5 DAY GALAPAGOS ISLAND HOPPING TOUR

Am: Breeding Center of Tortoises – Wet Lands – Flamingos

After an early breakfast (06:15) in the same hotel, one of the members of the Galapagos Sea Star Travel Company will be there to bring you to the main tourism dock for helping with the luggage inspection and to show you the fiber glass boat which transport you to Isabela Island after around two and a half hours of sailing.
You should put the swimming suit on already in the hotel, sport sandals or shoes on and take with you sun glasses, sunscreen, drinking water, a camera, a pair of binoculars, a hat and some money in case you want to buy a drink or souvenirs.
Isabela is the largest island with a sea horse shape and the second youngest of the Galapagos Archipelago about 500 thousand years old, you land on Puerto Villamil much smaller in size if we compare with Puerto Ayora, as soon as you arrive a Naturalist Guide will meet at the dock, explain, introduce the Island to begin immediately the activities:
Walk at the Breeding Center of the Galapagos Giant Tortoises from Isabela Island specifically Cerro Azul and Sierra Negra, you have the possibility to see the variation on shape and all over size of tortoises from different islands and even between populations from the same island. You see babies from few months to 8 years old and of course on the way: finches, mockingbirds.
Walk at the Wet lands, there are brackish lagoons among the mangrove forest where usually you see Flamingos with their extraordinary bright pink feathers, Galapagos Ducks, Black- necked Stilts all year around and from August to February some migratory birds: Whimbrels, Willets, etc.
You have lunch at a restaurant in the town.

Pm: Tintoreras Islet – White Tipped Reef Sharks

You take a water taxi to sail for 05 minutes and after a dry landing to walk on the islet called tintoreras (local name for White- tipped reef sharks), this is a very recent volcanic formation and the two types of lava flow are present: Pahoe- hoe and ‘’Aa’’. There is a loop trail 400 m long where, Blue-footed boobies, Brown pelicans, herons, frigate birds, Galapagos Sea Lions and dozens of Marine iguanas are present near the trail. You are going to look for Blue- footed boobies and the famous Galapagos penguins on the rocks on the way to the snorkeling spot (the last activity of today).
​Sail back to Puerto Ayora, arrival estimate 17:15.

Am: Tortuga Bay Beach

Breakfast in the hotel at 07:00. You should put your swimming suit on, sport sandals on, sunscreen on and should take with you a hat, a camera, drinking water, some money and be ready to start for another great day.
You walk for 2km on an easy flat trail through the typical vegetation of the Arid and Transition zones such us: the tallest cactus of the Galapagos Islands (Opuntia Echios) growing up to 10m, the leafless incense trees with the local name holy stick after its use as a form of incense having a strong smelling sap, Matazarno trees growing to over 15 ms, Poison Apple the large ever green trees , Muyuyo also known as Yellow Cordia or Glue Bush growing to 8 ms growing up, etc. About the animals: lava lizards, Yellow Warblers, Galapagos Mockingbirds, Galapagos Flycatchers, etc. at the end of the trail there is a spectacular white coral sand beach called Turtle Beach because these reptiles come on shore at night to lay eggs occasionally in the breeding season from October to February, at the end of this beach crossing some mangrove trees there is another beautiful beach then you have the opportunity to go for snorkeling in a very calm sea without any current to look for small white tipped reef sharks and some tropical fish.
You take the same way back to the town and hotel and get ready to walk to the restaurant to enjoy lunch.

Pm: Highlands of Santa Cruz (wild tortoises) and Lava Tunnels

For the afternoon visit, you should put sport shoes on, sunscreen on, and take with you a light rain jacket in case of mist in the Cold dry season or rain in the rainy season, a hat, a camera and some money to buy for sodas or ice cream.
You take a private transport and ride for 40 minutes to reach a ranch at the High Lands, at the both sides of the road you see native flora but also introduce fruits such us: guava, papaya, black berry, etc. The ranch is the site where the Galapagos Giant Tortoises are free to walk where ever they want, belong to one of the species that are still alive giving to you a good example of the domo shape type. Any low plant species is good food for these huge animals and the High Lands been more humid (600- 700 mm rain fall in a year) than the Low Lands (100- 200 mm rain fall in a year) have more food for them and this is one of the reasons to see tortoises all year around.
The birds are present too: Darwin finches (woodpecker finch, large tree finch), Galapagos flycatchers, yellow warblers, Cattle Egret (the newest arrival of any animal species on natural way), Smooth billed Anis (humans brought from the mainland). Moorhens (Common Gallinule)
Now you have a chance to walk inside of a lava tunnel, this is a volcanic natural formation, when the channel at the centre of a flow may also form a crust where the molten rock chills against the air. As molten lava beneath continues to flow and drains out from under the crust, it leaves behind a hollow in the flow, which is called a lava tube or tunnel. Back to the hotel and be ready for the evening briefing.

(According arrangement Galapagos National Park)
Your guide will inform the night before the schedule but in advanced, you have an early breakfast before seven in the hotel, you should be ready at 07:00 because a person of our staff will be there just to check, everything is going in the correct way. Please put your sport shoes or sandals on, sunscreen on, swimming suit on, and take with you a camera, a hat and some money just in case to pay for a coke or beer on board.
Once you are in one of these islands you can see a lot of wildlife because each island has its own flora and fauna for example: Sea lions, birds, iguanas, etc. Before you come to Galapagos you will receive a clear and exact information about activities and nature of the island that you will visit.
Note:
Remember the boats in the Galapagos Islands have their own itinerary which is giving by the National Park Service. It means you will visit one of these three islands: Bartolome – South Plaza or North Seymour.
Thank you for understanding.

NORTH SEYMOUR ISLAND
It is located north of the Baltra Island, which has a path of about 2 km (4 miles). North Seymour is one of the islands formed by volcanic underwater lifting lavas. In 1932 and 1933, about 70 land iguanas were introduced to the island with the intention that these iguanas would able to survive in the wild than in captivity. North Seymour is a small island with a variety of wildlife such as colonies of magnificent frigatebirds, the only island where you can see their courtship throughout the year (magnificent frigatebirds as well as common frigatebirds). If you visit us at the time of blue-footed boobies nesting, you can also observe their unique dance that makes them so special for visitors. In the island you will also find sea lions, swallow-tailed gulls, land birds such as finches, canaries, pigeons and some reptiles like Galapagos land iguanas and lava lizards.

BARTOLOME ISLAND
It is a small island of 1.2 km2 and approximately 114m high. The main attractions are the beach, volcanic landscape, the pinnacle and small colony of Galapagos penguins, which can be seen in the water in your fishing trip or resting on the rocks. Once atop the island we will have the opportunity to enjoy the volcanic beauty and the most representative landscape of the Galapagos Islands. We will also see the famous Galapagos penguins, the only species that breeds in the two hemispheres, north and south. We’ll climb to the top of the islet, 400 mt hike in a sandy flat terrain and ascend using a staircase of 372 steps.

SOUTH PLAZA ISLAND
It is a small island located east of Santa Cruz Island. The vegetation of this island is very picturesque; the color of the Opuntia cactus contrasts with the beautiful reddish color sesuvium (plant) in the dry season. The island has a colony of land iguanas represented by about 450 individuals who are the smallest of their kind. We will also have the opportunity to observe a colony of sea lions enjoying their natural habitat in the water and on the rocks, aggressive adult males moving in the water near the coast back and forth patrolling its territory, especially during their mating season. We will also see seabirds taking advantage of the cliffs to rest after fishing and build their nests.