8 days cruise sailing catamaran Nemo II – Southern Route

Morning – Arrival at Baltra 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 Seymour Ecological 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 Galapagos National Park entrance fee is due upon entry (US$200), if not already paid. Your guide will meet you at the airport, help you with your lug-gage and will accompany you on the short bus ride to the port. Here you will board the yacht.
After greeting the crew and captain, you will be assigned your cabins and then have your first lunch together.

Afternoon – North Seymour: This small island is one of the most visited places and is teeming with birds. An easy circular walk takes you through the most extensive colonies of blue-footed boobies and frigatebirds in the archipelago. At the beginning of the breeding season, the adult frigatebirds inflate their bright red pouches into impressive football-sized balloons. This is one of the few places where you can compare the magnificent and the large frigatebirds breeding side by side.

Meals: Lunch / Dinner

Morning – Lobos Islet, Kicker Rock: Lobos is a small island about an hour from Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. There is a small colony of blue-footed boobies and frigate birds that nest in the area. You will encounter many sea lions on the beach. It is also possible to see wading birds.
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 resem-bles more a sleeping lion (hence the name in Spanish Leon Dormido). A breakfast on a speed-boat trip and optional snorkelling is planned, where you can see squid, different types of sharks and green turtles.

Afternoon – Witch Hill: The main attraction at this site is the coral sand beach. It is perfect for swimming and snorkel-ling. Witch Hill is a left over 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.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Morning – Champion Islet, Cormorant Point: By dinghy, explore Champion Islet, one of the best snorkeling sites on the islands. There are plenty of reeffish to see and maybe even a green turtle.
Along the shoreline you can spot many native seabirds including Galapagos penguins, blue-footed boobies, magnificent frigatebirds and red-billed tropicbirds, fork-tailed gulls and lava herons. For many birdwatchers, there is also a wish to catch a glimpse of the Floreana Mocking-bird atop the opuntias. This mockingbird is a keystone species scientifically and historically because it gave Darwin the clue to the theory of Adaptive Radiation.
The peninsula of Cormorant Point forms the northern cape of Floreana, which was formed by a series of smaller volcanic cones covered with tropical dry forest (palo santo). The green sand on the beach at the site contains a high percentage of glassy olivine crystals that were blown out by the surrounding tuff cones. The ‘flour sand’ beach on the south side of the peninsula consists of even whiter coral sand that feels very smooth on the feet. Parrotfish have provided pulverization by grinding up calcium-bearing skeletons of still-living corals.
You may spot schools of stingrays that like to bury themselves in the sandy bottom.
During the first months of the year, green sea turtles come ashore to bury their eggs.

Afternoon – Post Office Bay, Baroness Lookout: First, visit Post Office Bay. The history of this place is closely linked to a wooden barrel built there by the crew of a whaling ship in the 18th century. At that time, the barrel was used by sailors as a post office. Even today, visitors use the barrel in the same way. The idea is to “send” letters and postcards to their destinations by placing them in the barrel. At the same time, other mail is taken out to be sent to one’s home address. This foreign mail is then deliv-ered. Feel free to give it a try! It could well be that your mail will be at your destination faster this way than it would be with Ecuadorian mail.
In the north of Floreana Island is the beautiful “Baroness Viewpoint”. The island was the desti-nation of the first colonialists in Galapagos. Among them was the Baroness Eloisa von Wagner. The viewpoint is located very close to the ruins of the house inhabited by the Baroness. From this viewpoint you have a wonderful view of the coastal landscape of Enderby Island to the Post Office Bay, Cerro Pajas, the Flamingo Lagoon and the Palo Santo Forest.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Morning – Osborn Islet: Today you navigate to Osborn Islet where you have wonderful opportunities for snorkeling and swimming.
Gardner Islet has an enchanting landscape above and below the water surface. While snorkel-ing you can observe many small fish as well as sea urchins and stars.

Afternoon – Gardner Bay, Suarez Point: On the north-eastern coast of Española Island, Gardner Bay offers a wonderful place to refresh in the turquoise sea and marvel at the large number of colourful reef fish. Snorkel side by side with green sea turtles or enjoy the proximity of playful Galapagos sea lions. The white sandy beach is also an important breeding ground for green sea turtles. You may also spot whales in the crystal clear ocean.
This rocky area is home to some of the most impressive and diverse seabirds in the archipela-go. The endangered Galapagos Albatross returns to Española Island annually (March – Decem-ber). This allows visitors to marvel at the whistling and bowing courtship dance (especially in October). Blue-footed and Nazca boobies, fork-tailed gulls and red-billed tropicbirds are also native to this island. Along the southern coast, high cliffs allow spectacular views of soaring birds and seawater shooting up through air holes like fountains.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Morning – Highlands (Santa Cruz): In the highlands of Santa Cruz you can admire different species of birds, such as the small and large tree finches, ground finches, Galapagos flycatchers and cattle egrets (often standing on the backs of turtles). As you drive into the island’s protected area, you can see the contrasts of this diverse ecosystem. The path leads from the coast through the agricultural land and directly to the dense wet forests. Often you can see the Galápagos giant tortoises in the middle of the path or walking across the pastures and through the grass. This place is an ornithologist’s paradise because almost all birds either live on the island or pass through here.

Afternoon – Charles Darwin Station: In the afternoon, you will visit the Charles Darwin Research Station. Here biological research and indispensable conservation of the unique archipelago are carried out. The complex houses the Interpretation and Information Center of the National Park and the Galapagos Marine Reserve. The most unforgettable part of your visit will most likely be the successful hatchery and the encounter with the Galapagos giant tortoises.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Morning – South Plaza: After breakfast, you will take an unforgettable guided walk on South Plaza, the best place to encounter the native Galapagos land iguanas. Also, note the unique mix between a male marine lizard and a female land iguana. Once on the top ledge, you’ll get an impressive view of booming waves crashing against the cliffs some 20 meters below. Clouds of petrels, storm petrels, shearwaters and noddi terns delight you with their spectacular flights.
Take your binoculars and watch the red-billed tropicbirds with their graceful tails and their spectacular mating fights. These cliffs are also the nesting sites of the native fork-tailed gulls.
Before lunch, you will sail to Santa Fe, possibly accompanied by bottlenose dolphins.

Afternoon – Santa Fe: After lunch, you will be met directly by a Galapagos sea lion colony on the beach, where you will have time for either a refreshing swim or exceptional snorkeling surrounded by tropical reef fishes in the crystal clear waters of Barrington Bay.
In addition, you will see vast opuntia cactus forests. The largest cacti on the island have extremely thick trunks and can grow over 10 meters tall. After a wet landing on Santa Fe beach, take a guided nature walk.
This extraordinary island is a remnant of what is probably the oldest volcano in Galapagos.
Your guide will decide whether to follow an easy, short walk or a strenuous, longer hike inland (moderately difficult, about 3 km).

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Morning – Bartolomé: Bartolomé Island rises 114 meters above the sea across from Sullivan Bay. Climb the steps of the Bartolomé Summit Trail and be rewarded with panoramic views of volcanic peaks, moon-like craters and lava fields.
The island has two stunning beaches where sea turtles live as well as a very small colony of Galapagos penguins at the base of Pinnacle Rock.

Afternoon – Chinese Hat: Chinese Hat is a 52 meter high volcanic cone that forms another small island out of the rocky coast of Santiago, where a small colony of Galapagos penguins has settled. Because its primordial fire went out quite recently, this place is perfect for learning about volcanism, lava bombs and lava tunnels. On the beach you can also discover pillow lava with corals on top. This area was originally underwater before it was raised above sea level. Beaches of white coral sand grow and the holes in the eroding lava fields are filled in with lava sand.
Galapagos sea lions and marine lizards contribute to the fertility of the soil. All together, they create more beneficial options for pioneer plants such as saltbush and the colorful sesuvium carpet.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Morning – Daphne Islands: The small and the big Daphne Islands are two volcanic islands north of Santa Cruz. It is not allowed to dock on the islands because the tuff cones are too fragile and would be damaged during a visit. The visit therefore consists of sailing around the islands, enjoying spectacular views of the incredible variety of seabirds: Red-billed Tropicbirds, Blue-footed Boobies, Masked Boobies, Finches and Short-eared Owls, to name a few.

After this exciting excursion, you will be transferred to Baltra Airport for your flight to the mainland.

Meals: Breakfast