The Galapagos Penguin Route – Galapagos Tours 7 days Itinerary

Isabela Island

• Breakfast
• Pick up from your Hotel in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island.
• Boarding Time at 07:00 am.
• Sailing time from Santa Cruz to Isabela Island. (2 hours)
• Arrival to Villamil Port in Isabela Island at 09:00 am. aprpoximately.
• At 11:00 am. Sailing time from Villamil Port to Tunnels. (1 hour)
• Visit Tunnels
• 2 times for snorkeling. (45 minutes each one)
• Lunch
• Return to Isabela at 16:00 pm
• Arrival to Isabela at 17:00 pm approximately.
• Transfer to your Hotel in Isabela.
• Briefing for next day activities.

Places to Visit:

• Tunnels: This is one of the most spectacular snorkeling sites in Isabela, the water is shallow, calm and very clear, a marine sanctuary. A series of lava flows have produced unique geological formations, a series of arches and tunnels, below and above the water, where a large number of endemic Galapagos species live. The entrance to the site is not deep and the waves can be very strong, for this reason, access to this place is not always very feasible. The best time to visit Los Túneles is between January and May.

Details:

• Animals to see: Blue-footed boobies, rays, starfish, penguins, sea horses, sharks, sea turtles, reef fish.

• Activities: Snorkeling

• What do you bring: Sunscream, Repellent, Light clothing, Binoculars, Camera, swimsuit.

• Include: Breakfast, Professional bilingual guide, Transport, Lunch, Snacks, Water, Hotel Accommodation and Snorkeling Equipment.

• Not Included: Isabela Fee $10, Dinner, Tips and Additional Expenses.

Notes:

• We can’t guarantee that you will see all the animals since they are wildlife.
• This night you will stay in Isabela Island.

Isabela Island

Located on the Galapagos Island of Isabela, the Sierra Negra and Chico volcanoes offer visitors a unique opportunity to experience some of the most stunning volcanic landscapes in the world. For those looking to explore these magnificent features, guided tours are available. These tours provide an up-close look at some of the most impressive geological formations in the region, including lava flows and ash fields. Visitors will also have a chance to witness some of Isabela’s incredible wildlife, including giant tortoises,  and more. With its stunning views and diverse wildlife, a tour of Sierra Negra and Chico volcanoes is sure to be an unforgettable experience.

Details:

• Animals to see: Giant turtles

• Activities: Trekking

• What do you bring: Sunscream, Repellent, Light clothing, Binoculars, Camera, swimsuit and water.

• Include: Professional bilingual guide, Transport, Lunch, Hotel Accommodation

• Not Included: Dinner, Tips, and Additional Expenses.

Isabela Island

• Breakfast
• Pick up from your Hotel in Villamil Port, Isabela Island.
• Visit the Wetlands
• Visit the Flamingos Lake
• Visit the Tortoise Breeding Center
• Lunch
• Snorkeling in Tintoreras (45 minutes)
• Return to Santa Cruz at 15:00 pm
• Arrival to Santa Cruz at 17:00 pm approximately.
• Transfer to your Hotel
• Briefing for next day activities

Places to Visit:

• Wetlands: The Wetlands of Isabela Island are located just outside of Puerto Villamil. The Wetlands consist of lagoons, swamps, and mangroves and are home to a variety of unique bird species such as common stilts, whimbrels, white-cheeked pintails, and gallinules. The Wetlands can be visited on foot via a path that winds through the swamps.

• Flamingo Lake: To the west of Puerto Villamil there are various salt and brackish lagoons which house an impressive variety of coastal and sea birds. Here, visitors can also find the largest concentration of flamingos in Galapagos.

• Arnaldo Tupiza Breeding Center: The Tortoise Breeding Center (also known as the Interpretation Center) is located nearby Puerto Villamil. A boardwalk connects the town to the Center, stretching across the wetlands and Prickly Pear Cacti shrub. Five sub-species of the Giant Tortoise exist on the island, yet their populations are threatened by introduced animals such as goats and cats. At the Tortoise Breeding Center, eggs are nursed in a hatchery and the giant tortoise adults are observed in supervised corrals. The Center aims to increase the population and secure the survival of these species.

• Tintoreras: The Tintoreras Islets, located a short distance from Puerto Villamil, is home to a great variety of wildlife. Its turquoise, crystalline waters are inhabited by white-tipped reef sharks, Galapagos penguins, marine turtles and sea lions. One of its beaches, surrounded by mangroves is one of the few sites where marine iguanas can reproduce successfully.

Details:

• Animals to see: Giant tortoises, flamingos, terrestrial iguanas, white fin sharks, sea lions, reef fish.

• Activities: Trekking and Snorkeling

• What do you bring: Sunscream, Repellent, Light clothing, Binoculars, Camera, swimsuit.

• Include: Breakfast, Professional bilingual guide, Transport, Lunch, Snacks, Water, Hotel Accommodation and Snorkeling Equipment.

• Not Included: Isabela Fee $10, Dinner, Tips and Additional Expenses.

Notes:

• We can’t guarantee that you will see all the animals since they are wildlife.

Pinzon Island (Snorkeling Day)

• Breakfast
• Pick up from your Hotel in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island.
• Boarding Time at 08:00 am.
• Sailing time from Santa Cruz to Pinzón Island. (1h20 minutes)
• Arrival to Pinzon Island at 09:20 am. approximately.
• 3 times for snorkeling (45 minutes each one)
• Lunch
• Visit La Fé Beach
• Return to Santa Cruz at 14:40 pm
• Arrival to Santa Cruz at 16:00 pm approximately.
• Transfer to your Hotel
• Briefing for next day activities

Places to Visit:

• Pinzon Island: Called in honor of the Pinzón brothers, captains of the caravels Pinta and La Niña in the first expedition of Christopher Columbus (his name in English reminds the Viscount of Duncan). It has an area of 18 km² and a maximum altitude of 458 meters. It has no places to visit and a special permit from the authorities is required to enter. The main forest species are on the island, in the humid zone, there is a unique species called the margarita tree. Pinzón is home to sea lions, giant tortoises, marine iguanas and dolphins, as well as other endemic species.

• La Fé Beach: Beach to rest, have a short path, where you can see marine iguanas also for its crystal clear water you can see small sharks and we can also do snorkeling.

Details:

• Animals to see: Sea lions, sea turtles, reef fish, starfish, eagle rays, tintoreras sharks, penguins in cold season.

• Activities: Snorkeling

• What do you bring: Sunscreem, Repellent, Light clothing, Binoculars, Camera, swimsuit.

• Include Breakfast, Professional bilingual guide, Transport, Lunch, Snack, Water, Hotel Accommodation, and Snorkeling Equipment.

• Not Included: Dinner, Tips and Additional Expenses.

Notes:

• We can’t guarantee that you will see all the animals since they are in wildlife.
• The main activity in this tour is snorkeling.

Bartolome Island or North Seymour

• Pick up from your Hotel in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island.
• Departure Time at from 06:00 am. to 07:00 am.
• Transfer from Ayora Port to Itabaca Channel. (45 minutes)
• Sailing time from Itabaca Channel to Bartolome Island. (2 hour)
• Arrival to Bartolome Island at 08:45 am. aprpoximately.
• 2 Hours of hiking in Bartolome island
• Lunch
• Snorkeling in Sullivan Bay
• Return to Santa Cruz at 14:15 pm
• Arrival to Santa Cruz at 17:00 pm approximately.
• Transfer to your Hotel
• Briefing for next day activities

Places to Visit:

• Bartolome Island:Named in honor of Sir Bartholomew Sulivan of the British Navy. It has an area of ​​1.2 km² and a maximum altitude of 114 meters. This island offers some of the most beautiful landscapes of the archipelago. The island is composed of an extinct volcano and a variety of red, orange, green and bright black volcanic formations. The lava cactus of the Galapagos colonize the new lava fields. On this island is the famous Pinnacle, which is one of the most representative places of the archipelago. Here you can dive and snorkel with penguins, sea lions, white tip reef sharks and other tropical fish. Seasonally, Bartolomé is the mating and nesting site of the green turtle. The bay is also an excellent place to go swimming. The twin bays are separated by a narrow isthmus.
• Sullivan Bay: This unique landscape is composed of a pair of eroded scoria lava cones which were engulfed by a recent (in geological terms) pahoehoe lava flow and which is considered one of the finest in the world.

Details:

• Animals to see: Sea lions, reef fish, sea turtle, penguins.

• Activities: Hiking and Snorkeling

• What do you bring: Sunscream, Repellent, Light clothing, Binoculars, Camera, swimsuit.

• Include: Breakfast, Professional bilingual guide, Transport, Lunch,Snack, Water, Hotel Accommodation and Snorkeling Equipment.

• Not Included: Dinner, Tips and Additional Expenses.

Notes :

• We can’t guarantee that you will see all the animals, since they are in wildlife.

North Seymour

• Breakfast
• Pick up from your Hotel in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island.
• Departure Time at 08:00 am.
• Transfer from Ayora Port to Itabaca Channel. (45 minutes)
• Sailing time from Itabaca Channel to North Seymour Island. (1 hour)
• Arrival to North Seymour Island at 09:45 am. aprpoximately.
• 2 Hours of hiking in North Seymour Island
• Lunch
• Snorkeling in Bachas Beach
• Return to Santa Cruz at 14:15 pm
• Arrival to Santa Cruz at 16:00 pm approximately.
• Transfer to your Hotel
• Briefing for next day activities.

Places to Visit:

• North Seymour Island: Named after the English noble Lord Hugh Seymour. It has an area of ​​1.9 km² and a maximum altitude of 28 meters. The whole island is covered with dense and dense vegetation, and has a trail for visitors of approximately 2 km in length that crosses the island’s path and allows you to explore the rocky coast. On this island there is a large population of blue-footed boobies and swallow-tailed gulls. There are also countless land iguanas, which were introduced from Baltra Island, and which served to repopulate the island with this species. It is also possible to observe a large number of frigates and sea lions with their young.
• Bachas Beach: The beach is full of characteristic Galapagos species such as flamingos, Sally Lightfoot crabs, as well as migratory and aquatic birds. It is also one of the main nesting sites for sea turtles on Santa Cruz Island.

Details for North Seymour:

• Animals to see: Blue footed boobies, royal frigate, gull forked tail land iguanas, sea lions, reef fish, sea turtle.

• Activities: Hiking and Snorkeling.

• What do you bring: Sunscream, Repellent, Light clothing, Binoculars, Camera, swimsuit.

• Include: Breakfast, Professional bilingual guide, Transport, Lunch, Snacks, Water, Hotel Accommodation and Snorkeling Equipment.

• Not Included: Dinner, Tips and Additional Expenses.

Notes for North Seymour:

• We can’t guarantee that you will see all the animals, since they are in wildlife.

St. Cruz Island and Flight back to Quito

• Breakfast
• Pick up from your Hotel in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island.
• Transfer to Twin Craters in Santa Cruz.
• Visit to Twin Craters.
• Transfer from SantaCruz to Baltra Airport.
• Return Flight.

Place to Visit:

• Twin Craters: The Twin Craters are, in fact, not craters. These impressive holes were formed by magma (lava) domes which hardened on the outside but continued to flow on the inside, leaving huge but empty chambers that collapsed with the passing of time, creating this breathtaking scenery that resembles two pit crates. The Twins are located in the highlands of Santa Cruz Island and are surrounded by lush and green forests, dominated by the endemic Scalesia plants. It is possible to walk along the rim of the craters to better appreciate the magnitude of the holes as well as the local flora and fauna. This site is also one of the most likely places to observe the endemic short-ear owl of the Galapagos.

Details:

• Activities: Trekking

• What do you bring: Sunscream, Repellent, Light clothing, Binoculars, Camera, swimsuit and water.

• Include: Breakfast, Transport

• Not Included: Lobbito Bus $5, Guide, Dinner, Lunch, Tips, and Additional Expenses.

Notes:

• We can’t guarantee that you will see all the animals, since they are in wildlife.
• This day is not included Guide, just driver.