Flight to Quito. Upon arrival in Quito, transfer to the hotel.

The tour begins today with a visit to Independence Square where the Presidential Palace, the Cathedral and El Sagrario Church are located. Also visit the Church of La Compańia (1605), and enjoy a brief visit to the church and monastery of San Francisco (1535). The oldest Ecuadorian church, the collection of artwork here includes paintings, sculpture and furniture dating back to the 16th century. Leaving the churches, visit the recently restored 24 De Mayo Boulevard, named after the battle which sealed Ecuador´s independence.

Also visit La Ronda Street in Old Quito. Lined with colonial houses and inspired by painters, poets, musicians and historians, this visit gives a taste of traditional Quito. The tour will then continue 30-minutes outside of Quito, towards the Middle of the World. Visit the main Monument honoring the correct location of the equator and visit the Ethnographic Museum, located inside the Equator Monument. Or, visit the Inti Nan Museum, a scientific and cultural Museum located in the exact place where the Equator Line crosses. ...read less

Today, take flight from Ecuador's mainland to San Cristobal. Upon arrival, be greeted for airport reception and transferred to the M/Y Isabela II to begin the Galapagos adventure.

Today, drop anchor in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. Here, visit the islands’ Interpretation Center that opened in 1999 for a more complete understanding of their history.

Visit the southeastern part of the island, which is a protected dry forest and the breeding grounds of wild tortoises.

Take a dingy ride to make a dry landing on Barranco, also known as Prince Philip’s Steps. Here, follow a trail through a Palo Santo forest to an open area full of nesting birds that include masked boobies, frigates, and red-footed boobies. At the end of this trail are thousands of band-rumbed storm petrels nesting in the crevices at the cliff’s edge. One will also be able to see the short-eared owls as they hunt the storm petrels during the daylight hours.

Next up is Genovesa, a collapsed volcano that ships are able to sail into through its large breached caldera and anchor at the foot of the steep crater walls. Genovesa is commonly referred to as ‘bird island’ because it is home to thousands of great frigate birds, red-footed boobies, noddy terns, lava gulls, tropic birds, doves, storm petrels, and Darwin’s finches. After a wet landing, follow a trail that leads from a coral beach past tidal lagoons to a cliff’s edge for amazing views. After the walk, enjoy snorkeling and swimming along the cliffs.
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Enjoy a coastal exploration along the impressive cliffs of Buccaneer’s Cove. Learn about the history of Santiago Island, its relevance for the whalers, pirates and early researchers, including Darwin’s epic voyage in 1835, and the conservation projects aimed at eradicating feral species. There will also be an opportunity to snorkel.

Make a wet landing on the black sand beach of Puerto Egas which was the site of a small salt mining industry in the 1960s. A walk down the shoreline takes one to grottos where one can see several colonies of fur seals. This location is ideal for watching shorebirds, while land birds are better observed inland. Before returning to the vessel, have the opportunity to swim and snorkel from the beach in search of octopuses, sea horses, star fish, and other marine life.
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Today, visit the archipelago’s youngest island, Fernandina. This island has the most active volcano in the Galapagos with eruptions occurring every few years. Punta Espinoza has a fascinating combination of barrenness and abundance of wildlife that can be observed during a brief one-mile walk. The island has no introduced animals and therefore has a very unique environment with a high density of marine iguanas, sea lions, sally-light foot crabs, flightless cormorants, Galapagos penguins, and Galapagos hawks. The lava terrain on the island calls for good walking shoes.

On the northwest of Isabela is the secluded Tagus Cove that was in past centuries a preferred anchor for pirates and whalers. Old graffiti is still found on its walls as evidence of its earlier visitors. Here the uphill trail leads to a high point with an impressive view of Darwin Crater Lake and the lava flows of Darwin Volcano. The vegetation in the area includes the Palo Santo trees which remain leafless until the short wet season occurring in March or April.
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Urbina Bay is located on the central-west coast of Isabela Island at the foothills of Volcanoes Alcedo and Darwin. After a wet landing on the dark, volcanic sand beach, walk further inland with a good possibility of seeing giant tortoises in their natural habitat. The inland is also an excellent nesting ground for the large and colorful land iguanas while flightless cormorants, blue-footed boobies, and penguins can all be seen along the rocky shoreline. Afterward, have the opportunity to swim or snorkel.

Vicente Roca Point is made up of two separate coves and located on the north-western coast of Isabela. Today, explore the large bay that is home to seahorses, sea turtles, and the Mola-mola (sunfish). There will be an opportunity to snorkel and swim.
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Make a wet landing on the dark, red sand beach of Rabida Island; the color of the sand comes from the unusually high iron content in the volcanic material. This island is often considered the geographic center of the Galapagos because it has the most diversified volcanic rocks of the islands. Located near the beach is a salt pond that often attracts greater flamingos looking to feed on the brine shrimp in the waters. Here, enjoy a 2-mile walk along the island’s beach to see a large colony of sea lions, marine iguanas, mockingbirds, yellow warblers, and several species of Darwin’s finches. There is time for an optional swim or snorkel before returning to the boat.

Cerro Dragon is on the north shore of Santa Cruz Island. Here, make a dry landing and walk past a brackish water lagoon frequented by tropical birds. Further inland the trail offers a beautiful view of the bay and the western region of the archipelago. This area is a natural nesting site for land iguanas and the arid-zone vegetation allows for regular sightings of Darwin’s finches, Galapagos mockingbirds, the endemic Galapagos flycatcher, and yellow warblers.
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After breakfast, transfer to the Baltra airport to take the flight back to the Quito. Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel.

This morning, transfer to the international airport in Quito for the flight home.