8 Day | Galapagos Bike, Hike & Kayak

Visit Santa Cruz, Isabela and San Cristobal. Walk amongst giant tortoises, bike in the highlands of Santa Cruz, kayak at El Garrapatero, hike up to Sierra Negra Volcano for a spectacular view, kayak to the penguins on Isabela, enjoy a scenic flight over the islands, bike in the highlands of San Cristobal, and enjoy many snorkeling opportunities where you will swim with sea lions, large schools or fish, rays, and much more!

Day 1: Arrival and visit Los Gemelos and El Manzanillo Tortoise Reserve (private tour)

Arrival at Baltra airport where you will be met by your local guide. Transfer over the island stopping at Los Gemelos sink holes, and then continue on to El Manzanillo Tortoise Reserve for lunch. Depending on the time, either before or after lunch you will spend some time walking the trails of this reserve, and you will have the opportunity to see many giant tortoises. In the late afternoon, continue to your hotel to check for check in. Overnight at Enchanted Galapagos Lodge, which is nestled away in the highlands of Santa Cruz. Tonight you will have dinner at the hotel. (L/D)

Day 2: Biking from Altair to El Garrapatero and kayaking from the beach (private tour)

In the morning we hop on our bikes and begin our 8km bike ride to El Garrapatero Beach. This is a great opportunity to observe the change in vegetation from the lush midlands to the arid low lands. Once we arrive at the beach, we will walk along a path that brings us to El Garrapatero beach. This is fantastic beach for swimming, relaxing and observing flora and fauna. After a short interpretation walk we get on our kayaks and go for a kayak around the bay. Enjoy a box lunch before walking back up the trailhead where a vehicle will wait to take us back to the hotel. There will be a short break in which you can enjoy the hotel pool, take a nap, or read a book. Afterwards we will visit a local coffee farm to learn all about Galapagos coffee production, and sample some a cup of local brew. Afterwards return to the hotel. Transport to town can be arranged for those who wish to go to town for dinner. (B/L)

Day 3: Snorkeling and local fishing tour (Shared tour)

This morning you will be taken to dock to board the boat for a snorkeling/fishing adventure. We will try our luck to catch some fish on our way to one of the snorkeling sites. Fish we may catch are: wahoo, jacks, mahi mahi and various species of tuna. If we are lucky and get some fish, the guide and crew will prepare a rare treat for you, fresh sashimi and a bbq made right on the boat. After some snorkeling and lunch we will head to one of the beaches of Santa Cruz (depending on day) where we can relax or snorkel.  The boat usually gets back to Puerto Ayora around 15h00 and 16h00, depending on the destinations visited.  A driver will be waiting for you at the dock to bring you back to the hotel. (B/L)

**This tour can be switched for a full day tour to an uninhabited island, for an extra surcharge of approximately $100 NET per person

Day 4: Transfer to Isabela by ferry / Tintoreras (shared tour)

You will have to get up early for your transfer to the dock for the boat ride to Isabela. The boat departs at 7am and arrives in Puerto Villamil at approximately 9:00am. Upon arrival in Isabela, you will be picked up from the dock and taken to your hotel for check-in.

In the afternoon you will visit Tintoreras Island. This island is a unique and fragile environment formed of A’A lava and home to an abundance of wildlife. Your visit begins with a short boat ride to Tintoreras. It is an easy, one-hour walk on a sandy path, observing marine iguanas, sea birds, sea lions and white tipped reef sharks resting in a shallow crevice, which you will view from the land. Your snorkeling adventure will be determined by the tide. Some of the marine creatures to be observed are marine turtles, rays and colorful reef fish, starfish, and look for octopus!

Day 5:  Hike to Sierra Negra Volcano (shared tour)

This tour begins with a 40-minute drive from Puerto Villamil town. Then you will begin your hike. During the first hour, the trail goes gently uphill until we reach the second largest volcanic crater in the world, which is 9 kilometers wide. From here you can walk along the volcanoes edge, for approximately one hour. Depending on conditions you can continue to hike along the trail to Volcan Chico or a new trail that takes you to the site of the last eruption. Afterwards return to Puerto Villamil.

In the afternoon you will have a little bit of free time and can visit the tortoise breeding center on your own, or walk to Concha de Perla for a refreshing swim! (B/L)

Day 6: Scenic flight to San Cristobal / Free afternoon

You will have some free time in the morning before you are taken to the airport to board your small flight to San Cristobal Island (these planes have limited seats and spaces must be booked in advance). Upon arrival to San Cristobal you will be picked up at the airport and taken to your hotel. Afterwards you will have the afternoon to do a little exploring on your own. You can visit San Cristobal’s Interpretation Center where you will get to see an in-depth explanation of the history of Galapagos and where it is now in terms of conservation and what is being done to protect the islands. There are also many trails surrounding the center where you can walk through native forests and visit secluded beaches full of underwater life.

The town of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno is situated next to a very active sea lion colony with hundreds of resident sea lions. At night there is hardly any space left on the beach in front of the town and it is quite a spectacle

to watch. (B/L)

Day 7: Full day navigable snorkeling tour around San Cristobal (shared tour)

Today you get up early to catch your boat at 7:30 am to do a full 360 loop around the island. A transfer to the dock will be provided. This is a complete

full day tour of land visits, snorkeling and even some fishing!

Our first stop takes us to Rosa Blanca famous for its many picturesque beaches. This is also a good place to drop the lines and try to catch some fish. Many turtles, sharks and rays frequent this place so we will have a good chance to see something while snorkeling. Our second stop is Punta Pitt. Here we will view many bird species from the boat as we slowly cruise by. This is one of the only two locations in the entire Galapagos Islands where you can see all three species of boobies cohabiting the same place. You will also see two different types of frigate birds nesting here.

Moving on, we head to Sardin Bay where we will get another chance to jump in the water to see some amazing sea life. This area is known for its many sea turtles and rays roaming the crystal clear waters. You may even get a chance to swim with some playful sea lions! We now disembark at Punta Pucuna for a 45 minute hike with amazing views of Cerro Brujo and Kicker Rock from a distance.

We get back on the boat and head towards Cerro Brujo for a short scenic ride around the rock.

Finally, we head out to the famous Kicker Rock, also known as ‘The Sleeping Lion’ (Leon Dormido). Kicker Rock is a rock formation located off the coast of the Island San Cristobal. It is a magnificent small islet in the middle of the sea, standing up to 500 feet from the ocean, it has the form of a gigantic sleeping lion, hence the name ‘El León Dormido’. The rocks are the remainders of a vertical conformation of rock and are a favorite place for diverse species of marine birds. Here, you will snorkel in the channel of Kicker Rock for an hour. At first the depth reaches 35 meters and decreases to 12 meters at the end of the canal. The wildlife that you can observe includes black tip reef sharks, white tipped reef sharks, Galapagos sharks, hammerhead sharks, eagle rays, marine turtles and sea lions. At the end of the tour, the boat will drop you off at the main dock.

From there you can walk back to the hotel (about 10 min walk, or a transfer can be arranged if needed.) (B/L)

Day 8: Departure

Sadly this is your last day you will be picked up from your hotel in the morning and taken to the airport for your departure back to the mainland.

**End of services**

• Location: Galapagos Land Tours
• Duration: 8 days / 7 nights
• Start / End: Baltra (Santa Cruz) / Puerto Baquerizo Moreno (San Cristobal)
• Activities: Wildlife viewing, walking, hiking, biking, kayaking, snorkeling, fishing, boat rides, scenic flight
• Highlights: Los Gemelos, Los Gemelos, Tortoise Reserve, bike to El Garrapatero, snorkel in the World renowned marine reserve, fish for some local fish, kayak with penguins, visit Sierra Negra Volcano, full day boat tour to circumnavigate San Cristobal, and Much more!
• Season: All year
• Included: Accommodation in double rooms, all transfers mentioned in program, all excursions and activities mentioned in itinerary, snorkeling gear on days where there is snorkeling, meals mentioned in program
• Not Included: Flights to and from Galapagos, Galapagos National Park entrance fee, Migratory card fee, any extra beverages on board (anything in a bottle), wet suit rental, tips, personal expenses

Notes:

• Hotels are subject to availability (and this may affect pricing)
• Maximum pax for this program: 06 pax
• Flight from Isabela to San Cristobal in the small aircraft is subject to availability, there are limited spaces. If there is no space, then guests will take ferry back to Santa Cruz and then onto Cristobal.
• Luggage limit on the small aircraft: 25 pounds per person, which includes hand luggage.   Extra cost: US$ 1.50 per pound to be paid directly at the aircraft counter – subject to change