Galapagos Bike & Boat

Part One: Wildlife Cruise 

Day 1: Arrival to San Cristóbal
San Cristóbal is the easternmost island of the Galapagos and also one of the oldest. Upon arrival in San Cristobal you will be met by the crew of the Beluga and transferred to the ship in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno , your home for the next 5 nights. Your activities today will depend on the arrival of your flight.

PM: Galapaquera and El Junco
The lagoon is the only freshwater reservoir in Galapagos and has great views from its altitude of 700 m in the highlands of San Cristóbal. Rainwater has collected in the caldera for hundreds of years and formed this lagoon. Galapaguera is a good area to see tortoises in their natural environment.

• Activities: Wildlife viewing, walking
• Fauna: Tortoises
• Flora: Typical highland vegetation

You will overnight on the Beluga this evening and for the next four evenings. 

Meals: L & D
 

Day 2: Española Island
Española is the oldest of the Southern Islands and is the southernmost in the Archipelago. Because of its remote location, a unique range of endemic species evolved here. It is also the only island where the Waved Albatross can be seen during the breeding season, April to December.

AM: Gardner Bay (Española) & Islote Gardner & Islote Osborn
Located on the northeast of the island, the site has a long and beautiful white sand beach inhabited by sea lion colonies. Enjoy walking along this beach observing sea lions, mockingbirds, other shore birds, and possibly see the Galapagos Hawk. The Islote Garnder and Islote Osborn are snorkeling sites where visitors will see an abundance of tropical fish, reef sharks, and turtles.

• Activities: Trail walks along beach, swimming, snorkeling

PM: Punta Suarez
The wildlife at Punta Suarez is plentiful and varied. Along the cliff visitors can enjoy a unique open cave where seawater is forced about 20m into the air. The highlights are the Waved albatross (April-Dec) that are only found on Hood, Galapagos Hawks, blue-footed boobies, Nazca boobies, and Española lava lizards.

• Activities: Trail walks along shore and inland
• Fauna: Sea Lion colony, Hood mockingbirds, rocks off the coast offer great snorkeling with reef sharks, turtles and many tropical fish.
• Flora: Salt bush, prickly pear cactus, Jerusalem thorn, mesquite, beach dropseed.

Meals: B, L, & D
 

Day 3: Floreana Island (Charles)
Floreana is best known for its colorful history of buccaneers, whalers, convicts, and early colonists.

AM: Punta Cormorant and Devils Crown
Punta Cormorant has two contrasting beaches and a large inland lagoon where pink flamingoes can be seen. This is a snorkeling site located just off Punta Cormorant. The site is a
completely submerged volcano that has eroded to create the appearance of a jagged crown.

• Activites: Trail walk, snorkeling

PM: Post Office Bay
This is one of the few sites visited for its human history. Visit the wooden mail barrel where letters are dropped off and picked up and remains of the Norwegian fishing village.

• Activities: Walking, mailing letters

Meals: B, L, & D
 

Day 4: Santa Cruz Island 
Santa Cruz is the second largest island and the most populated of all islands. 

AM: Dragon Hill and Santiago Island (James)
Dragon Hill is located in the northwestern side of Santa Cruz Island. Some highlights include small lagoons with flamingos, Palo Santo trees, and Opuntia cactus. Santiago Island is located between Isabela and Santa Cruz Islands. This Island offers a wide variety of seabirds, marine iguanas and fur seals.

• Activities: Sightseeing, walking, wildlife viewing.

PM: Sullivan Bay (Santiago Island)
This site is of great geological interest. Highlights: 100 hundred year old lava flow field, pahoehoe formations, lava bubbles

• Activities: Lava walk
• Fauna: Flamingoes, common stilts, pintail ducks, marine iguanas, land iguanas, marine turtles, sally lightfoot crabs
• Flora: Palo Santo trees, opuntias, lava cactus, mollugo, pioneer plants

Meals: B, L, & D
 

Day 5: Tower (Genovesa) Island
Located in the northeast part of the Galapagos, this relatively small island is a low-lying volcano rising just above the ocean surface. Tower, an oasis for seabirds, is well worth the long travel time to get there. Tower attracts an enormous number of pelagic seabirds that come to nest. Great Frigate birds,

Red-footed Boobies, Swallow-tailed Gulls, and Storm Petrels all breed here by the thousands.

AM: Darwin Bay (Tower Island)
Darwin Bay was created when the island’s large crater collapsed below sea level. Inside this caldera, birds are visible by the thousands.

• Activities: Walks along the shoreline and walks along the edge of the caldera, swimming

PM: El Barranco (Tower Island)
A scenic panga ride along the rocky cliff ledges will bring you to the base of the steep rocky steps named after his Royal Highness Prince Philip who visited the island in the 1960s. This site is abundant with birdlife.

• Activities: Steep walk, trail walk, bird watching
• Fauna: Colonies of Red-footed Boobies, Nazca Boobies and Great Frigate birds, Swallow-tailed Gulls, Herons, Cactus Finches, Sea Lions
• Flora: Prickly pear cactus, Palo Santo, chamaesyce, saltbush, heliotrope

Meals: B, L, & D

Part Two: Biking on Santa Cruz

Day 6: Santa Cruz: Caleta Tortuga and Biking to Garrapatero

AM: Caleta Tortuga (Turtle Cove)
Turtle Cove is a red mangrove lagoon on Santa Cruz and a perfect example of how mangroves alter the marine environment to create a rich and unique habitat.

• Activities: Dingy ride, wildlife viewing in a peaceful environment

Santa Cruz Island: Garrapatero bike and kayak, 5 mi. + option for an additional 5 mi.  (8 km + option for an additional 8 km)
After you disembark from the cruise at approximately 8 am, you will be transferred to the canal that separates Santa Cruz from Baltra (the airport). You will then need to cross the canal barge and take the shuttle bus to the airport. The barge fee (approx. $1) and the Lobito bus shuttle fee ($5) is not included so please have cash available. You will then meet your local guide and be transferred back to the lodge.

After lunch begin your 8 km bike ride to El Garrapatero Beach. This is a great opportunity to observe the change in vegetation from the lush midlands to the arid lowlands. Once you arrive at the beach, we will walk along a path that brings us to El Garrapatero beach. This is a fantastic beach for swimming, relaxing, and observing flora and fauna. After a short educational walk, you can enjoy kayaking around the bay followed by a transfer back to the lodge. Those who would like can ride their bikes back to the hotel.

• Activities: Biking, kayaking, walking, wildlife watching, dingy ride
• Conditions: Calm waters, outbound bike ride is easy, mostly downhill, return bike ride is difficult
• Fauna: Herons and Egrets, Pelicans, Spotted Eagle Rays, Diamond-shaped Mustard Rays, Sea Turtles, White-tipped Reef Sharks
• Flora: Mangroves, Palo Santo, matazarno

Overnight  tonight and for the next two nights at Enchanted Galapagos Lodge

Meals: B, L, & D
 

Day 7: Santa Cruz Island: Highland Circuit with a visit to Tortoise Farm, 18.5 mi. (30 km)
Today at 7:45 am your guide will meet you and at  8 am, you begin to ride towards the Gemelos Craters. You can stop to enjoy a walk around the sink holes, which is a great area to spot finches, and if you are a lucky a vermillion flycatcher. You then ride to the Manzanillo Tortoise Ranch, partly on a  gravel road, wne will enjoy a guided walk around the property and see many of the land tortoises that roam in this area. You will also stay here for lunch. From here you will ride back to the town of Bellavista, where you can stop for a “pan de chocolate”, and then you will continue the ride towards Cerro Mesa, riding through an agricultural area of the island. At Cerro Mesa you can ride up to the top of the Cerro and be awarded with wonderful views of the island. Finally, before returning to hotel you will visit Trapiche farm where you will see how local coffee is grown, how local cacao is produced and maybe taste some locally made liquor!

• Activities: Biking
• Conditions: Difficult (longer distances and some hills)
• Fauna: Tortoises, finches and other small ground birds
• Flora: Scalesia, guayabillos, croton, Darwin’s cotton

Meals: B, L, & D
 

Day 8: Santa Cruz Island (2 options)

Option 1: Hike to el Puntudo / Afternoon Charles Darwin Station
Your guide will meet you at the lodge at 8 am to take you to the trailhead of El Puntudo. This beautiful hike will take you to one of the highest point on the island, if the weather is good you will have a 360 view of the island. The trail is Return to the lodge for lunch. After a break your guide will take you down to town to the Charles Darwin Station for a chance to visit the interpretation center and tortoise breeding program. Afterwards you will have some time to walk around town. If time permits visit a local art gallery and chocolatier. Dinner will be in town this evening.

Option 2: Short bike ride and a day in town!|
Your guide will meet you at 8h45 to get ready for your bike ride down to town. This is a comfortable mostly downhill ride, about 12 km, takes about 30 minutes). First you will visit the Charles Darwin Station interpretation center and breeding program. Afterwards your guide will take you to a local chocolatier, an art gallery, and a great local coffee shop. Lunch will be in town. After lunch, you have the afternoon free to walk around and shop for souvenirs. You have the option to ride back to the lodge by bike (takes about 1 hour, mostly uphill, 12km.) Or you can return by car. Your driver will pick you up at the agreed time to return to the lodge for dinner.

• Activities: Hiking or Easy Biking (depending on choice)
• Conditions: For hiking, uphill path, a bit uneven / For biking easy
• Fauna: Tortoises at the breeding center

Meals: B/L/D
 

Day 9:  Departure
At the appropriate time, you will be transferred to the canal for your flight back to Quito. Please note transfer is provided to the canal that separates Santa Cruz and Baltra (the airport). You cross the canal by barge and take the shuttle to the airport.

*Please note that the Lobito bus ticket ($5) and barge fee is not included ($1), please have cash handy to pay these

Meals: B

Part One: Wildlife Cruise aboard the Beluga

Day 1: Arrival to Baltra
Upon arrival in Baltra, you will be met by your driver , you will be taken to Puerto Ayora, where you will board the speedboat to Isabela Island. This speedboat departs at 3 pm, check-in is at 2 pm. (Please make sure to book a flight that lands in Baltra no later than 12 pm or arrive in the Galapagos a day earlier to avoid missing the ferry)

Isabela Island (Albermarle): Isabela is the largest of the Galapagos Islands formed by five active volcanoes fused together. Wolf Volcano is the highest point in the entire Galapagos at 1707m.

PM: Puerto Villamil
You will arrive at about 5 pm and be transferred to the boat.

Overnight tonight and for the next four nights onboard the Beluga.

Meals: D
 

Day 2: Isabela Island (Albermarle)

AM: Elizabeth Bay
This spot is only accessible by dinghy. It is possible to see penguins on the small islets in the bay. The end of the bay is long and narrow surrounded by three species of mangroves. Galapagos Sea Turtles and rays can usually be seen in the water.

• Activities: Wildlife observation from panga

PM: Punta Moreno
Punta Moreno is located in the central southwestern coast of Isabela Island. The site has spectacular views of volcanoes Alcedo, Sierra Negra and Cerro Azul. Some highlights include impressive lava flows, desolate and pristine landscape, varied and unusual arid zone vegetation.

• Activities: Panga ride, lava walk, wildlife viewing
• Fauna: flamingos, blue herons, pintail ducks, brown pelicans, Galapagos penguins, flightless cormorants
• Flora: Mangroves, pioneer plants

Meals: B, L, & D
 

Day 3: Isabela Island (Albermarle)

AM: Urbina Bay
Urbina Bay is located at the central-west coast of Isabela Island at the foothills of Alcedo and Darwin volcanoes. Highlights include the colourful land iguanas, Galapagos Giant tortoises and the coral uplifting from 1954.

• Activities: Trail walks along shore and inland, walk along the uplifted area, swimming, snorkeling

AM: Tagus Cove
The waters around Tagus cove are the coldest most productive in the Galapagos, the upwelling of the Cromwell Current, where dolphins and whales are frequently seen. Tagus Cove was used historically as an anchorage for pirates and whalers. One can still find the names of the ships carved into the rock above the landing (a practice now prohibited).

The coves quiet waters make for an ideal panga ride beneath its sheltered cliffs.

• Activities: Panga ride along cliffs, trail walk along caldera filled with salt water, views
• Fauna: Marine turtles, rays, flightless cormorant and Galapagos penguins, blue footed booby, pelicans, Darwin finches
• Flora: Palo Santo trees, Darwin's shrub, thorn shrub, cotton, yellow cordia, petunia

Meals: B, L, & D
 

Day 4: Fernandina Island & Isabela Island (Albermarle)
The youngest of the Galapagos Islands, Fernandina is approximately 700,00 years old. It still is one of the most volcanically active and eruptions still may occur every few years. This constant state of volcanic change gives Fernandina its unique feeling. Fernandina is home to a large colony of marine iguanas, Galapagos penguins, and marine life.

AM: Punta Espinoza
Punta Espinoza is a place famous for its large colonies of marine iguanas and as the habitat of unique species like the flightless cormorant, Galapagos penguin, Galapagos hawk, Galapagos snake, among others.

• Activities: Trail walk along beach, lava and shoreline; snorkeling

PM: Punta Vicente Roca
This site is visited by dinghy rides along the cliffs or the partially sunken cave at the water’s edge. Nazca boobies, blue-footed boobies and flightless cormorants inhabit the shoreline.

• Activities: Snorkeling and panga ride (Water can be quite cold)
• Fauna: Large colony of marine iguanas, sea lions, flightless cormorant nesting site, lava herons, pacific sea turtles, noddy terns, blue footed boobies, frigate birds, sea lions and fur seals, rays, mola mola
• Flora: Lava cactus, shore petunia, red, white

Meals: B, L, & D
 

Day 5: James (Santiago) Island
This Island is located between Isabela and Santa Cruz Islands. This Island offers a wide variety of seabirds, marine iguanas and fur seals.

AM: Playa Espumilla
Espumilla Beach has a beautiful contrast between the golden beach and the green mangroves. It is also a great site to see flamingos, pintail ducks, green sea turtle nests and the Galapagos Hawk. It is also a good site to go for a cool off swim or a snorkel.

• Activities: Trail walks, swimming, snorkeling

PM: Bucaneers Cove
This site was Charles Darwin’s home for 9 days. As well as a resting site for many whalers and pirates. With this rich history Buccaneers Cove is a must see. Enjoy a panga ride or snorkel looking for Galapagos Fur Seals, Brown Noodies, Pelicans, and Swallow-tailed Gulls. Also enjoy the stunninglandscape and rockcliff formations.

• Activities: Dinghy ride
• Fauna: Darwin finches, vermillion fly-catchers, marine turtles, Fur Seals, Brown Noodies, Pelicans, Swallo-tailed Gulls, Blue-footed Boobies
• Flora: Mangroves, Palo Santo trees

Meals: B, L, & D
 

Day 6: North Seymour Island

AM: North Seymour
This flat piece of land originated after an uplifting event thousands of years ago. The island is home to endemic Palo Santo trees, colonies of blue-footed boobies, swallow tailed gulls, and magnificent frigate birds.

• Activities: Walking, bird watching, snorkeling
• Conditions: Flat easy trail
• Fauna: Nesting frigatebirds, swallowtail gulls, blue-footed boobies, land iguanas, marine iguanas, sea lions,
• Flora: Prickly pear cactus, palo santo, salt bushes, croton, yellow cordia

PART TWO: BIKING ON SANTA CRUZ

Continuation of Day 6 

Santa Cruz Island: Garrapatero bike and kayak, 5 mi. + option for  5 mi. extra (8 km + option of 8 km extra)
After you disembark at 8 am, you will be taken first to the canal that separates Santa Cruz from Baltra (the airport). You will then need to cross the canal with the canal barge and take the shuttle bus to the airport. The barge fee (approx. $1) and the Lobito bus shuttle fee ($5) is not included so please have cash available

After lunch begin your 8 km bike ride to El Garrapatero Beach. This is a great opportunity to observe the change in vegetation from the lush midlands to the arid low lands. Once we arrive at the beach, we will walk along a path that brings us to El Garrapatero beach. This is fantastic beach for swimming, relaxing and observing flora and fauna. After a short interpretation walk we get on our kayaks and go for a kayak around the bay. Walk back up to trailhead where a vehicle will wait to take us back to the hotel. Those who would like can ride their bikes back to the hotel.

• Activities: Biking, kayaking, walking, wildlife watching
• Conditions: Outbound bike ride is easy, mostly downhill, return bike ride is difficult
• Fauna: Possible flamingos, other shore birds
• Flora: Palo Santo, matazarno

Overnight  this evening and for the next two nights  at Enchanted Galapagos Lodge

Meals: B/L/D
 

Day 7: Santa Cruz Island: Highland Circuit with a visit to Tortoise Farm, 30 km
Today at 7: 45 your guide will meet you to get your bikes ready. At 8 am, you begin to ride towards the Gemelos Craters, mostly by bike path. You can stop and enjoy a walk around the sink holes, a great area to spot finches, and if you are lucky, a vermillion flycatcher. You then cycle to the Manzanillo Tortoise Ranch, part of this ride is on a gravel road. You will have some time to enjoy a guided walk around the property and see many of the land tortoises that roam in this area. You will also stay here for lunch. From here you will ride back to the town of Bellavista, where you can stop for a “pan de chocolate”, and then you will continue the ride towards Cerro Mesa, riding through an agricultural area of the island. At Cerro Mesa you can ride up to the top of the Cerro and be awarded with wonderful views of the island.

Finally, before returning to hotel you will visit Trapiche farm where you will see how local coffee is grown, how local cacao is produced and maybe taste some locally made liquor!

Activities: Biking
Conditions: Difficult (longer distances and some hills
Fauna: Tortoises, finches and other small ground birds
Flora: Scalesia, guayabillos, croton, Darwin’s cotton

Meals: B, L, & D
 

Day 8: Santa Cruz Island

Option 1: Hike to el Puntudo / Afternoon Charles Darwin Station.
Your guide will meet you at the lodge at 8 am to take you to the trailhead of El Puntudo.  This beautiful hike will take you to one of the highest points on the island and if the weather is good you will have a 360 degree view of the island.

Return to the lodge for lunch. After a break your guide will take you down to town to the Charles Darwin Station for a chance to visit the interpretation center and tortoise breeding program. Afterwards, you will have some time to walk around town. If time permits, visit a local art gallery and chocolatier. Dinner will be in town this evening.

Option 2: Short bike ride and a day in town, 12 km + option for additional 12 km
Your guide will meet you at 8:45 o get ready for your bike ride down to town. This is a comfortable mostly downhill ride. First you will visit the Charles Darwin Station interpretation center and breeding program. Afterwards your guide will take you to a local chocolatier, an art gallery, and a great local coffee shop.

Lunch will be in town. After lunch, you have the afternoon free to walk around and shop for souvenirs. You have the option to ride back to the lodge by bike (mostly uphill) or you can return by car. Your driver will pick you up at the agreed upon time to return to the lodge for dinner.

Activities: Hiking or easy biking (depending on choice)
Conditions: For hiking, an uphill, uneven path/For biking easy to moderate

Fauna: Tortoises at the breeding center

Meals: B, L, D
 

Day 9: Departure
Included in your tour price is a return transfer to the canal that separates Santa Cruz from Baltra (the airport). You will then need to cross the canal barge and take the shuttle bus to the airport. The barge fee (approx. $1) and the Lobito bus shuttle fee ($5) is not included so please have cash available.

Meals: B