Galapagos land-based package

PACKAGES:

A) Hotel (Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz) + COMBINED DAILY TRIPS
B) Hotel (Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz) + cruise combination
C) Hotel (Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz) + DAILY SCUBA DIVING
D) ISLAND HOPPING - Isabela, San Cristobal, Santa Cruz
E) SCUBA DIVING packages – including scuba diving while aboard another cruise *certain restrictions apply

OPERATIONS:

DAYS OF OPERATION: DAILY (GUARANTEED)
MINIMUM NUMBER OF PEOPLE: NONE (i.e., OPERATING EVEN WITH ONE PERSON)
ITINERARY: from 3 DAYS / 2 NIGHTS to 8 DAYS / 7 NIGHTS

COMBINED DAILY TRIPS

Would you like to sleep on a very good mattress without loosing the possibility to visit the islands with their flora and fauna?  The best way to do it is with a Hotel/Yacht program.

Tour Description

We offer tours from 4 to 8 days.  Accommodation will be at Hotel Silberstein with a day trip each day.  The first day you´ll have an airport transfer and visit of the Charles Darwin Scientific Station. Other places to visit are: North Seymour, Plazas, Bartolome, the Highlands of Santa Cruz, Santa Fe and Floreana (subject to availability). The last day will include your transfer to the airport.

We offer combined packages with the Hotel Silberstein and daily tours to the other islands.

Included

• Board and lodging in the Hotel Silberstein
• All excursions
• Transfers to and from the airport
• English-speaking guide

Four days in Galapagos ….

1 day : Flight from Quito to Baltra (Santa Cruz)

Departing in Quito, the flight travels via Guayaquil to Baltra and then bus and ferry take you to Puerto Ayora, which is on the island of Santa Cruz. You will be accommodated in the Hotel Silberstein.  In the afternoon it is possible to go for a walk to the Charles Darwin Scientific Station, where the oldest and largest tortoises are being kept. In this unique research programme, which is essentially financed by donations, the attempt is being made to save the various species from dying out. In the evening dinner will be served at the hotel, starting with a welcome drink.

2 day:  Day trip to Plazas

This is a full-day trip on one of our touring yachts. The route takes you along the east coast of Santa Cruz and stops at the island of Plazas. There you have the opportunity to watch the island’s marvellous wildlife. As well as sea lions and land or sea iguanas, you will be able to observe the variety of seagulls that inhabit the isle. Lunch is served aboard before the yacht leaves for the hotel, where dinner will be prepared.

3 day:  Day trip to North Seymour

Another full-day trip. Today the yacht leaves for North Seymour, an island that accommodates large colonies of blue-footed boobies ducks and frigate birds. Also many sea lions and frigate birds inhabit this island.  Again lunch is served aboard. For evening dinner the yacht will be back in Puerto Ayora, where you will have dinner in the hotel.

4 day:  Return flight to Quito

A bus trip takes you to the airport on Baltra, where the return flight leaves for Quito.

Extensions up to 6 days in Galapagos …

4 day:  Day trip to Bartolome

Today we will do a full-day trip to the Bartolome Island. After climbing up the moon-like surface, right up to the highest point of the island, you will be rewarded with a magnificent view of the Galapagos Islands, the volcanic landscape and especially of Pinnacle Rock, one of Galapagos’ most photographed sites.  People swimming on the island’s beach are often joined by penguins and, at certain times of the year, by turtles looking for a spot in the soft sand to lay their eggs.

5 day:  Visiting the highlands of Santa Cruz and Tortuga Bay

Travelling by bus, the tour goes up into the highlands of Santa Cruz. On a farm ground in the hills you can normally find the giant “Galapagos” tortoises which gave the islands their name. The following walk is a special experience; the path leads into the lava tunnels that were created when the lava stream cooled down.  After lunch the walk continues down to a beautiful white beach called Tortuga Bay. Here you will see a great variety of seabirds and land iguanas. Back at the hotel, dinner will be served.

6 day:  Return flight to Quito

Extensions up to 8 days in Galapagos …

6 day:  Day trip to Santa Fe

Santa Fe is characterized by its dry landscape, which is overgrown by opuntia cactuses. This is one of the best places to study land iguanas. The steep paths can be very strenuous and for that reason, many people enjoy cooling down in the hotel’s own swimming pool after returning.

7 day:  Day trip to Floreana

Floreana became famous for its “Post Office”, a place where in older days pirates used to place their letters in old casks. The one who lived nearest to an address was supposed to deliver the letter. This old custom is still kept alive by many tourists.
The “Devil’s Crown” is an almost sunken crater. Only a semicircle of volcano rocks remains above sea-level. These rocks provide a home to breeding colonies of blue-footed boobies and red-beaked tropical birds and are a diver’s paradise. Another beautiful nature site is Cormorant Bay. With a dense mangrove belt behind the beach and a tranquil lagoon, it is inhabited by flamingos, bahama ducks and others.

8 day:  Return flight to Quito

ISLAND HOPPING OPTIONS

With the Island Hopping program, you will sleep in different hotels on the inhabited islands, like the Silberstein Hotel in Puerto Ayora (Santa Cruz Island), the Hotel Miconia in San Cristobal and the Hotel Casa de Marita in Isabela. With this program you will have the opportunity to get to know the islands Santa Fe, San Cristobal, Espanola, Floreana, Isabela, Seymour, Plazas and Bartolome.

Sample Tour Itinerary

1 Day  Flight to Baltra, Puerto Ayora, Charles Darwin Scientific Station – Hotel Silberstein
2 Day  Trip via Santa Fe to San Cristóbal – Hotel Miconia
3 Day  Enjoy San Cristóbal – Hotel Miconia
4 Day  Visit to Floreana and trip to Isabela (Puerto Villamil) – Hotel Casa de Marita
5 Day  Visit to Isabela, Scientific Station , Lagoon of the Flamingos, Cerro Negra – Hotel Casa de Marita
6 Day  Trip to Pto. Ayora – Hotel Silberstein
7 Day  Trip to Plazas and Seymour – Hotel Silberstein
8 Day  Return flight to Quito

Note: itineraries are subject to change and can be modified to some degree

Santa Cruz

With its port Puerto Ayora, Sta. Cruz has the highest population within the Islands.  The Administration of the National Park and the Charles Darwin Research Station are located there. The Station has a few small museums, which show the history of the Islands origin. You can also find the oldest and largest tortoises there, one of the most famous is Lonesome George . In this unique research programme, which is essentially financed by donations, the attempt is being made to save the various species from dying out.

The animals on the Galapagos Islands never had natural enemies (except animals like rats, cats, dogs, donkeys and goats, which came to the islands with the humans).  Therefore, the animals have lost their instinct to run away, so you will be able to get very close to all the animals, which is unique in the world. But one should not think, that the animals got used to the humans and touching or disturbing the animals can have fatal effects. Therefore it is strictly forbidden to touch or feed the animals!

Visit to Santa Fe and trip to San Cristobal

Santa Fe has one of the most beautiful landscapes of all the visitor sites in the Galapagos. The island is characterized by its dry landscape, which is overgrown by the opuntia cactus. Santa Fe is an Island that was not formed by a volcanic eruption. Here is one of the best places to study Land Iguanas. They are more bright yellow and have uncommonly large spikes on their spine. Furthermore Sea Turtles, Galapagos Hawks, Rice Rats and Sea Lions can be seen. The steep paths can be a little strenuous and, for that reason, many people enjoy a cooling bath afterwards.  You will then continue the tour to San Cristobal, where the capital city of the province Galapagos is situated – Puerto Baquerizo. Overnight stay at Hotel Orca.

Visit to San Cristobal

One of the main attractions of Puerto Baquerizo on the Island San Cristobal is a small museum, which is administrated by Franciscans. Furthermore the Darwin Monument is an interesting site. The rock ” Leon Dormido ” – sleeping lion, dominates the entrance of the port, from where you can enjoy a magnificent view over the whole island. From here, you can also observe Frigate birds and big colonies of Sea Lions.

Visit to Española and trip to Floreana

Española is famous for its richness of seabirds. In Pta. Suarez, you can find big colonies of Sea Lions, the red coloured Sea Iguana, Blue-footed Boobies, Masked boobies and at certain times of the year you can see the Albatross. In the afternoon, you will continue to Floreana Island, were you will spend the night at the Hostal of the famous Wittmer family.

Visit to Floreana and trip to Isabela

Floreana became famous for its Post Office , where still tourists leave their letters, like the pirates used to leave their mails in old barrels. The one, who lives next to the recipient, takes them with him and hands them out. The devil’s crown is a sunken crater, of which a semicircle is visible in the sea, with places where Blue-footed Boobies and Red-billed Tropicbirds breed. Furthermore the surrounding sea is a paradise for divers. In Cormorant Bay with a dense Mangrove-belt behind the beach and a quiet lagoon, you can see Flamingos, Bahama Pintail Ducks, Black-necked Still and Whimbrels. In the afternoon, you will continue the tour to Isabela Island. Overnight stay at the Hostal Casa de Marita.

Visit to Isabela Island

Isabela is the biggest of the Galapagos Islands and has many active volcanoes up to an altitude of 1689m (Cerro Azul). Furthermore, you can find many beautiful beaches on the island. Passing the Sierra Negra volcano, you will reach the Cerro Chiquito, which is an active volcano still sending smoke out of its crater.  Near the port city Puerto Villamil, there is a branch office of the Charles Darwin Research Station which breeds turtles and where you will be able to see the turtles that survived the eruption of the Cerro Azul. Normally, big groups of Flamingos can be seen in the nearby lagoon, and at the Loberia you can also observe Sea Lions and Sharks.

Highlands of Santa Cruz / Tortuga Bay

The tour returns into the highlands of Santa Cruz. The green landscape of this area, dominated by Scalesia trees is a welcoming contrast to the more arid scenery of the smaller, lower islands. On a farm ground in the hills you can observe the giant Galapagos tortoises from which the islands got their name. The following walk is a special experience; the path leads into the lava tunnels that were created when the lava stream cooled down, a fun and geologically informative visit. The trip to the highlands ends with a visit to the Twin Craters, a magnificent site where the two craters are situated on the right and left side of the road connecting Puerto Ayora to Baltra. They were formed as a result of the collapse of the crust into the crater. There are many craters of this type in the area, which signals that possibly these craters are all elements of the same fissure. After lunch the walk continues down to Tortuga Bay, a beautiful white beach and its lagoons. Here you will see a variety of Seabirds and Land Iguanas.

Day trip to North Seymour and Plazas

Today you will leave  to North Seymour, a low, flat island which was uplifted from the sea by underground seismic activity. This place accommodates large colonies of Blue-footed Boobies and Magnificent Frigate birds. On North Seymour there is a high chance of seeing a great show of acrobatic flights, for example a Frigate bird robbing a Booby, a Gull or even another Frigate bird of their food. Also many Sea Lions and sea Iguanas inhabit this island.

One of the small very interesting islands is Plazas. There you have the opportunity of watching the island’s marvellous wildlife. One of Plaza’s main characteristics is its unusual vegetation comprised of Opuntia Cactuses and Seasuvium plants. As well as Sea Lions and Land or Sea Iguanas, you will be able to observe the variety of Seagulls that inhabit the isle. The sheer cliffs on the southern shore are an unparalleled bird observatory and a perfect bird habit: Swallow-tailed Gulls, Yellow-tailed mullets, Audubon Shearwaters, Red-billed Tropicbirds, Brown Pelicans among others use the rising air to glide from one side to the other of the escarpment.

Included

• Transfers In/Out in Galapagos
• Accommodation and complete meals in Galapagos
• Tour as described
• Qualified guide(s) with the language of your choice (Spanish, English, German and French)

CONTACT: info@sangay.com

RATES DO NOT INCLUDE

* Air ticket to /from Galapagos (although this is booked & arranged in conjunction with the package)
* Entrance fee to the Galapagos National Park ($100 International visitors, and $6 Ecuadorians).
* Control Visitor Card ($10).
* Personal expenses.
* Beverages.
* Gratuities and tips

Please NOTE: The sequence of these programs may vary according to seasonal weather variations.