Join our eleven day in-depth exploration and superior cruise of the Galapagos Islands starting in Quito, Ecuador’s capital.
This tour and cruise offers all the creature comforts, starting with a three night stay in Quito at the boutique five star Illa Experience hotel. Centrally located in the Quito’s old town, the hotel is the perfect base to explore the city’s attractions such as the Iglesia de la Compania de Jesus (Church of the Society of Jesus), San Francisco Catholic Church, Capilla del Hombre museum and El Panecillo (a monument to the Virgin of Quito).
You will also visit the Equatorial Monument to stand with one foot on each side of the hemisphere at Latitude 0º and take an excursion to Cotopaxi National Park.
From Quito you will fly to the Galapagos Islands and board the MC Seaman Journey, a luxurious sixteen passenger catamaran for your cruise. Highlights of your cruise include observing Galapagos tortoises in their habitat, snorkelling at Punta Vicente Roca and Mangle Point, exploring the lava flows and red rocks of Santiago Island and becoming a buccaneer in the pirate hideaway of Tagus Cove.
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This superior itinerary includes accommodation onboard the Seaman Journey - a luxurious 16 passenger catamaran and three nights in Quito staying the Illa Experience hotel, a boutique 5 star hotel located in the city's old town, this hotel is the perfect base to explore the best sights and attractions the city has to offer.
Optional Activities :
Trip Code: ECSJGALC
Travel Style: Personalised Itinerary & Small Ship Cruise
Location: Quito, Ecuador, Galapagos Islands
Ship: Galapagos Seaman Journey
Welcome to Quito, Ecuador, a city declared a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site in 1978. On arrival you will be transferred from the airport to your hotel which sits nestled in the Andean foothills, 2,850 metres above sea level. The city is known for its stunning colonial architecture, artwork and amazing snow-capped mountain backdrop.
You will tour the bustling streets, charming squares and majestic churches of Quito city and its old town before venturing into the city’s surrounds. There, you will head 25km north and visit the Equatorial Monument. It marks the exact middle of the World, Latitude 0º, and you will stand with one foot on each side of the hemisphere. The surrounding volcanic scenery is stunning and you can choose to visit either the Ethnographic Museum or the Intinan Museum, both located near the site of the monument.
Today you will head south from Quito to visit Cotopaxi National Park. Cotopaxi is the highest active volcano in the world. Despite the altitude, the park is home to numerous birds and varied plant life. Weather permitting, there are spectacular views from the north face of the mountain. The surrounding scenery includes volcanoes like Pasochoa, Ruminahui and Sincholagua. You will also have the opportunity to visit a local indigenous market.
Fly from Quito to the Galapagos. On arrival you will meet your naturalist guides who will collect your luggage and transport you to Ranch Mazanillo on Santa Cruz Island. Enjoy a picnic lunch and a short walk to see giant tortoises in their natural habitat. In the afternoon you will head to the Santa Cruz highlands. As we drive through the agricultural lands and into the mist covered forests, keep an eye out for the bright red feathers of a vermillion flycatcher or one of Darwin’s finches. Almost every bird present in the Galapagos can be found here. Santa Cruz also offers plenty of lava tubes, sinkholes and craters to explore. Afterwards you will head to your accommodation for the next seven nights, the MC Galapagos Seaman Journey.
Mangle Point lies off the eastern coast of Fernandina Island and is a superior snorkelling site and a beautiful location for riding in a Zodiac through a forest of mangrove trees. You are likely to see penguins, sea lions, pelicans, rays, marine iguanas and numerous birds. In the afternoon, we will head to Punta Moreno, located on the north coast of Isabela Island between Sierra Negra and Cerro Azul volcanos. Follow a trail which runs along a lava flow into a complex of coastal lagoons. Birds are the main attraction and several species can be found around the lakes and mangroves.
Today’s landings will take place on the largest island in the archipelago, Isabela Island. In the morning you will visit Urbina Bay, where a 6km stretch of coral reef rose during a major uplift of the island in 1954, forming a unique feature that caused marine life to be stranded and coral to be exposed on the new shore. Take a path that leads you through the sand, pumice, lava, coral and vegetation. Flightless cormorants, pelicans, Darwin’s finches, giant tortoises and land and marine iguanas can be seen on land, whilst rays and turtles can be seen in the bay.
This afternoon you will head to Tagus Cove, named after a British warship that went past the islands in 1814 looking for the Galapagos tortoise for food. This was a favourite spot for pirates and whalers who etched their names into the cliffs and inside caves. A short, steep hike brings you past Darwin Lake, a deep saltwater lake and a great spot for viewing land birds.
Dominated by the La Cumbre volcano, Espinoza Point is the first stop this morning. It’s famous for its large colonies of marine iguanas and species such as the flightless cormorant, Galapagos penguin, Galapagos hawk and Galapagos snake. Espinoza Point is also one of the best places to see the lava cactus.
This afternoon head to Punta Vicente Roca, one of the most impressive and spectacular places in the Galapagos Islands. Its high cliffs, ash and lava formations give the area a majestic touch. The large bay has a spectacular marine life with seahorses, sea turtles and the strange yet fascinating
mola-mola or sunfish. A beautiful place for snorkelling, it’s common to see feeding frenzies with groups of whales, dolphins, sea lions, tuna, blue-footed and Nazca boobies and pelicans all feeding simultaneously.
This morning’s stop is at Espumilla Beach on the northern coast of Santiago Island in James Bay. The beach is an important site for nesting marine turtles. A walk through the mangrove forest leads to a lagoon usually inhabited by a group of flamingos as well as pintail ducks and common stilts. In the afternoon head to Puerto Egas, a black beach due to the volcanic tuff deposits, and it is the main attraction of the island. There you will see abandoned salt mining infrastructure, as there was once an attempt to start the exploitation of salt, which failed because the price of salt on the mainland was already cheap.
After thousands of years of oxidisation, Rabida Island is unique due to the red colour of the rocks and sand. A short walk along a trail leads you to a coastal lagoon where you can view a colony of flamingos.
Next, sail to the south-eastern tip of Santiago Island where you will see lava formations formed under the sea and raised upwards, with coral forming on the end of the lava. This is an excellent example of geological features such as lava tubes and lava flows. The landscape is home to sea lion colonies, marine iguanas, and Galapagos penguins.
Located in the west central part of the Galapagos archipelago, Santiago Island is the fourth largest island in the archipelago and is still volcanically active. Explore the dramatic landscape of this island and bear witness to the effects from the last two volcanic eruptions that occurred over the past two centuries. After lunch sail to Bartolome Island, famous for offering one of the most beautiful sceneries in the Galapagos. Explore the lava fields and snorkel with turtles and penguins.
Your last stop will be at Bachas Beach on Santa Cruz Island. The sandy white coral beach is a major nesting site for sea turtles. There is a small lagoon behind the beach where it is possible to observe flamingos and other birds. Here you will see the remains of a floating dock and old abandoned barges used by the Americans during WWII. Afterwards you will be taken to Baltra Airport for your flight back to Quito.
Round off your Ecuador adventure with our 4 day / 3 night Amazon Lodge Ecuador extension package and experience two of the world's best natural experinces. The Amazon is the world's largest rainforest and covers 40% of South America and can easily be accessed from Quito. After visiting the arid environment of the Galapagos, experience a complete contrast by discovering the incredible biodiversity of the world's largest rainforests.
Signature Galapagos from USD 6,980 | ||
Departing | Ending | Duration |
---|---|---|
19 Jul 2022 | 29 Jul 2022 | 11 |
02 Aug 2022 | 12 Aug 2022 | 11 |
16 Aug 2022 | 26 Aug 2022 | 11 |
30 Aug 2022 | 09 Sep 2022 | 11 |
13 Sep 2022 | 23 Sep 2022 | 11 |
27 Sep 2022 | 07 Oct 2022 | 11 |
11 Oct 2022 | 21 Oct 2022 | 11 |
25 Oct 2022 | 04 Nov 2022 | 11 |
08 Nov 2022 | 18 Nov 2022 | 11 |
22 Nov 2022 | 02 Dec 2022 | 11 |
06 Dec 2022 | 16 Dec 2022 | 11 |
20 Dec 2022 | 30 Dec 2022 | 11 |
INCLUSIONS
1 free night in Quito / Illa Experience hotel Luxury room
$100 USD on board credit
Discounted Round trip flight to/from Galapagos (USD 495pp)
Airport assistance (Quito or Guayaquil, if flights are booked through LT)
Galapagos National Park Entrance fee USD 100, oo p/p
Galápagos Ingala card USD 20,00 p/p
Transfers in Galapagos
Accommodation on board in double cabin
All meals during the cruise
Naturalist Bilingual Guide level III
All visits and excursions according to the itinerary
Snorkel Gear (mask, tube and fins)
Kayaks
Unlimited purified water, coffee and tea
Mainland services
English speaking guide + private transportation
Tours and airport transfers as listed on the program
Hotel accommodations as listed on the program subject to availability
Meals as listed B: breakfast. L: lunch and D: dinner.
EXCLUSIONS
Negative PCR test for Covid-19 (taken 96 hours before the departure)
Local Taxes
Travel Insurance
Personal expenses and tips
Alcoholic drinks
Items not specified
Additional visits
Additional meals
Available on request. Contact us for more details.
Season and availability
Talk to one of our Destination Specialists to plan your South American adventure and turn your dream into a reality. With exceptional knowledge and first hand experience, our consultants will piece together one of our Signature packages and customise your travel plans by adding extension packages.
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Chimu Adventures undertakes a number of sustainability measures within its operations including:
1) Only using local guides and office staff to both maximise local employment opportunities and minimise carbon footprints. Local guides also ensure you benefit from the intimate knowledge, passion and culture of the country you’re visiting.
2) Where possible, using locally owned and operated boutique hotels to maximise the return to the local community.
3) Chimu’s “Pass it on” programme has provided funding to hundreds of local community projects in Latin America. Our aim is to empower local communities, helping them to develop their own infrastructure for the future. Since 2006, we have been working with Kiva (a well-known Non-Governmental Organisation), providing hundreds of loans to local businesses all over South America.
4) In our pre tour information we provide a range of tips and advice on how to minimise your impact on both local environments and communities.
5) Chimu Adventures’ offices also take a number of sustainability measures including carbon offsets for company vehicles and most staff travel. Chimu Adventure’s internal processes are also structures to create a paperless office and to reduce waste. There are also internal programmes to help staff minimise their carbon footprint such as our staff bike purchase assistance plan which encourages office staff to commute to work via bicycle. Currently almost half of our office based staff commute to work via bicycle.