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The Beluga - Galapagos Cruising

8 Day/7 night Itinerary

Day 1 - Friday
Baltra & North Seymour
From Baltra airport transfer by minibus to the harbour to embark BELUGA. After lunch on board, sail to North Seymour to see the nesting colony of Magnificent frigate birds, swallowtail gulls and sea lions. The island also boasts a large colony of blue-footed boobies whose 'nests' include the trail itself, so tread carefully. Sea lions can often be seen body-surfing in the breakers off North Seymour.

Day 2 - Saturday
Espanola (Hood): Gardner Bay / Punta Suarez
Having sailed overnight to Espanola, your first visit will be to Punta Suarez, renowned as the only location on earth that is home to the Waved Albatross which nests here between March and December. Hood mocking birds, red billed tropic birds, brightly coloured marine iguanas and lava lizards are found here, as are nesting colonies of Nazca boobies and blue-footed boobies. After lunch on board, you visit Gardner Bay where clear waters and a huge variety of fish species make for excellent snorkelling and swimming. Beach birds include yellow warblers, Galapagos doves, Darwin's finches, mockingbirds. And of course, there are sea lions and marine iguanas.

Day 3 - Sunday
Floreana (Charles): Punta Cormorant / Post Office Bay
An unusual green mineral sand beach at Punta Cormorant leads to a lagoon often frequented by pintail ducks and flamingos. From there you walk on through diverse vegetation to reach a white beach known for sea turtles, sting rays, ghost crabs, as well as Galapagos flycatcher and cuckoo. There may be time for snorkelling at Devil's Crown nearby before lunch. The afternoon visit is to Post Office Bay, where 18th century whalers left mail to be picked up by passing ships. Today visitors can leave their own messages and pick up mail to deliver back home.

Day 4 - Monday
Santa Cruz (Indefatigable): Darwin Station / Highlands
Moor up in the bustling port of Puerto Ayora to visit the Darwin Station. Lunch on board is followed by a trip into the interior highlands - a great place to see giant tortoises in the wild - with a route that passes through seven vegetation zones on the drive to the top. Plenty of birds such as finches, cuckoos, vermilion flycatchers and yellow warblers to look out for, plus a walk through the fascinating lava tunnels and large pit craters at Los Gemelos.

Day 5 - Tuesday
Isabela (Albemarle): Punta Moreno / Elizabeth Bay
Today the largest Galapagos island, Isabela was originally six separate volcanoes whose lava flows merged into a horseshoe about 80 miles in length. A visit to Punta Moreno, on Isabela's southwest flank, begins with a panga ride along beautiful rocky shores, where penguins and great blue herons are often seen, and into a mangrove. After a dry landing, the trek sets off across harsh lava terrain dotted with lagoons that are oases of abundant wildlife. Clumps of pioneering lava cactus and scalesia are characteristic here as are pintail ducks, flamingos and carpenter bees - one of the few pollinating insects in Galapagos. Back on board the Panga, we ride north to Elizabeth Bay, located on the Perry Isthmus, passing rocky islets that are breeding grounds for a small colony of penguin. Flightless cormorants and the biggest specimens of marine iguana are often seen here. A narrow cove lined with tall red mangrove trees is home to marine turtles, rays and shore birds.

Day 6 - Wednesday
Isabela (Albemarle): Urvina Bay / Fernandina (Narborough): Punta Espinoza
Located at the foot of Volcano Alcedo, one of the world's most active volcanoes, the seabed here was dramatically uplifted by almost 4m in 1954, exposing giant coral heads and leaving marine organisms high and dry. These fascinating skeletal relics can be seen today, after a wet landing, on the west coast of Isabela. Flightless cormorants and brown pelicans also nest in Urvina bay.

West of Isabela, Fernandina is the youngest of the Galapagos islands at less than 1 million years old. The most volcanically active, it boasts a dramatic landscape dominated by recent lava flows and sand. Clumps of pioneering drought-tolerant lava cactus are already beginning to colonise the lava. The island is home to the largest colony of marina iguanas in Galapagos, the sandy areas near the point filled with their nest holes during the first half of each year. Near the tip of the point is a large colony of sea lions. Pelicans and Flightless cormorants can often be seen here as well, while the beach is frequently alive with Sally Lightfoot crabs.

Day 7 - Thursday
Santiago (James): Puerto Egas / Bartolome
Awake to find Beluga anchored off James Island. Land at Punta Egas for a lovely walk with opportunities for rockpooling (some tidal) en route to the Fur Seal Grotto where sea lions and fur seals bask. There will possibly be time for a pre-lunch swim and snorkel, before the afternoon visit to Bartolome island and Pinnacle rock. Here, woodensteps take you on a strenuous climb to the top of this small island, passing spatter and cinder cones and some lava cactus clumps. At the top the reward is a fabulous panorama of Pinnacle Rock, white beaches and mangroves with the vast volcanic backdrop beyond.

Day 8 - Friday
Santa Cruz (Indefatigable): Turtle Cove / Baltra
A memorable finish to the cruise is the panga ride to Turtle Cove at dawn - a peaceful system of coves and inlets surrounded by mangroves. In the water you may see pairing turtles, white-tipped sharks and rays. After a late breakfast disembark Beluga for the journey back to Baltra airport and air flight to the mainland.

N.B. All Galapagos itineraries are subject to change due to national Park regulations, weather conditions, etc. The itinerary described is that normally followed by "Beluga".

Sightings of any of the birds or animals mentioned in the itinerary couldn't be guaranteed, although experience leads us to a reasonable expectation of what is described.

5 Day/4 night Itinerary

Day 1 - Monday
Santa Cruz (Indefatigable): Darwin Station / Highlands
From Baltra Airport transfer to Puerto Ayora by bus and join the Beluga. Depending on your arrival time you may visit the Darwin Station. Lunch on board is followed by a trip into the interior highlands - a great place to see giant tortoises in the wild - with a route that passes through seven vegetation zones on the drive to the top. Plenty of birds such as finches, cuckoos, vermilion flycatchers and yellow warblers to look out for, plus a walk through the fascinating lava tunnels and large pit craters at Los Gemelos.

(Day one itinerary depends upon the flight arrival time into Baltra)

Day 2 - Tuesday
Isabela (Albemarle): Punta Moreno / Elizabeth Bay
Today the largest Galapagos island, Isabela was originally six separate volcanoes whose lava flows merged into a horseshoe about 80 miles in length. A visit to Punta Moreno, on Isabela's southwest flank, begins with a panga ride along beautiful rocky shores, where penguins and great blue herons are often seen, and into a mangrove. After a dry landing, the trek sets off across harsh lava terrain dotted with lagoons that are oases of abundant wildlife. Clumps of pioneering lava cactus and scalesia are characteristic here as are pintail ducks, flamingos and carpenter bees - one of the few pollinating insects in Galapagos. Back on board the Panga, we ride north to Elizabeth Bay, located on the Perry Isthmus, passing rocky islets that are breeding grounds for a small colony of penguin. Flightless cormorants and the biggest specimens of marine iguana are often seen here. A narrow cove lined with tall red mangrove trees is home to marine turtles, rays and shore birds.

Day 3 - Wednesday
Isabela (Albemarle): Urvina Bay / Fernandina (Narborough): Punta Espinoza
Located at the foot of Volcano Alcedo, one of the world's most active volcanoes, the seabed here was dramatically uplifted by almost 4m in 1954, exposing giant coral heads and leaving marine organisms high and dry. These fascinating skeletal relics can be seen today, after a wet landing, on the west coast of Isabela. Flightless cormorants and brown pelicans also nest in Urvina bay.

West of Isabela, Fernandina is the youngest of the Galapagos islands at less than 1 million years old. The most volcanically active, it boasts a dramatic landscape dominated by recent lava flows and sand. Clumps of pioneering drought-tolerant lava cactus are already beginning to colonise the lava. The island is home to the largest colony of marina iguanas in Galapagos, the sandy areas near the point filled with their nest holes during the first half of each year. Near the tip of the point is a large colony of sea lions. Pelicans and Flightless cormorants can often be seen here as well, while the beach is frequently alive with Sally Lightfoot crabs.

Day 4 - Thursday
Santiago (James): Puerto Egas / Bartolome
Awake to find Beluga anchored off James Island. Land at Punta Egas for a lovely walk with opportunities for rockpooling (some tidal) en route to the Fur Seal Grotto where sea lions and fur seals bask. There will possibly be time for a pre-lunch swim and snorkel, before the afternoon visit to Bartolome island and Pinnacle rock. Here, woodensteps take you on a strenuous climb to the top of this small island, passing spatter and cinder cones and some lava cactus clumps. At the top the reward is a fabulous panorama of Pinnacle Rock, white beaches and mangroves with the vast volcanic backdrop beyond.

Day 5 - Friday
Santa Cruz (Indefatigable): Turtle Cove / Baltra
A memorable finish to the cruise is the panga ride to Turtle Cove at dawn - a peaceful system of coves and inlets surrounded by mangroves. In the water you may see pairing turtles, white-tipped sharks and rays. After a late breakfast disembark Beluga for the journey back to Baltra airport and air flight to the mainland.

N.B. All Galapagos itineraries are subject to change due to national Park regulations, weather conditions, etc. The itinerary described is that normally followed by "Beluga".

Sightings of any of the birds or animals mentioned in the itinerary couldn't be guaranteed, although experience leads us to a reasonable expectation of what is described.

For overnight in Quito see our Mainland Ecuador Itinerary.