Galápagos Islands | Cruising the Western and Central Islands

Upon arrival in Quito you will be met and escorted to your hotel.

After breakfast, take a city tour of Quito, Ecuador's capital. Surrounded by volcanoes, Quito is a unique city that boasts one of the largest and best-preserved colonial centers in America, earning it recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Lunch will be at a local restaurant to enjoy some typical Ecuadorian food. Later, travel north of the city to the equator and the Middle of the World complex to experience being in two hemispheres at the same time. Before dinner, attend a lecture, "Introduction to Geology of the Galápagos Islands."

Fly from mainland Ecuador to Baltra. After boarding M/Y Tip Top IV, attend your first orientation and have a light snack. In the afternoon, take a panga ride around Black Turtle Cove, a series of coves and islets fringed by mangroves. Here you can observe whitetip reef sharks, sea turtles, spotted eagle rays, and golden cownose rays. Each day there will be a briefing about the next day's activities, and daily opportunities for swimming, snorkeling, and/or kayaking. *Cruise itineraries are subject to change without prior notice due to unforeseen circumstances (e.g. weather) or at the discretion of the captain, guide, or the Galápagos National Park.

This morning, land at Darwin Bay on Genovesa Island to walk and observe frigatebirds, herons, mockingbirds, boobies, shorebirds, sea turtles, marine iguanas, and other wildlife. There will be time to swim, snorkel or kayak for those who would like. Return to the boat for lunch. Later in the afternoon, go ashore at El Barranco, the natural stone staircase also known as Prince Philip's Steps, to observe the interesting lives of the birds here. Tonight, learn about conservation efforts to protect the Islands.

Today visit the Fausto Llerena Breeding Center inside the Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz Island. Learn about the station's important conservation and education work, and see some of the giant tortoises that are being raised for reintroduction into the wild. After lunch, explore the native forests of Santa Cruz's highlands at El Chato Reserve, then go to a farm to search for giant tortoises in the wild. Return to the yacht for dinner and your nightly orientation.

Take a panga ride around the bay at Punta Vicente Roca on Isabela Island to observe plentiful sea lions, as well as marine iguanas, Blue-footed and Nazca Boobies, and Flightless Cormorants. For those who would like, there will be time to swim and/or snorkel. In the afternoon, land at Fernandina Island's Punta Espinoza to see a large colony of sea lions, marine iguanas, and Flightless Cormorants. This is also a great place to see clumps of endemic lava cactus, a pioneer species capable of surviving in recent lava flows.

After breakfast, take a panga ride in Tagus Cove, which sits between the shoulders of two volcanic craters that protect it from the open sea; look for Galápagos Penguins, marine iguanas, sea lions, Flightless Cormorants, and Blue-footed Boobies. Another panga ride around the islets of Elizabeth Bay this afternoon should afford sightings of marine iguanas, sea turtles, seabirds, shorebirds, Galápagos Penguins, and Blue-footed Boobies.

After breakfast, disembark on Isabela Island at Urbina Bay, a coral area at the base of Alcedo Volcano with land iguanas, Flightless Cormorants, and giant tortoises. Later sail to Punta Moreno. Walk along coastal lagoons located among petrified lava flows where different type of birds can be seen. The trail leads to a panoramic view of the island's famous Sierra Negra and Cerro Azul volcanoes, as well as the highest part of nearby Fernandina Island.

Land on the green beach at Floreana Island's Cormorant Point and walk inland to a brackish lagoon to see American Flamingoes and other shorebirds. Continue walking to La Picona, a beautiful white-sand beach that is an important nesting site for Galápagos green sea turtles. At the start of the year, turtles come ashore at night to dig nests and lay their eggs; by April and May the hatchlings begin to emerge from the sand and make their perilous journey to sea. Head back to the green beach to enjoy swimming and snorkeling among reef fish and sea lions. This afternoon, disembark on the beach at Post Office Bay and follow a short trail to its historical mail barrel site. In the 18th century, British whalers placed a wooden barrel here to use as an informal post office; today, visitors continue the tradition by leaving their own postcards in the barrel for fellow travelers to carry to their destination. Continue to Baroness Viewpoint, named after the Baroness Eloise von Wagner, who once lived here. Enjoy the beautiful landscape and observe the ruins of her house.

After breakfast, make an early wet landing on Mosquera Islet. Formed as a result of a volcanic uprising, this small islet consists of a white-sand beach, tide pools, and a reef of rocks and coral. Observe colonies of sea lions, Brown Pelicans, Blue-footed Boobies, and Sally Lightfoot crabs; the contrast between the crabs' bright red and blue coloration against the black lava is stunning. Afterwards continue to the Baltra airport. Lunch is on your own at the airport; food options will be available for purchase after passing security. Enjoy the afternoon in Quito at leisure before gathering for a farewell dinner at the hotel. For those departing this evening, you will be taken to the Quito International Airport for your flight(s) home.

Today you will transfer to the airport for your flight home.