Quito and 8 Day Galapagos Legend Cruise – Southern/Northern Islands

Day-by-Day Itinerary

Note: The route and program may vary according to National Park policies and regulations, weather conditions, seasonal changes, safety reasons and wildlife encounters.
Dry Landing: Guests step from the dinghy directly onto rocks or a dock.
Wet Landing: As the dinghy edges onto a sandy beach, guests step into knee-deep water and wade ashore.

Day 1 (Tue): Quito.

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.

Day 2 (Wed): City Tour of Quito-Middle of the World.

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)

Day 3 (Thu): Quito-San Cristobal Airport-Interpretation Center-Frigatebird Hill (San Cristobal Island).

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

The interpretation center is full of interesting information and offers the perfect overview to the formation of the Galapagos, its significance in the world, threats, and conservation efforts. Followed by 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. Overnight aboard the ship. (B,L,D)

Day 4 (Fri): Gardner Bay-Punta Suarez (Española Island).

Gardner Bay. One of the most stunning beaches in all of Galapagos. The long, white, sandy beach, lapped by turquoise waters is home to a colony of Galapagos sea lions, indifferent to the humans that walk amongst them. The Hood mockingbirds, endemic to this particular island, will be eager to inspect the visitors and satisfy their innate curiosity. Darwin´s finches may also join the throng including the reclusive warbler finch. We can also snorkel here from the beach, in the shallows of the bay.

One of the highlight visits of the trip. Punta Suarez seems to have everything – a naturalist´s paradise. A slew of marine iguanas and sea lions greet us at the landing site from where our walk continues with close encounters of boobies, endemic lizards, gulls and even a dramatic blow hole. The oldest extant island in the archipelago, it is our only opportunity to commune with the endemic waved albatross during their breeding season between April and December. With luck, we can watch their complex courtship display. Overnight aboard the ship. (B,L,D)

Day 5 (Sat): Post Office-Punta Cormorant-Devil’s Crown (Floreana Island).

Post Office. A very short walk from the beach leads us to the famous Post Office Barrel. Claimed to have been first setup in 1793 by Captain James Colnett it remains the oldest functioning ‘post office´ in the Pacific. The system was that whalers and fur sealers would leave addressed letters in the barrel to be picked up by homeward bound colleagues. In the spirit of maintaining tradition, visitors today will often take letters and hand-deliver them in their home countries.

Punta Cormoran and Devil’s Crown. On arriving, the observant visitor will notice that olivine, a volcanic crystal, has proffered a subtle green hue on the dark beach. Our walk takes us past island-endemic Scalesia plants to a large, shallow, lagoon often inhabited by a variable number of shockingly pink greater flamingoes. We continue through a forest of palo santo trees to arrive at a powdery white beach, a nesting area of green turtles. As we paddle barefoot in the shallow water we will spot diamond stingrays and white-tipped reef sharks. This coral-sand beach marks the end of our trail, and we head back to the olivine beach we landed on, to swim or snorkel amongst sea turtles, reef fish, sea lions and, on a good day, white-tipped reef sharks. A small colony of penguins resides on Floreana and can sometimes be observed as well.

One of the favorite snorkeling sites in the islands. Devil’s Crown, an eroded volcanic cone, is home to an abundance of fish and marine animals. We will swim with big schools of yellow-tailed surgeonfish, salemas and creole fish and with luck may spot turtles, spotted eagle rays, parrotfish, and even hammerhead sharks! The jagged ‘crown’ is a roosting area for boobies, noddies, tropicbirds, and frigates. Overnight aboard the ship. (B,L,D)

Day 6 (Sun): Dragon Hill-Punta Bowditch (Santa Cruz Island).

Arriving at a small lava dock our first encounters are with marine iguanas that blend-in perfectly to the dark rock. As we walk past 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. Waders such as stilts, turnstones and sandpipers work the muddy edges frenetically looking for food as we continue inland to a dry, forested habitat where land iguanas nest and burrow.

Punta Bowditch. 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 Legend´s South itinerary D. Overnight aboard the ship. (B,L,D)

Day 7 (Mon): Highlands Tortoise Reserve-Charles Darwin Research Station-Black Turtle Cove (Santa Cruz Island).

Highlands Tortoise Reserve. In the central highlands of Santa Cruz Island, you will have your 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.

Charles Darwin Research Station. We visit the Station where the Galapagos giant tortoise breeding program takes place as part of our efforts to preserve the fragile Galapagos environment.

Black Turtle Cove. On the north shore of Santa Cruz Island, accessible only by sea, four species of mangrove crowd and form an internal lagoon, turtles visit the calm waters, peaking their heads above the surface while fish, rays circle below. White-tipped reef sharks can be seen beneath the boat, plus sea birds, including pelicans, herons and egrets. This cove has been declared as a “turtle sanctuary”. Overnight aboard the ship. (B,L,D)

Day 8 (Tue): El Barranco-Prince Philip’s Steps-Darwin Bay (Genovesa Island).

Riding the dinghy to the far side of the caldera, red-billed tropicbirds display vociferously overhead while Galapagos fur seals can be seen on the shoreline. Once at the top of the rocky stairway you are immediately met by Nazca boobies, red-footed boobies, mockingbirds and finches that line the way through a palo santo forest until you arrive at an expansive open lava field. Wedge-rumped storm petrels swarm above the lava where you keep your eyes peeled for short-eared owls.

Darwin Bay. From within the flooded caldera of Tower Island you set foot onto a sandy beach to be greeted by swallow-tailed gulls often said to be the most beautiful gull in the world. The short, flat, trail leads you past stands of mangroves and saltbush on which you have your best possible looks at nesting red-footed boobies and great frigatebirds. At the tidal lagoon you may also see the rarest gull in the world, the endemic lava gull. Overnight aboard the ship. (B,L,D)

Day 9 (Wed): South Plaza Island-Santa Fe Island.

Sea lions, swallow-tailed gulls and land iguanas are all present at the landing site. The small island is covered with a carpet of a red succulent studded with Opuntia cacti. At the cliff edge, you spend time watching birds fly past at eye level in the up draught. These include, frigatebirds, flocks of Galapagos shearwaters and of particular note, flights of displaying red-billed tropicbirds. Back at sea level, you once again encounter land iguanas, some of which have hybridized with their resident marine cousins.

Santa Fe Island. After a fabulous snorkel in the turquoise waters of the protected bay you may have enjoyed time with sea lions, turtles, reef sharks and spotted eagle rays. Landing onto a sandy beach you are immediately distracted by the abundant sea lions there. You begin a walk past a forest of island-endemic giant Opuntia cacti. Here, you search for another island-endemic the Santa Fe land iguana, paler than its cousins on other islands. Galapagos hawks and even endemic rice rats are also things to look out for. Overnight aboard the ship. (B,L,D)

Day 10 (Thu): Bachas Beach (Santa Cruz Island)-Baltra Airport-Quito.

Bachas Beach. Named for some wrecked World War II barges whose ribs are still visible in the sand this visitor site offers a lovely walk along the shore and a visit to a lagoon behind the high tide line with wading birds, marine iguanas and sometimes even flamingoes. The two beaches are also favorite nesting sites for green turtles which often leave tractor-like tracks in the sand.

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

Day 11 (Fri): Quito.

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

B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner