Galapagos Island Hopping - 5 days

After arriving at Baltra Airport we will take a hike to the highlands of the island and visit the Primicias Ranch, where we will be bush walking and looking for giant Galapagos tortoises.
After a walk, we will visit the lava tunnels and have lunch in a restaurant serving typical food. We will continue down to Puerto Ayora to tour the important Charles Darwin Research Station, where we will visit one of the largest Galapagos tortoises and land iguanas breeding centers. The local guide will give us a detailed explanation on the islands evolution.

In the morning we will take a tour around the bay. We will visit Punta Estrada, Germans’ Beach, Channels of Love and the Grietas. During this trip, you will be able to watch seabirds and sea lions and you can surface dive. Lunch in Puerto Ayora. In the afternoon, a speed boat will take us to Isabela Island, one of the most beautiful islands in the Archipelago. After a cruise of two and a half hours, we will reach this corner of paradise. A local transfer will take us to the hotel from here. After check-in we will take a walk around the Flamingos Lagoon.

Today our guide will take you to one of the most beautiful volcanoes in the area - Sierra Negra. Its crater is approximately 7 kilometers wide. We will take a 4 hour trekking tour to enjoy this wonderful and unique scenery. Lunch in a local farm called Campo Duro where we will watch Isabela giant tortoises.
After lunch we head back to Puerto Villamil town, where we will visit the Tintoreras Islets. Schools of white tip sharks can often be seen here, resting around the lava canals. You can also observe hundreds of marine iguanas, as "Las Tintoreras" is one of their main breeding sites. On the nearby sandy beaches, sea lions play and relax in the sun. Afterwards we will have an opportunity to snorkel.

Prepare yourself for one of the best days of this trip! After sailing from Puerto Villamil for 45 minutes, we will reach Cape Rosa on the western side of the island. This is one of the most beautiful and amazing places on the planet. Here we can walk over the connected lava tunnels surrounded by the crystal sea waters. From the surface, you will be able to see dozens of sea turtles, penguins and rays. You can snorkel or simply swim along this rich marine fauna.
As we sail to and from Isabela, we might be able to see manta rays of different sizes - a truly unique experience. And if it is their mating season, we will watch them floating upside-down on the surface, waiting to have their pictures taken. In the afternoon we will drive towards the “Wall of Tears”. This historical place was built by the prisoners of the Ecuador’s first jail which was also located here. On our way back we will stop at the Orchilla viewpoint. From the top you can see the entire coastal wetland system including Poza de los Diablos, Puerto Villamil, the beaches, the volcanoes and the islets to the south-east of Isabela. It's a great location for panoramic photos on clear days.
If we still have time, we might visit the giant tortoise breeding centre where you will be able to observe tortoises of all ages and sizes. We will also learn about the breeding and farming of giant tortoises and see all the work that is being done to help recover the wild populations of these species. Return to the hotel and lodging.

We are going to depart early to take a speed boat back to Puerto Ayora. After getting there we will take a bus to the Baltra Airport where we will check-in for our flights back to the continent. You can also take an inter-island flight on a plane with a capacity of 5 to 9 passengers. The flight from Isabela to the Baltra Airport takes 30 minutes and connects the flight to the continent (no flights on Sundays). This service is optional; it is charged extra and should be booked at least 48 hours in advance.