Cruise - Galapagos Islands First Class

AM: Flying from Quito or Guayaquil, the flight will arrive around noon (local time) to San Cristobal, where you will be welcomed in the lobby by our guide, who will be waiting for your arrival to take you to Yacht Anahí. Your luggage will be taken by one of our crew members who, aboard the small Zodiacs, will transport you directly to the yacht. The captain and crew will welcome you on board and then you will have your designated cabins. After lunch, our guide will give you a brief explanation about the afternoon activities.

PM: San Cristobal Interpretation Center, located on the outskirts of the small town of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, the capital of the Galapagos province. The Interpretation Center will give us an introduction to the islands, and their natural history, as well as human history. Then we will walk to the place known as `La Colina de las Fragatas`, or `Cerro Tijeretas`. This short 30 minute walk starts at the interpretation center and takes you to the top of the hill. Once there, visitors can enjoy a spectacular view of the surrounding white beaches and the incredible geographical formations of the Pacific Ocean. The hill is often visited by frigate birds that nest there in certain seasons of the year. From the hill we will descend to a small inlet known as Punta Carola, where we will observe a colony of sea lions.

At night (if you want) you can disembark in the city for a walk and maybe have a drink in one of the local bars.

AM: Punta Suárez: A destination of great interest due to the abundance of birds. This island also has its own species of animals, such as the Española Mockingbird, which has a distinctly longer and curved beak than the variations found on other islands; the Galapagos lava lizard; the marine iguana of the subspecies venustissimus, which has red marks on its back; among others. We can also observe gulls and other tropical birds that live on rocky slopes. Among the most interesting attractions is the wavy albatross, since almost the entire world population comes to reproduce here between March and December, and the mating dance of the blue-footed booby. There are hundreds of Nazca boobies, colonies of sea lions, large colonies of sea iguanas and different species of birds.

PM: Bahía Gardner: A beautiful beach that is excellent for swimming and snorkeling. Here we can find a large colony of playful sea lions and we hope to observe the Galapagos Pilgrim Falcons and local species of snakes, while no doubt we will see the finches, mockingbirds and Darwin sea turtles.

AM: Punta Cormorant: A place that has the best and largest flamingos lagoon in Galapagos. It is located between two volcanic hills that give the area a special atmosphere. There are varieties of seabirds that can be seen in addition to flamingos, the most frequent being stilts, white-tailed ducks and other migratory birds. This is a unique area due to the high percentage of endemic plants (exclusive to the island). Here we can see "Praia Verde" (due to the high percentage of olive crystals on the sand) and "Praia de Farinha de Areia" composed mainly of coral reefs, making these the two most interesting beaches of the islands. Then we return to the yacht to start our snorkeling activity in the place known as the Devil`s Crown. This is a sunken volcanic crater where the interior of the formation is ideal for the sustainability of a wonderful coral reef habitat, making it one of the most fascinating marine sites in the Galapagos.

PM: Bahía "Correios": Historically, it served as a letter exchange station in the 18th century, when the crew of a whaling ship used a wooden barrel. Both sailors and tourists used this system to communicate with people from all over the world. The idea is to take letters or postcards to their destination by hand, creating a very special "postal service". This site was also the landing place of some of the first settlers of the islands. Then we will visit the Asilo de la Paz, known for its strange history as one of the first areas occupied by the German Witmer family. We return to the yacht and head to Puerto Ayora, the largest city in Galapagos.

If we are lucky, we will be able to see dolphins during our trip, as well as manta rays and sea turtles.

AM: After breakfast, we will visit 2 interesting places before leaving for the airport. We start with a visit to the Galapagos National Park "Fausto Llerena" visitor center, where the turtles are raised and where we can see the work being done to protect this unique species. The famous Charles Darwin Research Station is also located here, where we can contribute to the scientific investigations that are promoted by the station.

Then we will be transported to the Itabaca channel, which we will cross with a local ferry and then take a bus to Baltra Island Airport. Our trip ends here. We will say goodbye to our guide and the Galapagos Islands, who will be waiting for your next visit.