8 days cruise yacht Ocean Spray – A8

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 Galápagos 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 luggage, 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 – Chinese Hat (Santiago). Chinese Hat (Santiago) is a 52m high volcanic cone that forms another island just off the rocky coast of Santiago, where a small colony of Galápagos penguins has settled. If you approach Chinese Hat from the north, you will understand the meaning of the name. This is an excellent place to learn about volcanoes, lava bombs and lava tunnels. You’ll be just in time to see this barren island populated by pioneer species that have started to grow sprouts! Beautiful beaches of white coral sand and holes in the eroding lava fields are covered with lava sand that allows rooting to take place. Galápagos sea lions and countless marine iguanas contribute to fruiting and overall create many favorable opportunities for new arrivals, such as salt bush and the seaside sedge carpet.

Meals: Lunch / Dinner

Morning – Vicente Roca Point (Isabela). You will drive to Vicente Roca Point, located at the entrance of the seahorse-like shape, Isabela Island. Entering a dark cave under a spectacular arch, the echoes of the waves will accompany you. Just around the corner, the collapsed amphitheater of 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, however, an excellent place to snorkel among different species of sharks, penguins, pufferfish and seahorses.

Afternoon – Espinoza Point (Fernandina). Espinoza Point is the only visitor site on the land of Fernandina Island and one of the few places where you can find some bizarre outgrowths of natural selection. The flagship species is the flightless cormorant, which lives exclusively on the remote western side of the Galápagos and represents a kind of holy grail of evolution. You will also love the almost alien view of the cone of La Cumbre volcano, with its spectacular scenery. The narrow headland you walk along is the end of the lava tongue that reached the coast and solidified due to the contact with the cold seawater.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Morning – Tagus Cove. You will navigate around Tagus Cove along the cliffs. From the rubber boat you have a good chance to see the Galápagos penguins, the flightless cormorants and other seabirds. From the dock it is about a 30-minute walk to the cliff top where you can see Lake Darwin. The lake contains more salt than the sea itself. You can also see some volcanoes from here. Look out for the graffiti on the surrounding cliffs of the bay! They were written by pirates and whalers in the last centuries.

Afternoo – Urbina Bay. Urbina Bay is located on the west coast of Isabela, between Elizabeth Bay and Tagus Cove. It is located near the base of the Alcedo volcano. The coastline underwent a major uplift in 1954, extending the shoreline for a kilometer. Here you can find corals, shells and many other calcareous organisms above water. Urbina Bay is home to the large and colorful 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 – Elizabeth Bay. Elizabeth Bay can only be visited from the water. Passing the Marielas Islands, home to the largest penguin colony in the Galápagos, you will enter the bay. Here you can admire the red mangroves, their red roots and green leaves. Sea turtles, cormorants, spotted eagle rays, golden rays, brown pelicans and sea lions can be seen here!

Afternoon – Moreno Point. Punta Moreno is located on the north coast of Isabela Island, between the Sierra Negra volcano and the Cerro Azul volcano. The trail leads along the former undulating lava flow Pahohö to a complex of coastal lagoons whose main attractions are different species of birds.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Morning – Charles Darwin Station. After breakfast, rubber boats will take you to the tourist pier of Puerto Ayora, from where you will continue to 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 Galápagos Marine Reserve. The most unforgettable part of your visit will most likely be the successful hatchery and encounter with the Galápagos giant tortoises. Before lunch, you will have some time to explore the area.

Afternoon – 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, Galápagos 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 trail or walking across the pastures and through the grass. This place is a paradise for ornithologists, because almost all birds either live on the island or pass through here.

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 Galápagos 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 tropic birds 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 Galápagos sea lion colony on the beach, where you will have time for either a refreshing swim or exceptional snorkeling surrounded by tropical reef fish 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 Galápagos. 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 – Suarez Point. This rocky area is home to the most impressive and diverse seabirds of the archipelago. The endangered Galápagos Albatross returns to Española Island annually (March–December). This allows visitors to marvel at the courtship dance, characterized by whistles and bows (especially in October). Blue-footed and Nazca boobies, fork-tailed gulls and red-billed tropic birds 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.

Afternoon – Gardner Bay. On the northeastern coast of Española Island, Gardner Bay offers a wonderful place to refresh in the turquoise sea and marvel at the large number of colorful reef fish. Snorkel side by side with green sea turtles, or enjoy the proximity of playful Galápagos sea lions. The white sand beach is additionally an important breeding ground for green sea turtles. You may also spot whales in the crystal clear ocean. Afterward, you will continue to Osborn Islet, where you will have wonderful opportunities for snorkeling and swimming.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Morning – Interpretation Center, 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.

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

Meals: Breakfast