GALAPAGOS ISLANDS
































PROPOSED 8 DAY ITINERARY DEPARTING JUNE 2010    
  
Day 1 : June 28th (Monday) Transfer from your Lima  hotel to the airport to take  Quito Flight Aerocontinente 350 departing 12:00 arrival 15:00pm. Transfer to your Hotel  (B)  

Day 2 June 29th (Tuesday) Quito  Visit to the Indigenous Market and Culcocha lake or optional cycle Tour to El Misti volcano (B)    

Day 3 June 30th  (Wednesday) Quito Trip to Equator Explore the monument that marks the Equatorial Line at zero latitude, where you can straddle both hemispheres at once and visit enlightening museums.   Hundreds of years after the indigenous peoples of Ecuador had established Catequilla as the centre of the world, a French expedition arrived to ascertain a geographically-measured centre. In the foothills of the Equinoctial Andes, the famous middle of the world monument marks the equatorial line: the centre of our planet earth: 0˚-0'-0" Latitude.

As the day breaks over the town of San Antonio, and the clouds and morning mist are lit and lifted by hazy dawn sunlight, the silhouette of a trapezoidal monolith topped with a sphere breaks through the backdrop of a mountainous horizon.

At 0-0'-0" latitude, on the equatorial line, the grandiose quadrangular pyramid of the Equinoctial Monument. Placed with its four monoliths in 1979, the central monolith is decorated with a globe encircled by a silver band representing the equator. The globe is orientated corresponding to the true position of the earth. Overnight Quito (B)      

Day 4 July 01 (Thursday) Early departure from our hotel for the flight to Baltra Morning:  Santa Cruz (Indefatigable) Island—Puerto Ayora Town Upon arrival in Baltra airport our guide will be waiting for us to cross the Itabaca Channel and travel by private transportation from the northern side of Santa Cruz towards Puerto Ayora. The first stretch is a very dry area, but as soon as we get to the highlands, the vegetation changes completely. Here we can observe giant bamboo trees and dense Miconia vegetation. Arrive to Primicias Ranch, located next to the Reserve. Take a rain jacket as it can get muddy and misty. At the ranch we will observe the giant Galapagos tortoises in a natural environment; stroll around the compound and watch and learn about this magnificent endangered specie and their habitat.

Santa Cruz is the only inhabited island to be visited during this Galapagos cruise.  Puerto Ayora, with a population of about 10,000 people and is the location of the Charles Darwin Research Station, world famous for its tortoise breeding programs.   Afternoon Charles Darwin Station This research laboratory is located near to the town of Puerto Ayora and is directed by scientists from several countries, who are involved in the study and protection of fauna and flora of the islands. The evolution that the islands have undergone since the formation can be seen here too. It also shows the animals that have been introduced to the different areas and possible solutions to protect them against extinction. Raising the Galapagos Giant Tortoises in captivity is the most important project the Galapagos National Park is involved with; this program has enabled the return of many tortoises into their natural habitat. The Charles Darwin Station is also home of several adult giant tortoises, which have been found in other parts of the world and are later brought back to their habitats of origin.   After touring the Station, journey by bus into the highlands to Los Gemelos, the two deep pit craters situated in the Scalesia forest with lots of interesting bird life.  Go for a walk through the giant lava tubes, visit the Tortoise Reserve to search for giant tortoises in their natural surroundings.   There will be some free time to explore the town of Puerto Ayora on your own.

Day 05 (Friday) 02 July Friday Morning: Santiago (San Salvador, James) Island—James Bay This island has several sites to visit at the western end of James Bay. Puerto Egas, with its black sand beaches, was the site of 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.  A walk down the rugged shoreline, especially at low tide, will turn up many marine species such as iguanas basking on the rocks and sea lions lazing in the tide pools.  At the end of the trail there is a series of grottoes or sea caves where fur seals and night herons are found resting on shady ledges. Just north of James Bay is Buccaneer Cove, a particularly scenic area of steep cliffs and dark beaches.  

Friday Afternoon:  Bartolome (Bartholomew) Island Bartolome is a small island that has beautiful white sandy beaches, luxuriant green mangroves and a colony of penguins.  Activities will include swimming and snorkeling and a climb to the summit of the island for one of the most breathtaking views in all the Galapagos.  From the summit you will have the best view of the often-photographed Pinnacle Rock.                               

Day 06 (Saturday) 03 July Morning:  Tower (Genovesa) Island—Prince Philip’s Steps          A second trail called Prince Philip´s Steps, leads to an open area for masked boobies, frigates, and red-footed boobies.  At the end of this trail are thousands of band-rumped storm petrels at the cliff's edge, where they nest in crevices. Short-eared owls can sometimes be seen here, hunting the storm petrels during daylight hours.  

Saturday Afternoon:  Tower (Genovesa) Island—Darwin Bay Beach Tower is a collapsed volcano and ships 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: great frigate birds, red-footed boobies, swallow-tailed gulls and storm petrels. A trail leads from a coral beach past tidal lagoons where lava gulls and yellow-crowned night herons are seen, then along the low shrubs populated by frigates and boobies, and eventually to a cliff edge where seabirds soar.  

Day 07 (Sunday) 04 July Morning: Santa Cruz (Indefatigable) Island—Black Turtle Cove The panga will take you into a tidal lagoon to see three kinds of mangrove plants, red, white and black.  White-tipped sharks, spotted rays, mustard rays and Pacific marine turtles frequent the waters here. After lunch we will transfer to the airport for your flight to Quito and your hotel. Overnight Quito (B                    

Day 08 (Monday)  05th July Transfer to the airport for your return flight to Lima and midnight connection home. You may wishto return to the hotel in Lima and at your extra expense book a room for the day as our flight will not depart until midnight. 

Information about your boat She has capacity for 16 travellers accommodated in 8 double oceanview cabins, all with private bathrooms and a generous hot water supply, are complemented by a library, T.V. with VHS video, restaurant/bar and sundeck. The boat is air-conditioned throughout.  The spacious sun deck allows for observation of dolphins and whales, you may also choose to relax and enjoy the equatorial sun and sea breeze, all part of the Galapagos Islands magical environment. Delicious meals with Ecuadorian and international delicacies are served in an interior buffet area, 2 separate social areas with a well equipped bar where you can socialize with your fellow explorers while you enjoy an ice cold beer. 

The Eden was built in Ecuador in 1996 and went through a complete overhaul in 2002, custom designed for Galapagos island cruising, all interiors are nicely decorated and offer the comfort weary explorers seek after a full day of hiking, snorkelling or diving.   

COST: US$3429 twin share (prices may increase slightly before departure)   Inclusions
*4 days/3 nights including full board on your boat ·
Transfers
Local tour companies and local guides
International airfare Lima/ Quito/Lima
Internal fight Quito/ Baltra/Quito
3 Nights Accommodation in -4 star centrally located in Quito city incl. b'fast ·        City Tour of Quito
Tour to the equatorial line + entrance to the museum

Not Included:
Lunchs and Dinner in Quito
Soft and Hard Drinks
Gratitudes