ISABELA - SANTA CRUZ 6 days Tour

ISABELA AND SANTA CRUZ

OVERVIEW

Visit the unique Galapagos Islands, one of the four Ecuadorian regions, and explore their amazing variety of flora and fauna. During your six days hotel-based tour you will discover the archipelago’s nature and wildlife while using Santa Cruz and Isabela island as a base camp. These islands are located at the archipelago’s center and the nearby Baltra airport ensures a connection to Ecuador’s mainland. Santa Cruz’ highland is very fertile and its main activity, indeed, is agriculture. From here you will explore Galapagos’ islands admiring the biodiversity, nature and wildlife, preferably by snorkeling or hiking.

This tour gets even better when paired with a Galapagos cruise or any other Ecuador-based tour! Also it is always a good idea to have an eye on our Galapagos Last-Minute offers!

TOUR FACTORS

Adventure 55%
Difficulty 60%
Comfort 70%
Family friendly 90%

ITINERARY:

Click to see every day in detail

In the morning flight to Galapagos (flight not included). At arrival at the airport, your English-speaking driver takes you across the island to the small town of Puerto Ayora, where you embark on the public speedboat at 2:00pm to Isabela Island. Transfer to your hotel on Isabela Island. Rest of the afternoon at leisure.

Hotel: Tourist Superior in double room

Meals included: –

Los Tuneles is perhaps one of the most beautiful sights in the archipelago. Continuous volcanic eruptions petrified into tunnel-like lava formations right in the middle of the sea, and crystal-clear turquoise water allows an amazing view of marine vegetation and playful sea lions.

The tour begins via speedboat and the first stop is a small islet in the middle of the ocean, home to pelicans, blue-footed boobies, and sea lions. Finados snorkeling site is the next stop, where you can swim next to sea turtles, Tintoreras sharks (endemic to the islands), trumpet fish and surgeonfish.

With some luck, eagle and golden rays will come to this site, too. Getting to Los Tuneles will take around 1 ½ – 2 hours. Once there, the speedboat will navigate through various spots in and around the Lava Tunnels. Here you get the chance to do some more snorkeling and enjoy some short walks while observing the landscape and wildlife inhabiting the area. A box lunch on board will be provided for this day.

*There are two departure times for this tour, one at 08:00 am with return time at 13:00 pm approx. and one at 11:00 am, with return time at 16:00 pm. approx. The chosen departure time for your tour might vary; hence, you will be notified on the departure time for this day trip on the night before the tour.

Hotel: Tourist Superior in double room

Meals included:Breakfast | Lunch

* Please note that the actual island visited depends on the schedule authorized by the national park authorities and availability.

Get ready for your Sierra Negra Volcano hike. Wear comfortable clothes, walking shoes and a light rain jacket. Make sure your camera is stored in waterproof bags, wear some sunscreen, bring enough water and a hat. After a 40-minute drive from Puerto Villamil through some barren lava landscape and endemic vegetation, you will arrive at the starting point for the hike.

The hike is long in terms of distance, but not very difficult as the slopes are quite gradual. The first hour the trail goes uphill on a relatively gentle slope. Once you get to the edge of the rim you can catch sight of the 6 miles in diameter and 300 feet deep caldera. Sierra Negra Volcano has the second largest crater in the world. The hike then continues for the next hour along the rim of the caldera as you will witness the vegetation get drier and drier as you advance. You will then reach Volcano Chico, a collection of small craters which erupted during the 1970´s where you can see fumaroles and an impressive volcanic landscape.

This area also provides a spectacular view of Elizabeth Bay on the other side of Isabela. You will have time to enjoy your box lunch under the shade of a large tree known as Jaboncillo.

Return time to the hotel in Puerto Villamil is around 3 pm.  

Hotel: Tourist Superior in double room

Meals included:Breakfast | Lunch

Early in the morning, you leave Isabela Island by public speedboat to Santa Cruz Island.

Your English-speaking guide meets you at the harbor and you can drop off your luggage at the hotel (check–in at 2:00pm) before heading up to the highlands of Santa Cruz. You will visit the highlands of this Island, so please have your shoes and rain gear ready. Check out the twin craters of Los Gemelos, see giant Galapagos tortoises roaming in their natural environment and experience ancient underground lava tunnels. You have lunch at the reserve. In the afternoon, you travel on to Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz’s principal town for the check-in at your hotel.

Hotel: Tourist Superior in double room accommodation

Meals included:Breakfast | Lunch

 

Today, you will visit one of the uninhabited islands. According to the National Park’s regulations, you will either visit North Seymour, Plazas, Santa Fé or Bartolomé. Observe the wildlife on land (iguanas, sea lions, different birds like blue-footed boobies, swallow-tailed gulls and Galapagos hawks) as well as under water (tropical and subtropical fish, corals and Galapagos penguins) while snorkeling. In the afternoon, you return to Puerto Ayora.

Hotel: Tourist Superior in double room accommodation

Meals included:Breakfast | Lunch

After breakfast, a private driver brings you to the airport on Baltra island. Then you take your national flight to the continent for your international flight or decide to get one of our tour extensions on the mainland, since we are sorry to see you going!

Meals included: Breakfast

WHAT'S INCLUDED:

starting from

$1790 ,- p.p.

in US DOLLAR

*Please contact us for special offers and child discounts. Prices are subject to change.

 

*Price based on double occupancy.

Alternative Tours

Consider as you reserve:

My own room: 

Single supplement fee: USD $415,-p.p.

Not Included:

International airfare to and from destination; Galapagos National park entrance fee US$100,- per Person (to be paid in cash at arrival at the airport in Galapagos); Transit Control Card US$20,- per Person (to be paid in cash at the airport in Quito or Guayaquil); wet-suits for snorkeling (available for rental); meals not described; cost of medical immunizations as needed; trip cancellation insurance or any other travel insurance; cost of optional activities; excess baggage charges; airport taxes (if any); alcoholic beverages or soft drinks; optional gratuities to your guides; items of personal nature.

Travel Insurance:

To protect your travel investment, we highly recommend the purchase of travel insurance. Travel insurance is intended to cover medical expenses, trip interruption and cancellation, theft and other losses incurred while traveling domestically or internationally.

Visa and Entry Requirements

Ecuador requires a valid passport (with a minimum 6 months validity). Contact your local embassy or consulate for the most up-to-date visa requirements.