The Ark Archipelago - Itinerary B
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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
Quito is tough. Despite suffering from numerous shake, rattle and rolls (earthquakes) over the years (the worst being in 1797 and 1859) it still boasts the best-preserved historic centre in Latin America. It's also built on the ruins of an ancient Inca city, so Quito's pretty unique. Arrive here and have a wander before the Galapagos adventure begins.
- Arrive in Quito and get acquainted with this UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Spend time exploring the narrow, winding cobblestone streets and the lively Plaza Grande and Plaza San Francisco
- Evening pre-departure meeting at approx 6pm (details will be at the hotel Reception)
Day 2 - Baltra to North Seymour
Man of war birds, pirate birds, frigate pelican, frigatebirds - whatever you want to call them, these things are ridiculous (FYI, we call them frigatebirds). They've got the largest wingspan in comparison to their body out of any bird species in the world, and they can stay airbourne for an entire week. Head to North Seymour and see if you can't spot some of these awesome critters.
- Take an early morning flight 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 off on the Galapagos cruise
- Sail to North Seymour - one of the Galapagos’ most visited islands
- Gain good views of Daphne Major and Minor
- Keep eyes peeled for the magnificent frigatebird, blue-footed boobies, sea lions and marine iguanas
Breakfast | DinnerDay 3 - San Cristobal
Visiting a tiny island and a powder beach is a pretty fine way to spend a day, but just wait 'til you reach Leon Dormido (Kicker Rock). The water surrounding this rock, that juts 150m out of the sea, is a playground for wildlife. It's like Sesame Street, with less Cookie Monsters and more marine iguanas.
- Visit Isla Lobos and spend the morning relaxing by the island’s rocky shores alongside blue-footed boobies and sea lions
- Be lucky to spot some the Sally Lightfoot crabs and the frigatebird
- Continue on to Cerro Brujo, a fine powder beach on San Cristobal’s north coast and spend time snorkelling and relaxing
- Head to Kicker Rock (Leon Dormido) and cruise through the channel - one of the finest experiences in the Galapagos
Breakfast | Lunch | DinnerDay 4 - Española
Española is also known as Hood Island. But you won't find any turf-wars or marine iguana cartel here, just 12,000 pairs of waved albatross and a whole bunch of other Galapagos wildlife living in harmony. Brightly coloured lava lizards are endemic to Española - they're basically marine iguanas that look like they got in a fight with a rainbow and lost. Very cool.
- Cruise to Española -the breeding site of nearly all of the world's 12,000 pairs of waved albatrosses
- Take trails right through the middle of booby colonies, where Galapagos doves and mockingbirds are also often seen
- Gain an epic panorama and a cliff-top viewpoint
- Perhaps see the elaborate courtship rituals performed by albatrosses before the female chooses her lifelong mate
- Visit Gardner Bay and one of the archipelagos longest stretches of white sand
- Go snorkelling alongside reef sharks, turtles and many species of tropical fish, including surgeon, parrot and angelfish
Breakfast | Lunch | DinnerDay 5 - Floreana
Wildlife often steals the show in the Galapagos, but Floreana has a pretty interesting human history. It would take far too long to explain it all in this day-by-day itinerary, but make sure you write a letter to leave in the 220-year-old post box. We told you it was pretty interesting.
- Visit the island of Floreana - one of the most beautiful islands in the Galapagos
- Post a letter for passing boats at Post Office Bay
- Go swimming with turtles
- Head to Punta Cormorant and hike from a greenish-coloured sand beach, through black mangrove beds, towards a flamingo-filled lagoon
- Pass Galapagos millwork, passion flower and the unique button mangrove
- Go snorkelling at the Devil's Crown, surrounded by tropical fish, rays, whitetip reef sharks and turtles
- Take a panga ride to the Mirador - excellent for viewing marine life such as golden eagle rays, sea turtles, sea lions and Galapagos penguins
- Take in sweeping views of the coastline from Enderby Island to Post Office Bay, including Cerro Straw and the pool of flamingos at Punta Cormorant
Breakfast | Lunch | DinnerDay 6 - Santa Cruz - Charles Darwin Research Station
The Galapagos giant tortoise is basically just a big tortoise. If that doesn't sound that exciting, just consider other things that increase in awesome as they increase in size: mountains, lakes, icebergs, burritos, smiles, paychecks, TV screens, dinosaurs - the list goes on. Get up close with these gentle giants at the Charles Darwin Research Station.
- Visit Santa Cruz - the second largest island in the Galapagos
- Stop by the Charles Darwin Research Station and get up close with a giant tortoise
- Take a bus to the Santa Cruz highlands, visit the largest lava tunnels in the Galapagos and perhaps spot wild Galapagos tortoise
Breakfast | Lunch | DinnerDay 7 - South Plaza & Santa Fé
There's a bit in The Jungle Book, when Baloo's singing "Bare Necessities", where he talks about being cautious when you pick a paw paw or a prickly pear. "Don't pick the prickly pear by the paw, when you pick a pear try to use the claw," he warns an attentive Mowgli. Unfortunately you don't have claws, so we recommend not picking the prickly pears on Santa Fe. Actually, Mowgli didn't have claws either. Turns out Baloo wasn't so great at advice.
- Walk among resting sea lions and on trails amid one of the Galapagos’ largest land iguana populations
- Spot tropicbirds and swallow-tailed gulls, and ‘the gentlemen’s club’ - a gathering of male sea lions either too young or too old to be ‘beachmasters’
- Stop at Santa Fe - and island offering a dense concentration of wildlife
- Expect to see the Galapagos hawk, land iguanas, a variety of finches and the Galapagos mockingbird, sea lions, marine turtles, frigatebirds, Galapagos doves and lava lizards
- Snorkel in jade green waters
- Hike into the island through Opuntia Forest
Breakfast | Lunch | DinnerDay 8 - Bartolomé & Sombrero Chino
Take the summit trail to the top of Bartolomé and gain one of the most amazing views of the Galapagos. It's the kind of view that will make you feel all humble and grateful to be in such an incredible place. After the trek you'll be all hot, which will make you feel like you want to take your clothes off and go snorkelling. Go right ahead, you earned it.
- Take the summit trail to the iconic view of the Galapagos
- See a large colony of marine Iguanas and lava lizards as well as red mangroves and various cacti
- Cool off with a snorkel and swim among Galapagos penguin, turtles and whitetip reef sharks
- Visit Sombrero Chino, a small islet located near the south-east coast of Isla Santiago
- Explore the island’s volcanic origin
- Follow a trail that circles a cove and passes through a sea lion colony and innumerable marine iguanas
Breakfast | Lunch | DinnerDay 9 - Mosquera – Baltra – Quito
Spend one last morning wildlife-spotting on tiny Isla Mosquera. Here you'll find sea lions, marine birds, boobies, Sally Lightfoot crabs and much more. You might even think you notice some of the animals waving to you as you leave. They're not. They're animals for goodness sake.
- Sail to nearby Isla Mosquera, an Islet situated between Baltra and North Seymour and a great place for wildlife spotting
- Cruise back to Baltra and say goodbye to the Galapagos Islands
- Fly back to Quito
BreakfastDay 10 - Quito
Return to Quito, where civilisation awaits. Reflect on the last 10 days of your life, and all the new animal (and human) friends you made along the way. The Galapagos is sure to leave a lasting impression on you, kind of like when you sleep on a pillow crease and wake up with red marks all over your face, but nicer.
- The trip ends today
Breakfast -
What to Know
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Map
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Dates
Trip Dates and Prices
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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.