Galapagos Explorer: Southern Islands (Grand Queen Beatriz)

Day 1

Quito

Upon arrival at Quito's Mariscal Sucre International Airport, you'll be transferred to your hotel, with the day free until a welcome meeting at 5 or 6 pm for your Galapagos cruise. Quito, a high-altitude city under Pichincha volcano, is one of South America's most beautiful cities. Its Old Town is rich in history, boasting over 30 churches and intriguing museums like La Compania de Jesus, and the oldest street, Calle La Ronda. With limited time in Quito on this trip, consider
extending your stay to fully experience the city and nearby attractions like Otavalo, Cotopaxi, the Cloud Forest, or the Equatorial Monument.

Day 2

Isla Baltra- Highlands of Isla Santa Cruz

This morning, transfer to the airport for your Galapagos flight, with an early pick-up around 4:30 am and a boxed
breakfast provided. The journey to the airport takes an hour, plus time for delays and check-in. Your flight, including a stop in Guayaquil, totals about
3.5 hours.

Upon arrival, a guide will meet you and lead you to the M/Y Grand Queen Beatriz via bus, ferry across the Itabaca Channel, and a 45-minute drive to Puerto Ayora. Once aboard, you'll be briefed, meet the crew and enjoy lunch.

Post-lunch, explore Santa Cruz's highlands, transitioning from coastal to forest landscapes in a 45-minute walk. This humid zone features unique flora and possibly giant tortoises and vermillion flycatchers.

Day 3

Isla Santa Fe- Isla Plaza Sur

Santa Fe, teeming with sea lions, is perfect for swimming and wildlife spotting in a compact area. Expect to encounter Galapagos hawks, various finches, mockingbirds, marine turtles, frigate birds, and lava lizards. Its jade-green waters are ideal for snorkelling, and a hike reveals a forest of prickly pear cactus, home to a unique iguana sub-species.

Next, visit Isla Plaza Sur, a wildlife-rich island where you can observe sea lions and one of the largest land iguana populations amidst cacti and vivid volcanic landscapes. The island’s southern cliffs offer views of tropicbirds and swallow-tailed gulls, plus a 'Gentlemen’s Club' of sea lions.

Day 4

Isla Espanola- Bahia Gardner- Punta Suarez

Wake up at Isla Espanola, the Galapagos' southernmost island, after an overnight sail. This remote location boasts a significant population of endemic species, including almost all the world’s waved albatrosses and colonies of blue-footed and masked boobies.

Explore trails from golden beaches, home to sea lions and marine iguanas, through areas bustling with boobies, doves, and mockingbirds. At Punta Suarez, witness diverse wildlife and gain a panoramic view of the clifftop and ocean.

Visit Bahia Gardner, famed for its stunning beach populated with sea lions and mockingbirds. The surrounding rocks offer superb snorkelling, teeming with reef sharks, turtles, tropical fish like surgeon and angelfish, and resting white-tipped reef sharks.

Day 5

Isla Cristobal- Leon Dormido- Isla Lobos- Punta Pitt

This morning, explore Punta Pitt at the eastern tip of Isla San Cristobal. Climb the volcanic hill for views over a terrain dotted with seabirds like blue-footed boobies and frigates.

Then, sail past Leon Dormido (Kicker Rock), a striking basalt formation resembling a sleeping lion, rising 150 meters from the sea. Enjoy a circumnavigation of the rock, observing tropic birds, marine iguanas, and sea lions.

Lastly, visit Isla Lobos, near San Cristobal, to watch playful sea lions in tranquil waters, alongside blue-footed boobies, frigate birds, and marine iguanas.

Day 6

San Cristobal Interpretation Centre, fly to Quito

On your final morning in the Galapagos, with a mid-morning mainland flight, start early for a potentially brief last excursion.

Visit the San Cristobal Interpretation Centre to learn about the archipelago's volcanic origins, human history, and current challenges. Discover the stories of discovery, colonization, and contemporary issues facing the islands.

Afterward, transfer to the airport for your flight to Quito. Upon arrival, you'll be taken back to your hotel for an overnight stay.

Day 7

Quito

After breakfast, with no activities scheduled for the final day, you're free to leave the accommodation whenever you wish. Quito and its surroundings offer many intriguing activities, so if you'd like to extend your stay, we're happy to arrange additional accommodation for you, subject to availability.