Galapagos Group Land Adventure

Arrive in Quito on the flight of your choice today. After clearing customs, meet your hotel shuttle for the quick drive to your hotel. Settle in and relax after your day of travel.

 Return to the airport to catch an early flight to San Cristobal Island to begin your Galapagos tour. Upon arrival, meet your guide and transfer to your hotel in the town of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. Here, you will have a short briefing to prepare for your upcoming adventure.

In the afternoon, visit "La Loberia," a beach that is home to large Galapagos sea lions.  Enjoy a leisurely walk for about an hour that takes you through lava rocks and mangroves. Along the way, keep an eye out for the red-billed tropicbird, blue-footed bobbies, and Nazca bobbies that live in this area. Along the shore, you can witness yellow warblers, frigate birds, and various species of Darwin's finches. Between the rocks, you may also see marine iguanas, which are exclusively found in the Galapagos. At the end of your walk, you will have an opportunity for some shallow water snorkeling to observe sea lions and sea turtles. Enjoy the beach and go for a refreshing swim before returning to your hotel.

Travel to San Cristobal's northern coast by boat, where you will have the opportunity to visit Kicker Rock, popularly known as the Sleeping Lion (Leon Dormido).  Small boats are able to access the narrow waterway that was formed by the remains of a lava cone eroded by the sea. The remaining two vertical rocks, standing 500 feet (150 meters) above the ocean, are home to many tropic birds, frigate birds, and boobies that fill the skies and turn this natural monument into a stunning sight. The pristine waters beneath the sea offer a magnificent show of colorful creatures and you might even be lucky enough to spot hammerhead and white tip sharks. Spend some time on the beach after lunch before returning to the hotel.  

After breakfast, transfer by a small plane to Isabela Island, the largest island in the Galapagos and one of the most volcanically active places on the planet. Set out on a bike ride through a variety of environments and ecosystems, including white sand beaches, mangrove forests, brackish lagoons, and a lava tube cave. Isabela is well known for the 5 subspecies of giant tortoise that live in its cloudforests, and as you ride you may see these, as well as flamingos and other wildlife. Isabela’s salty lagoons are also home to a wide range of sea birds, offering some of the best birding in the Galapagos. Your ride will bring you to el Muro de las Lagrimas (Wall of Tears). Prisoners were forced to build this wall of lava rocks to keep them distracted back in the days when the island was used as a penal colony. After lunch you have the chance to walk through the mangrove forest to Concha y Perla bay for snorkeling.

In the morning, enjoy a lovely hike to the Arnaldo Tupiza breeding center, located 1.2 km from Puerto Villamil. The trail passes through mangrove ecosystems, wetlands, lava fields, carob forests, and Manzanillo. Once you arrive at the center, you will be able to see several different species of giant tortoise that come from the Cerro Azul and Sierra Negra volcanoes. These species include Casserole, Five Hills, Roca Union, San Pedro, Five Hills, Caleta Iguana, Tables and Cerro Paloma.

In the afternoon, explore the amazing formations of lava along the seashore, created by the last eruptions of this volcanic island. This magical place has historically been filmed by BBC and National Geographic for their documentaries. It is a labyrinth of lava arches and crystal clear water full of sea turtles, eagle rays, sea lions, sharks and more. The turtles navigate their own highway from the mangroves to the open sea through "Los Tuneles". Here, you will have the best snorkeling opportunity with all these beautiful animals, including the curious Galapagos penguins. Before or after the trip, you can relax on the exotic white-sand beaches of Isabela Island.  

From Puerto Villamil, you will journey to the highlands for a 6 mile (9 km) hike near the rim of the Sierra Negra Volcano. Sierra Negra is an active volcano which last erupted into a blazing show in October 2018. From this altitude, you will enjoy a fantastic view of the 5 mile-wide crater, the Perry Isthmus, and the other volcanoes beyond. From here you will continue to Chico Volcano, with its puffing fumaroles and striking lava formations. Isabela offers an out-of-this-world environment that exemplifies the dramatic geological events that have forged the Galapagos Islands.

This afternoon, visit Tintoreras Islet, a short distance from Puerto Villamil and home to a variety of wildlife, via kayak. White-tipped reef sharks, Galapagos Penguins, marine turtles, and sea lions live in its blue, crystalline seas. One of its beaches, which is surrounded by mangroves, is one of the few places in the world where marine iguanas may successfully spawn.

Cross from Isabela to Santa Cruz Island in the morning by boat. After checking in to your hotel, visit the Charles Darwin Research Station to discover more about the Galapagos Islands' ongoing conservation and management initiatives. You will also have the opportunity to see many of the endemic species of tortoise that may be found in the wild on the islands.

After visiting the tortoises in the Research Station, head to the Santa Cruz highlands where the iconic Galapagos tortoises can be found roaming freely. You'll have lunch at a private ranch before going on a trek in search of giant tortoises. You'll also see some lava tubes, which emerge when a lava stream's surface freezes.

Afterward, ride your bikes to Garrapateros Beach on the other side of the island. Make a stop at the Trapiche along the way to learn about the sugarcane liquor production process. Finally, return to your hotel to celebrate your wonderful journey. Spend your final evening in the Galapagos tasting a variety of traditional and fusion Galapagos meals while sipping a glass of wine and taking in the breathtaking views of the bay and town.

In the morning, say your final goodbyes to the Enchanted Islands as you transfer back to Baltra Island to catch your flight back to the mainland. 
Remain at the Quito airport to connect with your flight home (departing after 9 PM this evening), or add more time to explore Ecuador.