Isabela, Santa Cruz and San Cristobal Islands

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. Then you will be met by your driver (Spanish speaking) and drive to the town of Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island. There you will go directly to the port and at 2:00 pm by speedboat to Isabela (please take care if you are prone to seasickness, the trip can be very turbulent). Arrived on Isabela, transfer to the hotel.

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.

Meals: Breakfast/Lunchbox

Today, you have a day at leisure on the island of Isabela. You can optionally visit the Wall of Tears. Known in Spanish as El Muro de las Lágrimas, the Wall of Tears is one of the most important historic sites in the Galapagos Islands. The history of the Wall of Tears is not a nice one. The wall was built over 14 years back in the 1940s and 1950s by prisoners, who were sent to Isabela Island. The establishment of a penal colony here was an easy choice for authorities, as they knew it was virtually impossible for anyone to escape from the remote island. As for the wall itself, it was built by the inmates by hand. Out in the sweltering heat they would collect the heavy, sharp lava rocks from around the island that make up the wall. Some people say the wall was never finished, as it was meant to be a wall that would surround the actual prison area. However, it is more likely that the wall never had a real purpose other than making the prisoners suffer. Other places worth visiting: Sierra Negra Volcano and Concha de Perla to snorkel.

Meals: Breakfast

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.

Meals: Breakfast

Today, you will visit one of the uninhabited islands. You will either visit North Seymour, Plazas, Santa Fé, or Bartolomé according to the National Park regulations. 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. Please note that the actual island visit depends on the schedule authorized by the national park authorities and availability.

Meals: Breakfast

You will have the morning at leisure. You can walk along the streets, watch different animals and birds, buy souvenirs or just take a rest in your room. In the afternoon you will take the public speedboat from Santa Cruz Island to San Cristobal Island (Attention: Especially when the sea is rough, the crossing can be very uncomfortable. If you are prone to seasickness, please take precautions). On San Cristobal you will find the capital of the Galapagos Islands, Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. It is home to about 5500 permanent residents who work mainly for the government or in the fishing industry. The character of the city is closely linked to the sea. Enjoy the sunset over the white sand beach while the sea lions play in the bay.

Meals: Breakfast

Get ready for 1 1/2-hour navigation towards your Kicker Rock Galapagos snorkeling adventure. The day-tour will have two visiting sites. The first one will be underwater at the Kicker Rock lava formations, which is one of the most outstanding snorkeling sites in the Galapagos. On the surface, you may catch sight of some of the many birds inhabiting the towers emerging from the ocean floor. You can spot Nazca boobies, blue-footed boobies, frigate birds and tropicbirds. It is the underwater world, which will really amaze you. Get ready to swim alongside the most iconic Galapagos wildlife: hammerhead sharks, sea turtles and Galapagos sharks inhabit the area.  The view is also one to remember. The walls are connected below the surface through a 60ft deep channel running between them. On a good day, you can see the sandy-looking bottom of the channel formed by the two towering Kicker Rock walls. This day trip also has an add-on activity. Depending on the day, the tour will be complemented either with a visit to Cerro Tijeretas Bay for some snorkeling or a visit to a deserted beach (Manglecito, Puerto Grande or similar) to observe wildlife and relax in the pristine sand. A box lunch will be served on the boat. Return time to San Cristobal is scheduled around 4pm.

Meals: Breakfast/Lunch

After breakfast at the hotel, your private transfer takes you to the airport on San Cristobal to fly to Guayaquil or Quito, from where you leave for your international flight, or for an optional extension.

Meals: Breakfast