DAY BY DAY
ROUTE
DAY 1: SUNDAY
BALTRA / SANTA CRUZ BACHAS BEACH
Morning: Arrival to the airport in Baltra, reception by the cruise guide and transfer to the yacht.
Afternoon: Welcome cocktail. Lunch service and navigation to Bachas Beach in Santa Cruz. Wet landing. Nature walk*. Snorkeling.
*The name is “Spanglish” for 'barges' which were wrecked offshore during the World War II. A common first landing site, there is a delightful swimming beach here, with a lagoon behind, and a longer beach for a stroll and wildlife watching. The saltwater lagoon behind often has great blue herons and small waders such as sander lings and semi‐palmated plovers. Both beaches are nesting areas for green sea turtles, which leave tracks in the sand to the back of the beach, especially from November to February. The beach offers ample space one can explore at leisure.
Evening: Guide briefing. Dinner service and navigation to Genovesa Island.
DAY 2: MONDAY
GENOVESA PRINCE PHILLIP´S STEPS (EL BARRANCO) / DARWIN BAY
Morning: Breakfast service. Dry landing. Nature walk. Prince Phillip´s Steps*. Deep water snorkeling.
*Also known as the bird island: El Barranco, this is a demanding walk up a steep cliff, where tropicbirds, red-footed boobies and other nesting seabirds can be found. We follow the trail through Palo Santo forest to a storm petrel colony passing red boobies and great Frigatebirds along the way.
Afternoon: Lunch service. Wet landing. Nature walk*. Shallow water snorkeling. *Darwin bay, is the caldera of a collapsed volcano. We land on a small coral beach, were will take an easy walk. For those looking for a little more action there is a demanding optional walk over lava rock. This path will uncover stunning views from the cliffs with ample time and opportunity to photograph the amazing bird life. You may observe such species as swallow-tailed gulls, red-footed boobies, Nazca boobies, large ground finches, large cactus finches, sharp-billed ground finches, small marine iguanas, and great Frigatebirds.
Evening: Guide briefing. Farewell cocktail. Dinner service and navigation to Santiago Island.
DAY 3: TUESDAY
SANTIAGO SULLIVAN BAY / SANTA CRUZ DRAGON HILL
Morning: Breakfast service. Panga boat ride to Sullivan Bay. Wet landing. Nature walk*. Snorkeling from the beach.
*The main attraction of this bay are the broad, Pahoehoe or rope lava flows. It is one of the most incredible places to compare the lava flows and their characteristics.
Afternoon: Lunch service and navigation to Santa Cruz. Visit to Dragon Hill. Wet landing. Nature walk*. Deep water snorkeling.
*Cerro Dragon, situated in the northwestern part of Santa Cruz Island, is named after the fact that in 1975, it was one of the only sites in this island, where land iguanas were found in a healthy state. The iguanas were studied and then transported to a place specifically designed for breeding these animals in captivity. Luckily this measure allowed them to be saved from wild dogs and other domestic animals gone feral. In 1979 the first specimens were born and the populations were transported to the island of Venice. Several iguanas have reproduced on this island, then they were repatriated on Dragon Hill in 1990. In the lagoons, there are shrimp, which serves as food for flamingos; at certain times of the year the shrimp is more abundant and therefore the population of these birds is larger.
Evening: Guide briefing. Dinner service.
DAY 4: WEDNESDAY
Day 4: SANTA CRUZ HIGHLANDS “LAS PRIMICIAS”
Morning: Breakfast service. Visit to Santa Cruz Highlands*. Dry landing. Check out and airport transfer.
*The highlands of Santa Cruz have incredible zones of vegetation. Visit to the private estate “Las Primicias”. This reserve offers you one of the best possibilities to see the huge turtles of Santa Cruz Island in their natural habitat. You can observe them from very close.
Transfer to Baltra airport.
