Grace Itinerary Following In Darwin's Trails - 8 Days

Tuesday
Morning: Baltra – Arrival and Transfer to the Boat
Afternoon: Santa Cruz – Bachas Beach (HK/SN)

Wednesday
Morning: Genovesa – Prince Phillip’s Steps (SN/HK/KY/PR/PB)
Afternoon: Genovesa – Darwin Bay (HK/SN/KY/PR)

Thursday
Morning: Santiago – James Bay (SN/HK)
Afternoon: Santiago – Espumilla Beach & Buccaneer’s Cove (SN/HK/KY/PR)

Friday
Morning: Isabela – Vicente Roca Point (SN/HK)
Afternoon: Isabela – Tagus Cove (SN/HK)

Saturday
Morning: Fernandina – Espinoza Point (HK/SN)
Afternoon: Isabela – Urbina Bay (HK/SN)

Sunday
Morning: Isabela – Elizabeth Bay (SN/KY/PB)
Afternoon: Isabela – Moreno Point (HK/SN/PR)

Monday
Morning: Isabela – Las Tintoreras, Sucre’s Cave, Breeding Center & Wetlands (HK)
Afternoon: Wetlands & Leisure (HK/SN)

Tuesday
Morning: Santa Cruz – Los Gemelos (HK)
Baltra – Transfer to the Airport

Morning: Arrive to Baltra Island Airport (Transfer to Boat)
Arrival at Baltra Island and transfer via panga to the Grace Yacht. Settle into your cabin and review safety procedures with your Galapagos National Park Guide. The yacht begins its journey through the Galapagos Islands, passing the historic sites of Baltra, a former WWII US Air Force base.

Afternoon: Santa Cruz – Bachas Beach (HK/SN)
Explore Las Bachas, a pristine white-coral beach and major sea turtle nesting site. Spot blue-footed boobies, pink flamingos, great blue herons, and other migratory birds. Snorkel or swim in warm, clear waters while observing tropical fish and coastal wildlife.

Morning: Prince Phillip’s Steps (HK/SN/KY/PR/PB)
Explore Prince Phillip’s Steps on Genovesa Island, also known as Bird Island, famous for its red-footed boobies, masked boobies, storm petrels, and short-eared owls. Hike along lava fields and cliffs while enjoying panoramic views of the caldera. After the two-hour hiking tour, snorkel in the protected southern bay to see tropical fish, wrasse, parrotfish, and occasional fur sea lions. Kayak or take a panga ride along the shoreline to observe nesting birds and volcanic landscapes.

Afternoon: Darwin Bay (HK/SN/KY/PR)
Land on Darwin Bay’s white coral sands for a guided walk observing great frigate birds, yellow-crowned herons, lava herons, lava lizards, and Galapagos doves. Continue to cliff viewpoints to see swallow-tailed gulls, lava gulls, and red-billed tropic birds. Snorkel in deep and sheltered waters, with a chance to spot hammerhead sharks, manta rays, and diverse tropical fish. Kayaking and panga rides offer excellent opportunities for wildlife photography and close encounters with sea birds and the rich marine ecosystem. Sunset views complete the day before sailing west toward the remote islands of the Galapagos.

Morning: James Bay / Puerto Egas (SN/HK)
Explore James Bay on Santiago Island, also known as Puerto Egas, featuring black sand beaches, lava formations, and extinct volcanic craters with natural salt deposits. Hike inland to see lava grottos, home to fur sea lions, tropical fish, and marine iguanas grazing like Samurai warriors. Birdwatchers can spot flamingos, vermillion flycatchers, Galapagos hawks, and the tool-using woodpecker finch. Shore snorkeling reveals sea turtles, golden rays, spotted eagle rays, and occasional California sea lions. Ideal photography location at dawn or sunset for dramatic landscapes and wildlife.

Afternoon: Espumilla Beach & Buccaneer’s Cove (HK/KY/PR)
Visit Espumilla Beach for a short walk through mangroves, brackish lagoons, and sparse Palo Santo forests, spotting Galapagos finches, vermillion flycatchers, and wading pink flamingos. The nearby cliffs create natural sculptures, including Monk Rock and Elephant Rock, overlooking seabird colonies. Kayak along Buccaneer’s Cove for a challenging route through pristine waters, perfect for wildlife photography and observing coastal ecosystems.

Morning: Vicente Roca Point (SN/HK)
Explore Vicente Roca Point, located at the northern “head of the seahorse” on Isabela Island. Two turquoise coves form a sheltered bay, ideal for panga rides along cliffs and partially sunken caves. Observe masked boobies, blue-footed boobies, and flightless cormorants along the shoreline. The cold-water upwelling makes this one of the best snorkeling and diving sites in the Galapagos, with opportunities to spot tropical fish and marine life. Vicente Roca Point sits on the flank of Volcano Ecuador, the island’s sixth largest, offering dramatic views of its caldera and volcanic landscape. Whale sightings are common while crossing the Bolivar Channel toward the western islands.

Afternoon: Tagus Cove (SN/HK/KY/PR)
Visit Tagus Cove, named after a British warship that anchored here in 1814. Enjoy a panga ride beneath cliffs adorned with blue-footed boobies, brown noddies, pelicans, flightless cormorants, and Galapagos penguins. Hike the trail to Darwin Lake, a rare round saltwater crater, with panoramic views of Darwin Volcano and Wolf Volcano. Snorkeling here reveals sea turtles, marine iguanas, Galapagos penguins, flightless cormorants, and camouflaged creatures like scorpion fish, sea horses, and the elusive Port Jackson shark. Kayakers can paddle along the cove, observing nesting birds and volcanic cliffs.

Morning: Espinosa Point, Fernandina Island (HK/SN)
Visit Espinosa Point, located on Fernandina Island, the youngest and westernmost of the Galapagos Islands. A dry landing beneath a mangrove forest introduces you to a thriving colony of marine iguanas, playfully piled along the black lava shoreline. Nearby, sea lions frolic in sheltered lagoons, while Galapagos hawks soar overhead.
Marvel at the world’s only flightless cormorants, perfectly adapted to the sea, and watch Galapagos penguins navigating between rocks. The looming La Cumbre volcano dominates the horizon, offering a dramatic backdrop for wildlife photography. Snorkeling off Espinosa Point reveals marine iguanas, penguins, cormorants, and sea lions in their natural underwater habitats. The volcanic rock troughs create unique currents, attracting sea turtles and providing ideal conditions for observing the diverse marine life of the Bolivar Channel, including occasional dolphins and whales.

Afternoon: Urbina Bay, Isabela Island (HK/SN)
Head west to Urbina Bay on Isabela Island, known for its giant land iguanas and seasonal giant tortoises grazing along the coastal plain. The landing beach is a protected sea turtle nesting site, perfect for photography and wildlife observation. Snorkelers can explore the northern rocky areas to spot colorful tropical fish. The tranquil waters and dramatic surroundings of shield volcanoes Fernandina and Isabela create an exceptional setting for kayaking or relaxing on shore. Sunset in the Bolivar Channel offers excellent opportunities to spot whales and dolphins while enjoying a cocktail at the yacht’s Sky Lounge.

Morning: Elizabeth Bay, Isabela Island (SN/KY/PB)
Explore the serene waters of Elizabeth Bay, located along the west coast of Isabela Island. This outing is fully aboard pangas, navigating through a maze of mangrove roots that give the bay a calm, aquarium-like appearance. Spot Galapagos penguins resting on rocky islets, while sea turtles, spotted eagle rays, and golden rays glide beneath the surface. Look skyward for Galapagos hawks circling overhead. In the back of the bay, “tree lions”, sea lions perched on horizontal mangrove trunks, provide a unique wildlife spectacle. The towering Sierra Negra Volcano looms to the south, a reminder of the island’s recent volcanic activity and dramatic landscapes.

Afternoon: Moreno Point, Isabela Island (HK/SN/PR)
After lunch aboard the Grace, continue along Isabela’s coast to Punta Moreno, a lesser-visited Galapagos gem. Trek across pahoehoe lava fields dotted with marine iguanas, Galapagos penguins, and flightless cormorants, while vibrant sally light-foot crabs add color to the rocky shore. Small natural pools provide a habitat for birds such as pink flamingos, gallinules, and pintail ducks. Coastal lagoons and mangrove forests attract pelicans, green sea turtles, and white-tipped reef sharks. Snorkelers will delight in the underwater diversity, encountering stingrays, sea lions, bumphead parrotfish, king angelfish, yellowtail surgeonfish, and Pacific creole fish, all thriving amid the volcanic formations of Moreno Point.

Morning: Las Tintoreras, Sucre’s Cave, or Sierra Negra Volcano (HK/SN/PR)
Begin your day in Puerto Villamil, a quaint fishing village on Isabela Island surrounded by miles of white sandy beaches at the edge of Sierra Negra Volcano. Early morning takes you to Las Tintoreras, a small islet sanctuary where wildlife abounds. Observe sea lions, Galapagos turtles, marine iguanas, skates, sharks, penguins, and other fascinating native flora and fauna interacting peacefully in their natural habitat.

For your next adventure, choose between:

• Cuevas del Sucre (Sucre’s Cave): Explore fascinating lava formations, caves, and tunnels within an endemic forest.
• Sierra Negra Volcano: Travel by car to the highlands of Isabela for a hike to the edge of the Sierra Negra volcanic crater, the second-largest active crater in the world. Walk along the enormous 30-square-mile crater and, if desired, continue to Chico Volcano to witness unique lava landscapes with striking shades of red, orange, yellow, and black. Observe fumaroles, lava flows, and the dramatic contrast between volcanoes and the sea.

Afternoon: Wetlands and Leisure (KH/SN)
In the early afternoon, visit the wetlands of Puerto Villamil, home to a hyper-saline lagoon frequented by flamingos, waders, and other shorebirds. Take some leisure time enjoying the pristine beaches, relaxing in the calm surroundings, or spotting wildlife along the shoreline.

Morning: Los Gemelos and Transfer to Baltra Airport (HK/SN)
On your final morning in the Galapagos Islands, bid farewell to the Grace and take a scenic 40-minute bus ride into the highlands of Santa Cruz Island to visit Los Gemelos (“The Twins”). These two massive sinkhole craters were formed by collapsed lava tubes, creating a dramatic contrast between the arid coastal desert and the verdant highlands.

The surrounding Scalesia forest, endemic to the Galapagos, is home to a variety of unique wildlife. Keep your eyes open for Darwin’s finches and the vibrant vermilion flycatcher, both iconic species that inspired Charles Darwin’s studies of evolution. The highlands are also known for microclimates—sunshine at the coast can coexist with light rain here, creating a mystical “Lost World” atmosphere.

After exploring Los Gemelos, continue by bus for 20 minutes to the Itabaca Channel, then cross to Baltra Island for your flight home. Your guide will assist with luggage and check-in, giving you one last opportunity to purchase Galapagos-themed souvenirs at the airport.