Finch Bay Hotel

AM:

We visit a giant tortoise reserve in the highlands of Santa Cruz Island. The area is teeming with life: woodpeckers, mockingbirds, flycatchers, ducks, and gallinules make this an exciting morning visit. The Galapagos giant tortoise is the largest living tortoise species, weighing up to 250 kg (550 lb). These gentle giants can be seen grazing on the surrounding vegetation, wallowing in muddy banks, or in a small red-colored pond (impressively colored by surface red pondweeds).

PM:

To deepen and broaden your knowledge, make your way to the Galapagos National Park Service headquarters and the recently renovated Charles Darwin Research Station in Puerto Ayora. You’ll find a fascinating interpretation center and can wander through the tortoise-rearing program facilities. Here, we observe giant tortoises and learn how they vary from island to island. We also explore some volcanic terrain that hugs the coastline and forms the foundation for many unique wildlife habitats while learning about many endemic and native species in the Galapagos.

Tortuga Bay is located to the southwest of Puerto Ayora, on Santa Cruz Island. Its name means turtle, since it is the favorite place for sea turtles to lay their eggs. The beautiful white sand beach is considered by many the most beautiful in the Galápagos Archipelago. The beach is reached via a marked and cobbled two kilometer-path that starts at the west end of Charles Binford Street; at the beginning of the path guests must sign in and out at the National Park control point – it is open from 6:00 AM to 6:30 PM daily. There is excellent bird-watching along the path, with plenty of Darwin’s Finches and other sea birds.

There are two beaches at Tortuga Bay: “Playa Brava”, aptly named for its persistent swells, ideal for surfing; and “Playa Mansa”, one kilometer further along the beach, a mellow cove, protected by a natural basalt barrier. Generally conditions here are suitable for snorkeling year-round. It’s also a good place for swimming and kayaking. Beware of limited natural shade and the glare of the sun on the white sand. Return to the hotel around midday.

We depart from the hotel towards to the Highlands of Santa Cruz, where a bus will take us for a visit to the Giant Tortoises Reserve in their natural habitat, a once in a lifetime experience! Pass the Village of Santa Rosa going through the Guayabillo forest to the Tortoise Reserve, here it is easier to view them on one of the farms, watch out for the only “TORTOISE CROSSING” signs in the world! There are also many mosses, ferns and other epiphytes on the trees, watch out for the small and large tree Finches. Our first stop is at Los Gemelos, the Twin Pit Craters, these are a pair of collapse or pit craters, one on either side of the road in the Scalesia Zone, great depressions of volcanic material, formed by a long process of slow sinking of the ground, here we get an excellent opportunity to see Scalesia Pedunculata, ferns, mosses and orchids can be seen in the surroundings. We then continue to the tortoise reserve, visit the reserve, lunch in the area, and afterwards continue to Garrapatero Beach.

El Garrapatero Beach is a beautiful unspoiled beach with white sand and turquoise water, northeast of Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island. It is reached by road driving to the highlands of Santa Cruz, past the small town of Bellavista (about 20 minutes), and then a 15-minute walk through a gorgeous trail beneath a canopy of mangroves. A short walk from the beach leads to a lagoon, surrounded by vegetation, where pink flamingos are found, and often ducks, herons, stilts, oystercatchers and resident and migratory shore birds and also bright sally-lightfoot crabs. The beach is great for both adults and children, as pools are formed, and the beach is very gradual going into the water. It’s great for swimming the snorkeling or basking in the sun amid a perfect combination of sun and natural beauty. Return to the hotel. Time table for reference only, please reconfirm information at front desk or with your local guide. For the excursion to the highlands of Santa Cruz and El Garrapatero Beach, departure from the hotel is at 9:00 and return at about 14:30 approx.

AM: North Seymour, Island was lifted from the ocean floor by a seismic event, and its origins as a seabed give the island its low, flat profile. Cliffs only a few meters high form the shoreline, where swallow-tailed gulls sit perched in ledges. A tiny forest of silver-grey Palo Santo trees stand just above the landing, usually without leaves, waiting for the rain to bring them into bloom.

This island is teaming with life! You might have to give way to a passing sea lion or marine iguana; blue-footed booby nests sit beside the trail where mating pairs perform their courtship dance. Further along, the rocky shore displays white sand, and large flocks of pelicans mass for a dive-bomb feeding frenzy, rendering a tableau for us from ages long past. The trail turns inland to reveal the largest nesting site in the Galapagos of the “magnificent frigate bird.” These huge, dark acrobats have two-meter wingspans, and males, with puffed up scarlet throat sacks, sit precariously perched in low bushes to watch over their equally large chicks. This is a walking excursion and involves un even rocky terrain. Dry landing.

PM: Las Bachas beach, a sandy white-coral beach that is a major egg-laying site for sea turtles. On the shore, there are many marine iguanas and in the lagoon, flamingos are commonly seen. This beach is also a good place for swimming and snorkeling. Best time for a walk along the beach or just relax and enjoy the magnificence Galapagos Islands. Wet landing

Today, we include two visitor sites: South Plaza and Punta Carrión, a perfect combination since aquatic activities are not allowed at South Plaza so we snorkel at Punta Carrión. On Tuesdays, we travel by land across Santa Cruz to the Itabaca Channel and snorkel at Punta Carrión in the morning, returning to Puerto Ayora and the hotel’s dock in the afternoon. On Fridays, we embark the yacht directly from the hotel’s dock in Puerto Ayora, but return by bus over Santa Cruz Island from the Itabaca Channel in the afternoon.

Punta Carrión, at the north-eastern tip of Santa Cruz Island, boasts both shallow reefs, mangroves, and exposure to rich upwellings to the east. As a result, it’s an ideal snorkelling site with plenty of reef fish as well as occasional sea lions and sharks.

South Plaza is a small island full of fascinating wildlife, both along its shore and along its dramatic, wind-swept cliffs: sea lions, land iguanas, swallow-tailed gulls, Opuntia cacti and vegetation that changes colours according to the season.

Our guides will seek out the best site along the cliffs for an enjoyable snorkel. Back on board, we continue sailing round the eastern coast of Santa Cruz until we reach a group of islets and rocks: South and North Plaza are twin, crescent-shaped islands. While the northern twin remains accessible only for scientists, South Plaza is one of Galápagos most impressive visiting sites.

Only 130 meters wide (426 feet), it was formed from uplifted seabed, giving it a tilted table top aspect. Our landing is in the channel between North and South Plaza, where the island slopes down toward the water. The approach makes for a lavishly colourful sight! The turquoise waters of the channel contrast brilliantly with the white sand and black lava of the shoreline. The rocks have grown thick with green seaweed in places, speckled with bright orange “Sally light foot” crabs. Further up the shore, a carpet of scarlet Sesuvium succulents serves as groundcover for a grove of luminescent green prickly-pear cactus. Yellow-grey land iguanas sit beneath these, waiting patiently for pears to drop.

The trail gradually follows the tilt of the island to the cliffs that overlook the ocean to the south, where swallow-tailed gulls nest. Red-billed tropic birds, masked and blue-footed boobies ride the gusty currents. The overlook is a great place for spotting large marine life, including manta rays. Surf pounds an inlet at the western corner of the island, where a colony of bachelor sea lions make their home, accounting for the surprising surface of the rocks, polished by the oils of their fur.

This is a walking excursion and involves uneven rocky terrain, Dry landing, Snorkelling.

Santa Fe offers one of the more beautiful and sheltered coves in the archipelago. Its turquoise lagoon is protected by a peninsula of tiny islets forming an ideal anchorage. The island lies to the southeast of Santa Cruz within sight of Puerto Ayora. Like North Seymour, Santa Fe has been uplifted, and you can see where underwater lava once cooled off (pillow lava). To get there, the Sea Lion Yacht departs from Academy Bay in Puerto Ayora, yards from the Finch Bay hotel’s dock.

A wet landing on a sandy white beach brings us into contact with one of the many sea lion harems. Bulls vie for the right to be Beach Master, while smaller males masquerade as females and make stealthy mating moves. Galápagos hawks are often easily approached, perched atop salt bushes.

The giant prickly pear cactus found here live up to their name, with tree-sized trunks! Our goal is to spot one of the large species of land iguana, native to Santa Fe. Beige to chocolate brown in colour with dragon-like spines, these huge iguanas truly resemble dinosaurs.

An indigenous species of rice rat also inhabits the thickets, and lucky hikers can spot harmless Galápagos snakes. After the hike, there is nothing more inviting than a swim in the calm waters of the bay, a great snorkelling opportunity with diverse marine life.

This is a walking excursion and involves uneven rocky terrain. The yacht both sails from, and returns to, the hotel’s dock in Puerto Ayora.

After an invigorating breakfast we leave the hotel, cross Academy Bay by boat, and board our bus in Puerto Ayora. In order to shorten travel distance and save considerable time (Bartolomé is the furthest island the hotel’s yacht visits), we will cross 42 km to the Itabaca Channel on the north shore, where the Sea Lion Yacht awaits us. This way, all that is left to sail is 21 Nautical miles (39Km/24miles) to Bartolomé Island.

Bartolomé is famous for Pinnacle Rock, a towering spearheaded obelisk that rises from the ocean’s edge and is the best known landmark in the islands.

Galápagos penguins —the only species of penguin found north of the equator — waddle precariously along narrow volcanic ledges at its base. Sea lions snooze on rocky platforms, ready to slide into the water to play with passing snorkelers. Just below the surface, shoals of tropical fish dodge in and out of the rocks past urchins, sea stars and anemones. A perfectly- crescent-shaped, pink-and-white sandy beach lies just to the east of the pinnacle. Sea turtles use the beach as a nesting site and can sometimes be found wading in the shallow water near the shore, or resting in the sand to recover from the arduous task of digging nests, laying eggs and covering them over. We snorkel from this beach following a wet landing.

Penguins dot the nearby rocks of the other landing site, less than a kilometer along the eastern shore. Here the submerged walls of a tiny volcanic crater give the impression of a fountain pool. A dry landing here leads to a 600-metre (2,000-foot) pathway complete with stairs and boardwalks leading to Bartolomé’s summit. The route is not difficult and presents a museum of volcanology: a site left untouched after its last eruption, where cones stand in various stages of erosion and lava tubes form bobsled-like runs from the summit. At the top you will be rewarded with spectacular views of Santiago Island and James Bay to the west, and far below, Pinnacle Rock and our beach, where the crystal blue waters of the bay cradle our yacht.

We return to the Itabaca Channel, board our bus, and travel over the island back to the hotel.

A face-to-face encounter with marine life...

HALF-DAY DIVINE BAY

Swim through crystal-clear waters…

Explore the enchanting wonders of Divine Bay on this half-day tour, perfect for nature enthusiasts seeking serenity and wildlife encounters. Just a short walk away, Divine Bay awaits, embraced by towering basalt cliffs on one side and lush mangrove forests on the other.

As you venture into this tranquil corner of the Galapagos, you'll be greeted by a symphony of bird calls and the playful antics of sea lions basking in the sun. Keep your eyes peeled for the graceful movements of small egrets, blue-footed boobies, blue herons, brown pelicans, noddy terns, and lava gulls, as they adorn the landscape with their vibrant presence.

Dive into the crystal-clear waters of Divine Bay, where a vibrant underwater world awaits. This premier snorkeling site offers a glimpse into the diverse marine life of the Galapagos, from colorful fish darting among coral reefs to majestic sea turtles gracefully gliding through the depths.

Immerse yourself in the natural beauty of Divine Bay, where every moment promises a new encounter with the wonders of the flora and fauna Galapagos Islands.