2024 Easter in the Galapagos

INTINERARY Travel Style:

Family-friendly, Nature & Wildlife, Romantic escape

Highlights:

Stand in two hemispheres; visit the Middle of the World. Starting in Quito, astonish yourself with the best-preserved Old Town in South America; Cruise the Galapagos Islands; an iconic conservation milestone onboard the Luxury Legend cruise on the 5 days / 4 nights D South itinerary.

Day by Day Itinerary

Day 1 April 4. QUITO

Welcome to Quito. A representative will greet you and transfer you to your hotel. You will have free time to explore the city or relax and settle in. Overnight: First Class Hotel in Quito.

Day 2 April 5. QUITO (Breakfast)

After breakfast, enjoy a colonial city tour of Quito with a visit to the middle of the world monument. Take a walk through bustling streets and squares of the largest historical old town in the Americas; a multi-ethnic, artistic, and UNESCO Cultural Heritage Site. Afterwards, our guide will take our guests to visit the Middle of the World Complex situated at 0 latitude to be with one foot in the northern and the other foot in the southern hemisphere. Return to the hotel for an overnight stay.

Day 3 April 6. QUITO - GALAPAGOS ISLANDS (Breakfast & dinner)

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for the flight to San Cristobal in the Galapagos. Upon arrival, passengers are picked up at the airport by our Naturalist Guides and taken on a ten-minute bus drive to the pier to board the M/V Galapagos Legend. The first visit is to the interpretation center, full of interesting information which 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 (Cerro Tijeretas) we will have a great look at both species of frigatebirds, with the bonus of a beautiful view of the bay below.

Highlights: Learn about the history of the islands, San Cristobal mockingbirds.
Disembarking: dry landing
Physical requirement: low
Type of terrain: flat path
Activities: 1 hour hike / 1 hour visit
- Frigatebird Hill (San Cristobal Island)
Difficulty level: difficult
Type of terrain: Rocky
Duration: 1-hour visit

Day 4 April 7. GALAPAGOS ISLANDS (All meals)

In the morning, a visit to Gardner Bay (Española Island) One of the most stunning beaches in all of Galapagos, this 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.

Highlights: Hood mockingbird, sea lions, marine turtles, marine wildlife.
Disembarking: wet landing
Physical requirement: low
Type of terrain: sandy
Activities: 1-hour hike / 1 hour 45 min beach snorkeling / 30 min kayaking / 30 min glass-bottom boat

In the afternoon, a visit to Punta Suarez (Española Island). 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.

Highlights: Large colony of waved albatross, Nazca & Blue-footed boobies, marine iguanas, viewpoint from the blowhole.
Disembarking: dry landing
Physical requirement: high
Type of terrain: rocky
Activities: 2 hour 15 min hike

Day 5 April 8. GALAPAGOS ISLANDS (All meals)

In the morning a visit to Post Office (Floreana Island). This 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.

Highlights: Darwin finches, green Pacific turtles, historical place since 1793.
Disembarking: wet landing
Physical requirement: low
Type of terrain: sandy & rocky
Activities: 45 min dinghy ride / 45 min visit / 1 hour 15 min beach snorkeling / 30 min kayaking

In the afternoon a visit to Punta Cormoran / Devil's Crown (Floreana Island). 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 reside 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. Highlights: White & black mangrove, flamingoes, sea lions and sea turtles. / Sting rays, white-tipped shark, and colorful fish.

Disembarking: wet landing
Physical requirement: low
Type of terrain: sandy & flat
Activities: 45 min glass-bottom boat or 45 min deep or beach snorkeling / 1 hour 45 min hike

Day 6 April 9. GALAPAGOS ISLANDS (All meals)

After breakfast, a visit to Dragon Hill (Santa Cruz Island). Arriving to 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 to 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.

Highlights: Dry vegetation zone, endemic land iguana, Darwin finches, mockingbirds.
Disembarking: dry landing
Physical requirments: medium
Type of terrain: rocky
Activities: 2-hour hike / 1-hour beach snorkeling

In the afternoon, a visit to Punta Bowditch (Santa Cruz). 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.

Highlights: Nice beach for swimming, marine iguanas, seabirds, a nesting area for sea turtles / Marine wildlife.
Difficulty requirement: easy
Type of terrain: sandy
Activities: 30 minute walk /1 hour snorkeling

Day 7 April 10. GALAPAGOS ISLANDS - QUITO (Breakfast)

After breakfast, visit to the Highlands Tortoise Reserve (Santa Cruz Island). In the mountains of Galapagos it is possible to admire different kinds of birds, such as tree and ground finches, vermillion flycatchers, paint-billed crakers, yellow warblers, and cattle egrets(usually standing on the tortoises' shells) The journey to the reserve offers great opportunities to see the contrast that the island offers in reference to the variety of ecosystems. The road goes from the coast through the agriculture zone straight up to the dense humid forests. Often, Galapagos giant tortoises are also seen on the way wandering through pastures in the paddocks. this spot is a birdwatcher's haven since almost every land bird present on the island lives or migrates here.

Difficulty level: easy
Type of terrain: flat -muddy (depending on the season)
Activities: 45-minute drive/ 1 ½ hour walk.

After the visit, passengers will be transferred to the airport for their return flight to Quito and onward flight home.

TOUR PRICE

Tour price in 5 star Hotels and a Luxury cruise: US$4825.00 per person

TOUR PRICE INCLUDES:

• Accommodation in double rooms at selected 5 star hotels and 4 nights aboard a luxury expedition cruise in a standard plus cabin
• All meals as indicated on the itinerary
• Transfers, tours and excursions as per itinerary with English speaking specialist guides
• All internal flight tickets in South America

TOUR PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE:

• International flight to/from Ecuador
• Galapagos National Park Tax ($100), the migratory fee ($20) (These must be paid in person in cash dollars)
• Meals not indicated
• Personal expenses such as telephone bills, laundry expenses, beverages, etc
• Insurance against theft, loss, illness and/or accident etc
• Gratuities, baggage porterage and other extras not specified