Cachalote Itinerary Tower - 8 days
ITINERARY TOWER - 8 DAYS
WEDNESDAY
AM: Baltra Airport: Arrival and Transfer to the boat
PM: Santa Cruz: Tortoise Reserve - Twin Craters & Charles Darwin Station (HK)
THURSDAY
AM: South Plaza (HK)
PM: Santa Fe (HK/KY/PR/SN)
FRIDAY
AM: San Cristobal: Witch Hill & Kicker Rock (HK/KY/PR/SN)
PM: San Cristobal: Baquerizo Moreno Point - El Junco Lagoon - Tortoise Breeding Center (HK)
SATURDAY
AM: Hood: Gardner Bay (HK/SN/KY)
PM: Espanola: Suarez Point (HK)
SUNDAY
AM: Floreana: Cormorant Point (HK/PR/SN)
PM: Floreana: Devil´s Crown / Post Office Bay (HK/PR)
MONDAY
AM: Santa Cruz: Dragon Hill (HK/SN)
PM: Santiago: Sullivan Bay (HK/PR/SN)
TUESDAY
AM: Genovesa: Darwin Bay (HK/KY/PR)
PM: Genovesa: El Barranco/ Prince Phillips Steps (HK/KY/PR/SN)
WEDNESDAY
AM: Santa Cruz: Black Turtle Cove (PR)
Baltra: Transfer to the Airport
HK: HIKE / SN: SNORKEL / PR: PANGA RIDE / KY: KAYAK /
PB: PADDLE BOARD
DAY 1: WEDNESDAY
AM: BALTRA ARRIVAL AND TRANSFER TO THE BOAT
Upon arriving at Baltra Airport, your guide will welcome you and escort you to a bus heading to the canal, where a ferry will take you to Santa Cruz Island.
PM: SANTA CRUZ: TORTOISE RESERVE & TWIN CRATERS - CHARLES DARWIN STATION.
You will board our bus and enjoy a scenic drive to Los Gemelos (sunken craters) for breathtaking views. Next, you’ll visit a Tortoise Reserve to observe these incredible creatures in their natural environment and enjoy a delicious lunch.
Afterwards, explore the Charles Darwin Station to learn about the tortoise breeding program and see tortoises at various stages of life. If time allows, take a leisurely stroll through the charming streets of Puerto Ayora. Then board a dinghy to your yacht located in Academy Bay, where the friendly crew will welcome you onboard. Enjoy a delightful dinner and settle into your cabin for the night, as the yacht begins motoring to its first destination.
DAY 2: THURSDAY
AM: SOUTH PLAZA ISLAND
Awake to the stunning views of South Plazas Island and enjoy a delicious breakfast before your morning adventure begins. A dinghy will escort you to the island, where you’ll be greeted by sea lions. Wander along a scenic trail for apx. 1.5 hours, scattered with red-billed tropic birds, swallow-tail gulls and land iguanas as you reach a cliff lookout, offering breathtaking views of the landscape and bachelor sea lions.
PM: SANTA FÉ (BARRINGTON) ISLAND
After, return to the yacht for lunch as it motors to Santa Fe Island. Upon arrival prepare for your first snorkel in the celebrated Galapagos Marine Park, with the chance to swim alongside playful sea lions and other unique marine life.
Later in the afternoon, step onto a pristine beach dotted with sea lions and begin an up-hill walk up where towering opuntia cacti and vibrant yellow land iguanas thrive. Back aboard, End the day with a satisfying dinner and a debrief of today’s highlights and tomorrow’s plans
DAY 3: FRIDAY
AM: SAN CRISTÓBAL: WITCH HILL
Wake up to San Cristobal Island, the easternmost and oldest island of this remarkable archipelago. Following breakfast, prepare for your first visit to Witch Hill, near the historic spot where Charles Darwin first arrived in the Galapagos.
After a quick dinghy ride, step onto a pristine white sandy beach, and take a scenic walk along the shore and to a nearby lagoon (apx. 1.5 h). Enjoy a snorkel session in the coastal waters before returning to the boat for lunch. As we journey toward Kicker Rock, take in the striking views as we circumnavigate this iconic landmark.
PM: SAN CRISTOBAL: GALAPAGUERA EL JUNCO
From here, we continue to Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, where a bus will take you to the highlands of San Cristobal. Explore El Junco, the only freshwater crater lake in Galapagos, and visit the tortoise breeding center to learn about conservation efforts. Then, venture to La Galapaguera to observe tortoises roaming in their natural habitat. Return to the yacht for dinner and a debrief
DAY 4: SATURDAY
AM: ESPANOLA: GARDNER BAY
Wake up to the stunning landscapes of Espanola Island. After breakfast, take a wet landing onto the pristine white sands of Gardner Bay, where sea lions lounge, hawks glide above, and curious mockingbirds may join your walk.
Following this serene exploration, return to the yacht to snorkel among vibrant marine life, including colorful fish, sea turtles, and playful sea lions, before enjoying a delicious onboard lunch.
PM: ESPANOLA: SUAREZ POINT
In the afternoon, journey to Suarez Point where you will dingy to a pier and take a scenic hike along dramatic cliffs. Marvel at the natural Blowhole and spot unique wildlife like Nazca boobies, blue-footed boobies, and striking marine iguanas. From April to December, witness the graceful courtship rituals of the Waved Albatrosses. End the day with dinner and a debrief on the yacht, which will sail overnight to Floreana Island.
DAY 5 : SUNDAY
AM: FLOREANA: CORMORANT POINT
Start your day on Floreana Island, known for its colorful history of pirates, whalers, convicts, and early settlers and home to a small community of fewer than 200 people. Begin your morning with a dinghy ride to Cormorant Point, where you'll explore a scenic trail connecting two beaches. Along the way, visit a large lagoon frequented by flamingos. Return to the yacht to prepare for snorkeling at the renowned Devil’s Crown, a submerged volcanic crater just off Cormorant Point. Known as one of the top snorkeling spots in the Galapagos, teeming with vibrant marine life, offering an unforgettable underwater experience.
PM: FLOREANA: POST OFFICE BAY
After lunch onboard, the yacht will take a short journey to Post Office Bay. Here, take a brief walk to the historic wooden mail barrel, where visitors can leave letters or postcards to be picked up by future travellers, as well as the remnants of an old Norwegian tuna canning location.
Return for a delicious dinner and a debrief then motor overnight
DAY 6: MONDAY
AM: SANTA CRUZ: DRAGON HILL
Start your day on the scenic north coast of Santa Cruz Island with an excursion to Dragon Hill (Cerro Dragón). After a dry landing, embark on a 1.5-hour guided walk, beginning with a stroll past a lagoon where flamingos and pintail ducks often gather. Continue inland to discover a unique habitat for land iguanas, and make your way up the hill for a breathtaking panoramic view of the surrounding landscape.
Return to the yacht for lunch as you cruise towards Sullivan Bay on Santiago Island.
PM: SANTIAGO: SULLIVAN BAY
Here, you'll take an awe-inspiring walk on rugged, 100-year-old pahoehoe lava flows, dotted with distinctive lava cacti. Afterwards, prepare for a refreshing snorkel in the bay, where diverse marine life awaits — and if you're lucky, you might even spot a Galapagos penguin.
Back on board, enjoy dinner and a debriefing as the yacht begins its journey to Genovesa Island (Tower), setting the stage for the next adventure
DAY 7: TUESDAY
AM: GENOVESA TOWER: DARWIN BAY
Begin your morning anchored inside the stunning caldera of Genovesa Island.
Enjoy breakfast before heading to Darwin Bay by dinghy. Here, a short beach walk brings you into a vibrant nesting ground for red-footed boobies, frigatebirds, lava gulls, tropicbirds, doves, storm petrels, and yellow-crowned night herons. Take in the fascinating diversity of avian life. Return to the yacht and prepare for a snorkel in the caldera’s deep waters, where marine life is abundant. After lunch prepare for a kayak or a snorkel, where you may encounter the elusive scalloped hammerhead sharks.
PM: GENOVESA: EL BARRANCO
Return to the yacht to get ready for an adventure at Prince Philip’s Steps. Upon arrival, fur seals may greet you at the landing site before you ascend to the island’s outer edge, passing through trails lined with fragrant palo santo trees. Here, keep an eye out for short-eared owls and nesting boobies. Enjoy a delicious dinner on board and a debriefing to reflect on the day’s sights as you cruise to your next destination.
DAY 8: WEDNESDAY
AM: SANTA CRUZ: TUTLE COVE
Your final day of this unforgettable journey takes you to the peaceful Black Turtle Cove, on Santa Cruz Island. Take a scenic dinghy ride through this serene red mangrove lagoon which is home to sea turtles, baby sharks, rays, and other marine life. After exploring this thriving cove, return to the yacht for a delicious breakfast. Afterward, the yacht will navigate back to Baltra Island, where your incredible journey through the Galapagos Islands comes to an end. You and your luggage will be transferred to the airport, where you can either catch your departing flight or, if you prefer to extend your adventure, continue exploring the Galapagos by land. For those on a two-week itinerary, your journey aboard the yacht will continue, leading you to even more unforgettable Galapagos destinations.
Baltra: Return flight to Quito
