Assistance at the airport by our representative for your Galapagos flight.

You will arrive at Baltra Island in the morning. After passing through immigration and baggage claim, you will be met by Galaven staff and transferred to the yacht. You will be shown to your cabin where you will have some time to settle in before lunch and a welcome briefing.

In the afternoon we will visit North Seymour. Here you will be able to see Galapagos sea lions, blue-footed boobies and magnificent frigate birds that are abundant on North Seymour Island. The island was formed by a series of submarine lava containing layers of sediment that were uplifted by tectonic activity. The island is characterized by its arid vegetation zone.

Genovesa Island is located at the inner part of Darwin Bay. This area contains an abundance of frigate birds and other interesting seabirds. Behind the small beach filled with nesting areas for frigates, red-footed boobies, and swallow-tailed gulls are a number of tide pools. At high tide it is likely that the trail will be covered with water.

Our morning visit is to El Barranco, also known as Prince Phillip's Steps, El Barranco's steep, rocky paths lead up to a high cliff-face. A marvelous view can be appreciated from here. This site is also home to palo santo vegetation as well as red-footed boobies, short-eared lava owls, Galapagos swallows, and Galapagos doves.

In the afternoon, you will head to Darwin Bay. This white sand coral beach heads a half mile trail (0.5 miles / 0.75km) that winds through mangroves filled with land birds. Nazca boobies, red-footed boobies, and swallow-tailed gulls can be spotted here. Further down the path are tidal pools where sea lions swim playfully. At the end is a spectacular view off a cliff.

The morning visit heads to Santiago Island – Sullivan Bay is located on the southeast part of Santiago; this place is interesting for its geology because this area is covered by lava flows. This place has elevations in the form of small volcanoes formed before the lava flows.

In the afternoon we will visit Rábida Island (or Jervis) which is one of the most colorful and volcanically varied islands in the archipelago as well as a great snorkeling site. We will start on Rábida's famous maroon sandy beach and after an easy hike, we will arrive to a stunning lookout to enjoy the amazing landscapes.

The island is a birdwatcher's delight. Some of the rarest species are in abundance such as nine varieties of finches, large-billed flycatchers, Galapagos hawks and brown pelicans.

This day you can visit the Charles Darwin Station- Breeding Center "Fausto Llerena"; this is home to tortoises ranging from 3-inches (new hatchlings) to 4-feet long. Subspecies of tortoises interact with one another and many of the older tortoises are accustomed to humans, stretching out their heads for photo opportunities. The babies are kept until they are about four years old and strong enough to survive on their own.

Afterwards you will enjoy Garrapatero Beach, situated on the northern side of Santa Cruz. El Garrapatero is a gorgeous sandy beach surrounded by mangroves. A fresh water lake behind the beach is home to flamingos, herons, stilts and other shore birds. The beautiful turquoise waters provide a good opportunity for swimming and snorkeling.

In the morning we will visit Dragon Hill on Santa Cruz. The visitors' site at Dragon Hill is located in northwestern Santa Cruz Island and consists of a trail that runs through three different environments at just 1,600 m long. The beach is very rocky. At high tide it's a nice place for snorkeling. At this visiting site, you can find vegetation typical of the intertidal zone and dry zone.

The afternoon visit, Bachas Beach, located on the north shore of Santa Cruz, is a swimming beach. One of the few remnants of the U.S. World War II presence in the Galapagos, a floating pier, can be seen here. You may see flamingos, Sally Lightfoot crabs, hermit crabs, black necked stilts, and whimbrels. Sea turtles also nest on the beach.

We will visit two sites on Floreana Island. In the morning, we will visit the famous Post Office Bay. You will land on a beach and head to a spot where 18th century whalers placed a wooden barrel for use as an unofficial mail box. The custom continues to this day with Galapagos visitors. So don't forget your postcards, and don't be surprised if the post card arrives to its destination before you even get home!

In the afternoon, we will head to Cormorant Point. Here you will enjoy a hike to a saltwater lagoon which is home to flamingos. You will also get to swim in the crystal clear waters of the Devil's Crown. This extinct volcano peaks out of the waters just off of Floreana's coast and offers a magnificent snorkeling experience.

Española Island is the southernmost island of the Galapagos and is the breeding site of nearly all of the waved albatrosses in the entire world. Española is densely populated with mockingbirds, blue-footed and Nazca boobies, Darwin finches, Galapagos doves, hawks, red and green marine iguanas, and loads of sea lions.

The morning trip will head to Suárez Point on a trail where you will have the chance to see blue-footed boobies, albatrosses and Nazca boobies. We will also visit a beautiful site on the ocean front where there is a cliff that the large albatrosses use as a launching pad! You’ll have the chance to see the famous blowhole that spurts water into the air. The landscape is great for photography.

In the afternoon, we will visit the spectacular Gardner Bay. After landing, you can walk across a lovely white sand beach amongst a busy sea lion colony or dive into the water to swim with sea lion pups. It is the breeding site of nearly all of the world's 12,000 pairs of waved albatrosses.

In the morning we will visit The Interpretation Center which was opened in 1998 as a phase of the project “Interpretation and Environment Education Project.” Visitors enjoy expositions on natural history, human history, and conservation. The conservation efforts represent the movement to protect the wildlife and natural environment through means of population and tourist control. The Interpretation Center has an outdoor stadium, audio-visual equipment, and meeting rooms.

In the afternoon we will visit Puerto Chino located (15.2 miles / 24.5 km) away from Puerto Baquerizo Moreno and a few miles from the Breeding Centre Cerro Colorado, this walk takes approximately 30 minutes to the beach.

“Galapaguera” Colorado Hill is a new visitor site in the northeast part of San Cristóbal Island and can now be reached in roughly one hour by road from Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. On the trees and shrubs surrounding the site, you may see land birds like warblers, finches and mockingbirds and on the trails, giant tortoises. They live there wild but in a protected area to assure their survival by sealing them off from introduced predators like pigs and goats. Once the tortoise perceives danger, it goes into its defensive stance, retreating into its hard shell.

Our morning visit is to the Santa Fe Island (Barrington), which is home to the small picturesque bay and anchorage on the island's northeast coast. The bay has two visitor trails: one leading to a scenic viewpoint atop a cliff, and the other spanning from a small beach to a tall prickly pear cactus forest.

In the afternoon, you will head to South Plaza Island. This small island with steep cliffs was formed by rising lava and is now covered by Opuntia cacti. It is also home to one of the largest sea lion colonies as well as colorful yellow and red land iguanas. The most characteristic plant is Sesuvium. During the rainy season its color is a greenish to yellowish tone and in the dry season (end of June through January) a bright red.

This day you can visit Charles Darwin Station- Breeding Center "Fausto Llerena" this is home to tortoises ranging from 3-inches (new hatchlings) to 4-feet long. Subspecies of tortoises interact with one another and many of the older tortoises are accustomed to humans, stretching out their heads for a photo opportunity. The babies are kept until they are about four years old and strong enough to survive on their own.

The afternoon visit is to a site called Los Gemelos (The Twins). Los Gemelos wait for you at the end of a short hike. These sinkholes are often referred to as craters, though the term is only descriptive, not literal. They were created by the collapse of surface material in underground fissures and chambers. The endemic Scalesia forest surrounds the site, where you may see vermillian flycatchers, short-eared owls, and finches.

The morning will consist of a visit to the Wetlands and The Wall of Tears (El Muro de las Lágrimas), (65-feet / 25-meters high) which is an important piece of island history. A penal colony existed on Isabela from 1945-1959, and the prisoners were forced to build the wall, stone by stone while in isolation from the rest of the world. Thousands died in its construction. Many claim to feel the heavy energy of this historical site, and locals claim to hear cries in the wind. The last site we will visit in the morning is the Breeding Center on Isabela.

The afternoon visit will head to Sierra Negra. The Sierra Negra Volcano boasts the largest basaltic caldera in the Galapagos at 9 x 10km. The site offers impressive views and the opportunity to observe up to 7 species of finch and a rich display of vegetation. The north side of the caldera provides evidence of its most recent volcanic activity in 2005.

In the morning we will visit Moreno Point located southwest of Elizabeth Bay. Here a dry landing onto what was once flowing lava is possible. The lava has left craters in its wake, which formed crystal tide pools. By looking into the pools, you can peer into another world as the marine life drifts by your window. In the brackish pools of this area, you may see pink flamingos, white-cheeked pintails, and common gallinules. If you look carefully into the pools you may see white-tip reef sharks and some sea turtles.

In the afternoon, we will land at Urbina Bay which presents some fascinating geological formations. In 1954, an uplift from the sea formed the bay; which has been characterized by the resulting terrestrial coral reef ever since. Expect to see stingrays and sea turtles swimming near the surface of the water, along with flightless cormorants, pelicans, and marine iguanas. You will be dazzled by the breathtaking view of the Alcedo Volcano.

In the morning we will visit Fernandina Island. No foreign species have ever invaded this island, and therefore it is one of the world's most pristine island ecosystems. Fernandina is the youngest island in the Galapagos. Access to this site is extremely restricted by the Galapagos National Park, and you will be one of those very lucky visitors. The volcano “La Cumbre” dominates the landspace with lava fields reaching the ocean.

Crossing the Bolivar Channel that divides Isabela and Fernandina Islands, we will land at Espinoza Point, and after walking past a colony of marine iguanas and a group of sea lions, we will reach the island's highlight: the flightless cormorant nesting site. This area provides a great opportunity to see the Galapagos hawk.

In the afternoon, we will head Isabela Island. The largest in the archipelago, this seahorse-shaped island is also one of the youngest and most volcanically active.

We will visit the Vicente Roca Point. Comprised of two separate coves, this site is a large bay with spectacular sea life. Keep an eye out for seahorses, sea turtles, and the strange yet fascinating mola-mola (or sunfish).

Our morning visit is to visit Espumilla Beach where marine iguanas lounge and the Sally Lightfoot crabs attract the hunting herons, performing the dance of predator and prey right before your eyes. Snorkeling is highly recommended as you could find yourself face to face with an octopus, moray eel, shark, or a variety of other species of tropical fish.

Or we could visit the Buccaneer Cove is a testament to the fact that Santiago Island was once a refuge for British buccaneers. They would anchor in the protected bay to make repairs and stock up on tortoise meat among other things. It is an excellent opportunity to take in the steep cliffs, where hundreds of seabirds perch in front of the dark red sand beach. See if you can spot 'Monk' or 'Elephant' Rock before your guide points them out!

In the afternoon we will head for Bartholomew Island, home of the famous Pinnacle Rock. Bartholomew consists of an extinct volcano with a variety of red, orange, black and even green volcanic formations. We will take a trail of stairs to the summit of the volcano (about 30 or 40 minutes) where you will enjoy one of the best views of the islands! You will also visit a small, beautiful beach, surrounded by the only vegetation found on this barren island. The beach is perfect for snorkeling where you may even see the Galapagos penguins.

Daphne is made up of two islands, Major and Minor. Daphne Minor is partially eroded and smooth, while Daphne Major has maintained an archetypal volcanic shape, called a tuff cone. Daphne is home to red-billed tropicbirds peeking out of crevices and Nazca boobies nesting along the rim. Under the water there are sharp recesses and steep cliffs. It is highly likely that you will see white-tip, Galápagos, and possibly even hammerhead sharks. There is also a wealth of sea turtles, and rays.

After this final visit, you will be transferred to Baltra's airport in time to catch your flight back to the mainland.