Departure to the Galapagos Islands, arrival at Baltra airport, where our naturalist guide of the NationalPark will be waiting for you.Bachas gets its name from the remains of two large barges (mispronounced by locals as “bachas”) left bythe Americans during WWII. At low tide you can still see the iron skeletons of the barges buried in thewhite sand. From November till May, this place is also one of the most important sea turtle nestinggrounds in the entire Galapagos islands. There are also several small saltwater lagoons where we oftensee flamingoes, herons and other aquatic birds.Snorkel: After the walk, you will have the option to swim or snorkel from the beach. The area is rich insome of the most common fish species of the Galapagos, but you can also find white-tipped reef sharkand rays.Highlights: American flamingoes, white cheeked pintails, sandpipers, lava gulls, blue footed boobies.

This hike is a journey into understanding the birth of these volcanic islands. You will walk in a very welpreserved flow of Pahoehoe lava, which will give you endless opportunities to see the delicate texturesof these type of lavas which only appear in a few places throughout the world. At first sight the barrenlandscape looks completely deprived of life, but look carefully for pioneer plants, lava lizards and smalbirds. By the shore, you can find penguins, pelicans and oystercatchers.Snorkel: You will have the option to swim or snorkel from a coral sand beach or from the dinghies. Gettingunderwater is like traveling to another world: if the land is almost lifeless, the sea is teaming with lifeincluding large schools of fish, Galapagos penguins, reef sharks, turtles and rays.Highlights: Pahoehoe lava, Galapagos penguins, oystercatchers, Galapagos hawks.Rábida is a small island famous for its reddish lava rocks (rich in iron) which gives it a unique look. Thebeach is also red and hosts a small colony of sea lions. There is a small salt water lagoon where we wilsee ducks and stilts and sometimes flamingoes. The trail will take you inland to get beautiful views of thebeach and the lagoon. Look for Darwin finches, flycatchers and mockingbirds. In the cliffs along the coasyou can find Nazca & blue-footed boobies, brown noddy, herons and the two species of sea lionsGalapagos and fur seals.Snorkel: You can snorkel from the beach and explore a sheltered rocky area, which is excellent for fishsea lions and reef sharks. Look at the high diversity of small invertebrates attached to the vertical walls.Highlights: Red-sand beach, Galapagos sea lions, Galapagos hawks, flycatchers, Darwin finchesGalapagos mockingbirds, ducks, flamingoes.

Located at the base of an imposing volcano (the most active in the Galapagos islands) this site is one othe jewels of the Galapagos National Park. As soon as you disembark you will be surrounded by hundredof marine iguanas, as this is the largest colony for the species. Sea lions bask in the beaches while theipups play in tide pools. Along the shore you will see flightless cormorants, which are restricted to thewestern areas of the archipelago. Surrounded by cold plankton-rich waters, Punta Espinosa is home foan array of species, including herons, pelicans, oystercatchers, sea turtles, shorebird and many moreLook up in the mangroves as Galapagos hawks often perch to look for their prey.Snorkel: The nutrient-rich waters around Punta Espinosa attracts great numbers and diversity of fish andsea turtles. Seaweeds are also abundant, making this place the best for seeing marine iguanas feedingunderwater. Following a cormorant underwater as it chases fish through the reef is one on the mosamazing snorkel experiences you may have on your trip.Highlights: Galapagos hawks, marine iguanas, flightless cormorants, penguins, sea turtles, sea lionsherons, oystercatchers, shorebirds, sally light-foot crabs.Tagus cove is one of the places Charles Darwin visited during his exploration of the Galapagos islands. Atrail will take you through a dry Palo Santo forests where you can see Darwin finches and mockingbirdsYou will get great views of Darwin’s lake and the large volcanos of northern Isabela.A boat tour along the shore will give you chances to see penguins, cormorants, marine iguanas and a veryunique species: the Galapagos martin, a small endemic bird which is one of the most endangered specieon the island.Snorkel: The nutrient-rich waters around Tagus Cove attracts a lot of sea turtles and a great diversity ofish, but also penguins, who feast on large schools of anchovies. It is common to see cormorantunderwater as they chase fish through the reef.Highlights: Galapagos hawks, marine iguanas, flightless cormorants, herons, penguins, sea turtles, seastars.

This place is known for the dramatic uplifting that happened here during the 1950’s. A large portion othe coast was pushed up, exposing many hectares of previously submerged land. Look carefully along thetrail and you will find small shells and corals, a proof that the area was underwater more than sixty yearago. The trail will give the opportunity to see land iguanas and, during certain seasons, giant tortoisesGalapagos hawks nest in the area and are often seen flying or perched on the trees.Snorkel: You can snorkel from the beach to see sea turtles, cormorants and penguins. Fish are alsoabundant in the area.Highlights: Galapagos hawks, land iguanas, Galapagos hawks, Galapagos mockingbirds, Darwin finchesflycatchers.Elizabeth Bay is a beautiful sheltered bay surrounded by large mangroves and barren lava fields. There ino trail here so you will take a dinghy tour to explore many channels, pools and coves teeming with life.This is one of the best locations in the islands to see Galapagos penguins, but don’t expect to seethousands of them, as the entire population of the islands is only about 3.000 of them. Flightlesscormorants also nest in the area and blue-footed boobies and pelicans often fish in these shallow andrich waters. Rays and sea turtles are also very abundant.Highlights: Galapagos hawks, sea turtles, rays, Galapagos penguins, flightless cormorants, herons.

Located very close to Puerto Villamil, the main town in Isabela, this small islet is surprisingly rich in wildlifeThere are extensive colonies of marine iguanas and sea lions and you will see rays and sea turtles in theshallow channels. Here it’s easy to see reef sharks, locally known as “Tintoreras”. Herons and gulls arealso common and if you are lucky, you might see a Galapagos penguin, as there are a few individuals inthe area.Highlights: Reef sharks, Galapagos penguins, marine iguanas, sea lions, Galapagos mockingbirds, Darwinfinches, herons, gulls.The wetlands of Villamil include a large area of lagoons, channels and coves located near the town. Thesalt water lagoons are surrounded by mangroves and are rich in bird species, sheltering species such aAmerican flamingo, white-cheeked pintails, gallinules, stilts, herons and other shorebirds.The main trail starts at the town and ends at the Tortoise Breeding CenterHighlights: American flamingoes, gallinules, ducks, stilts, herons.

Floreana is famous for the tales of German settlers and the baroness during the late 1920’s and 30 ‘sAssassinations, disappearances and other unsolved mysteries are the ingredients of this fascinating storyPost office bay was often used by whalers to anchor their ships and go up to the highlands to gefreshwater and tortoises. Most boats visiting the Galapagos had to came to this place sooner or later, soa system of mail was established more than 200 years ago: a barrel near the beach became the way toleave messages to other ships and also to the outside world. This mail system is still in use and will allowyou to send postcards from the Galapagos to the outside world. Aside from a small beautiful beach anda lava tunnel, the area is great for dinghy tours to look for sea lions, green sea turtles, shorebirds, smalsharks and, with some luck, Galapagos penguins.Snorkel: There is great snorkel from the beach, as you can see lots of sea turtles, rays, great diversity ofish and, if you are really lucky, Galapagos penguin,Highlights: Sea Lions, sea turtles, finches, shorebirds, marine iguanas, penguins.Punta Cormorant is located in the north of Floreana and it is known for its large coastal lagoon withAmerican flamingoes, white-cheeked pintails, black-necked stilts and other shorebirds. There is abeautiful white sand beach which is an important nesting ground for green sea turtles where we can alsosee rays and reef sharks. In the last years, a small groups of blue footed boobies have started to breedright by the trail. This is also a great trail to look at endemic plants.Highlights: American flamingo, blue-footed booby, frigatebirds, tropicbirds, Galapagos shearwaters, sealions, sea turtle nesting site, finches, shorebirds, coral-sand beach.

Either if you do this visit starting from Baltra or from Puerto Ayora, a bus will take you to thehighlands stopping along the way at one of the reserves to visit the lush highland forests whereyou will look for Galapagos Giant tortoises in their natural environment. This is the best place inthe Galapagos to see these gentle giants (reaching over 300 kg / 600 pounds!) casually grazingand resting in freshwater ponds. This is also home for a great diversity of birds rarely found atthe lowlands, including finches (tree, woodpecker and vegetarian finches), flycatchers andseveral species of water birds. You will visit a lava tunnel (depend on the itinerary) and learn howthese extraordinary formations where created by ancient volcanic eruptions.Highlights: Giant tortoises, Darwin finches, barn owls, white-cheeked pintails, Galapagos flycatchers, Lavatunnels.The Charles Darwin Station is a nonprofit organization which has been working for decades together withthe Galapagos National Park to preserve the biodiversity of these unique islands. During this visit you willearn about the projects that both institutions carry together to protect the native species and eradicatethe invasive ones which are threatening the Galapagos environment. One of the most important andemblematic projects has been reproducing giant tortoises in captivity. The visit is mostly outdoors in abeautiful dry native forest with giant cactus and many other interesting native plants. It is also a fantasticplace to find several endemic Darwin finches, as well as flycatchers and mockingbirds.Highlights: Galapagos giant tortoise & land iguanas breeding program, Darwin finches, Galapagosmockingbirds, Galapagos flycatchers, yellow warblers.

This island is home for large colonies of both magnificent and great frigatebirds and you can seethem displaying their red balloons to attract a female. Blue-footed boobies nest in the groundand perform their famous dance in the open areas, while swallow-tailed gulls perch on the clifedges. Land iguanas are common inland while their marine cousins bask in the rocks by the seaclose to sea lions, which often like to body surf in the waves.Highlights: Galapagos sea lions, blue footed boobies, magnificent & great frigatebirds, land & marineiguanas, swallow-tailed gulls, shearwaters, Darwin finches.

Itineraries are subject to change.