Your Travel Experience with Galapagos PRO
Day 1
Transfer to the yacht
You will arrive on Baltra in the morning where your Crew will greet you and your guide will bring you to the boat. You will be informed about the coming days and get a chance to get to know the boat and your cabin.
Interpretation Center Fausto Llerena, Santa Cruz Island
Afternoon: A short walk along the promenade of Puerto Ayora will bring you to the breeding station Fausto Llerena, at the Charles Darwin station. Since March 2017, the Fausto Llerena hatchery is home to the embalmed tortoise Lonesome George, who became the symbol of the Galapagos Islands. Lonesome George was the last surviving member of the Pinta Island Tortoise species and for a long time, was known as the rarest animal on earth. On the "Ruta de las Tortugas" you will learn about the history of tortoises in Galapagos and then visit the breeding station. Here, tortoises eggs are incubated and the hatchlings spend the first 5 years of their life in protection as they are prepared for their release into the wild. Visitors leave with a stronger understanding of species conservation as well as the Galapagos Islands themselves.
Return to the yacht for dinner.
Day 2
Post Office Bay, Floreana Island
Morning: Floreana offers a wonderful testament to the fascinating human history of the Archipelago. Although paling in comparison to the geological history, the human history extends far beyond the island's first residents.
Here at Post Office Bay, learn about the historic barrel that has served as a post office in the archipelago for over two centuries. Lonely sailors, away from home for years at a time, would stop at Floreana to restock their supplies of food and water. The homesick sailors devised a clever solution - they left letters in a makeshift 'post box' on Floreana, and when passing ships stopped on the way back to their homeport, they would pick up all the letters destined for that place and deliver them. To this day, the system is alive and well - each year thousands of visitors continue to leave letters for loved ones, and search for letters to bring home and deliver. To keep the tradition alive, hunt for a letter destined for a town near you and hand-deliver it. As well as Post Office Bay, Floreana is famous for its mysterious stories revolving around its first inhabitants, Doctor Ritter, Dora Strauch and the Wittmer family. You should also be sure to visit the Cave of Pirates, which is located near a freshwater fountain that once served as the only source of freshwater for the families living there. The fountain was called the Asylum of Peace by the Wittmers.
Punta Cormorant, Floreana Island
Afternoon: Punta Cormorant is home to two stunning natural beaches. You'll make a wet landing in the first bay, where you'll find a special black sand beach that twinkles green in the sunlight. The shimmering sand is made of olivine crystals, remnants of a long-gone violent volcanic eruption. Following the short trail along the beach, you'll come to a second little bay. Visitors will be delighted by the soft, white powdery sand that feels like walking in fine baking flour. This gorgeous beach certainly earned the name "Flour Beach". In the bay you will likely spot green sea turtles, and if you wander back from the sandy stretch, you can find a saltwater lagoon that attracts vibrant flamingos and the adorable white cheeked pintails.
Day 3
Punta Suarez, Española Island
Morning: Española is a geologically interesting island where you can explore the volcanic formations and spot a lot more of the Galapagos's unique fauna. Regular sightings include large sea lion colonies and flocks of seabirds, such as the Española mockingbird, the nazca booby and the spectacular red-beaked tropicbird. There are also marine iguanas, lizards and Sally lightfoot crabs.
A long hike will take you past the world's largest colony of Galapagos albatrosses! During mating season (May to December) you will have the opportunity to see the nesting area of the albatrosses and if you're lucky, you'll even get to witness their courting dance. The courting dance of the albatross is extra special as it is the start of a life-long bond for these birds who mate for life. Other interesting birds include Galapagos doves, Galapagos hawks, whip-tailed gulls.
Make a final stop to admire the dramatic topography of the famous Blow Hole, catapulting seawater an impressive 23 meters into the air.
Gardner Bay, Española Island
Afternoon: Join the colony of sea lions on the beautiful white coral beach. From the shoreline, you can observe the Galapagos hawks, American oystercatchers, Galapagos doves, mockingbirds, gold-warblers, lava lizards, marine iguanas and three different types of Darwin finch!
When snorkeling or diving, you have the opportunity to see the diverse underwater world of Gardner Island. Californian angelfish, neon fish, parrotfish, manta rays and white-tip reef sharks all call these waters home.
Afterwards, visit Osborn Island for a stroll along a beautiful, white sand beach, again covered in sunbathing sea lions. If you choose not to sunbathe with the locals, you might prefer to swim or snorkel here.
Day 4
León Dormido & Cerro Brujo, San Cristóbal Island
Morning: The famous Kicker Rock is one of the most famous features of the Galapagos Islands. This small island shape was formed from two large lava rocks that look like a sleeping lion when viewed from the south. Hence the Spanish name "León Dormido" literally the sleeping lion. As you cruise around the islands on board, the naturalist guides will point out the various birds that inhabit the island. Among them are Nazca boobies, frigate birds or even swallow-tailed gulls. And if conditions permit, you will experience one of the most magnificent sunsets in the archipelago.
The white beach of the bay in front of Witch Hill is one of the most beautiful in the archipelago. The hill itself is the remnant of a volcanic "tuff cone" - made of compacted volcanic ash and debris. It is also one of the first places Charles Darwin visited on his journey. Here, in addition to a great diversity of species on land, you can also see quite a bit below the water surface. During a walk, you can take it all in and see animals such as Galapagos sea lions, marine lizards, pelicans and blue-footed boobies. If you decide you should go snorkelling, you won't be disappointed here either. Besides Galapagos rays, sea turtles and a variety of tropical fish, you can also discover different corals in the water. And even if you don't want to go into the water, you can also discover a variety of underwater inhabitants from the speedboat through the clear water.
Interpretation Center of San Cristobal
Afternoon: The National Park Interpretation Center, located on San Cristóbal, was built in collaboration with the Spanish Science Center. The tour offered by the Center for Interpretation's staff gives guests a good overview of the Galapagos Islands. The tour takes us through the history of the islands in the context of nature, humankind, and conservation. It also tells the story of the first settlers on the islands.
Day 5
Islet Mosquera
Morning: Like many islands in the archipelago, Mosquera was formed due to an eruption of a submarine volcano. Rocks and coral colonised the island and supported you against the current that flows between Baltra and Seymour to collect sand. Now it is home to one of the largest colonies of sea lions and offers them a large beach to rest, sunbathe and play. In addition, orcas (killer whales) can sometimes be seen from here, as sea lions are part of their diet and there is much cavorting here. Mosquera can also surprise some rare species. The endemic and rare Lava Gull nests on this island but is one of the rarest gull species in the world with its few hundred pairs. With a bit of luck, you may stalk a crabeater heron or catch a glimpse of a rare red-footed booby.
Transfer to Baltra Island
You will return to the harbour of Baltra. From there, transfer to Baltra Airport in time for your return flight to the mainland or continue with your planned route through the Galapagos.