Vacation Packages for Millenium Catamaran Galapagos Islands
4 Days/3 Nights
Thursday / Sunday
Itinerary:
01 Thursday: San Cristobal / Loberia Highlands of San Cristobal
Flight to the Galapagos Island San Christobal from which you will start your cruise after a short transfer to the harbor, Cabin assignment, introductory welcome talk and lunch. At the beginning of your Galapagos expedition you will visit La Galapaguera situated on San Cristobal, where giant turtles can be observed. Afterwards, we board our Yacht and visit the Loberia.
02 Friday: Santa Fe / South Plazas Island
Santa Fe has one of the most beautiful coves of all the visitor sites in the archipelago. A turquoise lagoon with two small white sand beaches are protected by a peninsula where sea lions rest. A trail runs along side the coast and then crosses through an Opuntia Forest. These prickly pear cacti are the largest ones in Galapagos. The Santa Fe species of land iguanas are larger and of a paler yellow color than on the other islands. After the hike you can swim or snorkel in the bay in company of sea lions.
South Plaza is one of the smallest islands visited, 426 feet wide (130 meters) and just over ½ mile (800 meters) long. Here there is a large colony of sea lions, numbering about 1,000 bulls, cows and pups, occupying the smooth rocks. The small cactus forest is populated by land iguanas, which can be seen sunning themselves or feeding on Opuntia pads and fruits. Along the cliff edge nesting swallow-tailed gulls are the predominant seabirds, along with tropicbirds and shearwaters. Generally between the months of January to June, the dormant ground cover undergoes a drastic change; the red Sesuvium turns bright green and the leafless evening-blooming Portulaca bursts into large yellow flowers relished by the iguanas.
03 Saturday: Española - Gardner Bay - Punta Suarez
Española is the southernmost island of the archipelago, and being so isolated, a high percentage of its fauna is endemic. Gardner Bay is on the eastern shore and has a magnificent beach. This beach is frequented by a transient colony of sea lions, and is a major nesting site for marine turtles. Around the small islets nearby, snorkelers will find lots of fish and sometimes turtles and sharks. On a trail leading to the western tip of the island you'll pass the only nesting sites in the Galapagos of the waved albatross, huge birds with a 6-foot wingspan. These huge birds nest here from April to December and represent the majority of the world's population of this species.
Punta Suarez is one of the most outstanding wildlife areas of the archipelago, with a long list of species found along its cliffs and sand or pebble beaches. In addition to five species of nesting seabirds there are the curious and bold Hood Island mockingbirds, Galapagos doves and Galapagos hawks. Several types of reptiles, including the brilliantly colored marine iguana and the oversized lava lizard, are unique to this island. When heavy swells are running, Punta Suarez is also the site of a spectacular blowhole, with thundering spray shooting 30 yards into the air.
04 Sunday: Santa Cruz/Estacion Charles Darwin - Highlands
Santa Cruz is the second largest island in the Galapagos. The small town of Puerto Ayora is the economic center of the archipelago, with the largest population of the 4 inhabited islands (approx 10.000). Santa Cruz is also the only island where six different zones of vegetation can be seen: Coastal, Arid, Transition, Scalesia, Miconia, and Pampa Zones. The Charles Darwin Research Station and the Galapagos National Park offices are based here. We will have an opportunity to visit some of the best scientists of their kind. Scientists, park rangers and park managers among others, who make huge efforts to preserve this Unesco World Heritage Site, conduct the conservation of the islands. The station is also a tortoise breeding and rearing center, where tortoises of different subspecies are prepared for reintroduction to their natural habitats. The most popular inhabitant of this island will probably be Lonesome George. He is the only survivor of the specific turtle species.
|