Galapagos on your own | 4D

4 Days - 3 Nights
TYPOLOGIES

4 Days|3 Nights

DIFFICULTY

Medium

MIN. AGE

3 Years

Santa Cruz island

Enjoy a 4 day program in Santa Cruz Island at Galapagos which includes accommodations at the hotel of your choice, one excursion to one of the nearby islands, a Bay Tour and free time to explore the island at your own pace.

Highlights

Select the date of your preference

This program operates starting any day of the week

Select the hotel of your preference

Boat excursions on sharing basis

Free time to explore Santa Cruz island at your own pace

English/Spanish speaking guides

Tour Map

Day by Day

DAY 1: Morning flight to Baltra Island

Arrival to Seymour Ecological Airport at Baltra Island, after complying airport procedures: Ingala Migration registration card (TCT Card) and payment of entrance fee to the Galapagos National Park (payment only accepted in USD DOLLARS –cash at the exact amount) please collect your luggage and go outside where your guide will be waiting to provide the transfer from the airport to the Itabaca channel (10-15 minutes ride)- sharing basis service. Cross the channel by public ferry to Santa Cruz Island, where a car will be awaiting to take you to Puerto Ayora Village, on the way a stop will be made at an Ecological Reserve, where you will be able to observe the giant tortoises in their natural habitat. After lunch drive to the hotel for check-inn. Afternoon: Visit the Tortoise Breeding Center, former Charles Darwin Research Station.

DAY 2: Full Day Navigation excursion

Full day navigation tour to one of the nearby Islands: Isabela or San Cristobal, or Plazas, or Seymour or Santa Fe or Bartolome, or Pinzon (snorkeling-excursion). Notes: The itineraries and visits to the different islands are subject to availability and to the operation dates which are previously approved by the Galapagos National Park authorities. The island to be visited will be confirmed one week in advance to your arrival date or as soon as the confirmation is available. This Navigation tour is provided on sharing basis and do not include transfers to/from hotel to dock or meeting point as the distance from the hotel to the embarkation site is short and easy to find. Our personnel will contact passengers the night before to give the details and times for next day´s excursion. If you require a transfer, please request it at an additional cost.

Isabela island

Located to the west side of the Galapagos Islands, Isabela is the largest island of the Archipelago, the visit to this fascinating island departs from Puerto Villamil and includes: either Concha Perla Bay or Islet Tintoreras (according to availability at the moment of confirmation of program), the Interpretation Center and Flamingo´s Lagoon. (Note: this visit includes transfers to and from Isabela Island on board public boats; the boat ride takes approximately 2h30 each way)

San Cristobal island

A visit to San Cristobal starts at Puerto Baquerizo Moreno and includes: the Interpretation Center a place to learn about the natural history of the Islands; La Loberia, located 10 minutes from Puerto Baquerizo Moreno where a big colony of sea lions is usally lying on the beach; Cerro Tijeretas a small hill with a beautiful view of the islands and habitat of frigate birds; Punta Carola where visitors can observe marine birds, a big colony of sea lions and marine iguanas lying on the rocks. (Note: this visit includes transfers to and from San Cristobal Island on board public boats; the boat ride takes approximately 2h30 each way)

Plazas

One of the main characteristics of this island is its unusual fauna and vegetation which includes: a colony of Galapagos land iguanas found over parts of the small island; the Opuntia Cacti and the colorful Sesuvium plants. The sheer cliffs of the southern shore are an unparalleled bird observatory and the perfect habitat for several sea-birds, including blue-footed boobies, pelicans, swallow-tailed gulls and the very colorful red-billed tropic birds.

North Seymour

Flatter than other islands, North Seymour is one of the few islands uplifted by underground seismic activity. This Island is one of the best places to see blue-footed boobies nesting on the flat rocky areas near the coast. Visitors will find one of the largest colonies of Magnificent Frigate birds. During the mating season, an explosion of bright red pouches inflated by male frigates to attract females provides some of the most spectacular sights in the Galápagos.

Santa Fe (Barrington Island)

Santa Fe has one of the most beautiful bays of all the visitor sites in the Galápagos. It boasts a turquoise-color cove protected by a narrow peninsula that extends along the northern shore. The sandy beaches are often covered with colonies of Galapagos sea-lions. A marked rocky trail leads to the interior and cliff side areas where the Santa Fe endemic species of land iguana can be found within a very picturesque forest of Opuntia or prickly-pear Cacti.

Bartolome (Bartholomew)

Famous for its Pinnacle Rock, which is one of the most representative geological and photogenic landmarks of the Galapagos and home of a colony of the Galápagos Penguins, one of the smallest species of penguin in the world and the only one found north of the Equator. The visit to Bartolome includes a climb to the highest point of the island for spectacular views of the surrounding lava scenery, an area often referred as the Galapagos “moonscape”.

Pinzon

It is an uninhabited island with an area of 18 km² and a maximum altitude of 458 meters. It has no visitor or tourist sites, as it is mainly a diving or snorkeling site, offering opportunities to observe the beautiful wildlife and allowing to have a closer look of the marine life. Pinzon is home to giant tortoises, sea lions, marine iguanas, dolphins, eels, eagle rays, dolphins and even lobster, among other endemic species.

DAY 3: AM-Half day Bay Tour- Santa Cruz island

At proper time we will take a course to the pier of Puerto Ayora to have a navigable route through the Bay of Santa Cruz. The excursion includes a visit to La Lobería, a small island where we will be able to swim and to make superficial diving next to the sea lions; the Love Channel, the Channel of the Sharks, the Cracks and the Beach of the Dogs. You can enjoy the observation of sharks, sea lions, blue-footed boobies, iguanas and rays among other species. Afternoon: Take an optional excursion or explore Santa Cruz island at your own pace

DAY 4: Santa Cruz – Baltra airport-Mainland Ecuador

Transfer by car (sharing service and limited English) to Baltra Airport to take your flight back to Quito or Guayaquil.