Programs
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Five days program
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
Itinerary
- DAY 1
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You leave from the Quito airport in the morning and transfer on the island of Baltra to a 30-minute flight over spectacular Galapagos marine scenery to Isabela Island. Another way to get to Villamil is by boat (2 to 2 ½ hours) from Puerto Ayora to Puerto Villamil.
After settling in to your room at the beachfront hotel, you have the option to either walk 1.2 km/? mi along a boardwalk to and from the Giant Tortoise Breeding Center or be dropped there by car and walk back along the boardwalk while enjoying the sunset. You pass three lagoons along the way where you are likely to see flamingos!
The Breeding Center is where endangered Galapagos giant tortoises are recovering. A guided tour is provided of the several areas where turtles of different ages are raised before being released into the wild.
Dinner is at a local restaurant on the main plaza. - DAY 2
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Today's highlight is a visit to the world's second largest volcano crater, Sierra Negra, in the highlands of Isabela. You start by visiting the view points of El Cura and then El Mango, with spectacular views of the southern part of Isabela.
As you make your way up by horseback towards the crater, you are able to note the marked changes in the vegetation zones due to the change of altitude, as well as the Guayaba fruit trees burned during the eruption of 2005. The large ceibo trees were introduced by Antonio Gil, founder of Puerto Villamil, in 1897 while colonizing this part of the island.
Leaving the horses, you head to Volcán Chico (Little Volcano) on the eastern rim of Sierra Negra, where it is much drier, we leave our horses at a jaboncillo tree, during this walk you will witness the recent eruptions, including windblown materials on the rim of the main crater and massive lava flows below from 2005 and complex lava flows and small cones related to the 1979 eruption. Weather permitting, there are spectacular views over central and northern Isabela, as well as of the islands of Fernandina, Pinzón and Santa Cruz.
Late in the afternoon, you visit the project of a local environmentalist supporting national park efforts to recover the populations of giant tortoises by adopting several from the breading center to reintroduce into the wild.
Return for a delicious dinner. - DAY 3
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Your first marine experience starts at the white-tipped shark canal, around a small island in front of Villamil, here you see the diversity of the Galapagos Islands in miniature. Why? Because during this morning, you can observe a variety of animals and birds: seals and various species of sea birds around the harbor, perhaps a ray or turtle, penguins, sharks and marine iguanas. Among the interesting natural features are pumice stones resulting from the eruption of Alcedo, the highest volcano on the island, and white lichens that are able to grow directly on volcanic rock. There is a small channel on this tiny island where white-tipped sharks rest during the daytime and sea lions play around them; you may also have the chance to see eagle rays near the harbor. After the visit, you have the opportunity for a relaxing snorkel in the bay.
Later in the afternoon, you head off by vehicle for the Humedales (Wetlands) Trail to an area that was designated a RAMSAR site of international importance in 2002. The road ends at the Muro de las Lagrimas (Wall of Tears), raised in the late 1940s by the inmates of a prison colony built on the site of an American World War II base. The road follows Villamil beach, passing by the cemetery that offers us a glimpse of the history of the island's settlement. After wandering through this system of trails that leads us through mangroves (all four species are found here) and marine iguana colonies, you enjoy a picnic catered by the village women and return to the hotel by way of the beach.
Finish off the day with a peaceful walk through the village and a delicious supper at the hotel. - DAY 4
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Today you have your second encounter with Galapagos marine life.
The day starts with a visit to Roca Unión, a small island full of life, where you snorkel amid clouds of brightly-colored fish and watch sea lions and boobies from the surface. At Turtle Cove, a secret spot used by fishermen, today considered one of the island's major attractions, there are plenty of opportunities to snorkel through a maze of small islands and arches (and for the experts, tunnels) in the company of fish, sea turtles and occasional white tipped sharks and rays. There are more opportunities to snorkel with sea turtles at Finados and from our boat out on the open water the chance to watch sea turtles and manta rays against a background of varied coastal beaches and rocky shores where sea turtles nest.
The afternoon is free for wandering about or relaxing in a hammock and reading. Supper is in one of the village's friendly restaurants. - DAY 5
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You start the return journey to the continent, transfer to the Isabela airport for the flight to Baltra and connect to Quito.
