Morning flight from Quito or Guayaquil to Baltra, Galapagos Islands.

Arrive at Baltra Island in the morning. Pass through immigration and baggage claim, and a Galapagos Angel staff member meets and transfers you to the yacht. They show you to your cabin, where you have some time to settle in before lunch and a welcome briefing.

In North Seymour, you may see Galapagos sea lions, blue-footed boobies, and magnificent frigate birds which are abundant on this island. North Seymour was formed by a series of submarine lava flows containing layers of sediment that were uplifted by tectonic activity. The island is characterized by its arid vegetation zone.

Possible Activities: Dinghy ride & hiking (1.5 miles / 2.41 km)
Difficulty: Moderate/Difficult
Type of Landing: Dry Landing
Highlights & Animals: Land & marine iguanas, frigate birds, blue-footed boobies, sea lions; snorkeling: rays, reef sharks, fish, garden eels.

This small islet is located near the southeast coast of Santiago Island. Its name comes from the distinct shape of the islet’s summit. Chinese Islet is a great location to view many geological formations such as lava tunnels and lava flows. Some of the lava flows were formed underwater and subsequently raised above sea level. The presence of coral heads on the lava flow indicates this phenomenon.

Possible Activities: Hike (1.9 miles / 3 km)
Difficulty: Easy
Type of Landing: Wet Landing
Highlights & Animals: Lava formations are a great site for snorkeling with an abundance of marine species such as sea lions, sharks, rays, and penguins.

Visit Sullivan Bay located in the southeast part of Santiago. This place is interesting for its geology because the area is covered by lava flows. This place has elevations in the form of small volcanoes formed by the lava flows.

Possible Activities: Hiking
Difficulty: Easy/Moderate
Type of Landing: Dry Landing
Highlights & Animals: Lava flows, small volcanoes
 

Visit the white-sand coral beach of Darwin Bay which includes a half-mile trail (0,75km) that winds through mangroves filled with land birds. Nazca boobies, red-footed boobies, and swallow-tailed gulls, which can easily be spotted here. Continuing down the path, tidal pools reveal sea lions swimming playfully. At the end is a spectacular view of a cliff.

Possible Activities: Hiking (0.9 miles / 1.5 Km), snorkeling, kayaking, and dinghy ride
Difficulty: Easy
Type of Landing: Wet Landing
Highlights & Animals: Nazca boobies, red-footed boobies, swallow-tail gulls, mangroves, coral pebble beach, snorkeling: rays, colorful reef fish, and hammerhead sharks occasionally.

El Barranco, also known as Prince Phillip’s Steps, is a steep, rocky path that leads up a high cliff rock face. A marvelous view can be appreciated from here. This site is also home to Palo Santo vegetation as well as red-footed boobies, short-eared owls, Galapagos storm petrels, and Galapagos doves.

Possible Activities: Hiking (0.9 miles / 2 Km)
Difficulty: Moderate
Type of Landing: Dry Landing
Highlights & Animals: Red-footed boobies, short-eared owls, storm petrels, Galapagos doves

Egas Port, also known as James Bay, on Santiago Island is home to the curious Galapagos hawks and quick-footed Galapagos lava lizards. The trail leads to the coastline with gorgeous tide pools and grottos full of fauna. Here the Galapagos fur seals bathe in the sun. This is also a great snorkeling site.

Possible Activities: Snorkeling, hiking (1.2 miles/2 km)
Difficulty: Easy/Moderate
Type of Landing: Wet Landing
Highlights & Animals: Fur seals, Galapagos sea lions, tidal pools and grottos, Galapagos hawks, oystercatchers, marine iguanas, finches; snorkeling: reef sharks, turtles, rays, nice underwater formations.

Visiting Rabida Island (or Jervis) is one of the most colorful and volcanically varied islands in the archipelago, in addition to being a great snorkeling site. Starting on Rabida’s famous maroon/red sand beach and following an easy hike, you arrive at a stunning lookout to enjoy the amazing landscapes. The island is a birdwatcher’s delight. Some species are abundant such as a few varieties of finches, Galapagos vermilion flycatchers, Galapagos hawks, and brown pelicans.

Possible Activities: Snorkeling, panga ride & short hike (0.6 miles / 1km)
Difficulty: Easy/Moderate
Type of Landing: Wet Landing
Highlights & Animals: Snorkeling: white-cheeked pintail ducks, colorful fish, sea lions, brackish water lagoon, pelicans

Visit the "Fausto Llerena" Tortoise Breeding Center in Puerto Ayora, and observe giant tortoises breeding in captivity. This is home to tortoises ranging from 3 inches (new hatchlings) to 4-foot-long adults. Subspecies of the giant tortoises interact with one another, and many of the older tortoises are accustomed to humans stretching out their heads for a photo opportunity. The babies are kept until they are about four years old and strong enough to survive on their own.

Possible Activities: Walking
Difficulty: Easy
Type of Landing: Dry Landing
Highlights & Animals: Giant tortoises, finches, Galapagos rails

Accessible by bus from Puerto Ayora, the highlands of Santa Cruz are a deep green which contrasts beautifully with the dry, lower part of the islands. The predominant vegetation in the highlands are Scalesia trees which create a lush green forest. The lava tunnels, over half a mile long, are underground, and walking through them is a unique, surreal experience. Lunch is served at this location.

Possible Activities: Hiking (1.5 miles / 2 ½ km)
Difficulty: Easy
Type of Landing: Dry Landing
Highlights & Animals: Lava tunnels, Finches, wild tortoises, tortoise nesting site.

This excursion takes you to the spectacular Gardner Bay. After landing, you can walk across a lovely white-sand beach amongst a busy sea lion colony or dive into the water to swim with sea lion pups. You may also see curious mockingbirds on the beach.

Possible Activities: Snorkeling, panga ride, a short hike (0.6 miles / 1km), and Kayaking
Difficulty: Easy
Type of Landing: Wet Landing
Highlights & Animals: White sandy beach, sea lions, mockingbirds; snorkeling: colorful fish, sea lion nursery.

On the trail to Suarez Point, spotting blue-footed boobies, albatrosses, and Nazca boobies becomes possible. This island serves as the breeding site for almost all of the world's 12,000 pairs of waved albatrosses. Additionally, visit a picturesque oceanfront location featuring a cliff that the large albatrosses utilize as a launching pad. Witnessing the renowned blowhole, which spouts seawater into the air, becomes an option. The landscape offers excellent photography opportunities.

Possible Activities: Hike (1.9 miles / 3 km)
Difficulty: Difficult
Type of Landing: Dry Landing
Highlights & Animals: Hood mockingbirds, Nazca boobies, waved albatrosses (approximately from the last week of April until the last week of January), red-billed tropicbirds, lava lizards, Galapagos hawks, blowholes, amazing landscapes, and maybe blue-footed boobies.

Santa Fe Island (Barrington) is home to the small picturesque bay and anchorage on the island’s northeast coast. The bay has two visitor trails: one leading to a scenic viewpoint atop a cliff, and the other spanning from a small beach to a tall prickly pear cactus forest.

Possible Activities: Hiking (5 miles / 8 km)
Difficulty: Moderate
Type of Landing: Dry Landing
Highlights & Animals: Land iguanas, giant Opuntia cacti

This small island with steep cliffs was formed by rising lava and is now covered by Opuntia cacti. It is also home to one of the largest sea lion colonies as well as colorful yellow and red land iguanas. The most characteristic plant is the Sesuvium. During the rainy season, its color is a greenish to yellowish tone, and in the dry season (end of June through January) a bright red.

Possible Activities: Hike (1.5 miles / 2 ½ km)
Difficulty: Moderate
Type of Landing: Dry Landing
Highlights & Animals: Land iguanas, sea lion colony, Audubon’s shearwaters, swallow-tailed gulls, Nazca boobies, amazing landscape with cliffs

Visit Black Turtle Cove in the northern part of Santa Cruz. This inlet is surrounded by mangroves and is only accessible by dinghy. The shallow cove is a haven for young marine life. Black-tip and white-tip reef sharks, sea turtles, and a variety of rays are often spotted here

Possible Activities: Dinghy ride
Difficulty: Easy
Type of Landing: No Landing
Highlights & Animals: Baby hammerhead shark, rays, sea turtles, sea birds

After this final visit, transfer to the Baltra airport in time for your flight back to the mainland.