Galapagos Islands holidays
| country: | Ecuador, Galapagos Islands |
| trip type: | A small group adventure |
| departures: | Departs Mondays and Thursdays throughout the year, up to 8 departures a month |
| price: | From £1780 - £1810 (10 days) including domestic flights only, as per itinerary, depending on season & based on twin share. We can arrange flights from the UK |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
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the amazing things you'll be doing
Our ten-day program is the ultimate Galapagos exploration, designed to offer you the best opportunities to encounter the magnificent wildlife that make the Galapagos unique. Onboard you will be treated to a very special experience. On your exploration of the islands, an encounter with the giant Galapagos tortoise will certainly be a memorable highlight. Blue-footed and masked boobies are found alongside pelicans and frigate birds. There are land and marine iguanas, sea lions, fur seals, dolphins, whales and sea turtles – a myriad of fascinating wildlife to be discovered. Because of the extreme isolation of the islands, nearly a quarter of all species are endemic and much of the wildlife has no instinctive fear of man.
Includes an experienced English-speaking naturalist, arrival transfer, cruise transfers, accomodation (7 nights cruise, 2 nights comfortable hotel), most meals (9 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 7 dinners), domestic flights Quito-Baltra-Quito, seven night cruise and activites.
For nearly 30 years, we have lead the field in small group adventure travel. Our innovative and interactive itineraries include as much as possible to ensure that you get the most out of your valuable time away, but also contain plenty of time to relax and explore by yourself. Traveling in small group, means that you will have the company of other like-minded travelers, your holiday will be safe and stress-free and that the impact on environment and community is kept to a minimum.
Includes an experienced English-speaking naturalist, arrival transfer, cruise transfers, accomodation (7 nights cruise, 2 nights comfortable hotel), most meals (9 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 7 dinners), domestic flights Quito-Baltra-Quito, seven night cruise and activites.
For nearly 30 years, we have lead the field in small group adventure travel. Our innovative and interactive itineraries include as much as possible to ensure that you get the most out of your valuable time away, but also contain plenty of time to relax and explore by yourself. Traveling in small group, means that you will have the company of other like-minded travelers, your holiday will be safe and stress-free and that the impact on environment and community is kept to a minimum.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | (Mon) Arrive in Quito and transfer to hotel. |
| Day 2: | Morning flight to Baltra, transfer to the Endeavour. Visit Las Bachas. The white sandy beaches on the north shore of Santa Cruz Island are nesting sites for the Pacific green turtle, whilst marine iguanas are also common |
| Day 3: | Visit Rabida and Santiago Islands. The Rabida are covered with Palo Santo trees, Opuntica cacti and low, scrubby bushes. Sea lions abound on the red sand beach and nearby is a flamingo lagoon. |
| Day 4: | Visit Sullivan Bay and Bartolome Island. Bartolome is a relatively new island in the chain and traces of its volcanic past can be seen everywhere, as evident by the amazing lunar-like landscape and pahoehoe lava, ropy lava and gigantic lava tubes seen everywhere. |
| Day 5: | Santa Cruz Island. The small town of Puerto Ayora is the economic centre of the archipelago, whilst the island is home to the Charles Darwin Research Station. There will be time to explore the station and observe tortoise research and breeding programs. We also head up to the Highlands for a complete change of scenery. Here it is a lush humid zone containing miconia bushes, scalesia and inactive volcanic cones. |
| Day 6: | San Cristobal Island via Leon Dormido (Kicker Rock) which is a magnificent rock in the middle of the sea, set in a shape resembling a sea lion. The rock rises 150 metres above the surface and is divided into two parts by a narrow channel. We also visit Cerro Brujo where there is a chance to go hiking, swimming and snorkelling. Visit the Interpretation Centre. |
| Day 7: | Visit Espanola Island, the southernmost island of the Galapagos. Includes Bahia Gardner, Punta Suarez and Devil's Crown. |
| Day 8: | Cruise to Floreana Island visiting Post Office Bay and Punta Cormorant. Here, the sand is made up of fine olivine crystals, a glassy volcanic mineral, giving the beach its olive-green colour and it is the best place to see Galapagos sea lions. |
| Day 9: | Final excursion to Black Turtle Cove, a mangrove swamp on the north shore of Santa Cruz Island an excellent place to see green turtle, golden ray and Galapogos shark, before returning to Baltra. Fly to Quito. |
| Day 10: | Trip ends in Quito this morning (Wed). |
travellers' tales
Most memorable? The spectacular landscapes of each island, every wildlife encounter especially snorkelling with sea lions, frigate birds in mating season, waved albatross in flight, brightly coloured marine iguanas, giant tortoises in the wild, spotting sea turtles in a mangrove swamp... I could go on! (more)
small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places.highly commended
This tourism business was Highly Commended in our 2007 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - the largest awards of their kind in the world, and organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Times, World Travel Market and Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society.Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.
how this holiday makes a difference
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The pristine Galapagos Islands are protected as a World Heritage sanctuary for good reason – they are home to a vast array of unique and endemic wildlife. To maintain its unique ecosystem, tourism to the islands is tightly controlled, with a limited number of tourists allowed daily and boats being forced to follow strict guidelines. Small, environmentally friendly vessels are used with a maximum of 16 berths, offering an intimate and enjoyable experience. Waste management is closely controlled on the boats and, when on land, physical contact with the wildlife is strictly forbidden. This operator is committed to using local leaders on all our holidays and, on this trip, despite taking only 16 passengers they employ a crew of 9, including a fully qualified local guide.
The plight of the waved albatross is a moving one, as many have died as a result of longline fishing off the coast of Peru. This operator has given substantial financial support to various organisations to help stop the needless slaughter of these magnificent birds by ensuring that relevant international agreements are implemented that will benefit both the birds and the legal fishing industry. The nature of this trip ensures that travellers become acutely aware of the importance of conservation and also become ambassadors for the continual protection of wildlife and wilderness the world over. By only employing staff born and bred in the regions they visit, they are supporting local economies. Through offering employment and steady revenue, tourism can ultimately make a real positive difference to local communities. This company is proud to be a member of IGTOA (International Galapagos Tour Operators Association), a non-profit association of tour operators, conservation organisations and other concerned groups that are dedicated to the lasting protection of the Galapagos. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |