EAST & SOUTH EXPEDITION (C+D)

Day 1 - Monday

MORNING:

✈ Baltra Airport. Departure from either Quito or Guayaquil to Baltra Island is a 2 ½ hour flight. Upon arrival in the Galapagos, passengers are greeted at the airport by our knowledgeable guides who will accompany them on a short ten-minute bus ride to the pier where they will board the Galapagos Legend.

AFTERNOON:

North Seymour Island. This flat, uplifting, island is an important spot to see both magnificent and great frigatebird males  courting the females and, we will also likely see courting blue-footed boobies too. Sea lions, swallow-tailed gulls, crashing surf and distant views of the Daphne Islands top off a great visit.

• Difficulty level: Medium
• Type of terrain: Rocky & Sandy
• Duration: 1 hour 45 min hike, 1 hour glass-bottom or 1 hour deep snorkeling

Day 2 - Tuesday

MORNING:

Bartolome Island. Considered the most iconic landscape of the entire archipelago the view from the top of Bartolome Island, overlooking the famous Pinnacle Rock and the austere Santiago Island, Our subsequent snorkel here might put us face to face with Galapagos penguins, whitetipped reef sharks, and playful sea lions.

• Difficulty level: Medium
• Type of terrain: Wooden path of 372 stairs
• Duration: 45 min hike, 30 min dinghy ride,  45 min beach snorkeling or 45 min glass-bottom boat

AFTERNOON:

Sullivan Bay (Santiago Island). Visitors are always totally enthralled by the amazing beds of pahoehoe lava from the recent flow on the island. It is a landscape and macro photographer´s dream. The importance of pioneering plants such as the tiny Mollugo will be discussed as we hike over the lava.

• Difficulty level: Medium
• Type of terrain: Flat volcanic lava
• Duration: 1 ½ hour walk, 1 hour snorkeling or 1 hour beach time 

Day 3 - Wednesday

MORNING:

Punta Pitt (San Cristobal Island). This is the only place on the islands where we will enjoy the chance to see all three of the booby species in the same place. The red-foots will be perched on the Cordia lutea and small trees, the Nazca´s on the ground near the cliff edge while the bluefoots will be a little further inland. Frigatebirds will be all around and the views are breathtaking.

• Difficulty level: Medium
• Type of terrain: Rocky
• Duration: 2 hour hike,  45 min kayaking or 1 hour beach snorkeling

AFTERNOON:

Cerro Brujo (San Cristobal Island). From our dinghy ride, as we head to shore, we are first humbled by the immensity of the stunning cliffs of the Sorcerer's Hill. You can enjoy simply sharing the beach with sea lions, snorkelling from shore, or taking a walk to a hidden lagoon where you
might spot black-necked stilts, ruddy turnstones, whimbrels, and white-cheeked pintails.

• Difficulty level: Low
• Type of terrain: Sandy
• Duration: 45 min dinghy ride, 45 min kayaking or 1 ½ hour beach snorkeling

Day 4 - Thursday

MORNING:

Cerro Colorado (San Cristobal Island). In the moist highlands of San Cristobal, we will visit the giant tortoise breeding center “La Galapaguera” to witness the most iconic creature of the archipelago in its various life stages. The aim of the reserve is to help restore populations of the threatened San Cristobal tortoise back into the wild. In town, there are shops to purchase local handicrafts and souvenirs.

• Difficulty level: Medium
• Type of terrain: Sandy
• Duration: 1 hour 15 min visit, 1 ½ hour bus ride round-trip

AFTERNOON:

Interpretation Center & Frigatebird Hill (San Cristobal Island). The interpretation center is full of interesting information and offers the perfect overview of the formation of the Galapagos. Following a hike to Frigatebird Hill (Cerro Tijeretas) we will have a great look at both species of frigatebirds, with the bonus of a beautiful view of the bay below.

• Difficulty level: Low / High
• Type of terrain: Flat path / Rocky 
• Duration: 1 hour hike, 1 hour walk

Day 5 - Friday

MORNING:

Gardner Bay (Española Island). One of the most stunning beaches in all of the Galapagos. The long, white, sandy beach, lapped by turquoise waters, home to a colony of Galapagos sea lions. Hood mockingbirds, endemic to this particular island. We can also snorkel here from the beach, in the shallows of the bay.

• Difficulty level: Low
• Type of terrain: Sandy
• Duration: 1 hour hike, 30 min kayaking, 30 min Glass-bottom boat, 1 hour 45 min beach or deep snorkeling

AFTERNOON:

Punta Suarez (Española Island). Punta Suarez is a naturalist´s paradise. The oldes extant island in the archipelago is our only opportunity to commune with the endemic wave albatross during their breeding season between April and December. With luck, we can watch their complex courtship display.

• Difficulty level: High
• Type of terrain: Rocky 
• Duration: 2 hours 15min hike

Day 6 - Saturday

MORNING:

Post Office (Floreana Island). The famous Post Office Barrel. Claimed to have been first set up in 1793 by Captain James Colnett. The system involved whalers and fur sealers would leave addressed letters in the barrel to be picked up by homeward-bound colleagues. Actually visitors often take letters and handdeliver them to their home countries.

• Difficulty level: Medium
• Type of terrain: Rocky
• Duration: 1 hour 15 min hike, 1 hour beach snorkeling

AFTERNOON:

Punta Cormoran & Devil´s Crown (Floreana Island). Our walk takes us to a large, shallow lagoon, often inhabited by a variable number of shockingly pink greater flamingos. We arrive at a powdery white beach, a nesting area for green turtles. Devil’s Crown is one of the favorite snorkeling sites on the islands..

• Difficulty level: Low
• Type of terrain: Sandy & flat 
• Duration: 1 hour 45 min hike, 45 min glass-bottom or 45 min deep or beach snorkeling

Day 7 - Sunday

MORNING:

Dragon Hill (Santa Cruz Island). Arriving at a small lava dock, our first encounter is with marine iguanas that blend-in perfectly with the dark rock. As we walk past a large prickly pear cacti, we arrive at one end of a long, sickle-shaped beach with Dragon Hill standing in the distance. Our walk takes us on a circular path, past a shallow lake where flamingoes frequently come to feed. .

• Difficulty level: Medium
• Type of terrain: Rocky
• Duration: 45 min walk, 1 hour 15 min snorkeling

AFTERNOON:

Punta Bowditch (Santa Cruz Island). Feel the indescribable feeling of being where no one else has. Relax on a powdery beach. Snorkel around
turquoise water islets and hike beside salt pools and dried white corals. Be one of the first humans –to visit Punta Bowditch at Galapagos Legend.

• Difficulty level: Low
• Type of terrain: Sandy
• Duration: 30 min walk, 30 min kayaking, 1 hour snorkeling

Day 8 - Monday

MORNING:

Highlands Tortoise (Santa Cruz Island). Dry landing. In the Galapagos mountains, admire diverse bird species like finches, flycatchers, crakes, warblers, and egrets (often perched on tortoises' shells). The journey to the reserve showcases the island's contrasting ecosystems, from coastal areas to dense humid forests. Look out for Galapagos Giant tortoises wandering through pastures. This spot is a haven for birdwatchers, as it hosts a wide range of land birds that reside or migrate

• Difficulty level: Low
• Type of terrain: flat & muddy depending on the season
• Duration: 1 ½ hour walk, 45 minute drive

AFTERNOON:

Baltra Island Airport. After the visit, passengers will be transferred to the airport for their return flight to Guayaquil or Quito.