Tip Top IV Itinerary 1 - 8 Days
ITINERARY OPT. 1 (WEST) - 8 DAYS
FRIDAY
AM: Baltra Arrival and Transfer to the boat
PM: Santa Cruz: Black Turtle Cove (HK)
SATURDAY
AM: Genovesa: Darwin Bay (HK/SN/KY)
PM: Genovesa: Prince Phillip´s Steps (HK/SN)
SUNDAY
AM: Santa Cruz: Fausto Llerena Breending Center (HK)
PM: Santa Cruz: Chato Reserve (HK)
MONDAY
AM: Isabela: Vicente Roca Point (PR)
PM: Fernandina: Espinosa Point (HK)
TUESDAY
AM: Isabela: Tagus Cove (HK/SN/KY)
PM: Isabela: Elizabeth Bay (PR)
WEDNESDAY
AM: Isabela: Urbina Bay (HK/SN/KY)
PM: Isabela: Moreno Point (HK/PR/SN)
THURSDAY
AM: Floreana: Cormorant Point / Champion islet (HK/SN/PR)
PM: Floreana: Baronesse View Point /Post Office Bay (HK/SN)
FRIDAY
AM: Santa Cruz: Mosquera Islet (HK)
Baltra: Transfer to the Airport
HK: HIKE / SN: SNORKEL / PR: PANGA RIDE / KY: KAYAK /
PB: PADDLE BOARD
DAY 1: FRIDAY
AM: BALTRA ARRIVAL AND TRANSFER TO THE BOAT
Your guide conducts you to the bus and after a short 5-kilometer ride to the pier; we board the Yacht without delay. As the crew weighs anchor, we greet you with our first orientation and we offer a light snack.
PM: SANTA CRUZ: BLACK TURTLE COVE
After lunch, enjoy a panga ride through Black Turtle Cove, a network of mangrovelined inlets and small islets. This tranquil setting offers the chance to spot whitetipped reef sharks, marine turtles, spotted eagle rays, and yellow cow-nosed rays.
In the evening, we'll have an orientation about the Galapagos Islands, covering their origin and evolution. You'll enjoy a welcome cocktail with the entire crew, followed by dinner and your first nightly orientation.
DAY 2: SATURDAY
AM: GENOVESA: DARWIN BAY
After breakfast, we make a wet landing on Darwin Bay to walk and observe frigatebirds, herons, mockingbirds, boobies, shorebirds, turtles, marine iguanas, etc. Optional: time for those who would like to swim, snorkel or kayak. We come aboard for a delicious lunch.
PM: GENOVESA: PRINCE PHILLIP´S STEPS
Later in the afternoon, we make a dry landing on Prince Phillips’s Steps (Barranco), we walk and observe the interesting lives of the birds here. Dinner on the Yacht, and then our orientation about conservation efforts made to protect the Islands.
DAY 3: SUNDAY
AM: SANTA CRUZ: FAUSTO LLERENA BREEDING CENTER
Once you've had breakfast, you'll disembark, you start the day with a visit to a fascinating visit to the Interpretation Center Fausto Llerena within the Charles Darwin Research Station. After this enriching
experience hop on a bus to drive towards the highlands of Santa Cruz Island, where you'll explore the native forests and El Chato Reserve, a farm to marvel at giant tortoises roaming freely in their natural habitat.
PM: SANTA CRUZ: EL CHATO RESERVE
Lunch will be served on the farm, promising a delightful experience.
Return to Puerto Ayora and enjoy a city stroll on your own, until it´s time to get back aboard for the nightly orientation and dinner.
DAY 4: MONDAY
AM: ISABELA: VICENTE ROCA POINT
After breakfast, we make a panga ride on Vicente Roca Point to observe plenty of sea lions, marine iguanas, blue-footed and masked boobies, and flightless cormorants. Optional: time for those who would like to swim and/or snorkel.We come aboard for a delicious lunch
PM: FERNANDINA: ESPINOZA POINT
In the afternoon, we make a dry landing on Espinoza Point to observe and see a large colony of sea lions,marine iguanas and the flightless cormorants and clumps of lava cactus. Return to the Yacht for dinner and our nightly orientation.
DAY 5: TUESDAY
AM: ISABELA: TAGUS COVE
After breakfast, you’ll take a panga ride through Tagus Cove, a sheltered inlet nestled between two volcanic craters that shield it from the open ocean. During the ride, we’ll spot penguins, marine iguanas, sea lions, and a variety of bird species, including the flightless cormorant and blue-footed boobies.
PM: ISABELA: ELIZABETH BAY
I In the afternoon you´ll explore the islets of Elizabeth Bay by panga, where you will spot marine iguanas, penguins, sea turtles, seabirds, shorebirds, herons, and more blue-footed boobies. Early in the afternoon, return to the yacht for dinner and our nightly orientation.
Optional: your guide will inform you where there will be time for swimming and snorkeling.
DAY 6: WEDNESDAY
AM: ISABELA: URBINA BAY
Enjoy your breakfast and continue to embark on an exciting wet landing at Urbina Bay, where you'll trek through a fascinating coral area and encounter land iguanas, flightless cormorants, and giant tortoises. For those seeking more thrills. You'll then return to the Yacht for a hearty lunch.
PM: ISABELA: MORENO POINT
You´ll keep sailing to Punta Moreno for another wet landing. A walk along the shore lagoons—set among ancient lava flows—offers the chance to see a variety of bird species. From a panoramic viewpoint, depending on the weather you will be able to admire the majestic Sierra Negra and Cerro Azul volcanoes, as well as the highest point of Fernandina Island.
Return to the yacht for dinner and our evening briefing.
Optional: your guide will inform you where there will be time for swimming and snorkeling
DAY 7: THURSDAY
AM: FLOREANA: CORMORANT POINT
Followed by a delicious breakfast, make a wet landing at Cormorant Point for a short walk to the Flamingo Lagoon. Continue the walk to "La Picona" beach to see marine turtles and their nesting grounds. The activities continue with a panga ride around Champion Islet, a small island off the coast of Floreana Island. The main attraction here is the nearly extinct Charles (Floreana) Mockingbird. Visitors
can also observe bird species such as Swallow-tailed Gulls, Nazca Boobies, and Brown Noddies.
Champion Islet is an excellent spot for snorkeling, where you can see sea turtles, reef fish, Galapagos Penguins, and white-tipped reef sharks.
PM: FLOREANA: BARONESSE VIEW POINT / POST OFFICE BAY
Enjoy the stunning landscape and explore the ruins of her house. Next, stop at Post Office Bay, a historic site dating back to the 18th century when whalers used a wooden barrel as a post office.
Pay a visit to Baroness Point, named after the intriguing Baroness Eloisa von Wagner, who once lived on Floreana Island. Early in the afternoon, return to the yacht for dinner and a nightly orientation. Optional: your guid e will inform you where there will be time for swimming and snorkeling.
IMPORTANT: the listed visit spots can´t be visited in one day, we will proceed according to weather conditions and group dynamics
DAY 8: THURSDAY
AM: MOSQUERA ISLET / BALTRA TRANSFER TO THE AIRPORT
Very early in the morning you'll embark on an early adventure, wet landing on Mosquera Islet, which features a reef of rocks and coral formed by an uprising, along with a beautiful white sand beach and tide pools. You'll have the chance to observe colonies of sea lions, brown pelicans, blue-footed boobies, and Sally Lightfoot crabs. The striking contrast between the bright red tops and blue bottoms of the crabs against the black lava is truly stunning. Before breakfast you make an early wet landing on Mosquera Islet, a reef of rocks and coral (the result of an uprising) and a great white sand beach and tide pools. You observe colonies of sea lions, brown pelicans, blue-footed boobies and sally light-foot crabs; the contrast between these bright red crabs on top and blue on the bottom and the black lava is stunning.
You'll then return to the Yacht, have a farewell breakfast. Your guide will accompany you to disembark at the pier at Baltra Island on after a short bus ride you reach the airport, just in time to board your flight back to the mainland.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THESE ITINERARIES MAY CHANGE WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE DUE TO OPERATIONAL REASONS, WEATHER CONDITIONS, OR DIRECTIVES FROM THE GALAPAGOS NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITIES
