Today’s activity takes you on a boat tour to an uninhabited island.  The following description is for the boat tour to North Seymour Island,  which we usually recommend, but it is possible to change it for  Bartholomew Island (famous for its “Pinnacle Rock”, great for  snorkeling, and penguin sightings) or South Plaza Island (marine, land and maybe hybrid iguanas, sea lions and coastal birds).

After an early breakfast, you’ll head out to meet the tour group at  the Puerto Ayora passenger pier, which is a short walk away from your  hotel. You will be driven to the northern coast of Santa Cruz Island  where you will board the tour yacht. The yacht will navigate north until  you arrive at North Seymour Island after about 45 minutes. There you’ll  disembark and hike from the rocky cliffs to the arid inland, and then  to a sandy area. On the way, you’ll be able to observe different sea birds like the iconic blue-footed booby and the endemic swallow-tailed  gull. With some luck, you can even spot frigate birds with their red  pouches inflated, and land iguanas. At the end of the trail, you’ll meet  curious sea lions before getting back on board the yacht.

While you enjoy lunch on board, the yacht will navigate to Bachas  Beach at the northern shore of Santa Cruz Island. In the afternoon  you’ll disembark at the beach and your guide will explain the odd origin  of this visitor site’s name. During a walk along the sandy beach,  you’ll observe different shore birds, Sally Lightfoot crabs and maybe  some marine iguanas. Instead of a stroll along the beach, you can also  choose to swim and snorkel. While you snorkel, you’ll have the  opportunity to observe different fishes and maybe some rays and turtles  living their best lives underwater.

After exploring the beach and wildlife, you’ll  return to the yacht and navigate to the Itabaca Channel, and from there  you will be driven back to Puerto Ayora, returning to your hotel at  approximately 4:30 PM.

Meals included: breakfast, lunch

After breakfast, your guide will pick you up from your hotel and  drive you from the arid coastal region to the ever-green highlands of  Santa Cruz Island. There you’ll hike through a ranch where you can observe giant tortoises in their natural habitat. If you are lucky, you might see some of these gentle giants taking a relaxing mud bath. Besides the giant tortoises, you will also be able to observe wading  birds, Darwin's finches and ducks. Another highlight in the highlands are the lava tunnels, through which you can walk. Your guide will explain how these formed.

After lunch in situ, you will continue to a beautiful beach called El Garrapatero on the eastern shore of Santa Cruz Island. On the way,  you’ll stop by a traditional farm where you can see how locals produce coffee. At Garrapatero Beach you can go kayaking and take a stroll along  the beach to a small pond where occasionally flamingos can be seen. At the end of this beach visit, your guide will take you back to your accommodation in Puerto Ayora.

Meals included: breakfast, lunch

A driver will pick you up from your hotel in the early morning and take you to the passenger pier of Puerto Ayora. From there, you will  take the public speedboat to Puerto Villamil, a small town in the south of Isabela Island where your new accommodation awaits. The ride takes approximately 2 to 2,5 hours depending on the sea conditions. Upon arrival to Puerto Villami, you’ll go to your hotel to drop off your luggage and then have some free time to relax, enjoy the beach and stroll around town.

After lunch, you will join a group boat tour to visit Tintoreras  Islet, a small island off the southern shore of Puerto Villamil. After a short boat ride, you’ll disembark with your group and guide on Tintoreras Islet. During a hike, you will encounter lots of marine iguanas and lava lizards sunbathing on the lava rocks. There is also a  small colony of sea lions and if you are lucky, you can see some marine birds like blue-footed boobies fishing in the bay. At one point of the hike, you’ll pass some channels where white-tip reef sharks like to rest. These sharks are called “tintoreras” in Spanish and give this  visitor site its name.
After the hike, you will be able to go snorkeling and hopefully get a  closer encounter with these friendly reef sharks and other fish. You  might also see marine iguanas feeding underwater and sealions playing.  After today’s activities you will return to your accommodations in  Puerto Villamil.

Meals included: box breakfast, lunch

After an early breakfast, you’ll join a group tour to the Sierra  Negra Volcano. First you’ll be driven from the port town to the evergreen highlands. After about 45 minutes, you will arrive at the  starting point of today’s hike. The goal is to hike to the viewpoint of Chico Volcano, which is approx. an 8 km roundtrip. On the way, you will  often be accompanied by Darwin's finches and other land birds like vermillion flycatchers. There are different viewpoints on the way, to appreciate the majestic caldera of  Sierra Negra Volcano, which has a diameter of about 10 km. It is one of the most active volcanoes in Ecuador and situated in the South of Isabela Island, one of the youngest islands of the Galapagos archipelago. 

After enjoying your picnic-style lunch, you’ll return to your hotel in Puerto Villamil and can spend the rest of the day at your leisure.

Meals included: breakfast, box lunch

After breakfast, your guide will pick you up from your hotel and take you to explore another area of southern Isabela Island by bicycle. You’ll drive west along the seafront and leave Puerto Villamil. Soon the  landscape changes as you cross the wetlands. Here you’ll stop to observe different species of birds, especially wading birds. You will continue driving west until you arrive at the Wall of Tears. This historic site is a reminder of the time when a penal colony was located on Isabela Island. As punishment, prisoners were ordered to build a wall out of lava rocks. Your guide will explain some more about the human history of the Galapagos Islands and you will hike to a viewpoint to enjoy some stunning views.

Later you’ll head back to Puerto Villamil on your bicycles. On the outskirts of the town, you can visit the local breeding center for giant  tortoises, where you can see hatchlings and adults of this iconic Galapagos species.

After lunch, you take the public speedboat back to Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island, where you will spend another two nights.

Meals included: breakfast, lunch

Today, you will have the opportunity to explore some more sites on Santa Cruz Island on your own or simply relax at your hotel. In the morning, we recommend a visit to the paradisiac beach of Tortuga Bay. It lies a nice 45-minute hike from Puerto Ayora. There  you can swim at a calm bay surrounded by mangroves, where the water is  shallow and crystal-clear. For some extra fun you can also rent kayaks at local stalls near the beach  as well. Look out for marine iguanas, coastal birds, sea lions and even white-tip reef sharks that inhabit the area.

On the way back to Puerto Ayora, we recommend a stop at “Laguna de  las Ninfas”. This brackish pond is surrounded by three species of  mangroves and home to ducks and other birds. In the afternoon, we  recommend a visit to “Las Grietas”, a natural pool between two rock  walls, where you can go swimming and snorkeling.

Meals included: breakfast

If you still have some time before your flight back to the mainland, we recommend a stroll along the port’s promenade. You can often observe amusing scenes like sea lions sleeping on benches. 

At the convenient time (3 hours before flight departure), your driver picks you up from your hotel and takes you to Baltra airport.