Complete Galapagos (Grand Daphne)
Price- $6,244
10 Days | Hike, snorkel and explore the inimitable Galapagos Islands
Discover the rich marine life, abundant bird colonies and stunning landscapes of the Galapagos Islands on this action-packed, 10-day tour. Board your comfortable motor yacht and set off in search of adventure and wildlife. Hike over pahoehoe lava on Bahia Sullivan, snorkel off the coast of Isla Espanola and discover the archipelago’s history on Isla San Cristobal.This journey will immerse you in the rugged, unique, inimitable Galapagos Islands.
Trip overview
StartQuito, Ecuador
EndQuito, Ecuador
DestinationsEcuador
StyleComfort
AgesMin 12
Group SizeMin 1 - Max 16
ThemeAdventure Cruising, Sailing, Wildlife
Trip CodeGMDA
Itinerary
The adventure gets under way in Quito, Ecuador’s sprawling but refined capital city. A welcome meeting will be held this evening at either 5 pm or 6 pm where you’ll get the chance to meet your fellow travellers, but aside from that you are free to check out the city on your own today. After your welcome meeting, head to a small, local restaurant for dinner with your group. You can expect some pretty mouth-watering aromas from the fresh flavours of traditional Ecuadorian cuisine. Think quinoa, pork and vegetable dishes laced with local herbs, lemongrass and rich sauces all sourced from local farms. You might even get to try the traditional Locro (potato soup). If you arrive with time to spare, perhaps head to Quito’s Old Town and pick one (or more) of the 30 churches to explore.
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Rise and shine! An early start is necessary this morning to make it to the Galapagos with time to play today. This could mean leaving as early as 4.30 am, and an Intrepid representative will confirm the exact departure time during the welcome meeting on Day 1. Transfer to Mariscal Sucre International Airport (AKA Quito Airport), enjoying a boxed breakfast en route.
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Discover the quirky maritime history of Post Office Bay, home of the oldest postal system in the Americas. There’s a post box here that was first built by 18th-century whalers and is still in use today. Perhaps leave a letter to be collected by another traveller or look for one you can deliver. Snorkelling and a Zodiac ride are also included in this outing. Afterwards, head ashore at Punta Cormorant where the sand is made up of fine olivine crystal, a glassy volcanic mineral that gives the beach an olive-green colour. Take a 1-kilometre walk in search of sea lions, as well as flamingos, pintails and stilts. Finish at a sandy beach where Eastern Pacific green turtles nest.
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Wake up and take a hike on Isla Espanola, the southernmost island of the Galapagos. It is the breeding site for almost all of the estimated 24,000 waved albatrosses on earth. If you’re lucky (and the timing is right), you might spot the elaborate courtship rituals performed by albatrosses before the female chooses her lifelong mate during your walk. Hike through booby colonies to the rocky trails of beautiful Punta Suarez. This 3-km hike culminates at a clifftop viewpoint. Gaze out over views of rugged cliffs framed by swooping frigate birds, watching while albatross use the cliffs as their ‘runway’, getting airborne on the southeast winds.
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Shake off any early morning doziness with a trip to Leon Dormido (Kicker Rock). This basalt crater rises 150 metres above the water and is divided into two parts by a narrow channel. Cruise around kicker rock as nesting seabirds flank the boat, tropicbirds soar overhead and sea lions lounge by the water. Next, spend some time snorkelling at Cerro Brujo, providing opportunities to see Galapagos sharks and sea turtles. Or perhaps enjoy the beautiful beach with a leisurely walk to photograph the interesting sea lions who can often be seen at this location.
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Sea lions, iguanas and hawks – oh my! Isla Santa Fe is home to all three, plus Galapagos mockingbirds, marine turtles, frigatebirds, Galapagos doves and lava lizards. This stunning island boasts one of the most attractive coves in the whole archipelago. Take a hike along the coast into the opuntia forest (approximately 1.5 hours). The trail is rocky, so mind your step. Later enjoy a snorkel in deep water and look out for schools of fish, rays and sea turtles.
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Explore Isla Genovesa, the archipelago's north-eastern outpost. The island’s varied landscapes are a twitcher's paradise, with all three kinds of boobies, including the rare red-footed booby, nesting here. Next, Bahia Darwin (Darwin Beach) is another superb birding site with large breeding colonies of seabirds, frigates, lava herons, swallow-tailed gulls, mockingbirds, and vampire finches.
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On Santiago Island's eastern coast sits Bahia Sullivan. Take a walk along pahoehoe lava (approximately 1 hour), which was created by an eruption that occurred here in 1897. With some luck you might see some marine iguanas, Sally Lightfoot crabs, sea lions, finches, turtles, sharks and penguins. During your walk, as always, your naturalist guide will take you through the geological history of the island.
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Brave an early start to explore Caleta Tortuga Negra (Black Turtle Cove) on a Zodiac ride. This red mangrove wetland is located on the north shore of Isla Santa Cruz. A breeding area for green turtles, this is a good place to catch sight of them mating. There is also abundant bird life, such as the yellow warbler and lava heron. It is also a nursery for golden cow-nose rays, eagle rays and Galapagos sharks. This is your final excursion before you head to the airport in Isla Baltra for your flight back to Quito.
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There are no activities scheduled after breakfast this morning. Planning to stay in Quito? We don’t blame you! This gorgeous city deserves more time than we were able to give it on this trip, so if you have the time why not explore on an Urban Adventure. Find out more at http://www.urbanadventures.com/quito
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Meals 9 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 8 dinnersTransport
Transport Boat, Plane, Bus, Zodiac (Panga)Accommodation
Accommodation Hotel (2 nights), Overnight boat (7 nights)
Activities
- Isla Santa Cruz - Highlands Visit (1.5 hours) - Dry Landing
- Isla Floreana - Post Office Bay - Walk (1.5 hours) - Wet Landing
- Isla Floreana - Punta Cormorant walk (1.5 hours) - Wet Landing
- Isla Floreana - Devil's Crown snorkelling (1 hour)
- Isla Floreana - Post Office Bay snorkelling (45 mins)
- Isla Espanola - Punta Suarez - Walk (3 hours) - Dry Landing
- Isla Espanola - Bahia Gardener - Snorkel (1 hour)
- Isla Espanola - Bahia Gardener - Walk (1 hours) - Wet Landing
- Isla San Cristobal - Kicker Rock - Boat ride
- Isla San Cristobal - Cerro Brujo - snorkel or beach walk (1 hour)
- Isla San Cristobal - Interpretation Center Visit (1 hour) - Dry Landing
- Isla Plaza Sur - Walk (2 hours) - Dry Landing
- Isla Santa Fe - Walk (1.5 hours) - Wet Landing
- Isla Santa Fe - Snorkel (1 hour)
- Isla Genovesa - Bahia Darwin - Panga ride (zodiac)
- Isla Genovesa - Bahia Darwin - Walk (2 hours) Wet Landing
- Isla Genovesa - La Barranco - Snorkel (1 hour)
- Isla Santiago - Sullivan Bay - Walk (1.5 hours) - Dry Landing
- Isla Santiago - Sullivan Bay - Snorkelling (45 mins)
- Isla Santa Cruz - Cerro Dragon - Walk (1.5 hours) - Dry Landing
- Isla Santa Cruz - Black Turtle Cove - Panga ride (1.5 hours)
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