Day 1 Arrive in Quito Arrive in Quito, the biggest, best-preserved colonial city of South America, that was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978. The city is considered the Cultural Capital of South America and the second most important city of the old Inca Empire. Depending on your arrival time, you can spend your day exploring the old town of Quito and the surrounding area, or Ecuador Pure Life can help you to organize a day trip. In the evening, a trip leader will meet you at the hotel for a welcome briefing and there will be plenty of time to discuss details and answer any questions you may have regarding the adventure. Overnight at Mercure Alameda or similar.
Day 2 San Cristobal Island - Snorkel Today we get ready to explore the most amazing archipelago in the Pacific coast and the place where Charles Darwin formed his theory of the evolution of species. We will board a morning flight from Quito to the island of San Cristobal. Once arrived, we will transfer to the hotel in the town of Puerto Moreno and there will be a short briefing about the next few days. In the afternoon we will head to 'La Loberia' which is both a home beach and nursery for large Galapagos sea lions. We can spot them jumping over rocks or just lazing in the sand. We also get to see yellow warbler birds, frigate birds, and several species of Darwin finches along the beach. In between the rocks, we can find marine iguanas, which you can only see in Galapagos. We will also have the time to go for a refreshing swim, and explore the waters with our snorkel equipment and enjoy the beach. Overnight at Hotel Arena Blanca or similar. Meals : Breakfast
Day 3 Kicker Rock - Snorkel In the morning, we will take a speed boat to Kicker Rock, also known as the Sleeping Lion (Leon Dormido) because of its resemblance to one. This site is located off the coast of San Cristobal. The remains of a lava cone eroded by the sea, two vertical rocks rising 500 feet above the ocean, form a small channel that is navigable by small boats. This Galapagos Islands natural monument has become a favorite sight due to the many tropicbirds, frigate birds and boobies that fill the sky in this area. Beneath the sea, the crystal waters offer a brilliant show of colorful tropical fish, such as rainbow fish, and sharks, like hammerhead-, reef- and white tip sharks. After lunch, we will visit Cerro Brujo, an island ripe with noisy, frolicking sea lions that will welcome us to their home with open fins. This island also offers great snorkeling opportunities as well as the chance to see blue-footed and Nazca boobies. Overnight at Hotel Arena Blanca or similar.Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 4 Isabela Island - Bike In the morning, we will take a short flight to Isabela Island, the largest island in the archipelago and the place where the most volcanic activity in the Galapagos is reported. The island is formed by six shield volcanoes, Alcedo, Cerra Azul, Darwin, Ecuador, Sierra Negra and Wolf, five of them still active, and therefore the island is one of the most volcanically active places on earth. During our island crossing, we will be on the lookout for dolphins and whales (from July to October). In the afternoon, we will head out on our mountain bikes to explore the beautiful coastline on an exclusive trail, taking us through an incredible ecosystem with a wide variety of wildlife. We start with a visit to the Wall of Tears, a massive wall built with lava rocks. This site dates back to the '50s, when Isabela was used as a penal colony and prisoners were forced to build the wall to keep them from going mad, because of the isolation they experienced. As we continue our ride along the coast, we will explore pristine, white sand beaches, mangrove forests and lagoons. This area is filled with birdlife, including American oyster catchers, herons, flamingos, finches and many shore birds, as well as the ubiquitous sea lions and marine iguanas. After dinner we can enjoy a breathtaking sunset on the beach of Puerto Villamil. Overnight at Isabela Beach House or similar.Meals: Breakfast.
Day 5 Isabela Island - Hike, Kayak and Snorkel After driving up from Puerto Villamil to the trailhead, we prepare our backpacks and hike into a young forest ecosystem, a world of recent geological history, our destination is the rim of Sierra Negra Crater, an active volcano which last erupted in October 2005. Upon arrival, we take in breathtaking views and explore the circumference of the massive, lava-filled crater, over six miles across at its widest point. If we feel energetic enough, we can continue our hike to Volcan Chico, a secondary crater that has a wild landscape of puffing fumaroles and colorful lava formations, great examples of the dramatic geological events that have forged the Galapagos Islands over millennia. In the afternoon we will visit Tintoreras Islet, located at a short distance from Puerto Villamil and home to a great variety of wildlife. Its turquoise, crystalline waters are inhabited by white-tipped reef sharks, Galapagos penguins, turtles and sea lions. One of its beaches surrounded by mangroves is one of the few sites where marine iguanas can reproduce successfully. Overnight at Isabela Beach House or similar.Meals : Breakfast, Lunch
Day 6 Lava Tunnels - Snorkel Today, we explore the amazing formations of lava created by the last eruptions of the Volcanic Island along the seashore. This magical place has been used by the staff of BBC /National Geographic for their documentaries. It is a labyrinth of lava arches inside the breakers with crystal clear water full of huge sea turtles, eagle rays, sea lions, fish, white tipped reef sharks and more. Turtles navigate their own highway from the mangroves to the open sea through 'Los Tuneles'. Over here, we will have the best snorkeling opportunity with all these beautiful animals, including the curious Galapagos penguin. Before or after the trip, you can enjoy some optional activities such as snorkeling at 'Concha de Perla', taking surfing lessons or just relaxing on the exotic white-sand beaches of Isabela Island. We recommend you to take some time to visit the giant tortoise breeding centre. Overnight at Isabela Beach House or similar.Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 7 Santa Cruz Island - Charles Darwin Station, Hike with giant Tortoises In the morning we embark on a fast boat from Isabela to Santa Cruz Island. During our island crossing, we will be on the lookout for dolphins and whales (July to October) We will have time to visit the Charles Darwin Research Station to learn more about many of the endemic species we met during our adventure, as well as the ongoing conservation and management efforts on the Galapagos Islands, lunch is on your own and in the afternoon, we head to the 'El Chato' Reserve in the highlands of Santa Cruz, home to the famous Galapagos tortoise, hiking through this beautiful scenery with those lumbering giants is an unforgettable experience! We also see other highland wildlife such as pintail ducks, egrets, flycatchers and finches on our hike. We can also observe frigate birds which gather to wash the salt off their feathers at a fresh water lake. We return to Puerto Ayora to spend the evening in Galapagos
Day 8 Santa Cruz Island Free Day - Optional diving Today, you can experience the Galapagos at your pace! As an option, you can go on a self-guided exploration walk through a dry forest to Tortuga Bay (about 3
Day 9 Flight back to Quito After our final breakfast on the Galapagos Island and the last photos taken of sea lions, we have a transfer to Baltra's airport in time to catch the flight back to the mainland. Overnight at Mercure Hotel or similar.Meals : Breakfast
Day 10 Quito - Departure Today our trip will end and you will have your International departures. Take with you your memories and photos and leave a piece of your heart, as you will want to return to Ecuador soon to experience more of this enchanted land. We wish you a 'buen viaje'Meals : Breakfast
Ecuador.10 days $3,000.00
