Sample Galapagos cruise itinerary

Day 1
Saturday Morning: Arrive at Baltra, Galapagos
Upon arrival on Baltra Island, you will be met by Reina Silvia's Naturalist Guide and taken aboard the yacht. After you have settled into your cabins and enjoyed lunch, Reina Silvia heads for your first destination, South Plaza Island, which lies just off the eastern coast of Santa Cruz.
Saturday Afternoon: South Plazas Island
Although only a very small island, South Plaza is an ideal introduction to the Galapagos, with an abundance of wildlife seldom seen elsewhere in such a confined area. The northern coastline, composed of smooth, rounded boulders of lava, forms an ideal habitat for sea lions, which are so unafraid of man that they might even obstruct our path as we go ashore. 

Not far from the landing point, in an area surrounded by tree cacti, we will encounter land iguanas, a subspecies that can only be found here, as well as three species of finches. At the edge of the surf-sprayed cliffs on the opposite side of the landing point, a fabulous scenery awaits us, where we can watch the diving-, feeding- and breeding-activity of a variety of seabirds, such as the swallow tailed gull, Audubon shearwater and red billed tropic bird, among others.
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Day 2
Sunday Morning: Tower (Genovesa) Island—Darwin Bay Beach

During our overnight cruise NNE to Genovesa Island, we cross the Equator and in the early morning anchor in Darwin Bay, which is formed by a submerged caldera of an extinct volcano.
Not far from the beach, where our dinghy takes us ashore, there is colony of red footed boobies and frigate birds. It is an unforgettable sight, especially if we are lucky enough to see the male frigate birds with their pouches inflated to attract the females during the mating season, or watch these birds feeding their young.
Sunday Afternoon: Tower (Genovesa) Island—Prince Philip’s Steps
A second trail called Prince Philip Steps, leads to an open area for masked boobies, frigates, and red-footed boobies. At the end of this trail are thousands of band-rumped storm petrels at the cliff's edge, where they nest in crevices. Short-eared owls can sometimes be seen here, hunting the storm petrels during daylight hours.
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Day 3
Monday Morning: Fernandina (Narborough) Island—Punta Espinosa
Heading westward around the northern cape of Isabela, the largest of the Galapagos Islands, we pass the Equator once more. We will first visit Fernandina, which, together with Isabela, are the two volcanically most active islands in the archipelago.

The scenery is impressive as are the sites that we visit. We go ashore in a mangrove-lined bay and explore small inlets, formed by black lava flows. Here we find some of the wonders of nature: the flightless cormorants, marine iguanas, penguins - the second smallest and most northern in the world - and of course the blue footed boobies may be observed in what seem to be very risky diving maneuvers."
Monday Afternoon: Isabela (Albemarle) Island—Tagus Cove
Opposite Fernandina, on the West Coast of Isabela, lies Tagus Cove, where Reina Silvia will take us in the afternoon. A narrow inlet with precipitous slopes, Tagus Cove was once a favored anchorage ground of the whalers. Moving slowly along the shore line in our dinghies, we can observe a great variety of sea birds at a very short distance. From the end of the inlet, a small path leads us to a salt lake from where we are rewarded with a magnificent view across the lake and the cove with our yacht at anchor. The path ends at an even higher view point, offering a rare panorama over the ocean with Fernandina Island's hazy contours on the horizon to the west and across the Lava flows of Isabela towards the east.
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Day 4
Tuesday Morning: Santiago (San Salvador, James) Island—James Bay
Today's first destination is James Bay, situated on the western side of Santiago Island. We walk along the shore to look for fur seals and there is a good chance that we will encounter a variety of herons, such as the Lava Heron, Common Egret and the Great Blue Heron. And with some luck, we may be able to watch the Galapagos Hawk."
Tuesday Afternoon: Bartolome (Bartholomew) Island
Early afternoon we will cruise along the eastern shores of Santiago and drop anchor at a short distance from the small island of Bartolomé. A bizarre, moon-like landscape surrounds us as we climb to the top of the island. The impressive view of Pinnacle Rock and the recent lava flows of Santiago in the background is perhaps the most photographed scenery in the islands. Later we may take a refreshing swim from the beach.
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Day 5
Wednesday Morning: Santa Cruz (Indefatigable) Island—Puerto Ayora Town
During the night, Reina Silvia reaches Academy Bay, the port of the village of Puerto Ayora. Here we pay a visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station, where we have the opportunity to observe different species of giant tortoises and receive explanations about the Station's breeding and rearing programs. From the Darwin Station a road leads us through the village, past several souvenir shops and restaurants.
Wednesday Afternoon: Santa Cruz (Indefatigable) Island—Highlands
After lunch a bus will take us to the highlands of Santa Cruz. The short ride will show us the remarkable change in vegetation from the dry coastal areas to the lush greenery of the humid zone."
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Day 6
Thursday: Floreana—Devil's Crown - Punta Cormorant - Post Office Bay
Punta Cormorant on the north coast of Floreana Island is the next location on our itinerary. Perhaps we are fortunate and may observe green turtles on the beach or sting rays in the shallow waters. Just behind the beach, in a large lagoon, flamingoes sift the sediment of the salty water in a constant search for food.

After the shore excursion, the dinghies take us to nearby Devil's Crown, a partly submerged, eroded crater. The crystal clear waters with an abundance of underwater life are a paradise for snorkelers and divers.

Our guide will have told us some of the intriguing human history of Floreana and in the afternoon we will visit the legendary Post Office Bay and/or Black Beach, where the Wittmer family resides.

Post Office Bay is historically the location of a wooden barrel, which was placed there originally in the 18th century by the crew of a whaling ship. Since then, it has been used by whalers, yachtsmen and tourists alike as a post office. If you find a letter or postcard in the box that is addressed to someone living near your next destination, take it with you and continue an ancient tradition.
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Day 7
Friday Morning: Hood (Española) Island—Gardner Bay Our first visit this morning is in Gardner Bay on the North East side of Española, near Gardner Island. We anchor in a protected bay which has a beautiful white sandy beach dotted with hundreds of basking sea lions.
Friday Afternoon: Hood (Española) Island—Punta Suarez
After a 45 minute cruise along the northern shores of Española we will go ashore at Punta Suarez in the afternoon. The path leads us past the nesting sites of blue footed and masked boobies, rising gently until we get to a plateau with steep cliffs. This is the area where at the end of April and in the beginning of May the waved albatrosses arrive to mate, nest and raise their young. In December, the young albatross use the updraft of air at the edge of the cliffs to soar into their element for the first time. A colony of reddish colored marine iguanas usually sunbathes on the rocks along the foot of the cliffs, often one on top of the other as they try to find the most advantageous position. Apart from these most noticeable inhabitants, Española is home to snakes (harmless), finches, mocking birds, owls, lava herons, oyster catchers and swallow tailed gulls, among many others.
This was our last visit during our week and we will head back to the airport on Baltra Island.
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Day 8
Saturday Morning: Baltra airport
Transfer to Baltra airport for flight to mainland Ecaudor.
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