Aboard the Origin, Theory, or Evolve – Southern & Central Route

Arrive in either Quito or Guayaquil, Ecuador, where you will be met and transferred to your local hotel.

Quito is located in a huge valley of the Andes mountains at an altitude of 9,455 feet; it’s a great place to extend your stay to explore the city, the surrounding volcanic mountain range, or possibly an excursion to the fabled Otavalo market.

Guayaquil is Ecuador’s largest city; with its low elevation and coastal location, it is an ideal point from which to fly to the Galapagos.  The city’s 1.5-mile waterfront Malecon 2000 riverfront promenade is a lovely and enjoyable place to spend an afternoon.

Today is a free day to spend at your leisure. We can suggest and help you book tours in either Quito or Guayaquil (tours are not included in trip rate.)

Quito city tour: Stroll down cobblestone streets and through flowering plazas. Visit the old colonial center of Independence Square, the elegant cathedrals of San Francisco, La Compañía, and San Agustín, Quito’s oldest monastery. Drive through the residential section and past the Legislative Palace (Congress). Panecillo Hill overlooks the city and snow-capped mountains.

Guayaquil city tour: A must-see stop is Malecon 2000, an 80-million-dollar riverside complex built along a two-mile stretch of the Guayas River. The waterfront promenade features restaurants, cafes, shops, and museums with art exhibitions as well as free weekend jazz and classical music concerts. Drive through the colorful streets of one of Ecuador’s most important port cities. Visit the Public Market, the waterfront, the docks, and Simon Bolivar Park, which is famous for its tree iguanas. Also, admire the watchtower, La Rotonda, Old Santa Ana Fort, and Las Penas, a charming colonial section of town frequented by artists.

The moment you’ve been waiting for—arrive in the Galapagos!

In the morning, you will be transferred to the airport to collect your tickets for your flight to the islands. Upon arrival at Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, San Cristobal Island, the crew will escort you to your anchored yacht.

Within a few hours, we reach Leon Dormido, (Spanish for sleeping lion), a remnant of a vertical tuff cone formation, rising 500 feet from the ocean. Erosion has split the rock providing a spectacular backdrop for photographs at sunset. As we circumnavigate the formation, you’ll easily spot blue-footed boobies, Nazca boobies, and frigatebirds on the cliffs. After a briefing on activities for the following day, join the Captain and crew for a cocktail reception.

This morning arrive at Cerro Brujo, which translates to Wizard Hill, a breathtaking white coral beach, considered one of the most spectacular in Galapagos and great for a peaceful walk with expansive views and good bird watching. You may choose to snorkel or kayak from the beach, or swim with the sea lions. Return to the yacht for a briefing followed by dinner.

This afternoon, visit the northeast tip of San Cristobal, Punta Pitt for a hike.  See a tuff formation that serves as a nesting site for many sea birds including all three types of boobies (Blue footed, Nazca and Red-footed boobies), both Frigate species, swallow-tailed gulls, Storm petrels and a colony of sea lions. Punta Pitt is considered to be a first-class site for birds and on par with Genovesa (Tower) Island. Enjoy a walk, then enhance your day snorkeling from the beach at Pitt Rock.

This morning is a dry landing at Punta Suarez, Espanola, where you will find the greatest number of endemic species in all of the Galapagos!

Sea lions noisily greet you as we land on their beach. Curious Hood Mockingbirds peck at your shoelaces. From April to November, the waved albatrosses, found only on Espanola, perform their wild mating ritual. Colonies of Blue-footed boobies engage in “sky-pointing” to show off for potential mates. Nazca boobies busily care for their young. Stunning swallow-tailed gulls, the only nocturnal gulls in the world, are all around. Red-billed tropicbirds take shelter under the cliffs. You will also find Darwin’s finches, Galapagos doves, and Galapagos hawks, observe a unique species of marine iguana identified with traces of red and green colorings, and spy colorful Sally lightfoot crabs crawling along the shoreline near the famous “blow hole.”

In the afternoon, following a wet landing on Gardner Bay, Espanola, walk along seemingly endless stretches of this white sandy beach where you’ll find large colonies of sea lions. There is no trail to follow, so this is a chance to explore. You may find a Galapagos Hawk, Darwin’s Finches, and Hood Mockingbirds. Swim with sea lions right from the beach, explore by kayak, or just relax. There’s an excellent snorkeling site off Gardner Islet with a colorful diversity of sea life near Tortuga Rock, where snorkelers can explore caves covered with invertebrates.

This morning, step ashore at Punta Cormorant, Floreana, one of the few populated islands in the Galapagos. Floreana’s history is rich with mystery and intrigue. Set foot on a green-sand beach alive with the sounds of sea lions. Follow a trail to a brackish lagoon, home to pintail ducks, common stilts, and the pinkest flamingos in the world. Wind your way past a rich variety of plants, including Morning Glory, Cut-leaf Daisies, Palo Verdes, and Scalesia, leading to a beach with powder-soft sand where sea turtles lay their eggs in the sand dunes and rays swim in the shallow water.

After the walk, you’ll have an opportunity to snorkel at Devil’s Crown, a shallow sunken crater colonized by a brilliant array of colorful fish and coral. In the afternoon, visit Post Office Bay, probably one of the most famous human sites in the Galapagos. Here, 18th century English whalers placed a barrel that was used to as a primitive post office for mail between the Galapagos and their homeland. You are invited to continue tradition by leaving your outbound postcard(s) here, and to pick up any mail bound for your hometown to hand-deliver when you get back.

This morning, disembark in port and travel by bus to the highlands of Santa Cruz Island. The scenery gradually changes as you wind your way through all seven vegetation zones found in Galapagos. Here, visit the tortoise reserve at “Las Primicias,” one of the private farms in the highlands where you’ll encounter giant tortoises in their natural habitat. Also visit Los Gemelos, Spanish for “The Twins,” a pair of large pit craters where you’ll find the bright red male vermilion flycatcher.

Later, visit the Centro de Crianza Fausto Lierena (formerly the Charles Darwin Research Station). See all three tortoise corrals and the breeding center, with new hatchlings and miniature tortoises not yet ready to be repatriated. Scientists from all over the globe work at the station and conduct biological research from anatomy to zoology. Stop at Van Straelen Hall where there are exhibits and a presentation. Visitors can see the tortoise and land iguana corrals. Puerto Ayora is the social heart of the islands with the largest population of 24,000. This evening, you have the option to return to your yacht for a buffet dinner or remain in town on your own account. Those who return to the yacht are provided zodiacs and the option to head back to town to shop for souvenirs, watch a soccer game, or stop at a pub or internet café.

This morning visit Bartolome, where it seems like you are walking on the moon, as this young island is inhospitable to most plants and animals. After a dry landing, take a brisk 30-minute climb up a wooden stairway that leads to the summit of a once-active volcano. Along the way, pause to marvel at lava bombs, spatter cones, and cinder cones. From the top of the stairs, gaze out across the island for a panoramic view, including “Pinnacle Rock,” an eroded tuff cone. Crystal clear water is an invitation to snorkel from the beach or Zodiac with schools of tropical fish and Galapagos Penguins.

The itinerary for this afternoon varies depending on your yacht, but all visitors will enjoy lovely views and some of the Galapagos’ renowned wildlife. Guests on the Origin go ashore on Sombrero Chino (Chinese Hat), a small island off the southern tip of Santiago that owes its name to its shape. Sea lions await on the beach, and as you explore, you’ll see marine iguanas and oystercatchers. Along the trail, you’ll see remnants of the island’s geological history, with volcanic rubble and cracked lava formations. Snorkeling here, often with penguins, is not to be missed.

Guests on Theory visit Playa las Bachas, on the northern side of Santa Cruz. You’ll also have a wonderful opportunity for snorkeling after exploring interior lagoons with vivid flamingos.

Guests on the Evolve have a Zodiac excursion at Caleta Tortuga Negra (Black Turtle Cove) through a series of coves and inlets surrounded by mangroves. You’ll navigate slowly along the shoreline, listening for the telltale deep inhale of a sea turtle and watching for the wings of a school of golden rays.

This morning, visit South Plaza, a small geological uplift with tall cliffs offering spectacular views. From a dry landing, the trails lead through prickly pear cactus (Opuntia) and Sesuvium. Here you will find the Galapagos land iguana feeding on the cactus leaves. Toward the end of the hill, you encounter a colony of bachelor sea lions. The dominant bulls are in various stages of recovery from battles lost over prime beach territory. You may also find swallow-tailed gulls, shearwaters, and red-billed tropicbirds, all of which build their nests along the cliffs.

You have a dry landing at North Seymore, a small geological uplift. There, you follow a trail that leads to Swallow-tailed gulls, Blue-footed boobies and the endemic Land iguanas. Visit the largest colony of Magnificent Frigate birds found in Galapagos. As you stroll along the beach, find marine iguanas and sea lions body surfing the northern swells. After the walk there is a snorkeling opportunity offered in deep water. Return to the yacht for the Captain’s Farewell cocktail party and dinner, as well as a special slide show presentation by your guides.

After breakfast on board, say goodbye and disembark the ship, then visit the Interpretation Center, opened on San Cristobal Island in 1999. This is an excellent place to gain a more complete understanding of the natural and human history of the islands. Afterwards, spend time exploring the port before heading to the airport for your Aerogal flight back to the mainland.

Depending on your flight schedule, you may catch a late evening flight home today, or head to your hotel to rest before your flight home tomorrow.

If you have time before your flight, enjoy a city tour or poolside relaxation at your hotel before transferring to the airport for your departure.