Compare Sea To Sky: An Ecuador Adventure by Destination Ecuador vs Galapagos Flash by Gray Line Ecuador

Day 1: Baltra Island - Santa Cruz Island

Transfer In Pto Ayora

Arrival in the Galapagos

Today we arrive on Baltra Island, the gateway to the Galapagos. This tiny island was a military base during the Second World War and hosts the Islands’ principal airport. The airport was built using the most advanced environmental techniques to reduce emissions and energy use, some of which you’ll notice as you transit through the facility. It was the first ecological airport in the world.

We dive into adventure just after we arrive! We will enter the airport through a special VIP lounge where you will have a chance to change clothes, put on some sunscreen and get a cool drink before we transfer to the Itabaca Channel to explore its turquoise waters. We will have a chance to kayak, snorkel and stand up paddleboard (SUP) where we will see some of the famous Galapagos wildlife such as blue-footed boobies, sea lions, brown pelicans, a variety of herons and white-tipped reef sharks.

There’s no better introduction to the Galapagos than to get on the water upon arrival! We will glide through beautiful red mangrove forests and along lava rock cliffs on water so clear we can see sea life in the shallows. Our ocean (sit on top) kayaks come in doubles or singles, and life jackets are provided. A support boat escorts us throughout the water activities to ensure safety and to provide water, snacks and towels between activities.

Difficulty: Easy to moderate

Kayak: 1.5-2 hours depending on fauna activity and skills of kayakers

Transportation: boat, swimming, kayak, stand up paddleboard

From Itabaca Channel we head up to the Santa Cruz highlands to one of the private reserves that borders the National Park where the famous Giant Tortoises inhabit in the wild. Lunch at the reserve.

Afterwards drive to our exclusive giant tortoise reserve and tented camp is located. Perched high ona hillside overlooking the ocean, Magic Galapagos Tented Camp will be our home for the next two nights. The sounds of nature will be our lullaby in the evenings, and the Milky Way will be our night light. We’ll be able to feast our eyes on the mountains and forest surrounding the lodge, and enjoy the peace of having the entire hillside to ourselves, with the exception of seasonal resident giant tortoises.

Watching the colorful sunset from Magic’s western perch is the perfect segue into evening. Dinners are sumptuous three course affairs, prepared by expert chefs in an open-air kitchen in the main lodge. A favorite post-dinner activity is a short walk to the natural lava tubes on the reserve for a night cap in the one-of-a-kind ‘Lava Lounge!’ It’s the perfect spot to relax around the fire and share stories from the day’s adventures.

Box lunch Puerto Ayora

Night at Galapagos Magic.

Included: transport, Airport VIP services, attraction, english speaking guide, excursion, , bedroom and breakfast, dinner

Day 2: Bartolome Island

Transportation from Galapagos Magic to dock or Itabaca

Daily Tour on board a motor yacht

Embark our motor yacht and enjoy of a daily excursion with a welcoming crew members and knowledgeable naturalist guide, and experience the remote islands in comfort and style.

These excursions are subject to availability and change without prior notification

Transportation from Galapagos Magic to dock or Itabaca

Bartolome Island day visit Today after breakfast we will head back to Itabaca Channel to continue our National Park and Marine Reserve exploration. Our yacht, will deliver us to Bartolome Island, which offers one of the most dramatic views in the Galapagos Islands. A 600 – meter pathway takes visitors to the highest point of the island, where you will learn from our expert naturalist guide about the volcanic origins of the Galapagos. After the walk, a dingy ride along the coastline will give you the opportunity to see the Galapagos penguin. This curious bird nests amongst fissured lava flows and ventures into the crystal-clear waters of Bartolome.

These excursions are subject to availability and change without prior notification

Night at Galapagos Magic.

Included: transport, excursion, , english speaking guide, bedroom and breakfast, dinner

Day 3: Santa Cruz Island - Floreana Island

Charter Santa Cruz-Floreana rountrip

Floreana

After a final breakfast at Magic Galapagos, we say goodbye and depart for Floreana Island. We will leave early for our two hour speedboat crossing.

This peaceful island is home to the Galapagos’ smallest human population. Because only 150 people call Floreana home, it is the least developed and most natural of the four inhabited islands. It was the first inhabited islands in the Galapagos, and descendants of the original population still live here. Once a pirates’ lair, the island’s history is full of mystery and legends about its first inhabitants.

During our stay, we will be hiking, learning about the fascinating local history and also seeing some of the Galapagos’ special wildlife. We may see giant tortoises, frigate birds, sea lions, Darwin’s finches, petrels and marine iguanas, among other species.

Upon arrival on Floreana, we will take an open-air ‘chiva bus’ to Floreana Lava Lodge, which overlooks one of the Galapagos’ most beautiful and secluded bays. The lodge is operated by Claudio Cruz, a descendant of one of the Island’s original inhabitants. We are lucky to be hosted by Claudio, as he is able to share his deep knowledge of the Island and its history with us, as well as to meet several of his family members during our stay, giving us special insight into life on Floreana.

Once we are settled in, we can walk or paddle (kayak or stand up paddleboard) to nearby Black Beach for some snorkeling. After time in the water to whet our appetites, we will walk to a restaurant in the nearby village for lunch. The restaurant is part of a community tourism initiative that Tropic helped to develop and has been working with since 2012.In the afternoon, we set out once again to paddle the pristine waters (kayak or SUP) across the bay to explore La Loberia, a sea lion breeding ground. Once there, we can enjoy more snorkeling and swimming in the calm, bright water with sea turtles, sea lions, stunning rays and an abundance of tropical fish.

Later we will return to the lodge (30 minute walk or kayak/SUP) for a warm shower. We will watch the spectacular sunset and then head to the village for dinner where we will celebrate another incredible day in the Galapagos.

Lunch Floreana

Dinner Floreana

Night at the Lava Lodge (Standard)

Breakfast

Included: transport, excursion, english speaking guide, lunch, equipment rental, dinner, room (without breakfast)

Day 4: Floreana Island

Exploring the Floreana Highlands

After breakfast, we leave to explore the Floreana highlands on our open-air bus (chiva) - an unbeatable, historic, and comfortable way to see the island.

On the way, our naturalist guide will share the colorful history of some of Floreana's first inhabitants, such as the Wittmers (whose descendants still live on the Island), the ‘Baroness,’ and the pirates that once visited here. They will also tell us about the "Enigma of Floreana," involving the mysterious deaths of several of the Island´s inhabitants. The enigma is a riddle from the 1930’s that has never been solved and was featured in the film “The Galapagos Affair.”

After driving into the highlands, we reach Asilo de la Paz (Peace Haven) where our hike begins. We walk up to this historic site, explore the pirate caves, and visit the freshwater spring that provides water for the entire Island, with our guide sharing stories and history along the way. As we traverse the hillside, we can expect to see giant tortoises lumbering around in the vegetation or even on the trail.

We depart Asilo de Paz walking down through a rural area where the local people grow produce for their own consumption. This is a fascinating example of how the island people survived in this remote place and over the years were able to develop an understanding of the local environment and now work to preserve their unique agricultural knowledge. On our way back to the coast, we will make a stop at Claudio’s farm, La Primavera, where we will watch the extraordinary behavior of the frigate birds who ‘dance’ as they wash their salty wings in the fresh water lake on the farm. With a little bit of luck, we may be able to see males puffing up the red pouches on their chests in an attempt to attract females. We’ll also see where some of the delicious fruit and vegetables that we’ve been eating at the lodge come from.

From La Primavera farm we continue by chiva down to Las Palmas, where the Island’s first permanent inhabitant, the eccentric Dr. Ritter, lived and is buried. Arriving in 1926, the German physician believed that with a combination of exercise and the right vegetarian diet he would live to be 150 years old. He didn´t, but his story is one of the many strange episodes that make up the intriguing history of the island. Making our way back to the lodge, we will be treated to spectacular views of the Floreana shoreline.

Back at Lava Lodge we will prepare a very special barbecue lunch, featuring delicious Cruz family recipes!

After lunch, we have a free afternoon. Practice your kayak or SUP skills, go snorkeling in La Loberia or simply relax and take in the beautiful Galapagos views from the Lava Lodge.

BBQ Floreana

Dinner Floreana

Night at the Lava Lodge (Standard)

Breakfast

Included: transport, english speaking guide, lunch (no drink), excursion, lunch, dinner, room (without breakfast)

Day 5: Floreana Island - Baltra Island - Quito - Cotopaxi

Transfer In Pto Ayora

Departure day

Today we take an early morning speed boat back to Santa Cruz and then transfer by land to Baltra for our onward journey or flight back home.

Private transportation with spanish speaking driver from Quito to Cotopaxi.

Night at Chilcabamba Lodge (standard room)

Dinner at Chilcabamba

Included: english speaking guide, transport, excursion, transport, bedroom and breakfast, dinner

Day 6: Cotopaxi

Private transportation with spanish speaking driver.

Cotopaxi National park

Today we head to Cotopaxi National Park one of the most beautiful protected areas of Ecuador near the volcano Cotopaxi, the highest active volcano in the world. We can hike or horse ride (choose your preferred option).

From here, weather permitting, you will be able to see the snow capped summits of both the Cotopaxi and the Antisana volcanoes. Our walk starts at the base of the volcano for a 2 hours hike towards the Limpiopungo on a small hill 15 km beyond the lake are the ruins of El Salitre, formerly an Inca pucara (fortress).

After a deserved pic-nic in the area, we will provided bicycles to come back to the lodge riding. On the way, we will enjoy of the amazing Andean landscapes.

Box lunch at Chilcabamba

Biking El Porvenir

Night at Chilcabamba Lodge (standard room)

Dinner at Chilcabamba

Included: transport, excursion, , equipment rental, bedroom and breakfast, dinner

Day 7: Cotopaxi - Quito

Pita River Half day Walk

Enjoy a half day activity, with a local Spanish speaking guide (Bilingual naturalist guide available on request). The Pita river, whose source is the glacial meltwater of the giant of the Park, Cotopaxi is an emblematic hike at Chilcabamba.

The hike will take around 4-5 hours and departs from the lodge and back to the lodge, the descent is gradual from the grasslands of Cotopaxi down to the area known as the Pedregal and the humid Andean forests. Explore waterfalls, bird watch, learn about plants...its suitable for kids as well as keen trekkers preparing to explore the surrounding higher mountains.

Hiking time: 5 Hours.

Difficulty– Type of terrain: Grassland / easy.

Transportation: Walking.

Lunch at Chilcabamba

Private transportation with spanish speaking driver. Cotopaxi to Quito

Included: excursion, lunch, transport

Day 1:

Welcome at the Baltra airport and transfer by public buses to the tip of the Itabaca canal, where you will proceed by a public ferry service in the Island of Santa Cruz. Transport will be waiting in order to transfer you to Puerto Ayora, area where the hotels are located on the Island. On the way, you will have the opportunity to visit the lava tunnels and a Turtle reserve. Visit to the Scientific Charles Darwin Station, where you can learn more about the Galápagos Islands; the species that live in this enchanted place, its origin, the theory of Evolution, the conservation programs, and observe some Giant Turtles in captivity. (Transfer operates daily at 13h00). Accommodation.

It will be possible to operate transfers without visits and without guide at the following times: 10h00 and 15h00**(prevoous request)

Day 2:

Meals: Breakfast

In the morning excursion to Tortuga Bay Beach, after 40 minute walk (approx.) we will arrive to this magic place, one of the most beautiful beaches in the Galapagos!, with white sand and green mangroves.

“Playa Mansa” is where we can swim and enjoy of the beach.  Free time for lunch (not included).  In the afternoon, tour around the bay on board a yacht, starting with a visit to “La Loberia”, named because of the presence of sea lions.  Here you will be able to swim or snorkel.  Then we proceed with our tour to the “Canal del Amor”, a marvelous site where nature gives us an unforgettable view; at the end of this channel, just a few meters forward, a viewpoint where we can observe reef sharks; from here we continue with a short walk to see the marine iguanas that inhabit in “Playa de los Perros”.  Punta Estrada will also be visited.  Return to Puerto Ayora.

*Note: shipping used in this excursion is a boat engine with capacity for 16 people.This tour only takes place Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.

Day 3:

Meals: Breakfast

Free day to choose any extra activities of your own choice and accommodation.

Day 4:

Meals: Breakfast

We will pick you up at your hotel to go to the canal of Itabaca, where a ferry will take you to Baltra Island. At the port you will board a public bus that takes you to the airport. On the route from the hotel to the canal, you will have the opportunity to make a brief stop at the craters ""Los Gemelos"", crater holes formed by the collapse of materials, surrounded by scalesia's forests. (Transfer operates daily at 07h00, 09h00 and 12h00). Includes only transport.