a staff member will greet you and transfer you to the cruise. You'll be shown to your cabin, where there will be time to settle before lunch and a welcome briefing.

Your first stop on the cruise is Isla Lobos, a small islet separated from Isla San Cristóbal by a narrow channel, forming a sheltered bay where sea lion pups play in tidal pools. Despite its small size, the island is surprisingly packed with wildlife. Groups of sea lions will likely welcome you at the landing spot, but as you walk a few steps inland, look for male frigatebirds displaying their inflated red balloons in the bushes and trees. Meanwhile, a small colony of blue-footed boobies, which often nest right on the trail, will allow you to observe their famous courtship dance.

If you fancy a swim, this is a great snorkeling location as the water is usually calm, and the sea lions often play with snorkelers to show off their swimming skills. Sea turtles and rays are often seen resting on the sandy bottoms. At the end of the day's adventure, return to your ship for dinner.

Day 2: Explore Punta Pitt, Hike to Galapaguera Natural

Today you'll wake up with breakfast on the ship before sailing to Punta Pitt on Isla San Cristóbal. Here you'll see two wind-sculptured tuff cones at Pitt Point that make up the extreme eastern end of San Cristóbal and, thus, the archipelago as well. These cliffs were the first glimpse of land when HMS Beagle and Charles Darwin arrived in 1835.

On the small green-sand beach, you'll be welcomed by a group of barking sea lions. This is a bachelor colony where males usually relax and prepare themselves for fighting and mating. Hike along a trail that leads up to an area of dry tropical forest vegetation where you can see leafless palo santo trees, yellow cordia shrubs, tiny prickly pear cactuses, and carpetweed that turns red in the dry season. After the somewhat steep climb to the clifftop, you can wander around the only colony in Galápagos that is home to all three species of boobies: blue-footed, red-footed, and Nazca.

In the afternoon, you'll hike from the beach up to the high country to reach a visitor site called Natural Galapaguera. For this distance, it takes about 3.5 hours there and back. In the absence of shade trees, it can be quite hot in the warmer seasons, but you'll be rewarded with the fact that you can meet the famous Galápagos giant tortoises in their natural environment along this route. The huge animals are up to 200 years old and can weigh up to 661 pounds (300 kg). Afterward, enjoy dinner aboard your ship.

Day 3: Explore Cerro Brujo, Snorkeling at Kicker Rock

This morning you'll sail to Cerro Brujo (Witch Hill) on the west coast of Isla San Cristóbal, where you can explore a fascinating crater with boobies, gulls, and pelicans. Then head to a sheltered bay, where you'll find young sea turtles and harmless stingrays, which makes for a beautiful place to swim and snorkel.

After lunch aboard your ship, you'll visit the famous Kicker Rock, a beautiful volcanic rock formation in the ocean just off the coast of Isla San Cristóbal. Here, you can snorkel in the crystal clear waters and look for sea lions, colorful fish, rays, sea turtles, and, if you're lucky, hammerhead sharks!

Day 4: Cruise to Isla Española: Punta Suarez & Gardner Bay

This morning's adventure takes you to Punta Suarez, a beautiful oceanfront location on Isla Española for spotting blue-footed boobies, Nazca boobies, and waved albatrosses. A beautiful site on the oceanfront, the large waved albatrosses use the cliff as a launching pad. Also, look for the magnificent blowhole spurting water high into the air. This site presents wonderful photography opportunities.

In the afternoon, you'll head to Gardner Bay on the eastern side of the same island. This is the breeding site of nearly all of the world's 12,000 pairs of waved albatrosses, so keep your camera close. It also has an ample white-sand beach with a myriad sea lions that's perfect for relaxing on the sand, swimming, and/or snorkeling.

Day 5: Cruise to Isla Floreana: Cormorant Point & Post Office Bay

This morning you'll sail to Isla Floreana, where you'll spend the day at two locations. Your first stop is a wet landing at Cormorant Point, where you can look for the volcanic crystal, called olivine, that has proffered a subtle green hue on the dark beach. Then, walk past island-endemic scalesia plants to a large, shallow lagoon often inhabited by a variable number of shockingly pink greater flamingoes. Continue through a forest of palo santo trees to arrive at a powdery white beach, which acts as a nesting area for green turtles. 

This coral-sand beach marks the end of your trail. You'll head back to the beach you landed on to swim or snorkel among sea turtles, reef fish, sea lions, and, on a good day, whitetip reef sharks. A small colony of penguins resides on Isla Floreana that can sometimes be observed as well.

After lunch on the ship, you'll sail to Post Office Bay on the same island for another wet landing. A very short walk from the beach leads you to the famous Post Office Barrel. Claimed to have been first set up in 1793 by Captain James Colnett, it remains the oldest functioning "post office" in the Pacific. The system was that whalers and fur sealers would leave addressed letters in the barrel to be picked up by homeward-bound colleagues. In the spirit of maintaining the tradition, visitors today will often take letters and hand-deliver them to their home countries.

Day 6: Cruise to Isla Santa Cruz, Visit the Charles Darwin Research Station, Depart

It's time to say goodbye to the Galápagos Islands! But first, you'll sail to Isla Santa Cruz, where you can visit the Charles Darwin Research Station—a perfect way to cap off your trip after experiencing all the unique wildlife in this part of the world. After this final excursion, you'll be transferred to the ecological airport on Isla Baltra, where you'll take a flight back to mainland Ecuador. Safe travels!

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