Upon arrival at the Baltra Airport you will need to pay for the Galapagos National Park Entrance Fee ($100 USD cash per person adult/$50 USD children under 12, subject to change without notice). Upon meeting your guide (he/she will be waiting holding a sign with your names on it) they will assist you in entering a special VIP lounge where you will have a chance to change clothes, put on some sunscreen and get a cool drink before your transfer to the Itabaca Channel. (This service is on a group basis.)

Itabaca Channel Kayaking & Giant Tortoise Reserve

There’s no better introduction to the Galapagos than to immediately get on the water upon your arrival! You will have a chance to kayak, snorkel and stand up paddleboard (SUP) throught the turqouise waters of the Itabaca Channel, gliding through beautiful red mangrove forests and along lava rock cliffs. Along the way you will see some of the famous Galapagos wildlife such as blue-footed boobies, sea lions, brown pelicans, a variety of herons and white-tipped reef sharks. The provided ocean (sit on top) kayaks come in doubles or singles, and life jackets are provided. A support boat will escort you throughout the water activities to ensure safety and to provide water, snacks and towels between activities.

From Itabaca Channel you'll head up to the Santa Cruz highlands to one of the private reserves that borders the National Park where the famous Giant Tortoises inhabit in the wild. Lunch will be served at the reserve.

Perched high on a hillside overlooking the ocean, Magic Galapagos Tented Camp will be your home for the next two nights. Watching the colorful sunset from Magic’s western perch is the perfect segue into evening. Dinners are sumptuous three course affairs, prepared by expert chefs in an open-air kitchen in the main lodge. A favorite post-dinner activity is a short walk to the natural lava tubes on the reserve for a night cap in the one-of-a-kind ‘Lava Lounge!’ It’s the perfect spot to relax around the fire and share stories from the day’s adventures. (This service is on a group basis.)

Walk to Las Grietas & Kayak at Tortuga Bay

From Puerto Ayora main pier you will take a water taxi to the “Other Side Pier”. At this point you will start an easy walk for about 1 Km (~0.6 mile) until you reach Las Grietas. This is a stunning geological formation named as fissure where you can see two impressive rock walls with an elongated crystal clear water pond ideal for snorkeling. The Research Center offers a brand new Interpretation Center with some of the most important samples of the Center Collection.

Later, you will visit Tortuga Bay. After walking through a deciduous forest for 2.5 Km (~1.5 miles) you will reach one of the most beautiful beaches in the archipelago. You will continue walking along this white sand beach for another 1 Km (~0.6 mile) until you reach the Playa Mansa where you can enjoy a special kayaking ride around the Bay. (This service is on a private basis.)

Following a couple of days exploring all that Santa Cruz Island has to offered, you will continue your exploring the archipelago at sea. After breakfast, your guide will meet you at the lodge and escort you on the as short bus ride to the harbor. There you will be transferred by a motorized raft to your awaiting vessel, the M/C Seaman Journey catamaran for 4 Day/3 Night Galapagos cruise. (This service is on a group basis).

North Seymour Island

Upon boarding, you will be welcomed by the smiling crew, enjoy a welcome introductory briefing and delicious lunch, before setting sail to North Seymour Island.

North Seymour is an uplifted (as opposed to volcanic) island and so is generally flat and strewn with boulders. There are good nesting sites here for a large population of magnificent frigate birds. Blue-footed boobies perform their courtship dance in the more open areas, while swallow-tailed gulls perch on the cliff edges. Despite the tremendous surf that can pound the outer shore, sea lions haul out onto the beach and can be found bodysurfing.

After exploring the wildlife on North Seymour, you will return to the catamaran for dinner as the boat sails towards your next destination. Enjoy your first evening on the ship, being rocked to sleep. (This service is on a group basis).

El Barranco

This morning after breakfast, the ship will have reached Genovesa Island. Formed from a shield volcano, it's now home to thousands of birds. After disembarking, you will take an easy walk through El Barranco. The visitor site of El Barranco is located in the southern part of Darwin Bay on Genovesa Island. The trail is on volcanic rock that has a length of 1.5 km and the tour can be done in approximately 2 hours.

The youngest area of the island, from a geological point of view, lies in this area. The cliffs located in the south are composed of very fragile lava. The natural erosion that has occurred in these lava flows has become the ideal place for nesting Storm Petrels. On the island, you can see two species of petrels that nest in cavities and holes in the lava.

The red-footed booby nests only in the outer islands of the archipelago, Punta Pitt, Gardner (Floreana), Wolf, Darwin and Genovesa. Also present on this island is the masked booby. During the “panga rides” along the cliffs, keep your eyes out for fur sea lions and several species of seabirds. (This service is on a group basis).

Darwin Bay

After leaving El Barranco, you will continue to Darwin Bay, a beautiful white coral sandy beach. This bay has its origin when the crater of this island collapsed below sea level. This is a favorite island for birdwatchers: red footed-booby, masked boobies, wandering tattlers, lava gulls, whimbrels, yellow- crowned, and black-crowned lava herons, and yellow warblers can be seen in the area. Continuing on the trail, you will climb gradually to the edge of the cliff to see Red-Foots nesting in the Mangrove trees below. Bird watching includes sightings of sharp-beaked finches, large cactus and ground finches, Galapagos doves, and swallow-tailed gulls. Reaching the end the trail at the cliff's edge offers an incredible view of the island and the many birds. (This service is on a group basis).

South Plaza

This morning you will set sail to South Plaza, making the most of your time left on the catamaran! Plazas is located to the east of Santa Cruz Island, and forms part of two islands known as Islas Plazas. Despite its small size, some of the most interesting and outstanding species of the Galapagos are found here!

The Plazas land iguanas are smaller than its relatives found at other islands. Throughout the island are several hybrid iguanas, a result of crossing a male marine iguana and a female land iguana, they are unique, recognizable at first glance by their black/gray color, with a land iguana's crest, but face and tail of the marine iguana. The big population of iguanas is due to the presence of cactus fruit, their favorite food. Swallow tailed gulls nesting in the rugged cliffs are seen along with other seabirds as: Audubon shearwaters, red-billed tropicbirds, frigate birds, and brown pelicans. (This service is on a group basis).

Santa Fe Island

Next, you will continue today's excursion to Sante Fe Island. Located in the southeastern part of the Galapagos, this island was formed from an uplift instead than a volcanic origin, this is why is mostly flat. Santa Fe is the home of a number of endemic species like the Galapagos hawk, Galapagos snake, Galapagos mockingbird, rice rats, and one of the two species of lands Iguanas of the islands.

After disembarking in the beautiful and clear waters, you will see one of the many sea lion colonies. Along the trail many salt bushes can be seen as well giant prickly pear cactus, gigantism is a characteristic of oceanic islands. There are great possibilities of snorkeling with playful sea lions and colorful tropical fishes. (This service is on a group basis).

Jacinto Gordillo Breeding Center

An early morning wake up call and snack will kick off your final adventure to the Jacinto Gordillo Breeding Center. In 2004, the Jacinto Gordillo Breeding Center for young tortoises was inaugurated in Cerro Colorado, San Cristobal Island, with the mission to care for young tortoises. Here giant tortoises live and are bred in captivity, in a protected wild area that helps safeguard them from introduced predators such as pigs and goats. The vegetation surrounding the site includes trees and shrubs, and you may also see land birds such as warblers, finches and mockingbirds, with the giant tortoises being found along the trail.

After gaining insight into the conservation efforts, you will be transferred to the San Cristobal airport in good time for your departure flight. We hope you had a truly unforgettable experience in the Galapagos! (This service is on a group basis).

However, we don't blame you if you decide to extend your journey in the Galapagos! There is still exploring to be done in other Islands or on the mainland, visiting the spectacular peaks of the Andes or the lush jungle of the Amazon region!