Quito and 7 Day Santa Cruz II Cruise – Eastern Galapagos 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.

This morning, you will visit to downtown Quito to relish in this urban jewel and its treasures of art and architecture. Quito’s colonial quarter, the largest and best preserved of South America, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The stroll starts at the Independence Plaza, flanked by the Cathedral, the Presidential Palace, the Municipal Building and the Archbishop’s Palace. Visit the temple of La Compañía de Jesús and its awesome gilded interior. Continue on to the Monastery of San Francisco, one the of great religious buildings of the New World; its impressive façade and atrium that lead to its Baroque interior influenced by Moorish style, with the winged Virgin of Quito at its main altar.

Then continue to the Equatorial Monument, 16 miles north of Quito, which marks the exact Middle of the World, latitude 0º, where you can stand with a foot on each hemisphere. Visit the Ethnographic Museum inside the monument, which shows the different Native American groups living in Ecuador. Beside the monument there is a colonial-style town, complete with main square, church, post office, bullring, cafeterias, restaurants and many gift shops with postcards and souvenirs. You will get a certificate for having crossed the Equator. Overnight in Quito. (B)

Morning transfer to the airport in Quito for the flight to Galapagos.  You land at Baltra Island in the morning and transfer to the dock to board the Santa Cruz II, where you receive a welcome introductory briefing, and lunch.

Mosquera.  After lunch and your introductory briefing on board, Santa Cruz II will relocate only four nautical miles from Baltra, next to Mosquera Islet, a small volcanic uplift between Baltra and North Seymour.  The island is a long and narrow sand bank surrounded by lava reefs.  Our groups will approach the island from its western shore, a long shallow reef, the perfect rookery for young sea lions.  After a wet landing, our guides will lead you past the sea lion colonies, where you will learn more about the fragile marine and terrestrial ecosystems of Galapagos.  The walk is easy as it is restricted to a few hundred meters of flat sandy dunes.  This will also be a great opportunity for an introduction to snorkeling.  Overnight aboard the ship.  (B,L,D)

After breakfast, you disembark (dry landing) at Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, the island’s capital, and drive 40 minutes to the island’s southern shore.  At Cerro Colorado, you visit the breeding centre for highly endangered giant tortoises in the midst of a fantastic deciduous forest, home to dozens of bird species, including the San Cristobal mockingbird, and the San Cristobal lava lizard, both island endemics.

Punta Pitt.  In the afternoon, you disembark (wet landing) on the eastern tip of the island at Punta Pitt, an eroded tuff cone, whose trail provides spectacular views of the shoreline.  This is the only site in the Galapagos where the three species of boobies can be found together.  You can walk or enjoy a panga ride along the coast.  Opportunity for snorkeling, swimming and kayaking.  Overnight aboard the ship.  (B,L,D)

Santa Fe.  After breakfast, you take the dinghy over to this idyllic sandy-white beach populated by many sea lions (wet landing).  The endemic land iguana, unique to this island, may be spotted during the morning walk amid the giant prickly pear cactus.  Snorkeling, swimming from the panga, and riding in the glass bottom boat (for non-snorkelers) rounds off this rewarding experience.  There is also an opportunity for kayaking.

South Plaza Island.  Following lunch and a rest, you disembark (dry landing) in this channel, whose turquoise waters contrast brilliantly with the white sand and black lava of the shoreline.  Beyond, a carpet of scarlet sesuvium succulents serves as groundcover for a grove of luminescent green prickly-pear cactus.  Yellow-grey land iguanas sit beneath these, waiting patiently for pears to drop.  Along the coastline, one finds sea lion colonies, while frigates, swallow-tailed gulls and shearwaters glide, playing with the thermals.  Overnight aboard the ship.  (B,L,D)

Puerto Ayora and the Charles Darwin Research Station.  In the morning, you disembark (dry landing followed by a brief bus ride) for the visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station’s giant tortoise Breeding Centre within an impressive giant prickly-pear cactus forest, home to many land birds.  These are the headquarters of scientific investigation, conservation and the National Park administration.  Following the visit, you board the bus to enjoy lunch in the cooler highlands of Santa Cruz Island, a completely different ecosystem.

Santa Cruz Island.  There are several options available for the afternoon, which can be discussed in advance with your Expedition Leader.  Options include beach walks, kayaks, walks along the tortoise reserve, etc.  At the end of the afternoon’s activities, you return to Puerto Ayora and embark on the Santa Cruz II.  Overnight aboard the ship.  (B,L,D)

Punta Suarez (dry landing).  An exciting walk awaits at this site, where you enjoy its unique sea bird colonies, including waved albatrosses (April-December), Nazca boobies, blue-footed boobies, and swallow-tailed gulls as well as a view of the Galapagos’ famous “blow-hole”.  Also, look out for red-green-black marine iguanas.  Back on board for lunch.

Gardner Bay-Osborn Islet (wet landing).  In the afternoon, the picture-postcard white coral beach of Gardner Bay and the nearby islet of Osborn provides a beautiful setting for observing sea lions, mockingbirds, and finches as you relax.  You can expect great snorkeling in this area.  Opportunity for swimming and kayaking as well.  Overnight aboard the ship.  (B,L,D)

Eden Islet.  After breakfast, a panga ride takes you to Eden Islet, a small islet located off the coast of Santa Cruz, where you can observe blue-footed boobies diving into the water, reef sharks and frigates.  There’s a chance to snorkel and, if weather condition permits, ride in the glass-bottom boat and kayak.

North Seymour was lifted from the ocean floor by a volcanic event, and its origins as a seabed give the island its low, flat profile.  A tiny forest of silver-grey Palo Santo trees stands just above the landing (dry landing), usually without leaves, waiting for the rains to burst into bloom.  This is a great introductory site to the islands and their wildlife, full of bird colonies of blue-footed boobies, two species of frigate birds, swallow-tailed gulls, as well as sea lions and marine iguanas.  Overnight aboard the ship.  (B,L,D)

This morning, you disembark at Baltra Island and transfer to the airport for your return flight to Quito.  Overnight in Quito.  (B)

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