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| A Bit of Travel
869 Grand Ave
Carlsbad Ca 92008
760-729-1181
800-747-TRAVEL |
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8 Day Galapagos Cruise from Santa Cruz aboard the La Pinta
A full week discovery trip to the Galapagos Islands aboard La Pinta allows encounters with unique fauna, like the famous giant Galapagos tortoises in the wild, land and marine iguanas, flamingos, penguins, blue-footed boobies and the famous Darwin's finches. After intense days of wildlife exploration, yacht La Pinta provides a haven of relaxation and tranquillity with tastefully appointed accommodations and all the facilities for a stylish yet informal ambiance. Guest will also enjoy the Galapagos Marine Reserve - the second largest in the world - with various snorkeling outings, chances for swimming and whale and dolphin watching during inter-island cruising. La Pinta guests will cover all aspects of the Galapagos: discovery, adventure, environmental interpretation, aquatic activities, relaxation, superb service and great dining. Naturalist Guides enhance their interpretative skills with the use of state-of-the-art-expedition equipment. The staff embraces a spirit of adventure, while at the same time ensures that you always travel in comfort and safety. Other features of this cruise include: Traditional international cuisine and some Ecuadorian delicacies.A variety of tropical fruit juices every morn All meals are free seating with no dress code ing, and generous buffet for lunchCoffee, tea, crackers and biscuits are available for guests at all times.Multilingual Naturalist Guides, Licenced by the Galapagos National Park, to lead expeditionsA "Young Pirates" program for children between 7 and 12 years old |
| Call (800) 747-8728 for more information or to book today! Mention code 8044883 | | eWaterways | | | | Day | Destination | Description | | Day 1 | Baltra | Arrive at the airport in Baltra from where you will be transferred to La Pinta. A welcome introductory briefing and lunch await. Then, cruise to your first destination for an afternoon arrival at North Seymour. Disembark (dry landing) and stroll along the coast and the interior of the island while observing bird colonies of blue-footed boobies, frigate birds, swallow-tailed gulls, sea lions and marine iguanas. Return to the boat for a briefing of the next day's activities followed by a welcome cocktail and dinner. | | Day 2 | Punta Moreno | This morning brings us to Punta Espinoza on Fernandina. An amazing combination of barrenness teeming with wildlife can be experienced here. Disembark (dry landing) and take a guided one-mile walk absorbing the unique environment of Fernandina where you will find the highest density of marine iguanas, sharing their space with sea lions, hawks, sally-light foot crabs and the flightless cormorant. Rejoin the vessel for lunch on board while La Pinta departs Punta Moreno on the island of Isabela. Punta Moreno features a low-lying rocky shoreline surrounded by black and red mangrove lagoons, and abounds with shore birds. It offers close views of volcanoes Alcedo, Sierra Negra and Cerro Azul. It has a desolate and pristine landscape of impressively immense black lava flows and an extraordinary and unusual arid-zone vegetation. Darwin's finches, Galapagos doves, mockingbirds, penguins, cormorants, brown pelicans and blue-footed boobies can be seen. Back on board you will be presented with the next day's expedition plan followed by dinner. | | Day 3 | Punta Cormorant | In the morning you will have the opportunity to snorkel from the pangas around Champion Islet or ride on the glass-bottom boat. Afterwards La Pinta makes passage to Post Office Bay. Here you will disembark (wet landing) at the historic barrel that once served as a post office. Return to the boat for lunch on board and sail Floreana. Make a wet landing at Punta Cormorant and take an easy stroll to see the flamingos that inhabit a brakish lagoon. In the afternoon, disembark at Punta Cormorant (wet landing) for an easy walk to see the flamingos that inhabit a brackish lagoon, as well as other birds including ducks, stilts and sandpipers. Return to the beach where there is a possibility for you to swim, snorkel or kayak. You day concludes with the following day's briefing before dinner. | | Day 4 | Las Bachas | This morning you will disembark at Rabida Island (wet landing) where the beach is colored red as result of the unusually high content of iron. A stroll along the beach allows the observation of a large colony of sea lions, marine iguanas, mockingbirds, yellow warblers and several species of Darwin's Finches. A short walk from the beach is a salt pond where, at times, Great Flamingos migrate to. Very close to the beach, hidden behind a strip of green saltbush, is a salt pond where at times Greater Flamingos migrate to. Rabida Island is also a great place to snorkel, due to the unique combination of underwater species and marine landscapes. Keep a look out for dolphins while navigating to our next island and enjoy a delicious lunch on board. Disembark at Las Bachas where the sand is made of powdered coral, making it white and soft, and a favorite site for nesting sea turtles. The Sally Lightfoot crabs are abundant on the lava rocks along the water's edge and flamingos, hermit crabs, black-necked stilts and whimbrels can all be observed here. Dinner will be held on board after the next day's briefing. | | Day 5 | Highlands of Santa Cruz Island | After breakfast, disembark (dry landing) to visit the highlands of Santa Cruz Island, an Scalesia forest and Los Gemelos - the twin pit craters formation. From December to mid-April a visit to see the giant tortoises in the wild may be included, depending on weather conditions. Today you will lunch at one of the farms in the highlands. Later visit the Charles Darwin Research Station and the giant tortoise pens and walk through the remarkable giant prickly-peat cactus forest. Then wander along the main street of Puerto Ayora before reboarding La Pinta for the next day's expedition plan and dinner. | | Day 6 | Puerto Egas | Sullivan Bay is on the east coast of Santiago just across Bartolome Island. We land on a white coral sand beach and begin our walk over lava that flowed less than 100 years ago. This is the perfect place to see and feel the volcanic origins of the Galapagos. This site is renowned for the geography of the lava flows - the intricate squiggles, cracks, and designs of the liquid lava as it solidified. After 110 years, life is starting to return to the flows, with occasional tufts of grass and cactus growing in the cracks. There will be a possibility to go snorkeling and you will also have the opportunity to go on a panga ride or a glass-bottom boat tour. After lunch on board we make a wet landing at Puerto Egas. Here you will take a mid-length walk through a landscape of tuff-stone layers and lava flows. This is a great chance to observe land and marine birds. At low tide, marine iguanas graze upon the algae beds and there is a colony of Galapagos fur seals. This beach is also great for snorkeling and swimming. | | Day 7 | Cerro Brujo | Disembark at Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, a small attractive port and the provincial capital of the Galapagos Islands. Visit the San Cristobal Interpretation Center where visitors can obtain information that will help them understand more the natural history of the Galapagos. Later this morning we travel by coach to the breeding center for tortoises at Cerro Colorado where the semi-saddle back shape of the tortoises can provide a great way to understand the mammal's adaptation to dry-tropical environments. Return to La Pinta for lunch on board. In the afternoon, a dinghy ride along the shores of tuff-stone layers will bring us to Cerro Brujo for a wet landing. Here you can observe seabirds like blue-footed boobies, Nazca boobies, herons, frigate birds, and some shore birds. Highlights ashore include the Chatham Mockingbird and the Chatham Lava Lizard, which are both endemic to the island and cannot be seen anywhere else in the Galapagos. On your final night of this cruise you will be treated to a special farewell cocktail. | | Day 8 | Baltra | Disembark La Pinta after breakfast and transfer to the airport for your trip home. |
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