5-Day Tour in the Galapagos Islands

In the morning, we will transfer to the airport to take the flight to Galapagos. Once in Baltra, our specialized guide will pick you up at the airport to begin the tour. On your first day, you will visit the highlands of Santa Cruz Island, where you will observe the transition from dry vegetation in the lowlands to a lush tropical forest in the highlands. The characteristic trees in the highlands are the Scalesia and Palo Santo. Here, you will visit a farm where you will have the opportunity to see the famous giant tortoises in their natural habitat. After the tour, you will enjoy a typical lunch. You will then continue your journey to an impressive lava tunnel nearly 300 meters long, formed by lava flows (the outer part of the lava cooled faster than the inner part, creating this tunnel). In the afternoon, you will arrive at your hotel in Puerto Ayora. Later, you will take a short walk to the Charles Darwin Station, where scientists from around the world gather for environmental protection projects (such as water analysis, animal welfare, and tourism impact studies). Here, you can visit the tortoise breeding center, where the animals are raised before being released back into the wild.

Meals: Lunch

Accommodation: Hotel Fiesta or similar

Today, in the morning we will have a transfer and guided tour to Tortuga Bay beach, considered one of the most attractive in South America.

Tortuga Bay is a white sand beach accessible via a trail surrounded by shrubs. It is famous for its extensive and pristine coastline that gradually slopes into the sea. It is a great place for swimming, kayaking, or simply relaxing and sunbathing alongside marine iguanas.

In the afternoon, we will transfer to the Puerto Ayora dock to board the boat. After approximately 15 to 20 minutes of navigation, your tour of the bay will begin. You will visit La Loberia, where you can enjoy a unique and unforgettable experience swimming and snorkeling with sea lions, marine turtles, and reef fish. You will then visit the Shark Channel, where you can observe the harmless white-tip reef sharks resting along the cliffs. Next, you will head to the Canal del Amor, known for its crystal-clear waters, and Playa de los Perros. During this excursion, you may encounter Galapagos sharks, sea lions, blue-footed boobies, iguanas, and rays along the coast.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Hotel Fiesta or similar

After breakfast at your hotel, you will be picked up to join a small group heading to the first island of the Galapagos: Floreana Island.

Floreana Island is one of the largest in the archipelago. It is an island rich in history. Since its discovery in 1535, the presence of whalers, pirates, and other fascinating stories have made this place a site of great natural and historical appeal.

Enderby Islet will be our first stop, where we will circumnavigate the area to observe various bird species such as blue-footed boobies, seagulls, and frigatebirds. Here, we will witness a demonstration of traditional artisanal fishing.

Next, we will visit the Caves. This historically significant site is filled with legends about pirate visits to the island. Enjoy hiking and swimming at the beach, along with a panoramic view of the island.

After lunch, we will visit Punta Cormorant. It features large beaches with sand in various colors and one of the largest flamingo lagoons in the Galapagos Islands. This volcanic formation has craters that host reefs, providing one of the best spots for swimming.

Meals: Breakfast / Box-lunch

Accommodation: Hotel Fiesta or similar

On this day, you will take a yacht excursion to an uninhabited island. The destination will be either South Plazas, Bartolome, or North Seymour, depending on availability, the day of the week, and National Park permits. This excursion is not private and is conducted alongside other guests (maximum 20 passengers per boat). In the afternoon, you will have free time in Puerto Ayora.

PLAZAS SUR

Our navigation will last approximately 2 hours, when we disembark we will be able to observe one of the largest colonies of sea lions in the archipelago and a few meters behind a group of land iguanas can be seen. Along our walk through Plazas, it is common to find land iguanas and birds such as blue-footed boobies, nesting swallow-tailed gulls, frigate birds and pelicans. Depending on the season, the vegetation changes its color from intense green in the rainy season to orange and purple in the dry season.

BARTOLOMÉ

Once in Bartolome, we will walk along a volcanic trail with a lunar-like appearance until we reach the highest point of the island, where we can admire the landscape that includes Santiago Island, the vast ocean, and the white sand beach surrounded by green mangroves, contrasting with the lava rocks. During our journey, we may encounter penguins, sea lions, white-tip sharks, a great variety of reef fish, and marine turtles. We will return to our hotel in Santa Cruz.

Food: Desayuno/ Box-Lunch

Accommodation: Hotel Fiesta or similar

After breakfast, you will head to Baltra Airport to take your flight back to mainland Ecuador.

Food: Desayuno