M/V Galapagos Legend Itinerary D Thursday

General Info

The M/V Galapagos Legend is a 100 passenger capacity vessel with ample social areas where you can enjoy countless on board activities. Standard Plus cabins are exterior cabins with porthole windows, located on the Sea Deck. Highlights of Cruise D include the colony of sea lions on San Cristobal, snorkelling off Espanola, famous Post Office Bay and giant tortoises of Santa Cruz.

Itinerary

Day 1 San Cristobal Island

AM- San Cristóbal airport
Departure from Quito or Guayaquil to San Cristóbal (2 ½ hours flight). Passengers are picked up at the airport by our naturalist guides and taken on a ten minute bus drive to the pier to board the M/V Galapagos Legend.

PM – Interpretation Center (San Cristóbal)
Dry landing in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, capital of the Galapagos Islands. Passengers visit the Interpretation Center, an excellent place to learn about Natural History in the Galapagos. The Museum of Natural History displays information on the volcanic origins of the islands, their remoteness from the continent, ocean currents, climate, the arrival of the different species and their colonization, among other points of interest. The human history is also showcased, chronologically narrating the most significant events related to the discovery and colonization of the islands. (LD)

Day 2 Espanola Island

AM- Gardner Bay, Gardner & Osborn islets (Española)
Wet landing on a beautiful white coral sand beach guarded by a colony of sea lions. There are no trails, so we stay along the shore where we can spot Galapagos hawks, American Oystercatchers, Galapagos Ground Doves, Hood mockingbirds, Yellow Warblers, lava lizards, marine iguanas, and three species of Darwin’s finches: a subspecies (Geospiza fuliginosa) of the Large Cactus Finch, which is similar to the large ground finch, the Small Ground Finch (Geospiza fuliginosa) and the Warbler Finch (Certhidea Olivacea), another endemic subspecies. Swimming and snorkeling offer a great variety of Galapagos marine wildlife: king angelfish, Creole fish, damsel fish, parrotfish, manta rays, and white-tipped reef sharks.

PM – Suárez Point (Española)
Dry landing. An island of geological interest, we explore volcanic formations and a riveting wildlife: large sea lion colonies and seabirds including Española mockingbird, Nazca Boobies and the spectacular Red-billed Tropicbird. You will also encounter marine iguanas, lava lizards, and the colorful Sally Lightfoot Crabs.
A somewhat lengthy hike will bring you among Nazca and Blue-footed Boobies, right up to nesting grounds that sometimes overlap the trail. Other birding favorites include Galapagos Dove, Galapagos Hawk, Swallow-tailed Gulls and the world’s largest colony of Waved Albatross, an unequivocal highlight during mating season (May-December).
Admire the island’s dramatic backdrop, featuring the famous Soplador, a seaward blowhole that shoots water some 23m in the air.(BLD)

Day 3 Floreana Island

AM- Post Office (Floreana)
Wet landing. Located on the north side of Floreana, the bay is so-named because in 1793 Captain James Colnett installed a wooden barrel which served as an informal post office for sailors passing through, who would take letters with them to their destinations. Today, our visitors continue the tradition by placing unstamped postcards inside the barrel that should reach their destinations for free. It can take weeks, months, even years, not arrive at all, or even arrive before you!
We may also encounter Darwin’s finches, Yellow Warbler and lava lizards. Great snorkeling opportunities with Green Pacific Sea Turtles as well, this island is best known for its endemic vegetation: Scalesia villosa, Lecocarpus pinnatifidus, and Galapagos milkwort. Snorkelers can practice on the main beach among playful sea lions.

PM – Cormorant Point (Floreana)
Wet landing on an olivine green sand beach. We hike from the black mangrove beds to a brackish lagoon, which usually holds one of the largest flamingo populations in the Galapagos. This island features some endemic plants such as Scalesia villosa, white and black mangrove, and holy stick. The trail continues to a beautiful white-sand beach, one of the most important nesting sites of Green Pacific Sea Turtles. It is important to avoid walking in the water due to the Sting Rays that may be hiding in the sand, which can be dangerous if accidentally stepped on. From the beach one can spot sea turtles, Blue-footed Boobies plunging into the water, and small reef sharks floating along the shoreline in search of food.
This coral-sand beach marks the end of our trail, and we head back to the olivine beach we landed on to swim or snorkel amongst sea turtles, reef fish, sea lions and, on a good day, white-tipped reef sharks. A small colony of penguins resides on Floreana and can sometimes be observed as well. (BLD)

Day 4 Santa Cruz Island

AM- Highlands El Chato (Santa Cruz)
Dry landing. We will reach the Santa Cruz highlands and visit a private farm, Primicias (El Chato), where giant tortoises are found in their natural habitat. Additionally, travelers can walk inside surprising lava tubes; we also visit Pit Craters created from the collapse of surface materials into chamber fissures underground. It’s a great place to spot Vermilion Flycatcher as we walk inside an endemic Scalesia forest.

PM – Charles Darwin Research Station (Santa Cruz)
Dry landing. A 45-minute bus ride will take us to the Santa Cruz highlands, located to the northwest of Puerto Ayora, where we will find a natural reserve with giant tortoises. These enormous and slow-moving reptiles are responsible for the island’s name and therefore approaching them in their humid and forested abode is always an inspiring adventure. They can weigh between 250 and 300 kg and can live up to 150-200 years. They have few natural enemies; their principal threat has always been Man. We will have the opportunity to meet Lonesome George, the last surviving individual of its species and symbol of our efforts to preserve the fragile Galapagos environment. It is an excellent place for visitors to be photographed with them.

We will also visit lava tubes or tunnels, which are the result of the many eruptions that have occurred in the island since its formation.Once the visit has concluded, we return to Puerto Ayora; you will have some free time to visit the town and shop for souvenirs. (BLD)

Day 5 Santa Cruz Island/Baltra

AM- Daphne
We circumnavigate the islet of Daphne, an eroded tuff cone formation that was created by successive volcanic activity, for an opportunity to see Darwin’s finches, Blue-footed Boobies, Nazca Boobies, Red-billed Tropicbirds, Swallow-tailed Gulls, Brown Noddies. Afterwards, you will go straight to the airport for return flight to Guayaquil or Quito. (B)

Prices

Cabin/ Season	Low	High
Standard	$1600	$1660
Standard Plus	$1830	$1890
Jr. Suite	$2280	$2350
Legend Suite	$2565	$2625
Balcony Suite	$2840	$2900

Rates are per person, twin share, low season

Departs every second Thursday
Please note package prices do not include air tickets to/ from mainland Ecuador (from $450 roundtrip); Galapagos National Park fee (USD$100 per person); Ingala Tourist Control Card (USD$10 per person) or fuel surcharges

Please note that Galapagos Islands itineraries are now based on 15 day cycles where no two sites are to be visited in one cycle. Cruises A, B, C and D can be combined to create 3,4,7,10,11 and 14 night cruises.

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