Sample 8 day itinerary starting on Wednesday

Day 1 Wednesday morning: Baltra airport, Galapagos

The flight from Quito (via Guayaquil) to the Galapagos is approximately 2 ½ hours on a Boeing 727. Upon arrival at Baltra travellers pass through an airport inspection point to insure that no foreign plants or animals are introduced to the islands and to pay the park entrance fee of $100 (unless prepaid). Guides will meet you, collect your luggage and escort you on the short bus ride to the harbor.

Once we arrive at harbor motorized rafts, called zodiacs will transport you to the M/C Journey II and our crew will welcome you onboard.  After your safety briefing and lunch, the first island visit is made.

Wednesday afternoon: Bartolome

Bartolome Island has a climb up stair case to its summit from where one can obtain a great view of  both bays and towards Santiago. This island is famous for its Pinnacle Rock, where sea lions and penguins can be seen. While on the southern side, there are nesting sea turtles (in season). Some of which are wanding in the shallow waters near the shore or resting on the sand. This beach is great for swimming, snorkeling; and close the shore white-tipped reef sharks.
((B), (L, D))

Day 2 Thursday morning: Isabela Island - Tagus Cove

Tagus Cove, a tour along the cliffs in a zodiac will give the visitors a good chance to see the Galapagos penguin, the flightless cormorant and other sea birds. From the landing dock it is about a 30 minute hike along the trail up to the top of the clif from where you can view Darwin lake, an uplifted ultrasaline lake saltier than the sea. You can also see several volcanoes from this location. Look carefully at the graffiti on the surrounding cliffs of the cove, it has been written by pirates, whalers and bucaneers in past centuries.

Thursday afternoon: Isabela Island - Elizabeth Bay

This is a marine visitor site, the excursion is done by zodiac, there is no landing point. Your zodiac ride starts with a visit to the Marielas islets where there is the largest and most important penguin colony in the Galapagos Islands and their breeding site. The excursion continues into the cove which is surrounded by red mangroves you can admire the red root and green leefs, to be seen here are sea turtles, flightless cormorants, spotted eagle rays, golden rays, brown pelicans and sea lions. Often to be seen are Galapagos Hawks soaring overhead and schools of Pompanos and Dorados below.
(B,L,D)

Day 3 Friday morning: Isabela Islands - Urbina Bay

Located on the western coast of Albemarle Island at the foot of Alcedo Volcano, this bay was uplifted from the sea in 1954. Flightless cormorants and pelicans can be found along the coast during their nesting seasons, and sea turtles and rays can be seen in the bay. The highlands are home to large and colorful land iguanas.

Friday afternoon: Fernandina Island - Punta Espinosa

Just across Tagus Cove, is a visitors site where some of the unique species of Galapagos can be seen. Marine iguanas conglomerate in larger groups than in any other island. They bask around in the sand, swimm near the shore and some time block the way at the landing dock. Among the unique species found here, is the Flightless Comorant. A bird that do to the lack of predators had to adjust their way of survival and perfectionate their skills of finding food in the ocean. Their wings, tails and feet progressively adapted for swimming. To see these birds, is to witness evolution happening right in front of you.
(B,L,D)

Day 4 Saturday morning: Floreana Island - Post office bay

Post Office Bay has had a barrel thats been changed many times, over the years. Whalers and Galapagos residents use to leave their mail inside it, waiting for a captain of any boat headed to where the mail was addressed to deliver it, you can try it out it still works. Very close-by is a pleasent swimming beach.

Saturday afternoon: Floreana Island - Devils Crown & Punta Cormorant

Devil's Crown is a half-submerged volcanic cone, considered to be one of the most outstanding marine sites of the Galapagos Islands and a great place for snorkeling.

At Punta Cormorant there is a greenish beach, do to the accumulation of olivine crystal mineral. Sea lions swim and play around while you enjoy a good snorkel. The trail goes to a white sand beach which is a nesting area for Green Tultles, Stingrays (be careful) and White-tipped reef sharks swimming where waves crash, being visible from the shore. There is also a flamingo lagoon.
(B,L,D)

Day 5 Sunday morning: Santa Cruz Island - Highlands

Our first stop is at Los Gemelos (the twins), which are two pit craters just off the main road from Puerto Ayora to the airport at Baltra. At one time there was a layer of lava at the surface, but volcanic action underneath it produced an underground 'bubble', then the surface collapsed into itself, creating several pit craters, of which Los Gemelos are the largest.

However, our main time in the Santa Cruz highlands is spent at the Tortoise Reserve, where a number of the endemic Santa Cruz subspecies of Giant Tortoise, Geochelone elephantopus porteri, wander free.

The highlands, are also home to Scalesia, Miconia, and Pampa vegetation zones. Birds in this area include several species of finch, the vermillion flycatcher, Galápagos rail, Galapagos Dove, and paint-billed cake. We also may have the opportunity to visit the lava tubes.

Sunday afternoon: Santa Cruz Island - Charles Darwin Research Station

The Charles Darwin Research Station is based on Santa Cruz. Visitors are encouraged to make donations to this organization, which carries out investigations and advises the Ecuadorian government and travel agencies on minimizing the impact of tourism on the islands. It contains a national-park information center and a museum. The station is also an tortoise breeding and rearing center, where tortoise of different subspecies are prepared to be reintroduced back to their natural habitat.

(Non of the US$100 park fee goes toward the research station.)
(B,L,D) 

Day 6 Monday morning: Espanola Island - Gardner Bay

Española is the most southerly of the archipelago and somewhat outlying having a high portion of endemic fauna. The beautiful white-sand beach of Gardner Bay, located at the eastern coast, provides an excellent beach for swimming and snorkelling; while a colony of playful sea lions. You will also enjoy the company of the overly curious Hood mockingbirds which are endemic to this island.

Monday afternoon: Espanola Island - Punta Suarez

The island is well worth visiting, because it has the only colony of the waved albatross, one of the Galapagos most spectacular seabirds.

The best visitor site on Española is Punta Suarez where following a trail of lava rocks blue-footed boobies have placed their nests and a variety of iguanas bask in the sun. The trail continues towards the colony of waved albatross.

Just beyond the colony is a blow hole where if you sit long enough you can watch seabirds performing their aerial acrobatic moves and their less graceful attempts to land and to take off.
(B,L,D)

Day 7 Tuesday morning: Santa Fe Island

Santa Fe is one of the most entertaining destinations for shore excursions in the Galapagos Islands. It has a two trail choice for visitors, one of which takes you to the tallest Opuntia cactus in the Galapagos. While the other trail takes you into the highlands where the land iguana may be seen. After a long walk, a swim in calm waters or snorkeling with playful sealions, sounds pretty tempting.

Tuesday afternoon: South Plazas Island

One of a pair of small uplifted islands a short distance from the east coast of Santa Cruz, South Plaza has a unique Sesuvium plants and Opuntia catuses landscape which provides some of the most interesting wildlife observation available in Galapagos. Land iguanas are easily seen from the trail, frequently under the shade of a cactus; waiting for a juicy, pricky pear to fall. Swallow-tailed gulls, along with various other sea birds use the rising air to glide effortlessly over the escarpment. The protected rocky seashore is prime habitat for a large colony of noisy sea lions.
(B,L,D)

Day 8 Wednesday morning: North Seymour Island

Located slightly to the north of Baltra, North Seymour is a low, flat island, formed as a result of a submarine lava formation uplift. It is covered with low, bushy vegetation, which contains the largest colony of magnificent frigatebirds in the Galapagos. There is also a large population of blue-footed boobies that perform an amusing courtship dance, when nesting conditions are right. This goofy stride, picking-up high their blue feet in a slow motion, wing spreding, whistling and honking; is one of the highlights of this island.

After your visit to North Seymour, transfer to the airport in Baltra. Flight back to Quito or Guayaquil.
(B)

Note: Itineraries are subject to variations due to weather conditions or Galapagos National Park regulations. B= breakfast, L= lunch, D= dinner.