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Located 600 miles off the coast of
Ecuador and bisected by the Equator lies one of nature's
most enchanting destinations – the Galapagos Islands.
Formed by intense volcanic activity, the Galapagos originally
found notoriety in the mid 1800's, when Charles Darwin
formulated his theories on evolution from his observations
of the unique and plentiful fauna of the archipelago.
In 1934, the government of Ecuador set aside most of
the islands in the Galapagos as a wildlife sanctuary
– a perfect spot for Natural Habitat Adventures!
The animals of the Galapagos show no fear of humans.
Sea lions play alongside swimmers,and boobies and frigate
birds pursue their mates within arm's length. Pods of
dolphins swim playfully alongside the boat and red-footed
boobies may perch on the ship's railing to hitch a ride.
Ashore, we mingle with the same friendly creatures that
inspired Darwin over 150 years ago.
Dates
(2006) :
Mar 10 - 20
Apr 7 - 17
May 5 - 15
Jun 9 - 19
Jun 30 - Jul 10 (Family Departure)
Jul 21 - 31
Jul 28 - Aug 7
Aug 4 - 14 (Family Departure)
Aug 11 - 21
Sep 1 - 11
Sep 29 - Oct 9
Oct 20 - 30
Nov 3 - 13
Nov 17 - 27
Dec 15 - 25*
Dec 22 - Jan 1*
Dec 29 - Jan 8*
* = £170 Surcharge
Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrive Quito
Upon your arrival in Quito, you will
be met at the airport by our local representative and
transferred to the Hilton Colon, located in Quito's
central district. On some departures we stay at the
San Jorge Eco-Lodge, a sprawling authentic Andean hacienda
located in the mountains surrounding Quito. Dinner is
on your own this evening.
Day 2: Quito
Today is free for you to enjoy the
many sights that Quito has to offer, or to visit the
famed Otavalo Marketplace, which is at its peak on Saturdays*.
This fascinating excursion to South America's largest
outdoor market is included on our scheduled departures
on the M/Y Letty (except on departures staying at San
Jorge Eco-Lodge, which include other nature activities).
This evening, we will gather at approximately 7:00pm
for an orientation and welcome dinner. We will overnight
at the Hilton Colon.
*If you are not on a Letty departure please contact
our office prior to departure if you would like additional
information on available Quito activities, or to make
day tour arrangements.
Day 3: Quito to Galapagos Islands/Isla
Lobos
This morning, we will depart on a
three-hour flight to the island of San Cristóbal
in the Galapagos. Upon arrival in San Cristóbal,
we will be met by our Expedition Leader, board our yacht,
and embark on our journey. Isla Lobos, meaning "Sea
Lion Island", is located approximately one hour
north of San Cristóbal, across a small channel.
At Cerro Brujo, we disembark for our first opportunity
to snorkel with a colony of sea lions. At sunset, we
cruise around Kicker Rock (known as "Leon Dormido"
as it is shaped liked a sleeping lion) - a vertical
tuff cone formation that abruptly juts up almost 500
feet out of the ocean. The rock is split in two with
towering vertical walls on either side, forming a narrow
channel through which small vessels can navigate. On
the cliffs, we find blue-footed boobies, Nazca boobies
and frigate birds.
Day 4: Tower (Genovesa): Prince
Philip's Steps & Bahia Darwin
On our way to Tower Island, the most
northeastern part of the archipelago, we may encounter
dolphins, whales and immature red-footed boobies, which
sometimes land on the boat's railings and lines to hitch
a free ride home. The island of Tower is a collapsed
volcano, and ships are able to sail directly into its
large breached caldera to anchor at the foot of the
steep crater walls. Tower attracts vast numbers of pelagic
seabirds that come here to nest and breed. This morning
we will explore "Prince Philip's Steps", where
red-footed and Nazca boobies nest near the trail. We
may find large numbers of storm petrels in an open lava
field, as well as the elusive short-eared owl. After
lunch, sea kayaks are available to paddle along the
shoreline. This afternoon, we will land at Darwin Bay
and follow along a trail which leads from a coral beach
past tidal lagoons where lava gulls and yellow-crowned
night herons are seen, to a forest of Optuntia cactus
and mangroves where magnificent frigate birds nest.
Swim from the beach with sea lions.
Day 5: Santa Cruz: Bachas Beach/North
Seymour
This morning we visit Las Bachas,
a stretch of soft white-sand beach and interior lagoons
where we may find the Greater Flamingo and can snorkel
from the beach. This afternoon we will visit the island
of North Seymour. Here we may find nesting sites for
a large population of magnificent frigate birds. Blue-footed
boobies perform their courtship dance and swallow-tailed
gulls perch on the cliff edges. Sea lions dot the beach,
along with marine iguanas.
Day 6: Isabala: Tagus Cove/
Fernandina: Punta Espinosa
This morning we will visit Tagus Cove
on the western and largest island of Isabela, where
six volcanoes flowed together. We discover salt water
lagoons, grafitti dating back to the 1800's, and lovely
ocean views. Explore the cove by panga or sea kayaks
to observe penguins, pelicans and other seabirds. Be
on the look-out for whales and dolphins as we pass through
the Bolivar Canal en route to Fernandina, the youngest
and most active volcano in the Galapagos, with eruptions
taking place every few years. The flat lava of Punta
Espinosa offers a stark and barren landscape, but here
flightless cormorants build their nests on the point,
sea lions sprawl on the beach or play in the tide pools
and large numbers of marine iguanas dot the sand.
Day 7: James (Santiago): Puerto
Egas/Bartolomé
A highlight of our journey comes at
Puerto Egas on the island of James. Puerto Egas, with
its black sand beaches, was the site of a small salt
mining industry in the 1960s, and a hike inland to the
salt crater is an excellent opportunity to sight land
birds such as finches, doves and hawks. Here we can
also observe Galapagos fur seals on the verge of extinction
in a quiet grotto cut into the lava cliffs. We may see
sea lions basking on the rocks beneath a natural rock
bridge, diving blue-footed boobies, Sally Lightfoot
crabs and colorful lava lizards scurrying at our feet.
Snorkel with a variety of colorful tropical fish. This
afternoon will be spent on Bartolomé. Most likely
the first of the islands to rise from the sea, Bartolomé
is a small island that has beautiful white sand beaches
and luxuriant green mangroves. Here, penguins may join
us at the white sand swimming beach, and a hike to the
summit of a once-active volcano rewards us with beautiful
panoramic views of the often-photographed Pinnacle Rock.
The other side of the island reveals sea turtles and
white-tipped sharks.
Day 8: Santa Cruz: Darwin Station
& The Highlands
Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz's main population
center, is home to about 10,000 people. It is on this
island that we will have the best opportunity to see
the famed giant tortoise while we visit the world-famous
Charles Darwin Research Station. The research center
aids the National Park Service in its efforts to save
the Galapagos wildlife; the museum at the station has
a facility for rearing tortoises, a project to increase
the depleted population. After touring the station where
we observe "feeding day" and have the opportunity
see the famed "Lonesome George", we will journey
by bus into the highlands to Los Gemelos - two deep
pit craters situated in the Scalesia forest that host
a variety of interesting birdlife. Here, we may go for
a walk through the giant lava tubes and visit the Tortoise
Reserve (June-January) to search for giant tortoises
in their natural surroundings. This afternoon, there
may be some free time to explore the town of Puerto
Ayora.
Day 9: Hood (Española):
Punta Suarez & Gardner Bay
One of the oldest of the islands, Hood
is small and flat with no visible volcanic crater or
vent. Gardner Bay, located on the eastern shore, hosts
a magnificent beach frequented by a transient colony
of sea lions and is a major nesting site for marine
turtles. Around the small islets nearby, snorkelers
will find many fish, invertebrates and possibly turtles.
On a trail leading to the western tip of the island,
you will pass the only nesting sites in the Galapagos
of the waved albatross. These huge birds nest here from
April to December and represent the majority of the
world's population. Located on the western tip of the
island, one of the world's densest and most diversified
concentrations of wildlife is found at Punta Suarez.
The area is famous for its marine iguanas with unique
copper-red patches, swallow-tailed gulls, lava lizards,
finches, long-billed mockingbirds, blue-footed and masked
boobies and oystercatchers. When heavy swells are running,
Punta Suarez is also the site of a spectacular blowhole,
with thundering spray shooting thirty yards into the
air.
Day 10: San Cristóbal:
Interpretation Center/Return to Quito
San Cristóbal is the easternmost
and one of the oldest islands of the archipelago, and
is comprised of ancient volcanic peaks in the north
and lush vegetation in the south. We will drop anchor
in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, the second largest settlement
area in the islands and the capital of the providence
of Galapagos, where we will visit the impressive Interpretation
Center, which opened in 1999. Here, we gain a more complete
understanding of the natural and human history of the
islands. You may have some free time today to spend
at your leisure in town. This afternoon we bid farewell
to the Galapagos Islands and board our flight back to
Quito. Upon arrival in Quito, you will be transferred
to your hotel where you will spend the rest of the day
at your leisure.
Day 11: Depart Quito
Transportation will be provided to
the airport for return flights home or for excursions
into the Amazon Basin rainforest or Machu Picchu.
Included:
Accommodations, meals from breakfast
on Day 2 to breakfast on final day, except for 1 lunch
and 1 dinner in Quito (no lunches or dinners included
in Quito for independent trips), services of NHA's professional
Expedition Leaders, R/T air Quito to Galapagos, land
transportation, airport and hotel transfers, snorkel
gear, Otavalo Market excursion on all NHA scheduled
M/Y Letty departures (except those staying at the San
Jorge Eco-Lodge which include other cultural experiences).
Wetsuits are included on all M/Y Letty departures.
Not Included:
Travel to and from Quito, gratuities,
beer and liquor at hotels and on board, Galapagos tax
(approx.£55 for adults, £27.50 for children
under 12, collected in advance for all 2006 programs),
Airport departure tax (approx £15), items of a
personal nature (phone calls, laundry, etc.), travel
insurance, optional activities such as Otavalo Market
extension.
Family Departures
We have scheduled family trips which
are specially designed so parents, children and grandparents
can enjoy the wonders of the Galapagos in a manner that
best meets families' needs. Some families prefer to
charter their own vessel which we can easily arrange.
Price Guide:
Fees vary according to travel date
and vessel travelling on but start from £2015
for a cabin in the low season - please contact us for
more details. Single supplements apply.
2006 Low Season = Apr 22 - Jun 9, Aug
26 - Oct 13, Nov 25 - Dec 14
2006 High Season = All other times
Call 01903 816500 for further
details or email info@exquisiteworld.com
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