MOTOR CATAMARAN ARCHIPELL I

GTEG-124 – M/C ARCHIPELL I CRUISE ITINERARIES
FOUR DAYS / THREE NIGHTS (ITINERARY “B”)
MONDAY TO THURSDAY

ISLANDS:

Explore Baltra, North Seymour, Genovesa, Bartolome, Santiago, Santa Cruz

SITES

Prince Philip’s Steps, Darwin Bay, Pinnacle Bay, Sullivan Bay, Charles Darwin Research Station

ICONIC SPECIES

Sea lion, killer whale, whimbrel, wandering tattler, great and magnificent frigate bird, blue- and red-footed booby, yellow warbler, Darwin’s finch, Galapagos mockingbird, large cactus finch, tropicbird, Nazca booby, storm petrel, lava- and swallow-tailed gull, fur seal, short-eared owl, land iguana, marine iguana, shearwater, brown noddy, red-billed tropicbird, Galapagos hawk, reef fish, octopus, scalloped hammerhead shark, Pacific green turtle, spotted eagle ray, barracuda, manta ray.

ITINERARY

DAY 1: Monday – Arrival Galapagos Islands

Arrival in Baltra Airport & North Seymour Island
Morning flight from Quito or Guayaquil to Baltra Airport. Meeting, assistance and transfer to the harbor and the M/C Archipell I.
Afternoon visit to North Seymour Island.
Meals: Lunch, dinner

DAY 2: Tuesday – Galapagos Islands

Genovesa Island
AM; Prince Philipp’s Steps
PM: Darwin Bay
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

DAY 3: Wednesday – Galapagos Islands

Bartolome Island & Santiago Island
AM: Bartolome Island
PM: Sullivan Bay (Santiago)
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

DAY 4: Thursday – Depart Galapagos Islands

Charles Darwin Research Station and Baltra Airport
Assisted by your naturalist guide and some crewmembers, the dinghy will bring you and your luggage to the Seymour Ecological Airport (Baltra) and assist you with your check in for your flight to Quito, Guayaquil or your next destination.
Meals: Breakfast

GTEG-124 – M/C ARCHIPELL I CRUISE ITINERARIES
FOUR DAYS / THREE NIGHTS (ITINERARY “B”)
MONDAY TO THURSDAY

Detailed Itinerary

DAY 1: Monday – Arrival Galapagos Islands

Arrival in Baltra Airport & North Seymour Island
AM: Morning flight from Quito or Guayaquil to Baltra Airport. Meeting, assistance and transfer to the harbor and the M/C Archipell I.

PM: North Seymour Island
This islet is one of most visited sites, and it is teeming with birdlife. An easy circular path takes you through the archipelago’s most extensive colonies of blue-footed boobies and frigate birds. At the beginning of the breeding season, adult frigate bird males blow up their vivid red pouches to impressive football-sized balloons. This is one of the few spots where you can compare the magnificent and the great frigate birds breeding next to each other.
Meals: Lunch, dinner

DAY 2: Tuesday – Galapagos Islands

Genovesa Island
Prince Philip’s Steps & Darfwn Bay
AM: Prince Philip’s Steps
Before landing, you will take a dinghy-ride along the eastern arm of the caldera. As we approach, the soaring 80 foot high walls become overwhelming. You might sight a Galapagos fur seal resting or a seabird nesting on one of the ledges at the base.
You will then hike the steep stairs from the landing dock to a bush of Palo Santo shrubs on top. Red-footed boobies gratefully use these scarce nesting places instead of nesting on the rocky ground. Upon arriving at the edge of the rim, the bushes open up and you can enjoy panoramic views, a strong sea breeze and the amazing flying skills of countless seabirds. Following the exposed rim, you will encounter Nazca boobies and the extensive storm petrel nesting places. Here, if you are lucky, you can spot the well-camouflaged short-eared owl hunting for them on foot!

PM – Darwin Bay
Inside the submerged caldera of Genovesa lies Darwin Bay, with a diameter of more than 1 mile and 650 feet deep. Walking along a coral sand beach, crossing barren lava formations and creeks, passing tidal pools, shrubs and further ahead following the top of some cliffs will be un unforgettable experience. With this peaceful surrounding, every single species has occupied its own ecological niche (or habitat) without disturbing others.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

DAY 3: Wednesday – Galapagos Islands

Bartolome Island & Santiago Island

AM: Bartolomé
The beautiful volcano islet of Bartolomé is among the youngest of the islands. Although at first sight lifeless, Bartolomé offers some of the wildest landscapes and best panoramic views of the entire archipelago. To enjoy the postcard view of the idyllic ‘Pinnacle Bay’ you need to climb the steps to the viewpoint on top of the island (375 feet). Here you will encounter a dramatic world of threatening (though extinguished) nearby spatter cones, craters, and lightweight lava droplets that have been spewed out by fiery fountains. The Summit Trail is also ideal for witnessing how scanty pioneer vegetation such as lava cactus struggles to take root in the bare virgin lava fields.

PM: Sullivan Bay (Santiago)
Setting foot at the lava stream covering Sullivan Bay is like landing on the moon. The desolate, stretched-out fields seem mostly lifeless, but there is plenty to see on this highly popular site amongst photographers. Pacific green turtles seasonally bury eggs in the tiny white sand beach, where you might also encounter crabs, a strayed blue heron or an oystercatcher. On the lava flow, only sparse pioneer vegetation such as lava cacti and carpetweed are able to grow. You might encounter a lava lizard, locusts or a small snake-species (Galapagos racer).
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

DAY 4: Thursday – Depart Galapagos Islands

Charles Darwin Research Station and Baltra Airport

AM: Charles Darwin Research Station
Although the great majority of Galapagos visitors come here to observe and appreciate natural wonders, it is also interesting to learn how the protection and conservation of the islands are carried out. The main attractions are the National Park information center, the Van Staelen Exhibition Hall, the Breeding and Rearing Centre for young tortoises, and adult Galapagos tortoises in captivity.

After visiting the Research Center transfer to Baltra Airport. Assisted by the naturalist guide and some crewmembers, the dinghy will bring you and your luggage to the Seymour Ecological Airport (Baltra) and will assist you with your check in for your flight to Quito, Guayaquil or your next destination.
Meals: Breakfast