SOUTH EXPEDITION (D)

Day 1 - Thursday

MORNING:

✈ San Cristobal Airport. Departure from either Quito or Guayaquil to Baltra Island is a 2 ½-hour flight. Upon arrival in the Galapagos Islands, 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:

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: Easy
• Type of terrain: Paved/flat  
• Duration: 2-hour hike 
• Landing: Dry

Day 2 - 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: Easy
• Type of terrain: Sandy
• Duration: 1-hour hike, 30 min kayaking, 30-minute glass-bottom  boat ride, 1-hour 45-minute snorkeling  
• Landing: Wet

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: Difficult
• Type of terrain: Rocky volcanic 
• Duration: 2-hour hike  
• Landing: Dry

Day 3 - 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: Easy
• Type of terrain: Sandy
• Duration: 1-hour hike, 1-hour snorkeling or, 45-minute kayaking  
• Landing: Wet

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: Easy
• Type of terrain: Sandy & flat 
• Duration: 1-hour 45-minute hike, 45- minute glass-bottom boat ride or 45- minute snorkeling  
• Landing: Dry

Day 4 - 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: Moderate
• Type of terrain: Rocky
• Duration: 45-minute hike, 1-hour 15-minute snorkeling  
• Landing: Dry

AFTERNOON:

Mosquera Islet. This tiny, low-lying islet, converted into coral sand, is set between the north and south Seymour Islands. It's home to a group of sea lions that come to laze on the soft white sand, it's an excellent spot to observe shorebirds, herons, lava gulls, and boobies. Snorkeling or diving here, one can often see sharks, rays, and barracudas.

• Difficulty level: Easy
• Type of terrain: Sandy
• Duration: 1½-hour hike, 1-hour snorkeling or, 1-hour beach time
• Landing: Wet

Day 5 - Monday

MORNING:

Highlands Tortoise Reserve (Santa Cruz Island). We have our best opportunity to interact at close quarters with totally wild, Galapagos giant tortoises. A short walk among these huge, 600lb, reptiles will also offer the chance for more highland species, especially several species of the famed finches.

• Difficulty level: Easy
• Type of terrain: flat & muddy depending on the season
• Duration: 1- hour hike, 45-minute round-trip bus ride   
• Landing: Dry

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