Days 1 & 2 • Friday & Saturday
We fly to Guayaquil, Ecuador and stay at
the fine Hilton Colón. On Saturday we fly
to San Cristóbal Island in the Galapagos,
where we board the Evolution. In the afternoon
we sail out to kicker Rock, which rises 500
feet straight up and has a shape of a sleeping
lion. We continue to the powder-white sands
of Cerro Brujo for swimming.
We’ll likely see blue-footed boobies, yellow warblers and
finches. (Day 1: Meals Aloft; Day 2: B,L,D)

In the morning we visit Punta Suarez. We’ll
see Galapagos doves, Galapagos hawks and
the red-colored race of marine iguana. At some times of the year a colony of waved
albatross will pass us by. We have fine views of Española’s
famous blowhole, where incoming waves
spout 90 feet into the air. In the afternoon we
visit Gardner Bay, where we can swim and
snorkel among sea lions. (B,L,D)

We visit the Charles Darwin Research
Station, learning about the vital work being
done to study and preserve Galapagos
wildlife. Then we drive to the forested
highlands to look for giant tortoises in the
wild. We walk through a cloud forest that
surrounds a pair of pit craters, then have
time to explore the village of Puerto Ayora. (B,L,D)

A walk on Santiago is an opportunity to
spot land birds such as finches, doves and
Galapagos hawks. On the shoreline we see
iguanas basking on the rocks and sea lions
lazing in the tide pools. Later we visit
Bartolomé Island. Bartolomé’s volcanic
summit offers us a splendid panorama of
lava flows, beaches, sea, neighboring islands
and the jagged Pinnacle Rock. We will
also have an opportunity to swim and
snorkel, perhaps with penguins. (B,L,D)
.

Genovesa has one of the largest and most
diverse bird populations in the Galapagos.
We climb Prince Philip’s Steps to an area
with colonies of Nazca boobies and great
frigatebirds. There are also red-footed boobies
and good chances of seeing short-eared owls,
which feed on the petrels that fly about. In
the afternoon we visit Darwin Bay, home to
the swallow-tailed gull and the rare lava
gull. (B,L,D)

This morning finds us at Fernandina, the youngest and most volcanically active island in the Galapagos. We land at Punta Espinosa, where flightless cormorants build their nests on the point, sea lions sprawl on the beach and Marina iguanas dot the sand. In the afternoon, we sail round to Isablella Island and explore Tagus Cove. In our excursion bosts we look for penguins, flightless cormorants, pelicans and iguanas. We then walk uphill to the rim of the crater of Darwin Volcano and look down into Darwin Lake (B,L,D).

We visit North Seymour Island, and look for land iguanas and blue-footed boobies. There are nesting sites here for the magnificent frigate birds. Caleta Tortugag Negra (Black Turtle Cove) is a beautiful and peaceful area of mangroves. On our panga ride we'll turn off the motors and drift through the cove, looking for rays and sharks. Tonight we have a farewell dinner onboard. (B,L,D)

Return to San Cristobal, where we visit the Interpretation Center before we fly to Guayaquil and stay at the Hilton Colon (B,L, Aloft,D)

We fly to the US and connect with flights home. (B,L Aloft)