Quito and 4 Day Galapagos Legend Cruise – Northern Islands

Depart to Quito. After passing through immigration and customs, proceed to the reception area, where our representative will be holding a sign with your name on it. You will be greeted and then transferred to your hotel. Overnight in Quito.

In the morning, you will have a city tour of Quito. You will explore the bustling streets and squares of the largest historical centre in the Americas, and visit some of its most important churches such as the majestic La Compania and iconic San Francisco, guardians of a stunning multi-ethnic artistic and cultural heritage. You will drive through the traditional neighborhood of San Juan and finish the morning at the Panecillo hillside, with its breathtaking views of the old and modern parts of the city.

Following the city tour, you will be driven to the “Middle of the World City” complex, which is located 11 miles north of Quito. Here, you will see the monument of the equatorial line, a 98 ft high stone trapezoidal monument with a brass globe on top. The monument forms the focal point of a park and leisure area with gift shops and restaurants. Overnight in Quito. (B)

Morning transfer to the airport in Quito for the flight to Galapagos.  Passengers are picked up at the airport by our guides and taken on a ten minute bus ride to the pier to board the M/V Galapagos Legend.

Highlands Tortoise Reserve (dry landing).  In the mountains of Galapagos you can observe different kinds of birds, including tree and ground finches, vermillion flycatchers, paint-billed crakes, yellow warblers, and cattle egrets (usually standing on the tortoises’ shell).  The journey to the reserve also offers a great opportunity to see contrasting ecosystems.  The road goes from the coast through the agricultural zone and straight up to the dense humid forests.  Often, Galapagos Giant Tortoises are seen on the way, wandering through pastures in the paddocks.  This spot is a bird watchers’ haven since almost every land bird present on the island lives or migrates here.  (Duration: 45 minute drive/1.5 hour walk).  Overnight aboard the ship.  (B,L,D)

El Barranco (Prince Philip’s Steps).  You will marvel at the variety of sea life that uses the crevices of the lava cliffs for shelter.  Red-billed Tropicbirds fly overhead, switching between their nests and the bay, and a small colony of fur seals may be found near the landing site.  You will be dropped off at a steep stairway that begins on rocks at the foot of a path that leads through a seabird colony full of Nazca and Red-footed Boobies.  At the plateau, the trail continues inland allowing you to see more nesting booby colonies in the thin Palo Santo forest.  Near the end of the trail, over a rocky lava plain, Wedge-rumped Storm-Petrels can be observed flying in all directions.  If you are lucky, you may catch a glimpse of a Short-eared Owl.  (Duration: 45-minute walk).

Darwin Bay.  Disembark onto a small sand and coral beach.  A short trail heads west along a tidal lagoon and then up a rocky hill that leads to a point overlooking the cliffs and Darwin Bay.  Along the trail near the tidal lagoon, visitors will see pairs of Swallow-tailed Gulls, Lava Gulls, Yellow-crowned and Lava Herons.  The trail continues through Palo Santo trees, Opuntia cacti, and Saltbushes inhabited by Great Frigate birds and Red-footed Boobies.  This is one of the few places in the islands where visitors are guaranteed to see Red-footed Boobies.  It is estimated that more than 200,000 live in the trees and bushes of Genovesa.  (Duration: 2.5 hour walk).  Overnight aboard the ship.  (B,L,D)

Dragon Hill (dry landing).  Walk by a brackish lagoon to see flamingos.  The trail leads across typical dry zone vegetation.  Keeping up until Dragon Hill, see an important nesting ground for endemic land iguanas, offering lovely views of the anchored boats and neighboring islands.  The forest is home to mockingbirds, Darwin’s finches, yellow warblers, and Galapagos doves.  (Duration: 2 hour walk).

Santa Fe (wet landing).  Santa Fe shows white sand beaches surrounded by sea lion colonies; through the island path, an endemic cactus forest is passed, home of the Santa Fe land iguanas (the largest in the islands).  This island is also the habitat for a number of species, including the Galapagos hawk, Galapagos snakes, rice rats (one of the few endemic Galapagos rodents), a variety of finches and one of the four mockingbird species of the archipelago.  (Duration: 1.5 hour walk/one hour deep water snorkeling).  Overnight aboard the ship.  (B,L,D).

Mosquera Islet (wet landing).  This flat, sandy island is located between North Seymour and Baltra Island, and has a large colony of sea lions.  It is also an excellent site to observe shorebirds such as herons and lava gulls.  There is no trail on the islet and visitors can enjoy the open area.  Most of the islet is covered with sand and barren lava rock.  Very little sesuvium portulacastrum plants grow on the sand.  (Duration: 1.5 hour walk and snorkeling).

After the visit, passengers will be transferred to Baltra Airport for their return flight to Quito.  Upon arrival, you will be transferred to your hotel.  Overnight in Quito.  (B)

Transfer to the airport for your return flight to your final destination. (B)