Twelve Days, Three Islands: San Cristobal, Santa Cruz and Isabela

• Price$4,265per person, from 2 travelers
• Islands3 islandsSan Cristobal, Santa Cruz & Isabela
• TypePackage12 days / 11 nights

Overview

Twelve days across San Cristobal, Santa Cruz and Isabela. Full-day Espanola, the Tour 360 circuit, Sierra Negra, the Cabo Rosa tunnels and Bartolome, with unhurried days built into each town.

Day by day

1. 1

   Day 1

   Arrive on San Cristobal from Quito or Guayaquil and transfer to the hotel. In the afternoon, Playa Loberia, a coastal site known for its sea lion colony and its walking trail. The departure time is set when you land, since it depends on your flight.

2. 2

   Day 2

   Full day to Espanola, leaving the hotel around 07:15. One of the oldest islands in Galapagos, with Galapagos albatross, blue-footed boobies, marine iguanas and sea lions, plus a snorkel session. Lunch is served on board. Back around 15:30, depending on sea conditions.

3. 3

   Day 3

   Tour 360 around San Cristobal. Meet at the office at 07:15 to pick up your gear and get the briefing. Snorkel at Kicker Rock (Leon Dormido) for 45 minutes to an hour, then Sardine Bay and Rosa Blanca Bay, with a panoramic pass in front of Punta Pitt and Cerro Brujo. There is no landing or snorkeling at those last two, only photographs from the boat. The National Park decides whether the route runs north or south first.

4. 4

   Day 4

   06:15 at reception for the crossing to Puerto Ayora. At 14:30 the highlands: the Twin Craters in the Scalesia forest, the lava tunnels, and a private ranch where giant tortoises roam free. Back in Puerto Ayora around 17:30.

5. 5

   Day 5

   Santa Cruz free. Rest at the hotel, walk around Puerto Ayora, its shops and restaurants, or the beach. Optional activities on your own.

6. 6

   Day 6

   06:10 at reception for the two-hour crossing to Isabela, transfer to the hotel and a short orientation drive around the town. In the afternoon, the Cabo Rosa tunnels: lava arches and bridges over the ocean, a boat circuit and, if the sea allows, snorkeling. Galapagos penguins, sea turtles, sea lions, rays and reef fish in the water; blue-footed boobies, frigatebirds, pelicans and marine iguanas on the rock.

7. 7

   Day 7

   Morning on Sierra Negra, one of the most impressive volcanoes in the archipelago, with panoramic views and the story of its eruptions. Afternoon free in Puerto Villamil.

8. 8

   Day 8

   Morning at Las Tintoreras. Pick-up 30 minutes before, a ten-minute boat ride and a circuit around the islet, then a 45-minute walk over Aa lava with marine iguana and sea lion colonies. From the top of the natural channel you look down on resting white-tip reef sharks. Snorkeling after the walk: sea turtles, penguins, sea lions, fish, urchins and starfish. Afternoon free.

9. 9

   Day 9

   05:15 at reception for the two-hour crossing to Santa Cruz and transfer to the hotel. Morning free. At 13:30 the bay tour, four to five hours: Playa Los Perros, Canal del Amor, Canal de las Tintoreras, the old salt mines and Las Grietas, with two snorkel sessions of about 45 minutes each.

10. 10

    Day 10

    06:00 pick-up. Bus to the Itabaca Channel, zodiac out to the boat and about two hours of navigation to Bartolome. Walk up the trail to the lookout over the bays and Pinnacle Rock, then around 45 minutes of snorkeling: penguins, sea lions, sea turtles, tropical fish and blue-footed boobies on the rocks.

11. 11

    Day 11

    08:30 start with the bike and helmet fitting, then a drive to the Cerro Mesa entrance and the ride down to Playa El Garrapatero, about 19 km. Time at the beach and optional snorkeling. Then El Trapiche, to see how sugar cane spirit and coffee are made by hand. Back in Puerto Ayora from 13:30.

12. 12

    Day 12

    Transfer from Puerto Ayora to Baltra airport for the flight home. End of services.

Highlights

• Full-day Espanola from San Cristobal
• Tour 360 around San Cristobal
• Cabo Rosa tunnels on Isabela
• Sierra Negra volcano and Las Tintoreras
• El Garrapatero by bicycle

On this trip

Wildlife you may see

Sightings change with the season and the sea. Your guide knows where to look.

• Galapagos albatross
• Blue-footed boobies
• Frigatebirds
• Pelicans
• Galapagos penguins
• Giant tortoises
• Marine iguanas
• Sea lions
• Sea turtles
• Rays
• White-tip reef sharks
• Galapagos sharks
• Hammerhead sharks
• Starfish
• Sea urchins
• Various fish species

Good to know

Espanola, Tour 360, Cabo Rosa, Las Tintoreras and Bartolome are boat departures, so the order can change with sea conditions and with the discretion of the Galapagos National Park. Island crossings are by ferry, about two hours each. Sightings are never guaranteed: these are wild animals.