Volcanoes & Giant Tortoises in Western Galápagos

Day 1: Embarkation on Baltra Island & Bachas Beach on Santa Cruz Island

After a warm welcome at the airport, you will be transferred to the MS Endemic. 

In the afternoon, visit Las Bachas, a beautiful white sand beach on the north coast of Santa Cruz Island. Here you can take a relaxing walk or snorkel in the gentle surf. Sea turtles lay their eggs at the edge of the vegetation. Keep an eye out for a rusty pontoon, a relic from World War II. Incidentally, the name "Bachas" comes from a mispronunciation of "barges." Two of these barges were shipwrecked off the coast at that time. 

Activities: Snorkeling, walking

Day 3: Santa Cruz Island & Sullivan Bay, Santiago Island

In the highlands of Santa Cruz, you will have the opportunity to see the famousGalapagos giant tortoises in the wild. These endemic animals are so well known that they gave the entire archipelago its name. The highlands of Santa Cruz are also an excellent place for bird watching, as numerous species of finches and other Galapagos birds live here.

Activities: Short walk

In the afternoon, you will visit Sullivan Bay on the east coast of Santiago Island. You will go ashore on a white coral sand beach and hike across lava fields that were formed less than 100 years ago. This is the perfect place to experience the volcanic origins of the Galapagos Islands up close and explore the surprisingly diverse flora of the lava fields.

Activities: 1–1.5 hour hike

Day 5: Elizabeth Bay & Urbina Bay on Isabela Island

In the morning, discover Elizabeth Bay on a Zodiac excursion. Your trip begins with a visit to the Marielas Islands, home to the largest and most important penguin colony in the Galapagos Islands. Then you will continue to the bay, which is lined with red mangroves. Here you can observe sea turtles, flightless cormorants, spotted eagle rays, golden rays, brown pelicans, and sea lions.

Activities: 2-hour Zodiac ride

In the afternoon, you will visit Urbina Bay. Here you will see coral formations and large, colorful land iguanas. There is an excellent chance of spotting giant tortoises, flightless cormorants, blue-footed boobies, penguins, and marine iguanas.

Activities: snorkeling, rubber dinghy trip, and hike with a choice of 1 or 3 km routes

Day 7: Buccaneer Cove/Espumilla Beach, Santiago Island & Rabida Island

In the morning, explore Buccaneer Cove, located north of James Bay. In the 17th and 18th centuries, it served as a safe haven for pirates to hide their loot, take on fresh water, and catch turtles for food. The location is ideal for dinghy trips, snorkeling, and kayaking. In the sky, you can observe blue-footed boobies, Nazca boobies, sea lions, and Galapagos hawks.

Alternatively, visit Espumilla Beach. This pristine sandy beach is often home to marine iguanas and red rock crabs, which in turn attract hunting herons. Thanks to the species-rich underwater world with octopuses, moray eels, and sharks, snorkeling here is definitely worthwhile.

Activities: rubber dinghy trips, snorkeling, and kayaking

In the afternoon, you will continue on to Rabida Island. The main attraction here is the red sand beach, famous for its cactus groves and impressive rock formations, as well as the species-rich vegetation of the dry zone. On a walk along the red sand beach, you will discover brown pelican nests and a lagoon where flamingos can occasionally be seen.

Activities: Hiking, swimming