Galapagos Naturalist Sailing and Multi-Sport Adventure

2012 Dates: Departs every other Saturday from Quito

Join us for a unique opportunity to explore the Galápagos Islands in this all-inclusive yacht based multi-sport adventure. This multi-faceted trip is the most intimate way to explore and experience the Galápagos Archipelago.

Our 80-foot, 12-passenger catamaran offers more space and luxuries than other similar boats during your exclusive national park tour. Mooring each night in different locations, our special permit allows guests to experience the best the Galápagos has to offer. Island hopping by catamaran allows us to easily access places the bigger ships may not. Our small group size is far more intimate and allows us to spend time observing the wildlife and enjoying the active nature of our vacation rather than loading and unloading from a cruise ship.

Day 1 (Saturday): Arrive Quito, Ecuador
Upon arrival in Quito, you will take a short taxi ride to your hotel. Your hotel arrangements and flight details will be confirmed for you approximately two weeks prior to departure.

Day 2: Flight to Santa Cruz and Snorkel at Bachas Beach
After breakfast, take a taxi back to the airport for your flight to Galápagos. The domestic terminal is small but you will want to arrive at least 1.5 hours prior to your flight from Quito to Baltra (which is adjacent to Santa Cruz). Once in Galápagos, your guide will meet you at the terminal and take you to our yacht moored in the harbor. You’ll check in to your cabins and then regroup to enjoy a delicious lunch. Soon after we will sail to Bachas Beach where you will have an opportunity to unwind, explore the beach and test your snorkeling gear (which is provided for you). The name is Spanglish for "barges" which were wrecked offshore during World War II. A common first landing site, there is a delightful swimming beach and lagoon. This lagoon hosts great blue herons and small waders such as sanderlings and semi-palmated plovers. The beach is a nesting area for green sea turtles, especially November to February. The expansive white sands here are also home to sea lions and flocks of blue-footed boobies demonstrating their acrobatic dives. Pelicans, tropicbirds and herons may also be a part of the mix. Later in the day we’ll gather for the first in a series of congenial onboard dinners as we get to know our fellow travelers and navigate our way to Santa Cruz.

Day 3: Surfing, hiking or biking - Santa Cruz and Charles Darwin Station
After a glorious oceanside breakfast, we will explore the island of Santa Cruz. This morning you have the option of hiking to Tortuga Beach for surfing or body surfing in the waves. We have both long and short boards available and your ROAM guide can each you the basics of surfing. Once you ride your first wave you will be addicted! For those not up to a morning at the beach, we will visit Los Gemelos (the twins) and hike through the unique vegetation rich with birdlife. Biking may also be an option to explore the highlands. In the afternoon we will visit the world famous Charles Darwin Research Centre where most of the efforts to protect and preserve the native flora and fauna are developed. The center also has giant tortoise rearing programs and is home to Lonesome George, the last of his species. Tonight we will dine while we navigate to Isabela Island.

Day 4: Hiking and snorkeling - Isabela Island and Punta Moreno
Located on the western shore of Isabela, Punta Moreno is a place where the forces of the Galapagos have joined to create a work of art. Our exploration starts with a panga ride along the beautiful rocky shores where Galapagos penguins and shore birds are frequently seen. After a dry landing, the path traverses through jagged black lava rock. As the swirling black lava flow gave way to form craters, crystal tide pools formed-some surrounded by mangroves. This is a magnet for small blue lagoons, pink flamingos, blue herons, and Bahama pintail ducks. Brown pelican can be seen nesting in the green leaves of the mangroves. You can walk to the edge of the lava to look straight down on these pools including the occasional green sea turtle, white-tipped shark and puffer fish. We will have time to snorkel before lunch and then navigate to Urbina Bay.

Seasonally Urvina Bay provides a nesting area for many of the Galapagos creatures. Female tortoises journey down from Alcedo to lay their eggs in the sand. Galapagos penguins, flightless cormorants and brown pelicans nest in the area as well. The visit begins with a wet landing on the white sand beach. The difficulty of the route varies by season as the trail ranges from stark and easily passable during the dry season to mildly challenging requiring wading to pass during the rainy season. Visitors cross the uplifted region learning about this geological wonder. Then reach the sandy area that was once the beach. Shorter visits return to the landing point on the same path, while longer visits continue past the coral heads and new beach. Other highlights of this site include marine iguanas and some of the largest land iguanas in the islands, and Galapagos Cotton an endemic plant, historians believe the Incas brought to the islands, while naturalist theorize it floated across from Peru. Tonight we will dine enroute to Tagus Cove.

Day 5: Snorkeling at Tagus Cove and Fernandina Punta Espinoza
Tagus Cove is situated directly east of Fernandina Island on the west coast of Isabela Island. It is a beautiful, well-protected cove sheltered by the shoulders of two volcanic craters and has been used as an anchorage for over 300 years. A nature trail here ascends through the typical dry vegetation zone and offers spectacular views of Darwin Lake, a saltwater crater lake and the long narrow inlet that appears to connect with it. At the top of the trail it is possible to observe the different vegetation zones, catch a glimpse of Darwin and Wolf volcanoes, and observe Galapagos penguins, flightless cormorants and pelicans. We will have an opportunity to snorkel before sailing to Fernandina.

Fernandina Island is the youngest and most active volcano in the Galapagos, with eruptions taking place every few years. The flat lava of Punta Espinosa offers a stark and barren landscape, but here flightless cormorants build their nests on the point, sea lions sprawl on the beach or play in the tide pools and large numbers of marine iguanas dot the sand. We also will have the opportunity to compare the aa and pahoehoe lava types here. Dinner at night and navigation to Santiago

Day 6: Hiking and snorkeling - Santiago Puerto Egas and Espumilla Beach
A visit to Puerto Egas begins with a wet landing on the dark sand beaches of James Bay. Here we walk along the rocky coast giving visitors the opportunity to view some of the Galapagos Island's best tide pools. Sponges, snails, hermit crabs, barnacles and fish including the endemic four-eyed blenny can be seen. The walk also presents a variety of shore birds, marine iguanas, sally light foot crabs and sea lions.

There are two interesting excursions at Puerto Egas. The first is a short walk from the landing site to the site of one of the Galapagos' first entrepreneurial endeavors. The second excursion is to a fur seal grotto. Fur seals and sea lions can be seen swimming in the rocky lava ringed pools. This is the best opportunity guests have to see and swim with fur seals.

Day 7: Rabida and Sullivan Bay
One of the special features of Rabida Island is its remarkable red color, which is a result of the high percentage of oxidized iron in the composition of lava. Here we will witness the nine varieties of finches also the large-billed flycatchers and brown pelicans. Here a small salt-water lagoon where greater Flamingos can be seen and a beautiful colony of sea lions. The main attraction of Sullivan Bay is the broad, pahoehoe or rope lava flow. It is one of the most incredible places to compare the lava flows and their characteristics. Dinner at night and navigation to Genovesa.

Day 8: Hiking volcanoes - Genosa - Barranco - Darwin Bay
Also known as bird Island, El Barranco, requires a demanding walk up a steep cliff, where tropicbirds, red-footed boobies and other nesting seabirds can be found. We follow the trail through a palo santo forest to a storm petrel colony passing boobies and great frigate bird along the way. Darwin Bay is the caldera of a collapsed volcano and has a small coral beach where we can land for an easier walk. This will allow for stunning views from the cliffs and an opportunity to photograph the amazing bird life such as swallow-tailed gulls, red-footed booby, nazca booby, large ground finch, large cactus finch, sharp-billed ground finch, small marine iguanas, and great frigate bird. Dinner at night and navigation to Daphne.

Day 9: Daphne and Baltra
Birdlife abounds as the morning sunrise lights up the pink skies. Soon after, reality sinks in that it is time to leave this island paradise and make our way to the airport at Baltra. Tonight we will regroup in Quito for a farewell dinner to share memories and laughs before retiring to our overnight accommodations.

Please note: guests flying home on Delta may depart this evening from Quito

Day 10: Depart
After an early breakfast at the hotel, take a taxi to the airport to catch flights home or get ready for your next adventure in Ecuador.

Included:

• Professional guide service
• Fully crewed sail boat with naturalist
• 7 nights sailing and lodging on catamaran (based on double occupancy)
• 2 nights hotel before and after sailing
• 8 days of activities
• R/T flights from Quito to Galápagos
• All meals breakfast Day 2 through breakfast Day 10
• All activities, transfers and expedition equipment as outlined in the itinerary

Not Included:

• Flights to/from Quito, Ecuador
• Excess baggage charges
• International airport departure tax $40.50 US per person
• Single supplement
• National Park entrance fee $110 US per person, $70 US per child under 12 (cash only)
• Insurance of any kind, including travel and mandatory medical and evacuation insurance
• Alcoholic beverages
• Items of personal nature (a complete packing list will be provided)
• Gratuities

Note: Minimum age for this trip is 6 years old.

Photos provided by Dave Gluns