The Ark Archipelago - Itinerary A
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Overview
Try these priate pickup lines on Buccaneer Cover"
'I must be huntin' treasure, cause i'm diggin your chest.'
'Arrrrrrrrrrr you free Friday?'
'That be the finest pirate booty I've ever seen.'
(Was Complete Galapagos)
Itinerary
Day 1 - Quito
Explore Quito, the capital of Ecuador and the highest capital city in the world with a judicial building (bear with us). La Paz, in Bolivia, is the actual highest capital city in the world, but it doesn't have a judicial building. We think someone, somewhere was extremely bored when they gave Quito that title.
- If arriving early, perhaps spend time getting acquainted with Quito
- Evening pre-departure meeting at approx 6pm (details will be at the hotel Reception)
Day 2 - Baltra - Las Bachas
Visit Las Bachas beach and see loads of eggs. The eggs belong to the sea turtles, so don't touch them. Sea turtles may be slow, but they're hard as nails. Literally.
- Fly from Quito to Baltra, in the Galapagos Islands-
- Please note the pick-up time will usually be as early as 4am as Quito airport is a one hour drive and we must allow for delays and check-in times (Your Tour leader will confirm this time with you at the pre-departure meeting on day one
- Board the M.Y Pelikano and set sail for Santa Cruz, the second largest island in the Galapagos
- Visit Las Bachas beach - a major egg-laying site for sea turtles
- Spot marine iguanas ashore and pink flamingos are commonly seen in the lagoon.
- Sight remnants of a floating pier - a testimony to U.S. presence in the Galapagos during World War II
Breakfast | Lunch | DinnerDay 3 - Genovesa
Sail north and arrive at Genovesa Island, an awesome spot for spotting red footed boobies. Dramatic cliffs rise steeply from the sea around this collapsed volcanic island. Say that last sentence in a David Attenborough voice and it's even more interesting.
- Sail overnight to reach Genovesa, the archipelagos northeast outpost
- Spot dolphins in the surrounding waters
- View all three kinds of boobies on the island, including the rare red-footed booby; and numerous other species
- Walk Prince Philip’s Steps and arrive in the heart of the seabird rookeries, with birds overhead and nesting among the cliffs
- Look out for storm petrels; Genovesa is the only place in the world where they can be seen on the wing during daytime
- See large breeding colonies of seabirds and frigates at Darwin Bay
- Go snorkelling and perhaps encounter manta rays, sharks, turtles, moray eels and many different fish
Breakfast | Lunch | DinnerDay 4 - Isla Santiago & Cerro Dragón
Encounter amazing tidal pools and a variety of wildlife on Santiago. There will be iguana's chilling, sea lions singing, Galapagos seals swimming and Sally Lightfoot crabs being all good-looking and stuff.
- Visit Bahia Sullivan, on Santiago’s eastern coast
- With a guide, walk across a 100-year old lava flow, where iguanas and Sally Lightfoot Crabs crawl
- Enjoy the view back across to Bartolome
- Stop by Cerro Dragon (Dragon Hill) in the afternoon - a nesting site for land iguanas
- Perhaps spot Darwin’s finches, Galapagos mockingbirds, the endemic Galapagos flycatcher and yellow warblers
Breakfast | Lunch | DinnerDay 5 - Santa Cruz - Charles Darwin Research Station
Giant tortoise can grow up to four feet long. Think about that. That's about three and a half feet of tortoise more than you'll ever have seen before. Pay them a visit on Santa Cruz.
- Visit the town of Puerto Ayora and the Charles Darwin Research Station
- Perhaps have a close-up encounter with a giant tortoise
- See loads of newborn and young giant turtles, thanks to the research station's breeding program
- Take a bus to the Santa Cruz highlands, visit the largest lava tunnels in the Galapagos and perhaps spot wild a wild Galapagos tortoise
Breakfast | Lunch | DinnerDay 6 - Isabela
Isabela is a pretty name for an island, which is fitting, because this is a really pretty place. If you think that sounds lame then we can't be friends anymore. Seriously.
- Visit Isabela, the archipelagos' largest island
- View the blue lagoons and rocky terrain at Punta Moreno,
- Enjoy the backdrop of 3 active volcanoes, flamingos and lava formations
- Stop by Elizabeth Bay and perhaps spot rays, turtles, sea lions, penguins and Sally Lightfoot Crabs
Breakfast | Lunch | DinnerDay 7 - Fernandina - Punta Espinoza and Bahia Urbina
Walk among the lava cactus on Fernandina. No, it's not cactus made out of lava, and it doesn't spout lava. It colonises and grows on lava fields, which is pretty intense. Have you ever tried to colonise a lava field? Didn't think so. Respect where respect is due.
- Travel to Fernandina Island, the youngest of the Galapagos Islands
- Walk on lava and see lava cactus, marine iguanas and flightless cormorants at Punta Espinosa
- Spot the colourful land iguanas and giant tortoises at Bahia Urbina back on Isabela
Breakfast | Lunch | DinnerDay 8 - Isla Santiago - Playa Espumilla & Buccaneer Cove
Buccaneer Cove is a real-life pirate hangout. Well, it was during the 18th and 19th century at least. They used to anchor in the bay (a good hiding spot) and repair their ships and head ashore to fetch salt, tortoises, fresh water and firewood. Yeah, they used to eat tortoises.
- Spend the day visiting sites on Santiago Island
- Stop by the black sand beach of Puerto Egas and see hundreds of marine iguanas, fur seals and sea lions
- Visit the beautiful Espumilla Beach, an important nesting site for sea turtles
- Spot flamingos, pintail ducks and stilts in the mangroves
- Get acquainted with the old sea dog's haunt of Caleta Bucanero (Buccaneer Cove), a place of local legends and stories, where pirates used to careen their ships
Breakfast | Lunch | DinnerDay 9 - Daphne – Baltra – Quito
Take one last opportunity to spot some high-flying bird action on Daphne before partaking in some high-flying bird action yourself and flying back to Quito.
- Visit Daphne Island and spot masked boobies, finches and perhaps even the frigate birds
- Cruise back to Baltra and bid farewell to the Galapagos before a return flight to Quito
BreakfastDay 10 - Quito
Brekkie. Goodbyes. Home. Until next time, compadre.
- The trip ends today after breakfast
Breakfast -
What to Know
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Map
Map Itinerary
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Dates
Trip Dates and Prices
Show more departures...Start Date – End Date Trip Status Price 01 Jun 2013 - 10 Jun 2013 1 Request US $3,535 Book Now 15 Jun 2013 - 24 Jun 2013 0 Request US $3,595On Sale Sale: US $2,837 Contact Us 29 Jun 2013 - 08 Jul 2013 1 Available US $3,595 Book Now 13 Jul 2013 - 22 Jul 2013 1 Available US $3,595 Book Now 27 Jul 2013 - 05 Aug 2013 1 Available US $3,595On Sale Sale: US $2,837 Book Now 10 Aug 2013 - 19 Aug 2013 4 Available US $3,595On Sale Sale: US $2,837 Book Now 24 Aug 2013 - 02 Sep 2013 5 Available US $3,595 Book Now 07 Sep 2013 - 16 Sep 2013 7+ Available US $3,595On Sale Sale: US $3,140 Book Now 21 Sep 2013 - 30 Sep 2013 6 Available US $3,535On Sale Sale: US $2,777 Book Now 05 Oct 2013 - 14 Oct 2013 7+ Available US $3,535On Sale Sale: US $2,777 Book Now 19 Oct 2013 - 28 Oct 2013 1 Available US $3,535 Book Now 02 Nov 2013 - 11 Nov 2013 7+ Available US $3,595 Book Now 16 Nov 2013 - 25 Nov 2013 7+ Available US $3,595 Book Now 30 Nov 2013 - 09 Dec 2013 7+ Available US $3,595 Book Now 14 Dec 2013 - 23 Dec 2013 7+ Available US $3,595 Book Now 28 Dec 2013 - 06 Jan 2014 7 Available US $3,595 Book Now 08 Feb 2014 - 17 Feb 2014 7+ Available US $3,595 Book Now 22 Feb 2014 - 03 Mar 2014 7+ Available US $3,595 Book Now 08 Mar 2014 - 17 Mar 2014 7+ Available US $3,595 Book Now 22 Mar 2014 - 31 Mar 2014 7+ Available US $3,595 Book Now 05 Apr 2014 - 14 Apr 2014 7+ Available US $3,595 Book Now 19 Apr 2014 - 28 Apr 2014 7+ Available US $3,595 Book Now 03 May 2014 - 12 May 2014 7+ Available US $3,535 Book Now 17 May 2014 - 26 May 2014 7+ Available US $3,535 Book Now 31 May 2014 - 09 Jun 2014 7+ Available US $3,535 Book Now 14 Jun 2014 - 23 Jun 2014 7+ Available US $3,535 Book Now 28 Jun 2014 - 07 Jul 2014 7+ Available US $3,595 Book Now 12 Jul 2014 - 21 Jul 2014 7+ Available US $3,595 Book Now 26 Jul 2014 - 04 Aug 2014 7+ Available US $3,595 Book Now 09 Aug 2014 - 18 Aug 2014 7+ Available US $3,595 Book Now 23 Aug 2014 - 01 Sep 2014 7+ Available US $3,595 Book Now 06 Sep 2014 - 15 Sep 2014 7+ Available US $3,595 Book Now 20 Sep 2014 - 29 Sep 2014 7+ Available US $3,535 Book Now 04 Oct 2014 - 13 Oct 2014 7+ Available US $3,535 Book Now 18 Oct 2014 - 27 Oct 2014 7+ Available US $3,535 Book Now 01 Nov 2014 - 10 Nov 2014 7+ Available US $3,595 Book Now 15 Nov 2014 - 24 Nov 2014 7+ Available US $3,595 Book Now 29 Nov 2014 - 08 Dec 2014 7+ Available US $3,595 Book Now 13 Dec 2014 - 22 Dec 2014 7+ Available US $3,595 Book Now 27 Dec 2014 - 05 Jan 2015 7+ Available US $3,595 Book Now -
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What to know
On arrival in the islands you must pay the US$110 national park fee to enter Galapagos National Park (This includes the US$10 transit fee). Once you arrive at Isabela Island there is also a fee to be paid of US$20