Sample Galapagos cruise itinerary

Day 1
Monday: Santa Cruz island
Welcome at Baltra Airport! New arrivals. Your guide will greet you and together you will cross Santa Cruz Island to Puerto Ayora.
Visit the world-famous Charles Darwin Station, a non-profit institution that dedicates itself to studying and protecting Galapagos wildlife. This is one of the best places to see land tortoises, including Lonely George, the last survivor of his subspecies. We will also visit the station's Tortoise Rearing Center.
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Day 2
Tuesday morning: Santa Cruz Island
Explore the upper region ('parte alta'). Learn about the vegetation and animal life of this zone, strikingly different than that found at lower elevations. Darwin finches, yellow warblers, and bright red vermillion flycatchers. Beautiful views of the surrounding archipelago.
Tuesday afternoon: Santa Fe Island

Unlike most of the islands in the Galapagos that were formed by volcanic eruptions, Santa Fe was formed by an uplift caused by tectonic activity. This means that the island does not have the typical cone shape. Santa Fe has one of the most beautiful coves of all the visitor sites in the region - a turquoise lagoon protected by a peninsula of rocks and small islands that extends from the shore.

Hike along the coastline and discover colorful flora and fauna. The well-known land iguanas here can grow over five feet long. The Sanfa Fe species of iguana are more bright yellow and have uncommonly large spikes on their spine. In true Galapagos style the opuntia cactus, a favorite food of the land iguana, has responded by growing tall and woody - up to 33 feet high and are the largest of their kind in Galapagos. Manta rays and sea turtles flit by as dark shadows against the sandy bottom of Santa Fe's beautiful anchorage.

After a long hike, relax with a swim in the calm waters of the beautiful bay, or snorkel along in the company of sea lions at the base of the rocks.
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Day 3
Wednesday: Hispaniola Island
Disembark at Suarez Point in the morning and Gardner Bay in the afternoon. Enjoy open areas where you can spot lava lizards, iguanas, and many birds: blue footed boobies, masked boobies, Galapagos hawk, Frigate bird, giant waved albatross. Time is allowed for swimming and snorkeling.
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Day 4
Thursday: Floreana Island

Today when you awake and peer out your porthole you will see Floreana, one of the greenest islands in the archipelago. Ask your guide to tell you about its mysterious history laden with rumors of witches, murderous baronesses, blackmail and dubious disappearances. Our first stop is Punta Cormorant, where we follow a footpath to a lagoon inhabited by flaming-pink flamingos. We will also pass by Carolina Beach, a sea turtle nesting area and a superb spot for watching sea birds and sea rays. Back on our yacht, we skirt the island's coast until we arrive at La Corona del Diablo (the Devil's Crown), a sub-marine crater that offers some of the most spectacular snorkeling in the Galapagos. After returning to the boat for lunch we will sail on to Post Office Bay, where the island's original post office - really only a wooden barrel - was established in 1793. The current system still functions as it did three centuries ago.
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Day 5
Friday morning: North Seymour Island

After an early breakfast we will disembark at North Seymour Island.  Here we will see frigatebirds, the clownish blue-footed booby, and of course the ubiquitous sea lions.  With luck we will witness the striking courtship display of the male frigatebird, in which he inflates a red balloon-like sac below his throat and struts his stuff for all of the young females.
Friday afternoon: Bachas beach (Santa Cruz Island)
On the sandy white beaches of Las Bachas we will get a close look at a sea turtle nesting area and a lake frequented by leggy pink flamingos and other migratory birds. Afterward, we cool ourselves off with a dip in the deliciously blue Pacific Ocean.
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Day 6
Saturday morning: Rabida Isle

One of the special features of Rabida is the remarkable red color, which is a result go the high percentage of oxidized iron in the composition of the lava.

Rábida is a bird-watchers delight. Some of the rarest species are in abundance, such as 9 varieties of finches, large billed flycatchers, Galapagos hawks and brown pelicans. The dark red sand beaches and a horde of snoring sea lions make for spectacular snorkeling. Also, the island is home to the skinny legged Flamingo, which can be seen in a salt-water lagoon near the beach.

 

From the observatory on the southeastern part of the island, you can appreciate the red color of the beach and the rocks surrounding it.
Saturday afternoon: Bartolome isle
Visit Bartolome, if you hike to the summit of this small island you will have one of the most impresive landscapes of the Galapagos. Great opportunity for snorkelling with a vast marine life. 
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Day 7
Sunday: Genovesa island also known as Tower
Disembark at El Barranco also known as Prince phillip's steps in the morning and Darwin Bay in the afternoon. Enjoy open areas where you can spot small marine iguanas, and many birds. Our first view of Galapagos volcanoes, Darwin bay is an eroded crater under water, nearby is the white coral beach where will find many birds, opuntia cacti forests and mangroves. Time is allowed for swimming and snorkeling.
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Day 8
South Plaza island - Baltra airport - mainland Ecuador
After breakfast we will sail to Plazas Island, where a large colony of sea lions lounges daily in the equatorial sun.
Soon you will notice their subtly diabolic grins and wonder what they find so humorous; you only hope the joke isn't on you! Plaza also boasts excellent examples of typical Galapaganean flora such as the towering cacti "trees" that form the principal diet for both the land iguanas and the cactus finch. Other birds that may flutter by include lava gulls, yellow warblers and red-billed tropicbirds with their elaborate tails. 

We disembark at Baltra Island and we will take a bus to the airport for departure flight to mainland Ecuador.
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