Galapagos Islands Cruises
M/V Galapagos Explorer II Cruise

EAST ITINERARY - 3 nights / 4 days

Day 1: Wednesday - Galapagos (Barquerizo Moreno Airport)
Departure from Quito or Guayaquil to Puerto Baquerizo Moreno airport. Transfer to the Galapagos Explorer II cruise ship.

San Cristobal (Brujo Hill)
Perhaps one of the nicest beaches in the Galapagos is Brujo Hill, a huge expanse of fine white sand that feels like sifted flour between your toes. It's home to a colony of sealions and blue-footed boobies, and you'll find egrets and great blue herons behind the beach in a lagoon. There's also great snorkeling in the turquoise waters.

Day 2: Thursday - Española (Suarez Point)
Suarez Point is often listed as a Galapagos favorite visitor site. Along a 2 mile (3km) walk you have the chance to see blue-footed boobies and waved albatross as well as the famous blowhole that spurts water high into the air. The landscape is great for photography.

Española (Gardner Bay)
Española Island (also called Hood) is the southernmost island and teems with wildlife. It is the breeding site of nearly all of the world's 12,000 pairs of waved albatrosses. Gardner Bay has a lovely white sandy beach where you will see a sea lion colony. It is a good place for snorkeling or just relaxing on the beach.

Day 3: Friday - Santa Cruz (Charles Darwin Research Station)
Today on your Galapagos Islands cruise, visit the Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz Island. Learn about the giant tortoise breeding program and the steps that researchers are taking to preserve this magnificent species. This is where Lonesome George, the last of the Pinta tortoise sub-species, lived for many years.

Rabida (Jervis)
Rabida Island (also called Jervis) is a bird-watcher's delight. Some of the rarest species are in abundance, such as nine varieties of finches, large-billed flycatchers, Galapagos hawks and brown pelicans. The trail starts along the red sand beach and then to the top of a hill where you will have a great view of the surrounding landscape.

Day 4: Saturday - Santa Cruz (Bachas Beach)
Today, continue your explorations of the Santa Cruz island at Bachas Beach, on the north side of the Island. Here you will encounter many sea birds, marine iguanas, sea turtles, and have the opportunity to walk on the white sand beach. For the 4 day cruise passengers, return in the afternoon to the Baltra airport for your flight back to the mainland.

WEST ITINERARY - 4 nights / 5 days

Day 1: Saturday - Galapagos (Baltra Airport)
Departure from Quito or Guayaquil to Baltra airport. Transfer to Galapagos Explorer II.

Santa Cruz (Dragon Hill)
Visitors walk to a saltwater lagoon which is occasionally visited by pink flamingos. Then youâll hike up to Dragon Hill, which offers a beautiful view of the bay. This area is a nesting site for numerous reintroduced land iguanas. There is also a Scalesia tree forest.

Day 2: Sunday - Bartolome
Bartholomew Island is the home to the Pinnacle Rock and the most famous vista in Galapagos. You may see sharks swimming close to the shore. You may also get a chance to swim with the Galapagos Penguin. Climbing to the top of this island rewards visitors with panoramic views of varied lava formations, volcanic peaks and a moon-like landscape.

Santiago (Egas Point)
Egas Point (also called South James Bay) is on the northwest side of Santiago Island. The lava and black sand beaches make for great photography. Puerto Egas is one of the few places in Galapagos where you can see Galapagos Fur seals. We start with an easy walk along the beach. The lava and black sand beaches make for great photography. Here you will also find good snorkeling off the beach with a broad array of marine life to be seen.

Day 3: Monday - Fernandina (Espinosa Point)
No foreign species have ever invaded Fernandina Island, and, as a result, it claims to be one of the most pristine ecosystems in Galapagos. Fernandina is the youngest island in Galapagos. The La Cumbre volcano with its lava fields spreading out to the ocean dominates the landscape. We land at Punta Espinosa, and after walking past a colony of marine iguanas and a group of sea lions, visitors arrive at the island's highlight: the flightless cormorant nesting site.

Isabela (Vicente Roca Point)
The largest and one of the most volcanically active islands, Isabela provides habitat for five subspecies of giant tortoise - one for each of its five volcanoes. We will visit Punta Vicente Roca which has beautiful volcanic scenery, with amazing lava intrusions as well as a huge sea cliff.

Day 4: Tuesday - North Seymour Island
North Seymour is a very low-lying island and has a very large population of blue footed-boobies. It is also home to the largest colony of the magnificent frigate birds in Galapagos. The large red pouch of the males makes for quite a spectacle. The first half of the trail is sandy but the second half is rocky (be sure to bring good walking shoes).

Santa Cruz (Highland)
Travelers can trek through the highlands of Santa Cruz and visit Chato Hill, where you can observe the famous giant tortoises in their natural habitat. Additionally, travelers can walk inside the dormant lava tubes.

Day 5: Wednesday San Cristobal (Interpretation center)
We disembark at Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, the capital of the Galapagos Islands. From there we take a one hour bus ride to the Galapaguera. The Galapaguera allows you to see the Giant tortoises in its natural environment. You can see baby tortoises and well as the large adults. Transfer to Puerto Baquerizo Moreno airport.

NOTE: The 7 night Galapagos cruise itinerary can start in the west or in the east and can begin Wendesday or Saturday.