Galapagos Essential Multisport Adventure 7 Days

What's Included

Meeting and pickup

Itinerary

Day 1
San Cristobal kayak adventure
1 stop
1
San Cristobal
After a morning flight from the Ecuadorian mainland to San Cristobal Island, you will arrive at the airport and head to your hotel. You can explore the town and have lunch by yourself. Early in the afternoon, we give you a quick introduction to the island before heading to the coast, where our kayaks will be waiting for us for our first taste of Galapagos magic: we paddle along the coastal bays and coves of San Cristobal’s north coast, a world of comic-looking blue-footed boobies, frigate birds, sea lions and sea turtles. If we’re lucky, we may see rays underwater, marine iguanas perching on lava rocks. Back at the hotel, you’re free to enjoy some island seafood specials in the port of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno on your own.
4 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 2
Snorkel the northern coast of San Cristobal
1 stop
2
San Cristobal
Spend the day snorkeling along San Cristóbal’s northern coast with an experienced guide. Explore coves and cliffs rich in marine life, including sea lions, sea turtles, rays, reef fish, and Galápagos sharks. Depending on Galápagos National Park regulations, visit León Dormido (Kicker Rock) or Punta Pitt. The area is also home to abundant seabird life, including blue footed and Nazca boobies. With luck, hammerhead sharks may appear. Return to town in the afternoon for a relaxed coastal evening.
6 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 3
Discover Isabela’s beaches, lagoons and islets
2 stops
3
Las Tintoreras
After breakfast, we say goodbye to San Cristobal to board our small plane for a thrilling flight across the archipelago’s azure waters and volcanic landscapes to Isabela Island. Amazingly, it is still in the throes of creation, formed by six active shield volcanoes. In fact, Isabela is one of the most volcanically active spots on the planet. Upon arrival, we head to the visitor site known as Tintoreras to explore this beautiful marine world by kayak, weaving between a set of small islets filled with hidden coves and beaches. Here, meet an unexpected denizen of the Tropics: the endemic Galapagos penguin. Spot reef sharks, sea turtles and sea lions as we paddle.
4 hours • Admission ticket free
4
Playa Puerto Villamil
Seafood, Ecuadorian and international cuisine are all available in the small beach town of Puerto Villamil and you’re free to try them by yourself. You can grab a quick dip in the ocean, or a swing in a hammock, before our local guest experience coordinator briefs you on your next adventure: a self-guided bike ride through a succession of Isabela’s white sand beaches, mangrove forests and brackish lagoons. The ride is fun and easy, and as ever in Galapagos, there are plenty of birds to spot and wonders to take in. Your evening is free and easy.
3 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 4
Hike Isabela’s highlands
2 stops
5
Sierra Negra
From the coast, we join a naturalist guide and shared group to drive up the flanks of the mighty Sierra Negra volcano. Where the road the peters out, we continue on foot. We hike through the intriguing highland ecosystem, which is at times smothered in dreamy clouds. At the top, at the volcano’s rim, a surreal world of geological history unfolds before us, with incredible views of the surrounding volcanoes and ocean, a pristine other-worldly scene to savor. After a break to catch our breath and take in the views, we hike the rim of this enormous crater and, if the group is feeling energetic, continue on to the caldera of Volcan Chico (“little”), a surreal landscape of vibrant hues created by sulphur deposits. Here we can explore spectacular lava formations and even huffing fumaroles of vapor.
6 hours • Admission ticket free
6
Isabela
We return to the lowlands in time to spend our last afternoon on Isabela relaxing on the perfect beaches and soaking up the island-life atmosphere. You are free to have dinner on your own.
2 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 5
Cross to Santa Cruz for a hike in the highlands
3 stops
7
Santa Cruz
We leave Isabela early aboard a public speed boat, for our ride east to Santa Cruz Island and Puerto Ayora, the archipelago’s largest settlement. We meet you at the dock and head to the hotel. There’s no time to lose as the famous Galapagos giant tortoises await. We drive up to the highlands where these lumbering creatures heave their way through their natural habitat. It is humbling to walk among these noble giants, true remnants of a lost world. Watch out for frigate birds, egrets, pintail ducks, Darwin’s finches, and the vermillion flycatcher amid this lush, green ecosystem.
2 hours • Admission ticket free
8
Santa Cruz
Lava Tunnels Our next stop is the incredible lava tunnels, which made ideal hideouts for the pirates who once frequented the Galapagos. Legend has it that they were also used to hide Inca gold stolen from Spanish galleons. Lunch is served at a traditional hacienda in the highlands.
3 hours • Admission ticket free
9
Charles Darwin Research Station
If time permits, we can visit the Charles Darwin Research Station and the National Park’s tortoise breeding program back in Puerto Ayora. You’re free to enjoy the port’s array of shops, restaurants and bars in the evening on your own.
2 hours • Admission ticket included
Day 6
Bay tour, snorkel and Tortuga Bay Adventure
2 stops
10
Canal del Amor
A day dedicated to exploring Puerto Ayora’s fascinating natural environment. After breakfast, we join a naturalist guide and shared group to make our way west from the port, stopping by the Lobería where sea lions can be observed. We come to an islet called Punta Camaño, a great place to don our snorkels, masks and fins to meet sea lions and schools of fish. Passing through the romantically-named Canal del Amor, we disembark at Playa de los Perros, where, after a short walk, groups of jet-black marine iguanas bask beneath the sun’s rays, occasionally slipping off into the sea to feed.
3 hours • Admission ticket included
11
Tortuga Bay Beach
Following lunch in Puerto Ayora on your own – where there are options aplenty for you to choose from – one of the world’s most beautiful beaches lies a short hike from town: Tortuga Bay. If you feel energetic, at the first beach you come to you can rent a surf board, or at the second beach, a kayak. If you prefer to relax, the second beach is tranquil, hemmed by mangroves and ideal for observing birdlife or going for a swim. Dinner is on your own. Tortuga Bay: #10 in TripAdvisor’s - Top 25 Beaches in the World
3 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 7
Transfer out
1 stop
12
Baltra Island
Finally, it’s time to bid a fond farewell to the Galapagos. Accompanied by a guide, you board a transport to take you north over Santa Cruz Island to the Itabaca Channel. At this point we leave you to continue your journey alone: all that remains is a hop on a ferry and a short bus ride to take you to Baltra Island’s airport.
2 hours • Admission ticket free

Additional info

• Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
• Not recommended for pregnant travelers
• Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
• Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

Tags