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Day 1: Quito/Guayaquil - Santa Cruz
Flight to Baltra Airport/Galapagos. Ferry crossing to Santa Cruz Island (10 min-ride). Check-in Aventura Lodge. In the afternoon Snorkel with Sea Lions, Sting Rays and Baby Reef Sharks in the shallow, emerald waters of Tortuga Bay, then witness the nesting site of the famous Marine Iguanas. Welcome Cocktail. Dinner at the Aventura Lodge.
Day 2: Santa Cruz - Floreana
Depart Tortoise Quest Tour. This tour begins with a trip to the lavish, lush green "Los Gemelos" (The Twins), two enormous collapsed lava chambers - an awe-inspiring visual reminder of the power of nature. Afterwards, we visit a 600-acre private reserve where the giant Galapagos tortoises freely roam, graze and sleep. After visiting the tortoises, we'll take a 5-minute ride to the entrance of a 450 meter (1350 feet) illuminated lava tunnel. Stalagmites, stalactites, sulfur and mineral colored walls all await you on this uniquely Galapagos experience. Lunch at the Aventura Lode. In the afternoon for Floreana Island. Sailing time about 1,5 - 2 hours.
Visit to a cove called "Luz del Dia" (Light of Day) where you will see penguins and sea lions on the steep, rocky shore and rays and tropical fish beneath the crystal-clear waters. Arriving on the dock, be greeted by amazing ruby red and turquoise colored Floreana marine iguanas. In the late afternoon check-into the Floreana Lodge where you stay overnight and have dinner.
Day 3: Floreana - Isabela
Departure in open-air bus that will transport you to the highlands of Floreana. Walk up to see the Asilo de la Paz (Peace Asylum) where a spring is located who attracted pirates, whalers and later settlers in Floreana. Then we visit the "Cueva de los Piratas" (Pirate's Cave) where pirates carved temporary shelter out of the soft stone.
On the way back to the Lodge we visit Cerro Pajas (Bird Hill) truly lives up to its name with a multitude of Floreana Finches. Visit a tortoise reserve where you can watch many of the giant tortoises.
At 11:00 AM you depart for Isabela Island. Sailing time is about 1.5 - 2 hours.
Weather and tides permitted, as we approach Isabela by sea, we will cruise by Isla Tortuga loaded with frigates, blue-footed boobies and other birds that live by the sea. Arriving in the port is a visual feast with stunning green and turquoise waters so clear, you can see sea turtles, sea lions and penguins as though looking through glass. Check-in and lunch at the Red Mangrove Isabela Lodge.
In the afternoon departure to Las Tintoreras and Bay Tour. Walk through a jagged 'AA' lava field, passing abundant colonies of marine iguanas, to see a small canal full of resting white-tipped reef sharks. The black, treacherous lava field, the emerald green sea, the forest green mangrove and the cloud capped volcanoes of Isla Isabela is the sort of afternoon backdrop you will not soon forget. Once you return to the dock, you can snorkel this warm, shallow bay surrounded by mangrove, for an opportunity to see white-tipped reef sharks, sea lions, penguins and more. Dinner and overnight at the Red Mangrove Isabela Lodge.
Day 4: Isabela
Breakfast at the Lodge. Depart for Sierra Negra at 8:00 AM. 4x4 vehicles will drive us up through the humid highlands to the slopes of Volcan Sierra Negra. Here, we will mount horses to continue our journey (optional) to the caldera of Sierra Negra, the second largest in the world with a diameter of 4 miles.
The views are breathtaking! We will relax a bit and have a snack on the edge of the caldera. More advanced hikers will have the option to descend into the crater itself! Lunch we have at the Lodge.
Free afternoon. Many prefer to laze on the beautiful beach or climb on the rocks to take photos of the marine iguanas and blue-footed boobies. Or you can walk through the nearby mangrove to an area known as Concha de Perla. In the shallow waters there is a sea turtle 'cleaning station'. It's a great place to snorkel and see these creatures from a few feet away. Dinner and overnight at the Lodge.
Day 5: Isabela - Santa Cruz
We begin with a drive out of town along the most beautiful, white sand, palm lined beach in all of Galapagos. This beach, straight from the cover of a travel magazine, stretches on for 3 kilometers before the National Park where we walk up the trail for astounding views from the top of Cerro Orchilla.
We visit the "Muro de Las Lagrimas" (Wall of Tears), a unique contruction built by the backbreaking of prisoners of a penal colony centuries before. The path to the Wall of Tears is abundant with lava lizards, the males are larger and striped and the females red-throated. On your way back to town, you will visit a breeding center for the giant Galapagos Tortoises and the only place to view the rare, remaining flat backed (so-called 'tabletop' shells) Galapagos tortoises, many of which still bear the scars of volcanic activity from Sierra Negra. At 11AM we start depart to return to Santa Cruz Island. Sailing time about 1,5 - 2 hours.
Check in Aventura Lodge and Lunch. Depart 3:00 PM for guided tour of the fascinating Charles Darwin Research Station. After the Darwin Station, there will be some free time to shop for souvenirs or browse the shops along Charles Darwin Avenue. Dinner and overnight at the Aventura Lodge.
Day 6: Santa Cruz - Guayaquil/Quito
Wake-up call and breakfast will depend on your flight departure time. You will need to depart 3 hours before your flight in order to be assured of arriving back at the Baltra Airport the requested 1.5 hours before your flight. We will transport you from the hotel to the airport, accompany you on the ferry over to the airport and assist you the whole way with your baggage.
Tour Details & Tour Rates
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Gold Traveler Experience |
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Tour Highlights
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Your Naturalist Guide will be pointing out the wildlife and filling you in on the colorful history of Floreana's first inhabitants, like the Baroness, and re-telling the legend of the "Floreana Mystery" which entailed the mysterious deaths of several inhabitants.
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On Isabela Island snorkel the warm, shallow bay surrounded by mangrove and see white-tipped reef sharks, sea lions, penguins and, of course, the mystery of the mangrove below the surface.
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Drive along the most beautiful white sand, palm-lined beach in the whole of the Galapagos. This travel magazine cover stretches on for 3 kilometers.
Your Darwin's Triangle Package Includes
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5 Nights accommodation in Double Room in Aventura, Floreana and Isabela Lodge
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All meals in a fixed menu basis
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Excursions with bilingual Naturalist (English - Spanish)
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Navigation between the islands
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Transfer In and Out
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Welcome cocktail
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Use of hotel installations
Tour Dates
The tour leaves with a minimum of 4 Guests at any date. For Booking Inquiries write to:
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