Galapagos Walking Adventure

Arrive in Quito, Ecuador’s Andean capital, and start the adventure at altitude. We provide free airport–hotel transfers for everyone arriving today – see your Joining Instructions for details. Around 6pm we meet our Quito tour leader and fellow travellers to get acquainted and hear more about the journey ahead. If you would like extra time in Quito, you can book additional nights before the tour. You can also upgrade to a suite – ask your sales representative for details.

This morning we take a guided tour of Quito’s Old Town. The city sits at 2,850m on the western cordillera of the Andes and is among the most attractive colonial capitals in South America. The altitude can be challenging, so you should take it easy and drink plenty of water. Afterwards, you can join an optional excursion to the equator, about a 40 minute drive north, to visit the engaging Intiñan Equator Museum with its insights into indigenous culture and location specific phenomena. This evening we share a warm Ecuadorian welcome at a group dinner arranged by our tour leader. You can upgrade to a suite – ask your sales representative for details.

We transfer to Quito Airport and fly to San Cristóbal in the Galápagos. On arrival we settle into our hotel, enjoy time for a light lunch in town, and visit the Galápagos Interpretation Centre for an introduction to the natural history of the archipelago. In the afternoon we walk 3 mi or 5 km to the cliffs at Las Tijeretas to watch frigatebird colonies, with time to swim and snorkel near a sea lion colony.

We travel about 40 minutes by small motorboat to León Dormido, also known as Kicker Rock, an impressive lava tuff formation. Nesting seabirds thrive here, including masked boobies. We snorkel with chances to spot eagle rays, Galápagos turtles, hammerhead sharks and a wealth of fish. We then continue by boat – lunch served en route – to one of three white sand beaches for a walk: Playa Ochoa, Playa Manglecito or Cerro Brujo. Playa Ochoa is a sweep of white sand dominated by a large sea lion colony and frequented by many birds and marine iguanas. Playa Manglecito combines beach time with a mangrove area. Cerro Brujo sits in a volcanic zone with abundant vegetation and is home to sea lions, marine iguanas and numerous birds.

After breakfast we drive into the highlands of San Cristóbal. A one hour walk brings us to the rim of El Junco, one of the few permanent freshwater lakes in the Galápagos, where frigatebirds often bathe. The highlands reward us with panoramic views across the smaller islands washed by the Pacific. We then visit a reserve where Galápagos giant tortoises roam free. After lunch at a local restaurant, we visit La Lobería, a sea lion nursery that is ideal for unwinding and snorkelling among sea lions and marine iguanas.

We navigate for about three hours by motorboat to Floreana, among the first inhabited islands yet still relatively undeveloped – do not expect many restaurants or shops. Along the way we may see whales, dolphins and seabirds. After lunch at one of the few local restaurants, we visit the highlands to explore lava caves once used by pirates and a large enclosure of Galápagos giant tortoises.

After an early breakfast we walk to black volcanic beaches that host red iguanas and sea lion colonies, with time to snorkel this morning. On some departures this beach visit may take place late afternoon on Day 6. Just before midday we navigate to Isabela. In the afternoon we walk 2.5 mi or 4 km to the Wall of Tears, a sobering reminder of Isabela’s past as a penal colony from 1946 to 1959, when convicts were forced to build this wall from huge lava blocks in brutal conditions. We then hike back through mangroves, wetlands and sandy beaches, an excellent area for migratory birds such as Wilson’s phalaropes and blue winged teals, and with luck ospreys. This region has seen the reintroduction of Galápagos giant tortoises and we are likely to encounter several on our walk.

Today brings our toughest hike as we tackle trails on the active shield volcano of Sierra Negra. Over five to six hours we cross stark, lava strewn highlands punctuated by miconia shrubs and other hardy plants. The otherworldly scenery is remarkable – we pass fumaroles and a variety of lava formations along the way. A box lunch keeps us fuelled.

We snorkel in the Cabo Rosa area, one of the finest sites in the Galápagos for underwater exploration. We begin with a 30 minute walk around the lava tunnels formed here by volcanic activity, then enter the water with chances to swim alongside sea turtles, manta rays, marine iguanas and even penguins. Lunch is served on board the boat.

We take a 15 minute sail to the islets and lava channels of Las Tintoreras, an excellent place to see whitetip reef sharks, penguins and sea lions. A 40 minute walk leads us around the islet before we return to the boat and snorkel. This afternoon you have free time for swimming, snorkelling, walking or simply relaxing on one of the beaches near Puerto Villamil.

After breakfast we navigate by motorboat for about 2 hours 30 minutes to Santa Cruz. On arrival you have the option to visit the Charles Darwin Research Station, headquarters of the Charles Darwin Foundation and the main research hub on the islands. Afterwards we have lunch at a local restaurant. Later we head to Tortuga Bay, a long sweep of white sand. The paved trail to the beach takes 45 to 60 minutes and offers chances to see Galápagos finches and lizards. The beach is scattered with marine iguanas resting among black rocks or strolling along the sand, and turtles are sometimes seen offshore. Swimming is not recommended here due to strong currents. After a relaxing afternoon, we hike the same route back to Puerto Ayora, where our hotel is located. You can upgrade to a superior room or a suite – ask your sales representative for details.

Today we visit either Bartolomé, South Plaza or North Seymour, according to national park restrictions. South Plaza has remarkable succulent and cactus vegetation that creates a unique habitat for land iguanas, which often form small colonies at the base of tall opuntia cacti waiting for flowers and dead pads to fall. The island rocks host swallow tailed gulls, shearwaters and sea lions. North Seymour is a flat, boulder strewn island and a major nesting site for frigatebirds, and a good place to watch blue footed boobies perform courtship rituals while sea lions play in the surf. Bartolomé offers dramatic lava cones, clear seas and perhaps the most famous Galápagos view, across red cinder cones to the recent black lava fields on James Island. If conditions allow we snorkel where the water is calm, and we enjoy lunch on board. You can upgrade to a superior room or a suite – ask your sales representative for details.

After breakfast we drive to Baltra airport and bid a fond farewell to our Galápagos tour leader. Our flight via Guayaquil returns us to Quito, where we meet our Quito tour leader and spend our final evening together. You can upgrade to a suite – ask your sales representative for details.

Our adventure ends after breakfast and you begin your journey home. If you would like more time in Quito, you can arrange extra nights through your sales representative.