Upon arrival at San Cristobal airport, personnel of the Galapagos National Park will check your luggage in order to avoid the introduction of foreign plants or animals to the Islands. The entrance fee must be paid to them. Passengers are received by the naturalist guide and taken on a five-minute bus drive to the pier, to board the Galapagos Sea Star Travel.

In the afternoon, visit the David Rodriguez giant tortoises breeding center also known as “La Galapaguera”. Here the tortoises wander in a semi-natural habitat, which will be perfect for photography. It will be the only chance to observe this emblematic species. Along the trail you will be able to see: San Cristobal mockingbirds, lava lizards, Darwin finches, yellow warblers, and Scalesia trees, which are endemic to the Galapagos.

Activities: Hiking

This is one of the highlights of the cruise. At the moment of arrival at the pier, you will be received by a welcome committee of marine iguanas and sea lions. Meet the biggest bird of the archipelago, the large Waved albatross, which uses the edge of the cliff to start the fly. Suarez Point seems to have everything: Nazca boobies, endemic lizards, gulls, Darwin finches, Galapagos hawks, endemic mockingbirds, Galapagos doves, and even a dramatic blow hole.

Activities: Hiking

One of the most beautiful beaches in all of the Galapagos is located on the northeastern coast of Española, Gardner Bay has a white sandy coral beach giving the chance to observe one of the biggest colonies of Galapagos sea lions. See Española mockingbirds, they enjoy flying around the visitors. After the excursion, you can also snorkel from the beach, in the shallow waters of the bay, or relax and enjoy the landscape.\

Activities: Hiking, Snorkeling

After a wet landing, walk on an olivine green sanded beach. The walk is going from the beach through the vegetation (white and black mangrove, holly stick, endemic Scalesia villosa), to get the first viewpoint to look for the famous flamingos, common stilts, white-checked pintail ducks, and other migratory birds. The other trail goes to another beautiful white sandy beach, where the Green Pacific Sea Turtles come for nesting during the breeding season. It is not permitted to walk in the water due to the Sting Rays that may be hiding in the sand. Occasionally, observe small reef sharks along the shoreline. Deep water snorkeling is another optional activity around the Devil’s Crown which is a volcanic natural formation where you have the chance to see white-tipped reef sharks, reef fish such as parrot, trumped, puffer, king angel, surgeon fish, and occasionally Galapagos sea lions.

Activities: Hiking, Snorkeling

Located on the north side of Floreana, the Post Office Bay was named because in 1973 Captain James Colnett installed a wooden barrel that served as an informal post office for sailors passing through, who would take letters with them back to their destinations. Today, visitors continue the tradition by placing unstamped postcards inside the barrel, hoping that some other traveler, going to the letter destination, will take it back for free. Wet landing on a greenish beach for a short walk to visit the Post Office Barrel, walk back to the beach for snorkeling in the shallow waters, and a good opportunity to observe marine turtles and sting rays. The next optional activity will be in Baroness Bay, where you can kayak and see great scenery with mangrove trees and volcanic natural formations.

Activities: Hiking, Kayaking, Snorkeling

Wet landing on one of the two white sand beaches where a big colony of sea lions is in the area with alfa males fighting to get a harem, there is an interior path through the island with an endemic cactus forest (Barringtonensis). Santa Fe land iguanas (Conolophus pallidus), Galapagos hawk, Galapagos snakes, rice rats (one of the few endemic Galapagos rodents), a variety of finches, and one of the four mockingbird species of the archipelago. Two additional activities kayak or snorkeling off the zodiac in the turquoise water, good view for sea turtles, spotted eagle rays, sea lions and white-tipped reef sharks, and colorful fish.

Activities: Hiking, Kayaking, Snorkeling 

There are two Plaza Islets (north and south) located east of Santa Cruz Island. After a dry landing, the path is going along an impressive cactus forest where colorful yellow land iguanas live, it is estimated a population of around 300 individuals; during the dry season, they survive on fruits and flowers of the opuntia cacti. South Plaza Island is the only place on the Galapagos where you find hybrid iguanas (sea and land), with very sharp claws making it easy to climb up to reach the fruits of the cacti. During the cool dry season walking along the edge of the cliff, observe red-billed tropicbirds, blue-footed and Nazca boobies, brown pelicans, swallow-tailed gulls, and frigates flying around. At the end of this path, find a bachelor sea lion colony area; at the same time, the greenish and yellowish vegetation (sesuvium edmonstonei plant) changes color creating a bright red landscape.

Activities: Hiking

One of the uplifted islands of the Galapagos: North Seymour, is a small flat island that has the perfect conditions for a nesting site for the two species of frigate birds (great and magnificent) that coexist in the Islands. Frigate birds are the only marine sea birds in the Galapagos that they lost the capability to plunge into the water because they don’t produce enough oil to cover all of their plumage and that enables them to float; for this reason, they need to steel the food from the others seabirds, getting the “pirates of the air” nickname. Here is the only place all year around the courting dance, especially males displaying the bright red gular sack to get female attention. Blue-footed boobies, land iguanas, sea lions, swallow-tailed gulls, Darwin finches, and lava lizards may encounter along the trail of excursion, and on a lucky day, you might even come across a Galapagos Snake.

Activities: Hiking, Snorkeling

After a wet landing on a white coral sandy beach which is one of the most important nesting areas for Green Sea Turtles, they arrive usually after 6 pm, the trail is about 500 meters long and divided into two sections, at the end of the trail you can find a small brackish lagoon where usually flamingos and shore birds such as whimbrels, black-necked stilts, plovers, herons, white-cheeked pintail, sandpipers, sanderlings, are feeding. Also Darwin finches, yellow warblers, and marine iguanas. After you come back to the landing spot, you will have an outstanding chance to submerge in tropical waters.

Activities: Hiking, Snorkeling

Wet Landing, Mosquera Islet is located between North Seymour and Baltra Island. This flat, sandy island is formed by a geological uplift. A colony of sea lions is present here. It is also an excellent site to observe shorebirds such as herons and lava gulls. There is no trail on the islet, however, the visitor can enjoy the open area. Most of the islet is covered with sand and barren lava rock. Very few Sesuvium portulacastrum plants grow on the sand.

Activities: Hiking

After the visit, sail to Baltra Island for your return flight to the mainland.