Anahi Itinerary A1 - 4 Days
ITINERARY A1 - 4 DAYS
TUESDAY
AM: San Cristobal: Arrival and Transfer to the boat
PM: San Cristobal: Interpretation Center / Tijeretas Hill (HK)
WEDNESDAY
AM: Espanola: Suarez Point (HK)
PM: Espanola: Gardner Bay (SN/HK/KY/PR)
THURSDAY
AM: Floreana: Cormorant Point / Devil's Crown (SN/HK/KY/PR)
PM: Floreana: Post Office Bay / Asillo de la Paz (SN/HK)
FRIDAY
AM: Santa Cruz: Charles Darwin Station (HK)
Baltra: Transfer to the Airport
HK: HIKE / SN: SNORKEL / PR: PANGA RIDE / KY: KAYAK /
PB: PADDLE BOARD
DAY 1: TUESDAY
AM: SAN CRISTOBAL: ARRIVAL AND TRANSFER TO THE BOAT
Flying from Quito or Guayaquil, our flight will arrive around noon (local time) to San Cristobal, where you will be greeted in the lobby by our guide, who will be waiting for your arrival and proceeding embarkation to Yacht Anahí. Your baggage will be handled by one of our crew members, directly to your cabin. The captain and the crew will welcome you on board, followed by cabin assignment. After lunch, our guide will give you a brief explanation of the afternoon activities.
PM: SAN CRISTOBAL: INTERPRETATION CENTER AND CERRO TIJERETAS.
The Interpretation Center of San Cristobal is located on the outskirts of the small town of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, the capital city of the Galápagos province. The center will give us an introduction to the islands, and their natural and human history.
A short 30-minute walk starts from the interpretation center and takes you to the top of “Cerro Tijeretas” hill to enjoy a spectacular sight of the surrounding geographical formations of the Pacific Ocean including the famous Kicker Rock. The hill is often visited by Frigate birds that nest there in certain seasons of the year.
From the hill we will descend into a small cove known as Punta Carola, where we will observe a colony of sea lions.
At night guests who want to disembark can go into the city for a walk and maybe have a drink at one of the local bars.
Lunch and dinner are included aboard.
DAY 2 WEDNESDAY
AM: ESPANOLA: SUAREZ POINT
Suarez Point: A destination of great interest due to the incredible abundance of birds and endemic species like the Espanola Mockingbird, which has a distinctively longer and curved beak than variations found on other islands; the Galápagos lava lizard; the marine iguana of the venustissimus subspecies; and more. We can also observe seagulls and other tropical birds that live on the rocky slopes. Among the more interesting attractions of the island is the waved albatross, as the entire world population of this species comes to breed here between March and December. Punta Suarez is one of the most sought-after land visits of the Galapagos, where we can find hundreds of Nasca boobies, colonies of sea lions, large colonies of marine iguanas and different species of birds, which can be seen doing their mating dances.
PM: ESPANOLA: GARDNER BAY.
Gardner Bay has a gorgeous white coral sand beach that is excellent for relaxing, and surrounding areas that are excellent for swimming and snorkeling. Here we can find a large colony of playful sea lions and local species of snakes, while we will undoubtedly see Darwin’s finches, mockingbirds and with luck various species of rays, sharks, fish, and sea turtles in the water. Kayaking is optional in the area.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included aboard.
DAY 3 THURSDAY
AM: FLOREANA: POINT CORMORANT, DEVILS CROWN
Morning visit to Punta Cormorant stops by one of the largest flamingo lagoons of the archipelago, located between two volcanic hills that gives the area a special atmosphere. There are varieties of sea birds that can be seen in addition to flamingos, the most frequent ones being black necked stilts, white-cheeked pintails, and other migratory birds.
This is a unique area due to the high percentage of endemic plants. Here we can see a unique “Green Beach” (due to the high percentage of olivine crystals in the sand) and the “Flour Sand Beach” mainly composed of coral reefs, making these amongst the most interesting beaches of the islands. Then we return to the yacht to begin our snorkeling activity at the location known as “Devil’s Crown.” This is a sunken volcanic crater where the interior of the formation is ideal for the formation of marvelous coral reefs, making it one of the most fascinating marine sites in the Galapagos.
PM: FLOREANA: POST OFFICE BAY & ASILO DE LA PAZ
The “Post Office” bay historically served as a letter exchange station from the 18th century until today, when the crew of a whaling ship utilized a wooden barrel as the exchange point. Both sailors and tourists have used this system to communicate with people from all around the world until today. The idea is to bring letters or postcards to their destination by hand, creating a very special “postal service”. This site was also the landing place for some of the first settlers on the islands, that eventually went to the highlands in search of fresh running water. Then we will visit the Asilo de la Paz, one of the first occupied areas of the archipelago by the German Wittmer family.
If we are lucky, we may see a pod of dolphins during our trip, as well as manta rays and sea turtles.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included aboard.
AM: SANTA CRUZ: CHARLES DARWIN STATION / BALTRA TRANSFER TO THE AIRPORT
After breakfast, we will visit the famous Fausto Llerena Interpretation Center, where you can see different sizes and species of the Giant Galapagos Tortoises. If we have time, we can also visit a special wing of the area where we can see “Lonesome George” on display, an icon of conservation and the islands. If time allows, we will stop by a small guest center of the Charles Darwin Research Station.
Then we will be transported to “Los Gemelos,” an iconic natural sinkhole formation, before we cross to Baltra Island with a local ferry, and then take a bus to the Baltra Island Airport. Trip ends here. We will say goodbye to guide and to the Galapagos Islands.
Breakfast included on board.
