Ecuador and Galapagos Adventure

Ecuador and Galapagos Adventure

Highlights: Quito and the Galapagos Islands
You’ll arrive in Ecuador and visit the historic town of Quito, exploring its colonial old town before flying to the wildlife paradise of the Galapagos Islands, where you’ll your time between Santa Cruz and Isabela.

Day 1: Arrival in Quito
Upon arrival, you will be picked up at the airport by a private car and transferred to the La Casona de La Ronda hotel, where you will spend the next 2 nights.

This Heritage Boutique Hotel is nestled within “Las Corralas,” one of the oldest Spanish houses in Quito, built in 1738 in the city’s Historic Centre. Ecuador boasts a rich history, vibrant indigenous cultures, winding rivers, lush tropical forests, and imposing snowcapped volcanoes. It is also home to some of the most captivating wildlife on earth.

Quito, Ecuador

Day 2: History and architecture in Quito
Today you’ll begin your tour in Colonial Quito: a city of narrow cobblestone streets flanked by whitewashed walls, with the steeples and cupolas of the many beautifully adorned historic churches rising above. The city has one of the best preserved colonial centres in all of South America and its integrity was assured in 1978 when the United Nations declared Quito a World Cultural Heritage site.

You’ll stroll through the Main Plaza and admire the Government Palace and some of the most significant churches from the 16th and 17th centuries, including La Compañía and the San Francisco Monastery, which began construction five days after the founding of the city in 1534. You will also visit La Ronda, Quito’s most famous colonial street, where you’ll learn about the traditional crafts that defined, and continue to define, Colonial Quito.

Day 3: From Quito to Santa Cruz
You’ll be picked up at your hotel and transferred to the airport for your flight to Baltra. This tiny island was a military base during the Second World War and hosts the Islands’ principal airport. The airport was built using state-of-the-art environmental techniques to minimise emissions and energy use, many of which you’ll notice as you walk through the facility. It was the world’s first ecological airport.

Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

You will enter the airport through an exclusive VIP lounge, where you’ll have the opportunity to freshen up and change clothes, apply sunscreen and enjoy a refreshing drink before being transferred to the Itabaca Channel to explore its magnificent turquoise waters. You’ll have the opportunity to kayak, snorkel and try stand-up paddle-board (SUP), all the while encountering some of the Galapagos’ most iconic wildlife, including blue-footed boobies, sea lions, brown pelicans, various heron species, and white-tipped reef sharks.

There’s no better introduction to the Galapagos than to get on the water as soon as possible! You will glide through beautiful red mangrove forests and along lava rock cliffs on water so clear you can see the marine life in the shallows. The ocean (sit on top) kayaks come in doubles or singles, and life jackets are provided. A support boat will escort you throughout the water activities to ensure safety and to provide water, snacks and towels between activities.

From the Itabaca Channel you’ll head to a private reserve in the Santa Cruz highlands that borders the National Park where you’ll see the famous Giant Tortoises roaming in the wild. You will spend the night at Finch Bay Eco Hotel.

Day 4: Bartolomé Island
This morning, you will board the motor yacht for a day excursion, accompanied by a welcoming crew and an expert naturalist guide, as you explore the remote islands in comfort and style.

After breakfast you’ll head to the Itabaca Channel to continue exploring the National Park and Marine Reserve. The yacht will take you to Bartolome Island which offers one of the most dramatic views of the Galapagos Islands. A 600 metre pathway leads visitors to the island’s highest point where the expert naturalist guide will explain the volcanic origins of the islands. After the walk, a dingy ride along the coastline offers the chance to spot Galapagos penguins. These curious birds nest among the fissured lava flows and venture into the crystal-clear waters of Bartolome.

Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Day 5: Santa Cruz
The Charles Darwin Research Centre is the hub of all the scientific researches in the Galapagos Islands, serving as the headquarters for many of the most important conservation projects. The conservation and preservation of giant tortoises and marine iguanas are among the Centre’s key initiatives. You can explore the heart of the Research Centre, where you’ll find the enclosures where the giant tortoises are bred and where land iguanas are studied. The facility also features a brand new Interpretation Centre, showcasing some of the most important specimens from the Centre’s collection.

After a 1.5 mile walk through a deciduous forest, you’ll arrive at one of the archipelago’s most beautiful beaches. You can continue along this pristine white-sand beach for another half mile to reach Playa Mansa where you’ll have the chance to enjoy a special kayaking adventure around the Bay.

Day 6: From Santa Cruz to Isabela Island
In the early morning, you will board a public speedboat to Isabela Island where you will check into the Iguana Crossing hotel. Your adventure begins with a tour of the Tintoreras, a group of small islands close to the town of Puerto Villamil, which are named  after the white tipped ‘Tintoreras’ reef sharks that inhabit these calm waters.

At Tintoreras, you’ll encounter nearly all of the archipelago’s iconic wildlife: white-tipped reef sharks, sea lions, turtles, rays, penguins, as well as pelicans and blue footed boobies. It’s a true “Galapagos in miniature!” After a walk on the island, you will have a chance to snorkel in the bay. Don’t be surprised if some inquisitive and playful penguins or sea lions join you in the water!

In the afternoon, you’ll hike the Wetlands Trail, where you can see colonies of marine iguanas and a variety of mangrove trees (all four types can be found here). You’ll also enjoy exploring the network of trails, beaches and historic sites along the way. At the end of the trail, you’ll find the ‘Wall of Tears’, built in the late 1940s by prisoners from World War II who were held at the former U.S. base on the island.

The guide will explain the significance of the Wall, giving insight into the lives of the island’s former inhabitants. As you walk along this network of trails, you’ll will enjoy some stunning views of the village below and have the chance to spot various bird species, and perhaps even some wild giant tortoises.

Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Day 7: Isabela
The Galapagos Islands were formed by volcanic eruptions, and you will have a chance to see this geologic process first-hand as you explore Isabela, one of the archipelago’s youngest and most volcanically active islands.

Your adventure begins with a hike up to the crater of the massive Sierra Negra Volcano, and then onward to the rim of the Volcan Chico. This fascinating walk often starts with early morning fog and drizzle, which can linger in the shadow of the volcano, adding to its mysterious allure. Despite the drizzle, you may spot Galapagos hawks, finches, flycatchers and short-eared owls en route.

When you reach the rim of the Sierra Negra crater, the second largest in the world after Ngorongoro in Tanzania, you will be rewarded for your efforts with some incredible views. The crater is so vast, and the scenery so expansive, that photos can’t capture their its full splendour and grandeur — but bring your binoculars and camera anyway!

Later, as you head towards Volcan Chico, you may get the feeling you are walking on Mars due its alien landscape. While the land may seem desolate at first, a closer look will reveal small lizards scurrying among the rocks. From the rim of the crater, you’ll be treated to more amazing views, along with lava tubes and fumaroles.

After exploring Volcan Chico’s extreme terrain, you will be able to relax in the shade of a lovely “jaboncillo” tree and enjoy the packed lunch while taking in the spectacular, expansive views over the central and northern parts of the island. In the distance you’ll spot Fernandina, Pinzon and Santa Cruz Islands. You’ll then head back down to complete the 10 mile trek and unwind at the beaches of Puerto Villamil.

Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Day 8: Isabela
The day begins with a visit to Roca Unión, a small, lively island, where you will snorkel amidst clouds of brightly-coloured fish and watch sea lions and blue-footed boobies from the surface.

Next, you’ll head to Turtle Cove, a secret spot frequented by fishermen, that  is today considered one of the island’s top attractions. Here you’ll have plenty of opportunities to snorkel through a maze of small islands and arches (and for the experts, tunnels) accompanied by fish, sea turtles, and by the occasional white tipped shark and ray.

Further snorkelling opportunities await at Finado, where you can swim with sea turtles. From our boat out on the open water, you’ll have the chance to spot sea turtles and manta rays against the background of the coast’s varied beaches and rocky shores, where sea turtles nest.

Day 9: From Isabela back to Quito and homeward bound
Today you will be picked up and transferred to the airport for your flight back to Quito. Upon arrival, you will connect with your international flight back home.