GALAPAGOS LEGEND ITINERARY AB – 8 DAYS – Adwa International Corporation

GALAPAGOS LEGEND ITINERARY AB - 8 DAYS

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DAY 1, MONDAY

FLY TO GALAPAGOS & BOARD THE DELUXE VESSEL M/V GALAPAGOS LEGEND
AM: ARRIVE TO BALTRA

Fly to Galapagos. Upon arrival, passengers are picked up at the airport by our natural guides and taken on a ten-minute bus drive to the pier to board the Galapagos Legend. Begin your 7-night cruise through Darwin’s “Enchanted Islands”. All cabins are spacious and feature a private bath/shower and air-conditioning. All meals, lectures and shore excursions are included. The excursions and cultural programs are led by category “3” naturalist with years of experience in guiding in the Galapagos Islands. PM: HIGHLANDS (SANTA CRUZ ISLAND) Dry landing. A 45-minute bus ride will take us to the Santa Cruz highlands, located in the northwest of Puerto Ayora, where we will find a natural reserve with giant tortoises. * These enormous and slow-moving reptiles are responsible for the island’s name and therefore approaching them in their humid and forested abode is always an inspiring adventure. They can weigh between 250 and 300 kg and can live up to 200 years. Additionally, travelers can walk inside surprising lava tubes. Difficulty level: easy Type of terrain: flat and muddy (depending on season) Duration: 1½-hour walk
(L, D)

DAY 2, TUESDAY

CRUISING THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS AM: EL BARRANCO Prince Philip ́s Steps (Genovesa Island)

Be marveled at the variety of sea life that uses the crevices of the lava cliffs for shelter. Red-billed Tropicbirds fly overhead, switching between their nests and the bay, and a small colony of fur seals may be found near the landing site. You will be dropped off at a steep stairway that begins on rocks at the foot of a path that leads through a seabird colony full of Nazca and Red footed Boobies. At the plateau, the trail continues inland allowing you to see more nesting booby colonies in the thin Palo Santo Forest. Near the end of the trail, over a rocky lava plain, Wedge-rumped Storm-Petrels can be observed flying in all directions. If you are lucky, you may catch a glimpse of a Short-eared Owl.
Difficulty level: moderate
Type of terrain: rocky – lava
Duration: 45-minute walk
PM: DARWIN BAY
Disembark onto a small sand and coral beach. A short trail heads west along a tidal lagoon and then up a rocky hill that leads to a point overlooking the cliffs and Darwin Bay. Along the trail near the tidal lagoon, visitors will see pairs of Swallow-tailed Gulls, Lava Gulls, Yellow-crowned and Lava Herons. The trail continues through Palo Santo trees, Opuntia cacti, and Saltbushes inhabited by Great Frigate birds and Red-footed Boobies. This is one of the few places in the islands where visitors are guaranteed to see Red-footed Boobies. It is estimated that more than 200,000 Red-footed Boobies live in the trees and bushes of Genovesa. Difficulty level: moderate Type of terrain: Sand & Lava Duration: 2 ½-hour walk approx. / Snorkeling
(B, L, D)

DAY 3, WEDNESDAY

CRUISING THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS AM: SOUTH PLAZAS

Sea lions, swallow-tailed gulls and land iguanas are all present at the landing site. The small island is covered with a carpet of red succulent studded with Opuntia cacti. At the cliff edge, we spend time watching birds fly past at eye level in the up draught. These include frigate birds, flocks of Galapagos shearwater and of particular note, flights of displaying red-billed tropicbirds. Back at sea level, we once again encounter land iguanas, some of which have hybridized with their resident marine cousins.
Difficulty vel: intermediate
Type of terrain: rocky
Duration: 2-hour walk
PM: SANTA FE
Wet landing. Santa Fe shows white sand beaches surrounded by sea lion colonies; through the island path, an endemic cactus forest passes, home the Santa Fe land iguanas (the largest in the islands). This island is the habitat for a number of species, including the Galapagos hawk, Galapagos snakes, rice rats (one of the few endemic Galapagos rodents), a variety of finches and one of the four mockingbird species of the archipelago.
Difficulty vel: intermediate
Type of terrain: rocky
Duration: 1 ½-hour walk / 1-hour deep-water snorkeling
(B, L, D)

DAY 4, THURSDAY

CRUISING THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS AM: BACHAS BEACH

Wet landing. On the north side of Santa Cruz, behind the beach lies two small flamingo ponds where iguanas sunbathe, see coastal birds, Darwin finches, mockingbirds, and gulls, as well as interesting native vegetation like red and black mangrove, salt bushes. This beach is one of the main sea turtles nesting sites in the Galapagos.
Difficulty level: easy
Type of terrain: sandy
Duration: 1-hour walk / 1-hour snorkeling / beach time

PM: MOSQUERA ISLET

Wet Landing, Mosquera Islet is located between North Seymour and Baltra Island. This flat, sandy island has a large colony of sea lions. It is also an excellent site to observe shorebirds such as herons and lava gulls. There is no trail on the islet, the visitors can enjoy the open area. Most of the islet is covered with sand and barren lava rock. Very little sesuvium portulacastrum plants grow on the sand.
Difficulty level: easy
Type of terrain: sandy
Duration: 1 ½-hour walk & snorkeling
(B, L, D)

DAY 5, FRIDAY

CRUSING THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS AM: EGAS PORT (Santiago Island)

Wet landing. Egas Port is a black volcanic sand beach, visited by Darwin in 1835. The first section of the trail is formed of volcanic ash (eroded tuff) and the other half is an uneven terrain of volcanic basaltic rock. The unique, truly striking layered terrain of Santiago shore is home to a variety of animals including the bizarre, yellow-crowned night heron and marine wildlife including lobster, starfish and marine iguanas grazing on algae beds alongside sally light-foot crabs. It is easy to see colonies of endemic fur seals swimming in cool water volcanic rock pools.
Difficulty level: intermediate
Type of terrain: flat & semi-rocky
Duration: 1 ½-hour walk / 1-hour snorkeling
PM: RABIDA ISLAND
Wet landing. Dark-red sand covers the unique beaches of this island, home of sea lions colonies; Rabida is considered the epicenter of the Galapagos Islands due to the diversity of its volcanic geology. Nesting brown pelicans are found from July through September plus nine species of the famous Darwin’s finches. Here a dinghy ride along marine cliffs is done, to observe nesting seabirds. Snorkel off the coast, where marine life is particularly active.
Difficulty level: easy
Type of terrain: sandy
Duration: 1 ½-hour walk / 1-hour snorkeling / 1-hour dinghy ride
(B, L, D)

DAY 6, SATURDAY

CRUSING THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS AM: URBINA BAY (Isabela Island)

Wet landing (might be difficult due to the tide). Volcanic black beach, depending on the season, it is possible to find giant tortoises, land iguanas, and the unusual flightless cormorant. After a short walk inland it´s snorkeling time, a chance to swim with sea turtles, sea lions, and countless tropical fish. Urbina Bay features a wide variety of plants with different range of colors in flowers, attracting different insects, birds, and reptiles. One of the highlights of the island is the uplifted coral reef that resulted from the 1954 seismic activity; here the views of Alcedo Volcano are remarkable. When navigating from Urbina to Tagus Cove whale watching is usual in May –
December.
Difficulty level: intermediate
Type of terrain: flat & rocky
Duration: 1 ½-hour walk / 1-hour snorkeling

PM: TAGUS COVE (Isabela Island)
Dry landing on Galapagos’ largest island where we will learn about the eruption of the five volcanoes that form it. The trail leads to Darwin’s salt-water crater lake and excellent views of lava fields and volcanic formations. We will return by the same path for a dinghy ride along a shoreline full of marine wildlife, where we will admire a variety of seabirds, such as Blue- footed Booby, Brown Noddy, terns, Flightless Cormorant and depending on the season, a large number of Galapagos Penguins which are only 35 cm tall; the only penguin species in the world to live in the tropics. The population of penguins on the islands is about 2,000 individuals, most of which live on this western portion of Isabela; others are scattered further south. We will have an opportunity to snorkel in deep water. Graffiti believed to have been left by 19th-century pirates is a curious reminder of an intriguing past.
Difficulty level: intermediate/difficult
Type of terrain: steep/steep
Duration: 2-hour walk / 40-minutes dinghy ride / 1-hour deep water snorkeling
(B, L, D)

DAY 7, SUNDAY

CRUSING THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS AM: PUNTA ESPINOSA (Fernandina Island)

Dry landing. From Espinosa Point, it is possible to admire a wide view of Isabela Island across the Bolivar Channel, an area that boasts some of the highest diversity of endemic sea fauna in the Galapagos. Here the largest, most primitive-looking marine iguanas are found mingling with sea lions and Sally Lightfoot crabs. Fernandina displays a wonderful opportunity to encounter flightless cormorants at their nesting sites, Galapagos penguins and the “King” of predators on the islands, the Galapagos hawk. Pa-hoe-hoe and AA lava formations cover the majority of Fernandina terrain. Vegetation is scarce inland, with few brachy cereus cacti. In the shore mangroves can be found.
Difficulty level: intermediate
Type of terrain: flat/semi rocky
Duration: 1 ½-hour walk / 1-hour snorkeling
PM: PUNTA VICENTE ROCA (Isabela Island) Great deep-water snorkeling at one of the richest marine havens on Earth, the Bolivar Channel. Accessible by water, we take a dinghy ride along the coast to observe a great diversity of sea and coastal birds; Nazca and blue-footed boobies, noddies, brown pelicans, penguins, flightless cormorants. The upwelling of cold-water currents in this part of the Galapagos gives rise to an abundance of marine life, a perfect place for deep snorkeling.
Difficulty Level: moderate / high
Type of terrain: water
Duration: 1-hour snorkeling / 1-hour dinghy ride
(B, L, D)

DAY 8, MONDAY

CRUSING THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS AM: HIGHLANDS TORTOISE RESERVE (Santa Cruz Island)

Dry landing. In the mountains of Galapagos is possible to admire different kinds of birds, such as tree and ground finches, vermillion flycatchers, paint-billed crakes, yellow warblers, and cattle egrets (usually standing on the tortoises’ shell). The journey to the reserve offers great opportunities to see the contrast that the island offers in reference to the variety of ecosystems. The road goes from the coast through the agricultural zone and straight up to the dense humid forests. Often, Galapagos Giant Tortoises are also seen on the way, wandering through pastures in the paddocks. This spot is a birdwatchers’ haven, since almost every land bird present on the island lives or migrates here.
Type of Terrain: flat, & muddy (depending on season)
Difficulty level: easy
Duration: 45-minutes’ drive / 1 ½-hour walks
PM: TRANSFER TO AIRPORT
Check-in and flight back to Quito. Assisted by the guide and some crew members, the dinghy will bring you and your luggage to Baltra, where we will board a private bus to the airport. Your guide will accompany you to the check-in counters in the departure hall. We expect that you will return home with stunning pictures and unforgettable memories for life!

End of our services.

The Galapagos, Ecuador and Peru schedule and all touring arrangements herein are subject to change without notice and can be operated in a different sequence, depending on operational considerations. All hotels are subject to availability and can be replaced with similar hotels. All payments for custom-designed itineraries are non-refundable in the event of cancelation by passengers. Travel insurance is highly
recommended.

Notes Please: remember that the exact route and programme may vary according to weather and ocean conditions and the wildlife we encounter. It’s also subject to change without previous notice due mainly to readjustment of the National Park policies and regulations.
– Dry landing: guests step from the dinghy onto rocks or a dock.
– Wet landing: as the dinghy edges onto a sandy beach, guests step into around 20 cm (8 inches) of water and wade ashore.

Price includes:

Accommodation on board for 7 nights
Air tickets from Quito to Galapagos and back. FREE
Soft beverages such as water, coffee and tea
Transfers to Galapagos (Airport – boat – airport)
Excursions daily
Shared transfer out
English speaking Naturalist Guide category III
The use of snorkeling gear

Price does not include:

International air tickets
Entrance fee To the National Park Price does not include per person (subject to change)
INGALA immigration card Price does not include per person (subject to change)
Wetsuit rental
Other soft drinks
Alcoholic beverages
Gratuities
Personal expenses
Medical or travel insurance

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