Itinerary from Baltra

Today's flight will take us to Baltra Island, Galapagos. Flight time is just under 2 hours from the mainland. |The flight time from the mainland is less than 2 hours.}

Daphne Major Islet

We board M/Y Evolution upon arrival. Here we will have lunch and briefings en route to Daphne Major Islet, our first visitor site.

We will circumnavigate Daphne Major Islet, which is home of a variety birds, including Galapagos martins and blue footed bobies, nazca bubies, short-eared owls and red-billed tropic birds. (lunch, dinner)

Isabela Island: Punta Vicente Roca

We will visit Punta Vicente Roca, Isabela Island in the morning. The Humboldt Current, which bathes the archipelago's western side, is a great place to snorkel. You will see sea lions and penguins as well as colorful fish in the water.

Fernandina Island: Punta Espinoza

Afternoon visit Fernandina Island. This island is home to La Cumbre volcano which erupts regularly (most recently in May 2005). We will visit Punta Espinoza which is a narrow strip of land where many unique species can be viewed, including flightless cormorants and marine iguanas. (breakfast, lunch, dinner)

Urbina Bay

Urbina Bay lies west of Isabela’s Volcano Alcedo. Here we will make an easy landing (a jump into a few inches) and land in a wet area. Three miles (5km) of the reef's marine coral are walked. The water has been lifted as high as 13 feet (4m) above the surface. The giant land iguanas, giant tortoises and the chance to snorkel amongst marine life are some of the highlights.

Tagus Cove

We will visit Tagus Cove, Isabela Island in the afternoon. The trail ends at a promontory made of spatter cones. A wooden staircase leads to the trail entrance. It continues around Darwin Lake through dry vegetation. This site offers spectacular views of the bay's anchorage, Darwin Volcanoes and other volcanic features. You can snorkel with sea turtles, sea turtles, and penguins in the green algae underwater pastures at the cove. (breakfast, lunch, dinner)

Bartolome Island: Pinnacle Rock

We will visit Bartolome Island in the morning, which is famous for Pinnacle rock. Here we will see Galapagos penguins and sea lions. You will also be rewarded by spectacular views from Pinnacle Rock, our beach and the blue waters of the bay that cradle your yacht.

Santiago Island: Sullivan Bay

Afternoon visit at Sullivan Bay, one the most spectacular volcanic sites in Galapagos. Only a handful of plants, such as Mollugo and Lava cacti, have survived in the harsh environment since the Sullivan Bay Flow. In the tide pools at Sullivan Bay, oystercatchers can be found fishing for crabs or mollusks. You can also snorkel with sea lions at two small coraline beaches after exploring the lava flow. Relaxing on the shore. (breakfast, lunch, dinner)

Santa Cruz: Bachas Beach

We will visit Las Bachas in the morning. This beach is sandy and white-coral, and is an important egg-laying area for sea turtles. Bachas is the name of the landing craft that were left behind at the end WWII. In one of the super-saline lagoons in the Galapagos, ashore marine iguanas mix with flamingos or other wading birds.

Rabida Island

Rabida Island is commonly called Jervis. It is known for its red beach and cliffs. Below these cliffs can be found perched blue-footed boobies and gliding sea turtles. The beach is sheltered by a thick Palo Santo forest. The lagoon is surrounded by brightly colored pink and white flamingoes, as well as pelicans. The red sands and sands of the beach are a favorite spot for a sea lion colony. For a stunning view of the lagoon and beach, we hike up a small peninsula. Further down the coast, you can explore sea caves. (breakfast, lunch, dinner)

Charles Darwin Research Station

Santa Cruz, the second-largest island in the Galapagos, is its capital, Puerto Ayora. It is also the economic heart of the Islands. We visit the Charles Darwin Research Station in the morning to see the Giant Tortoise and Land Iguana Breeding and Rearing Programme. Lonesome George, the last member of his specific tortoise race, was found here.

Highlands

Afternoon excursion to the Highlands. This is where the coastal vegetation changes to lush, green forests and densely populated forests. We will be visiting the Tortoise Reserve where we may see these animals in their natural habitat. (breakfast, lunch, dinner)

Punta Suarez

Espanola (also known as Hood) is the archipelago's southernmost island. It is renowned for its amazing diversity and abundance of fauna. We will visit Punta Suarez in the morning to see the most diverse marine iguanas found in the Galapagos. There you'll also find blue-footed boobies and masked boobies nesting on the cliff edge.

Gardner Bay

We visit Gardner Bay in the afternoon. This is a beautiful, long, white sandy beach where colonies of sealions lie in the sun. Sea turtles swim off the coast, while curious mockingbirds bravely examine new arrivals. (breakfast, lunch, dinner)

Our Galapagos cruise is over. But before we say goodbye to the Evolution and her crew, we visit the Galapagos National Park Visitors Centre on San Cristobal Island. The Centre features a complete exhibit on the islands' natural history, human interaction and ecosystems. Your naturalist will also use the exhibits as a visual overview of life in the Islands.

A short trail arrives at Frigate Bird Hill, where both "magnificent-frigates" and "great-frigates" can be seen in the same colony. We return to the airport from which we started our journey in Galapagos, for our flight to Ecuadorian mainland. (breakfast)