Galapagos Island Sea Kayak, Snorkeling & Hiking
Adventure Itinerary
11 days / 4 nights
camping, 6 nights hotel
Day 1: Depart
Home, Arrive Quito (UNESCO World Heritage city, capital of Ecuador)
Upon
arrival in Quito, transfer to your hotel. Most flights to Ecuador arrive very
late at night. Thus, we have built in a day of cushion in case there are any
delays for the international flights. This also allows for sightseeing in
Quito. Overnight first class hotel.
Day 2: Quito
Walking Tour
Today we have a walking tour of the UNESCO World Heritage
city, capital of Ecuador. The colonial town center is fascinating as are some
of the city's museums. Free time in the afternoon for shopping and then an
evening orientation meeting to prepare for the trip. Orientation meeting at
6:00 PM. Dinner on your own. Overnight first class hotel. B, L.
Day 3: Santa
Cruz and Baltra Island (South Seymour)
Activities: Sea
kayaking, walking, snorkeling, beach camping.
Wildlife: Baltra
land iguana, Galapagos Tortoises, green sea turtles, blue footed boobies, lava
lizards, frigate birds, brown pelicans, sea lions &
more.
In the morning, fly from
the mainland (Quito or Guayaquil) to Baltra Island Airport. Though one of the
smallest islands, it has 110 species of terrestrial plants. The endemic plants
here include a unique scalesia and velvety-leafed palo santo tree. The Baltra
land iguana is recognized as a separate species and is the heaviest iguana in
the world. The island is home to an important nesting ground for endangered
green turtles.
** Please note that some
departures may operate in reverse order, flying to San Cristobal first and
returning to Quito from Baltra
Your tour leader will
meet you at the airport for the short drive to Itabaca Canal. We ferry across
and drive to the highlands on Santa Cruz Island to see wild Galapagos
Tortoises. These huge creatures weigh 200 to 500 pounds and are scattered over
the island. After lunch we continue to our sea kayaks. We begin with safety
instruction and practice, and then paddle north for about an hour to a small
beach. Along the way we'll see sea lions, boobies and more. We arrive at our
beach camp with time to enjoy a swim, kick back on the soft white sand and
watch an aerial display of fishing by brown pelicans and blue footed boobies.
Sea lions play in the surf and a green sea turtle may pop its head up. After
sunset and dinner, spend an idyllic night in tents under the stars. B, L,
D.
Day 4: Baltra to
North Seymour
Activities: Sea
kayaking, swimming, snorkeling, beach camping.
Wildlife: As
above plus nesting colonies of frigate birds, blue footed boobies, mariane
iguanas and land iguanas. Possibly Galapagos fur seal.
 After
breakfast today, we continue paddling for approximately 3 hours until we reach
Mosquera Islet, home to a sea lion colony. On neighboring North Seymour we find
the magnificent frigatebird, well-known for its glorious red pouch. During the
mating season males inflate this pouch, throw back their heads and shake it to
attract female frigates. Appropriately enough, the pouch resembles a heart,
although it can reach the size of a soccer ball.
Sharing the frigates'
nesting area on North Seymour are blue-footed boobies. While the frigatebird
nests in saltbushes off the ground, the booby collects palo santo twigs to make
ground nests. We also see plenty of basking marine iguanas as well as a few
land iguanas. This site is also excellent for snorkeling (and diving), with
many tropical fish, garden eels, mantas and even eagle rays. A real highlight
is snorkeling with teenage sea lions who come to play with swimmers in the
water. Imagine playing with an aquatic dog and you have the picture. We don't
touch the sea lions, but swimming and diving, they circle and swim with us in a
playful manner.
After lunch, we paddle
south to our beach camp and again enjoy time to wonder on the beach, swim more
if desired, explore and watch the sunset. B, L, D.
Day 5: Baltra to
Isabela
Activities:
Inter-island flight to Isabela, walking, swimming Hotel
accommodation.
Wildlife:
Marshlands, mangroves, flamingoes, shorebirds, giant
tortoises.
We have an early-morning
paddle and then we catch our flight to Isabela Island. This seahorse-shaped
island is the largest in the archipelago at 80 miles in length. Despite its
remarkable beauty, Isabela is not a stop on most Galapagos cruises, making it a
less visited site and perfect for our adventures.
Isabela was formed
approximately one million years ago by the merger of six shield volcanoes:
Alcedo, Cerro Azul, Darwin, Ecuador, Sierra Negra, and Wolf, all but one of
which are still active. Two of the volcanoes, Wolf and Cerro Azul, stretch
above the cloud cover and are therefore arid on their upper flanks.
Because it is a
relatively young island, Isabela's lava fields and surrounding soil do not have
the varied vegetation zones of other islands. Despite this, the rich animal,
bird, and marine life is beyond compare. Here there are more wild tortoises
than on all the other islands combined. They roam freely in the calderas of the
volcanoes.
Upon arrival on Isabela,
we check into our small and charming beach front hotel. After lunch, our first
stop is the marshlands or humedales, where elevated walkways take us over tidal
lagoons that include four mangrove species and provide habitat for flamingoes
and numerous migratory birds. We visit the tortoise breeding center and its
excellent interpretive displays. We then visit Estuary Beach, where freshwater
artesian springs flow into the sea, providing a perfect opportunity to swim
among the mangroves. Back to the hotel and free time to enjoy the town and
beach. Dinner and overnight at Casa Marita or similar. B,L,D.
Day 6: Isabela's
Sierra Negra
Activities:
Hiking to a volcano's rim, optional mountain biking. Hotel
accommodation.
Wildlife: Sierra
Negra caldera, fumaroles, short-eared owls, Galápagos hawks, finches,
flycatchers and warblers.
After breakfast this
morning we drive to the highlands of Isabela for an entirely new view and feel
of the Galapagos. After an hour, we reach the starting point of our hike up
Sierra Negra that last erupted on October 22, 2005 and deposited a new and
dramatic layer of lava. The caldera of this volcano is the second largest in
the world, with a diameter of approximately six and a half miles. On our hike,
we can spot a variety of birds, including finches and flycatchers as well as
the Galapagos hawk and possibly the short-eared owl. From the rim of the
caldera we hike to Chico Volcano to see fumaroles and the unusual lava
formations, a striking visual record of the geological history of these
islands. From our highest vantage points, enjoy views of Isabela's other
volcanoes and nearby islands. Return to our starting point of the hike and
drive to town, or partake in an optional downhill mountain bike ride. Dinner in
town. Casa Marita or similar. B, L, D.
Day 7: Puerto
Villamil and Excursions
Activities:
Tintoreras island walking, snorkeling, swimming. Hotel
accommodation.
Wildlife: Marine
iguanas, sea lions, fur seals, white-tipped reef sharks, blue-footed and masked
boobies, Galapagos penguins, sea turtles, Galapagos gull and
more.
In the morning we take a
boat for roughly an hour to PuntaVicente Roca - a most curious and remarkable
lava formation of arches and caves in an area knows as the "Ice Box" due to
cooler waters. Snorkeling offers a rich look at a remarkable underwater world
with species not seen in other parts of the islands. We return to town and
after lunch, we visit a small island with a unique volcanic formation, and on
its west face flourishes a very primitive species of lichen in the moisture
brought by the prevailing wind. Here we find young marine iguanas and may see
white-tipped reef sharks. Later in the day, we swim and snorkel with sea lions.
Blue-footed and masked boobies feed in the pools. Overnight at our beachfront
hotel Casa Marita or similar. B,L,D.
Day 8: Isabela to
San Cristóbal
Activities:
Inter-island flight to San Cristóbal, sea kayaking, swimming,
snorkeling, beach camping.
Wildlife: Sea
lions, blue-footed boobies, sea turtles and much more.
After breakfast we fly
to San Cristóbal, the easternmost island in the archipelago. The island
is one of the oldest in the chain, and thus its volcanic peaks are greatly
eroded and vegetation is more abundant than on many islands. Upon arrival in
the provincial capital and second-largest town in Galápagos, Puerto
Baquerizo Moreno, we go directly to the shore and paddle north to a lovely
beach. Here we have lunch among sea lions and in view of our next destination,
Isla Lobos (Sea Lion Island). After lunch we head across the small channel to
Isla Lobos to visit the sea lion colony and the blue-footed boobies that nest
here. In the afternoon we continue the day's paddle, about nine miles total,
until we reach our beach campsite. B, L, D.
Day 9: Cerro
Brujo & Kicker Rock
Activities: Sea
kayaking, swimming, snorkeling. Optional scuba dive.
Wildlife: Sea
lions, blue-footed and masked boobies, Galapagos sharks, white tipped sharks,
sea turtles, thousands of fish, seastars and more.
We wake to a camp
breakfast and prepare for our morning paddle. At Kicker Rock we snorkel at a
class wall site where the marine life is incredibly rich. After an hour or so,
we continue our paddle and in an hour or so, arrive at the gorgeous white-sand
beach that is home to another sea-lion colony. Here in addition to blue-footed
boobies we see masked boobies. There's free time after lunch to enjoy the
beach. Later in the afternoon we padddle back to our camp and our last night in
the islands. B, L, D.
Day 10: Puerto
Baquerizo Moreno & return to Quito
Activities:
Walking, natural history, travel.
Wildlife: Sea
lions, blue-footed boobies, frigate birds, lava
lizards.
We return to Puerto
Baquerizo Moreno in the morning by panga, and set off for more exploration on
land. We visit the excellent Interpretation Center of San Cristóbal.
Then, at nearby Frigate Hill we see nesting frigate birds and grand views.
There is some free time to enjoy the town before we proceed to the airport for
an early afternoon return flight to Quito. Back on the mainland, enjoy a final
farewell dinner before you return home the next morning. Overnight. B,
D.
Day 11: Depart
Quito
Early morning transfer
or continue with an extension. We have an early wake-up and breakfast before
the transfer to the airport for your international flight.
"It's such a different
experience from being on a yacht," said Julian Smith, author of the Moon
Handbooks guide to Ecuador, who has made three trips to the islands since 1997.
He said kayaking at your own pace and camping on the scene was like visiting
Versailles and being able to "play on the beds or put on the armor."
-- From
the New York Times
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