8 days cruise yacht Elite – A8

Morning – Arrival at San Cristobal Airport. At the mainland airport, you have purchased your TCC or Ingala card and a luggage inspection has already been conducted to ensure that no foreign plant or animal species are introduced. Upon your arrival at the San Cristobal airport, your TCC (Transit Control Card) will be stamped. This must be kept in a safe place during your trip, as it must be presented again on your return flight. In addition, the Galápagos National Park entrance fee is due upon entry (US$100), if not already paid. Your guide will meet you at the airport, help you with your luggage and take you to the ship. After greeting the crew and captain, you will be assigned your cabins and then have your first lunch together.

Afternoon – El Junco lagoon. The lagoon “El Junco” is a large pond or small lake and one of few sweet waters on the Galápagos Islands. In fact, it is a filled crater of an extinct volcano. Here you can find a unique ecosystem of waterbirds with, for example, herons and duck species. The walk from the port leads you through the highlands and its villages.

Meals: Lunch / Dinner

Morning – North Seymour. The flat little island of North Seymour is an elevated part of the seabed. Among the scraggy bushes, you can spot Galapagos iguanas. You will also see many seabirds such as the brown pelican, red-billed tropicbirds, fork-tailed gulls and, depending on the season, Nazca boobies. The main attraction, however, is Galapagos’ largest breeding colony of blue-footed boobies – be careful not to step on their nests! – and frigatebirds. Early in the breeding season, adult male frigatebirds inflate their bright red throat pouches to nearly the size of a soccer.

Afternoon – Dragon Hill. On Dragon Hill there are two main species that are most likely to be seen on any visit to the Galapagos, although not spaced too widely across the islands: Galapagos land iguanas and American flamingos. They climb a hill with huge Opuntia cacti where these “dragons” feed and breed. Although they are quite shy and difficult to capture, you have a fair chance to see the success of this project with your own eyes. The short trail crosses the coastal vegetation zone as well as the slightly higher dry zone with endangered tropical dry forest. In the warm and humid season in the first half of the year, everything turns green. Evergreen giant prickly pear cacti with internal reservoirs chose a different survival tactic in this dry climate than the leaf-dropping palo santo trees; in the end, both were successful. It’s also a very photogenic place, with stunning panoramas across the bay and onto a fascinating, steep volcanic spout of red lava that overlooks the area. Dragon Hill has become popular for its salty lagoons behind the beach; these contain seaweed and shrimp and attract seasonal foraging American flamingos. Dragon Hill is the best place on Santa Cruz to see them.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Morning – Tintoreras, Sierra Negra. In the morning you will reach a wonderful place after a beautiful Zodiac ride. “Las Tintoreras” are small islands off the coast near Puerto Villamil. Herons, Galápagos penguins, sea lions and whitetip reef sharks are often seen here. The Spanish name for whitetip reef shark is Tintorera, which is where the name of this place comes from. They often stay calmly in shallow waters.The Sierra Negra volcano is famous for its basaltic collapse crater, the largest in Galapagos with a diameter of 9×10 km. This place offers an impressive view and besides the opportunity to observe seven different finch species in this vegetation richness. Traces of the last eruption in 2005 can still be seen on the north side of the crater.

Afternoon – Wetlands, turtle rearing centre. The wetlands of Isabela Island can be found directly in front of Puerto Villamil. They consist of lagoons, marshes and mangrove forests and are home to a wide variety of unique bird species, such as the common stilt, the whimbrel, the Bahama duck and the moorhen. The wetland can be easily explored on foot along a path that winds through the marsh. Back in Puerto Villamil, visit the Arnaldo Tupiza Turtle Breeding Centre. Hundreds of Galapagos giant tortoises can be seen here. The number of giant tortoises on Isabela has declined sharply since the 16th century. The centre was established to preserve or save the species.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Morning – Moreno Point (Isabela). Punta Moreno is located between the Sierra Negra and Cerro Azul volcanoes, on the north coast of Isabela Island. The trail leads along the lava river Pahoehoe to a complex of several coastal lagoons. The main attraction is various species of birds that can be found at the lakes and in the mangrove forests.

Afternoon – Urbina Bay (Isabela). Urbina Bay is located on the west coast of Isabela, between Elizabeth Bay and Tagus Cove. It is close to the base of the Alcedo volcano. The coastline underwent a major uplift in 1954, extending the shore for one kilometre. Here you will find corals, shells and many other calcareous organisms above water. Urbina Bay is home to the large and colourful land iguanas and giant tortoises of the Vulcan Alcedo population. There are also many Darwin’s finches to be seen.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Morning – Espinoza Point (Fernandina). Espinoza Point is the only visitor destination by land on Fernandina Island, and one of the few places where you can find some bizarre outgrowths of natural selection. The poster child for this is the flightless , which lives exclusively on the remote western side of the Galapagos and is a kind of Holy Grail of evolution. You’ll also love the almost alien view of the cone of La Cumbre volcano with its spectacular backdrop. The narrow headland you walk along is the end of the lava tongue that has reached the coast and solidified through contact with the cold sea water.

Afternoon – Vicente Roca Point (Isabela). During lunch, you will cross the Bolivar Channel for the last time to reach Vicente Roca Point, at the mouth of the seahorse-like shape of Isabela Island. Entering a dark cave under a spectacular arch, the echoes of the waves will accompany you. Just around the corner, the collapsed amphitheatre of the Ecuador volcano offers you another impressive view. The calm waters of the bay are well protected from the ocean waves. The water is quite cold, but an excellent place to snorkel among various species of sharks, penguins, puffer fish and seahorses.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Morning – Rabida Island. After a “wet landing” on the remarkable red beach of Rabida, there are two short guided walks. Oxidized iron particles give the rocks and sand their rusty color. At the beach wall is a shallow, green-lined lagoon; this oasis is the most fertile spot on the usually arid island, covered with leafy palo santo trees. The salty pool attracts all kinds of species of waterfowl, such as pintails and sometimes American flamingos. Among the evergreen foliage of the surrounding mangrove bushes, many species of songbirds hide and breed. One of the most outstanding attractions is the large breeding colony of brown pelicans, the only ones in the world that dive.

Afternoon – Bartolomé. The beautiful volcanic island of Bartolomé is one of the youngest islands and, in geological terms, was only recently formed out of fire. Even though lifeless at first sight, Bartolomé offers some of the wildest landscapes and the best panoramic views of the entire archipelago. To enjoy the postcard view of idyllic ‘Pinnacle Bay’, you must climb the stairs to the island lookout (114m/375ft). Enter a dramatic world of intimidating (albeit extinct) nearby spatter cones, craters and light lava drops spewed by fiery fountains. The Summit Trail is also ideal for watching sparse pioneer vegetation, such as lava cactus, struggle to take root in the bare, untouched lava fields.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Morning – Kicker Rock, Witch Hill (San Cristobal). Kicker Rock is a huge boulder with a dagger-like tower next to it. It is 150 m high and has the shape of a shoe from the side (hence the name Kicker Rock) in longitudinal direction it resembles more a sleeping lion (hence the name in Spanish Leon Dormido). A breakfast on a speedboat trip and optional snorkeling is planned, where you can see squid, different types of sharks and green turtles. The main attraction at this site is the coral sand beach. It is perfect for swimming and snorkeling. Witch Hill is a leftover piece of a tufa cone. It is one of the first places Charles Darwin visited. Captain Fitzroy climbed the hill to spy out reefs. It’s a stunning landscape that often makes it possible to see shorebirds and migratory birds, including pelicans, blue-footed boobies and fork-tailed gulls, as well as sea lions and marine lizards. Sometimes the lagoon is completely dry and there are salt deposits on the bottom. The people of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno used the lagoon as a salt mine.

Afternoon – Galapaguera. You will visit the Turtle Protection and Breeding Center in Cerro Colorado. This center was built to help increase the population of turtles on the island. The center has a large enclosure, a visitor center and a hatchery. Along the footpath it is possible to see different species of native and endemic plants, as well as birds such as the San Cristóbal mockingbird, the golden warbler and many species of finches and the Galápagos flycatchers.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Morning – Gianni Arismendy Interpretation Center (San Cristobal). The Interpretation Centre is located near the capital Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. It was opened in 1998 as part of the Interpretation and Environmental Education Project. Visitors can view exhibits on natural history, human history and conservation in the Galápagos Islands. Conservation efforts represent the movement to protect wildlife and the natural environment through population and tourist control. The Gianni Arismendy Interpretation Center has an outdoor area, audiovisual equipment and meeting rooms.

After this excursion, you will be transferred to San Cristobal airport for your return or onward flight.

Meals: Breakfast