Galapagos Tortoise Special - 2014

Summary of Trip

• Excellent tortoise viewing possibilities
• Specially chartered private yacht in the Galapagos
• Behind the scenes look at the Charles Darwin Research Station
  and the chance to meet resident experts
• Small group of up to 15 guests

This special holiday will give you fantastic opportunities to see the magnificent wildlife of the Galapagos Islands, in particular Giant Tortoises in the wild, and meet experts helping restore the tortoise population. Accompanied by one of the top naturalists in the Galapagos, Santiago Bejarano, you will visit and explore in depth some of the most spectacular visitor sites in the Galapagos, with an extended stay on the Island of Santa Cruz, the best Island to see Giant Tortoises in the wild. Ideal for people who can’t travel to Quito for health reasons.

Details

• 12-day trip begins and ends in Guayaquil
• days/7 nights on board the yacht, 1 night in hotel on Santa Cruz Island, 2 hotel nights in Guayaquil.
• Tour Cost £3180 per person, excluding international flights. Includes all accommodation, guide services, meals, transport, internal flights Guayaquil-Baltra-Guayaquil, non-bottled soft drinks.
• Flights from the UK to Quito and Guayaquil start at around £900. We can help guests co-ordinate their international flights which are available from local UK airports.

Outline Itinerary
18th November – Arrive Ecuador
19th November – Guayaquil
20th November – Santa Cruz Island
21st November - 28th November – Galapagos Cruise
28th November – back to the UK

NOTE:

Land cost includes:

• Return domestic flights from Guayaquil to the Galapagos Islands.
• All accommodation meals and soft drinks in mainland Ecuador and aboard the yacht in the Galapagos.
• The price is based on 2 people sharing a double room.
• $10 Galapagos Migration Card.
• The services of expert local naturalists and all transport in the Galapagos.

Land Cost Does Not Include:

• International airfare
• Galapagos National Park Entrance Fee ($100 per person)
• Alcoholic beverages.
• Gratuities

Single Supplement:

If you prefer your own room, there is a single supplement cost of £180 per person for the time in mainland Ecuador and Santa Cruz Island. All boat cabins must be shared, except by special arrangement. ** we have several single cabins available for no supplement on a first come first served basis.

 

If you would like any more information or to chat over the details of the trip we would be delighted to help. Telephone 01482 872 716 for more information or email us today.

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Itinerary

Download: Detailed Itinerary

18th November – Guayaquil Arrive early in the afternoon/evening to the airport in Guayaquil. You will be met at the airport and taken to our hotel the Grand Hotel Guayaquil. Time to relax before a light evening meal together at the hotel (this itinerary is designed assuming guests fly with KLM, but also works with flights on Iberia via Spain or on flights via the USA).

19th November – Guayaquil – Cerro Blanco Tropical Forest An early start An early start today to visit one of the last remaining areas of dry tropical forest on Ecuador’s coast. A private reserve, around half an hour drive from our hotel on the outskirts of the city which is home to 54 species of mammals, including Howler Monkey and White Fronted Capuchin Monkey, as well as 219 species of birds including the Great Green Macaw and 7 species which are globally threatened as well as a rich variety of plant life. We return to the hotel for lunch. In the afternoon we will visit the nearby Iguana Park, and then back to the hotel for some time to relax before our welcome dinner. Overnight Grand Hotel Guayaquil.

20th November – Galapagos - Santa Cruz Island This morning we take our flight out to Baltra where our Galapagos experience begins. Upon arrival our local guide will meet us and we will cross a small channel to the island of Santa Cruz. From here we go onto a farm for lunch where there are Giant Tortoises roaming wild. After lunch we will spend the full afternoon in search of Giant Tortoises, taking a relaxed pace so you can really enjoy seeing these magnificent giants in their natural territory. Overnight at the Finch Bay Hotel in Puerto Ayora, a beautiful hotel set by the sea, were you can see Marine Iguana’s resting on the lava rocks.

21st November – Santa Cruz - Galapagos Cruise After an early breakfast we go to visit the private house of Jacqueline de Roy, which has amazing possibilities to see Galapagos Finches, from here we take a boat across the bay to visit the Charles Darwin Research Station. Here we will have the chance to meet researchers working in the field and will be led around by one of the researchers at the Tortoise Rearing Centre.

The Charles Darwin Research Station offers a great chance to learn about the work being done to conserve and protect the islands wildlife and is a great chance to see the Tortoise Rearing Centre.

Activities: Walking
Difficulty: Easy
Type of Landing: Dry landing
Highlights & Animals: Giant Tortoises, Land and Marine Iguanas, Mockingbirds, Darwin Finches.

After the visit to the Charles Darwin Station we will have lunch together, then the afternoon free to explore the small town of Puerto Ayora, then in the afternoon we will meet up and board our private yacht, the Tip Top III which will be our home for the next seven nights.

The yacht accommodates 16 passengers in 10 double cabins each with private shower and toilet. Just some of the luxuries you'll enjoy on the yacht's three decks, air conditioning, a TV, a VCR, a full sound system, an inviting dining room, a fully equipped bar, a library filled with a variety of reading materials, a spacious sundeck, and snorkelling equipment. Moreover, each of the craft's homey cabins is outfitted with a private bathroom with both hot and cold water, a personal safe, and a wardrobe. The vessel is also equipped with the most advanced navigational and safety equipment, all of which meets or exceeds international Coast Guard safety regulations.

22nd November – Santa Fe This is the oldest of the Galapagos islands. Its paradisiacal bay offers great possibilities to swim and snorkel in crystal clear waters. A hike inland offers a great chance to see a species of Land Iguanas (Conolophus pallidus) which is endemic to Santa Fe Island. In the same area you’ll also see a forest of giant prickly pear cactus. After your visit you can swim and snorkel both inside and outside the bay.

Activities: Hiking, Snorkel
Difficulty: Moderate
Type of Landing: Wet landing
Highlights & Animals: Santa Fe Land Iguanas, Sea Lion colony, Galapagos hawks, Mockingbirds, giant prickly pear cactus (the tallest in Galapagos). Snorkel: Sea Lions, Reef Sharks, Parrotfish, Surgeonfish.

South Plaza is the best island for observing Land Iguanas, along with Cactus Finches, Tropic Birds and Sea Lions. One of your first stops will be through a small “forest” of Prickly Pear Cactus. The walk along the sea cliffs is a wonderful experience, with Galapagos Shearwaters and Red-billed Tropicbirds gliding by. Towards the end of the walk is a bachelor Sea Lion colony, with a battle-scared collection of old bulls in various states of recuperation or total retirement!

Activities: Hike (1.5 mi / 2 ½ km)
Difficulty: Moderate
Type of Landing: Dry landing
Highlights & Animals: Land Iguanas, Sea Lion colony, Galapagos Shearwaters, Swallow-tailed Gulls, Nazca Boobies, amazing landscape with cliffs

23rd November – Chinese Hat or Sombrero Chino Located just off the southeast tip of James Island, this island owes its name to its shape. A truly beautiful island, surrounded by crystal clear waters, this is great location for Sea Lions. Perhaps more than any other site, this islet gives you a sense of Galapagos volcanic origins as the beautiful white beach gives way to an almost primeval landscape of volcanic rubble.

Activities: Hiking 0.4 mi. Snorkelling & Kayak
Difficulty: Easy / Moderate
Type of Landing: Wet landing
Highlights & Animals: Walk along the shore visiting a small colony of Galapagos Sea Lions. Penguins.(if we are lucky) Snorkel: Penguins, Reef sharks, Parrotfish, Puffers.

Rabida A red sandy beach with Sea Lions and nesting Brown Pelicans, which some afford a rare glimpse of chick feeding. There is a short walk inland which offers great views of the beach and lagoon. Years ago Flamingos where regularly seen at the salty lagoon, but nowadays this is a rare sight. Geologically Rabida is said to have the most diversified volcanic rocks of all the islands. It also provides a great opportunity to snorkel with Sea Lions and has a great diversity of near-shore and pelagic fish.

Activities: Wet landing. Hiking 0.5 mi. Kayak and Snorkelling
Difficulty: Easy
Type of Landing: Wet landing
Highlights & Animals: Red sand beach, coastal lagoon, Galapagos Sea Lions, Seasonal colony of Brown Pelicans, Galapagos Hawk. Snorkel: Sea Lions, Butterflyfish, Parrotfish, Eels.

24th November – Santa Cruz - Black Turtle Cove (Caleta Tortuga Negra) A beautiful mangrove lagoon on the north shore of Santa Cruz Island. The yacht anchors just outside the cove and you will enter on a dinghy, paddling through the calm waters of the lagoon, which is a resting site for Green Sea Turtles. A wonderfully quiet journey, through a beautiful and unique habitat. With good luck as well as Marine Turtles you will see different types of Sharks and schools of Golden and Eagle Rays swimming just below the surface, whilst Yellow Warblers singing from above.

Activities: Boat tour in a lagoon, wildlife observation.
Difficulty: Easy
Type of Landing: No landing
Highlights & Animals: Lagoon surrounded by mangroves. Sharks, Rays, Sea Turtles, Pelicans and Blue-footed boobies.

Santa Cruz – Cerro Dragon or Dragon Hill After a dry landing, the walk will take you along the edge of a salt water lagoon behind the beach where you can often see Flamingos, Pintail Ducks, Common Stilts and other bird species. A short walk inland, offers a great view of the bay and a nesting site for Land Iguanas, many of which were repatriated back to Cerro Dragon by the Charles Darwin Research Station, after their near-extinction due to feral dogs and cats.

Activities: Hiking 1.5 mi. Snorkelling
Difficulty: Moderate
Type of Landing: Dry landing
Highlights & Animals: Coastal lagoon with variety of water birds: Herons, Stilts, Pintail Ducks, Oystercatchers, Flamingos. Giant Cactus, Land Iguanas, Darwin Finches, Mockingbirds. Snorkel: Parrotfish, Puffers, Snappers, Sea Turtles.

25th November – Floreana This is the Island where Charles Darwin discovered for the first time about the
different varieties of Giant Tortoises in the Galapagos. This morning we will be following his footsteps, in the highlands of Floreana – in search of the Medium Tree Finch, found nowhere else in the archipelago, as well as seeing a variety of Giant Tortoises that are part of the ongoing project to repopulate the island with tortoises by the Galapagos National Park – a great chance to see these magnificent giants in semi-wild conditions.

Floreana - Punta Cormorant At Punta Cormorant you will walk on an olivine beach (a mineral known for its olive-green quality, that is found in meteorites, the moon and mars as well as on earth), visit a large lagoon where Great Flamingos sometimes nest, and walk over to Flour Beach, a beautiful white sandy beach to look for Green Sea Turtle nests.

Activities: Hike (1.2 mi/2km)
Difficulty: Easy
Type of Landing: Wet landing
Highlights & Animals: An easy walk along a coastal lagoon where Flamingos are often found, along with Stilts and Ducks. White sand beach.

26th November – Española (Hood) This island is one of the highlights of any visit to Galapagos. Espanola is the southernmost island in the Galapagos, and is also one of the oldest. Numerous Sea Lions are seen here, plus hundreds of Marine Iguanas basking on the rocks. Espanola’s Marine Iguanas are unlike other Galapagos Marine Iguanas thanks to their bright colouring. Espanola is home to thousands of nesting seabirds all year, including Blue-footed Boobies, Nazca Boobies and Frigatebirds. 

Punta Suárez Regarding the amount of wildlife, this one of the best trails in the whole islands. Despite the difficult terrain, the walk is an absolute marvel, as from the beginning to the end you will see large quantities of Sea Lions, Marine Iguanas, Blue-footed and Nazca boobies, gulls, Galapagos Hawks and during most of the year, Waved Albatross. There are spectacular views of flying birds from the cliffs.

Activities: Hike (1.9 mi  / 3 km)
Difficulty: EDifficult, rocky terrain.
Type of Landing: Dry Landing
Highlights & Animals: Española Mockingbird, Nazca Boobies, Waved Albatross, Red-billed tropicbirds, lava lizards, Galapagos Hawk, Blue-footed Boobies, blow hole, amazing landscape.

Gardner Bay This beautiful bay is nested between Gardner islet and the beautiful coral sand beach in Española. You will visit a spectacular white sand beach, home to one of the largest Sea Lion colonies in the islands, where you can also see endemic Española Mockingbirds and with some luck, Galapagos Hawks. 

Activities: Snorkelling and kayaking. Short hike along the beach (0.6 mi / 1km)
Difficulty: Easy
Type of Landing: Wet Landing
Highlights & Animals: White sandy beach, Sea Lion colony, Mockingbirds Galapagos Hawks. Snorkelling: colourful fish, Sea Lion nursery.

27th November – San Cristobal – Punta Pitt Located in the northwest of the island, this is a large eroded tuff cone with dramatic volcanic scenery and is home to a large colony of Sea Lions, as well as a few Red-footed Boobies, Blue-footed Boobies and Nazca boobies.

Activities: Snorkelling and kayaking. Short hike along the beach (0.6 mi / 1km)
Difficulty: Easy
Type of Landing: Wet Landing
Highlights & Animals: White sandy beach, Sea Lion colony, Mockingbirds Galapagos Hawks. Snorkelling: colourful fish, Sea Lion nursery.

San Cristobal – Cerro Brujo This striking eroded tuff cone was one of the first sites visited by Charles Darwin. It has a beautiful coral sand beach where you can take a leisurely walk (depending on time of year) visited by Brown Pelicans, Blue-footed Boobies, and Swallow Tail Gulls as well as Marine Iguanas and Sea Lions. The beauty of this dramatic area can also be explored from the dingy, exploring caves and looking for sea birds.

Activities: Hike along the beach (1 mi / 1.6 km), dinghy ride, snorkelling & kayaking
Difficulty: Easy walk along the beach
Type of Landing: Wet Landing
Highlights & Animals: Beautiful rock formations, Sea Lions, shore birds, Land birds: Finches and Mockingbirds, snorkelling: Sea Lions, nice tropical fish, anemones.

28th November – North Seymour A great variety of Galapagos wildlife is provided in the loop trail on this small island. The highlight of your visit here will be the largest colony of Magnificent and Great Frigatebirds in the Galapagos as well as a colony of Blue-footed Boobies. In addition there are Sea lions, Marine Iguanas, Lava Lizards, Swallow-Tailed Gulls, and a few secretive, but very large Land Iguanas.

Activities: Hiking(1.5 mi/2.2 km), Snorkelling & dinghy ride
Difficulty: Moderate / difficult
Type of Landing: Dry Landing
Highlights & Animals: Land & Marine Iguanas, Frigatebirds, Blue-footed Boobies, Sea Lions, sea birds. Snorkelling: Rays, Reef Shark, fish, Garden Eels

Baltra we return to the islet of Baltra today – where you take your flight back to Guayaquil on the coast of Ecuador. Here we will go to the nearby Hilton for a light snack and the chance to relax, before you return to the airport for your flight to the UK late afternoon.

Please note: In Galapagos itineraries are unlikely to change significantly but are subject to change. Weather, wildlife breeding, instructions from the Galapagos National Park, specific abilities and interests of passengers as well as operational matters may cause your guide or captain to change the times or nature of your visits. Your guide will always endeavour to have the best itinerary for you within these constraints

 

If you would like any more information or to chat over the details of the trip we would be delighted to help. Telephone 01482 872 716 for more information or email us today.

Accommodation

 

If you would like any more information or to chat over the details of the trip we would be delighted to help. Telephone 01482 872 716 for more information or email us today.