Optional Extensions

Family Galapagos Islands Vacation

Day 1 • Friday
U.S. / Guayaquil
Board our early evening flight to Guayaquil, Ecuador. On arrival, our representatives meet us and take us to the Oro Verde. Go to bed early — you’ve got nine busy days ahead! (Meals Aloft)
 
Day 2 • Saturday
Guayaquil / San Cristóbal / Cerro Brujo
After breakfast, meet our expedition leader for an overview of the journey. Fly 600 miles across the Pacific to the Galapagos Islands. Our crew meets us at San Cristóbal Island and escorts us on the short bus trip to the harbor, where our 32-guest expedition ship, the Evolution, awaits us. There’s plenty of time to settle into our cabins and learn about Galapagos National Park rules before lunch. This afternoon, sail past iconic Kicker Rock. See if you can tell why locals say it looks like a sleeping lion. Enjoy a sunset walk along the powder-white sands of Cerro Brujo, with a good chance of sea lions joining us. We'll likely see blue-footed boobies, yellow warblers and finches. (B,L,D)

For the Kids: Find the coffee cart — cookies are always available here; Meet the Evolution crew at a special welcome dinner; Wear your bathing suit so you can play with sea lions on the beach

Day 3 • Sunday
Española (Hood) Island: Punta Suarez and Gardner Bay
Wade ashore to Punta Suarez, through a large colony of curious sea lions.  Bring your hiking boots! We hike for two miles on a rocky trail, seeing a variety of bird life. The huge waved albatross nests here between April and December. Albatross courtship displays are elaborate and highly amusing. Albatrosses are graceful in the air but back-heavy and ungainly on land. Because they are unable to launch themselves into flight from the ground, they must waddle to a cliff and jump off the edge! We’ll also see Galapagos doves, Galapagos hawks and the red-colored race of marine iguana that is found only here. Walk to Española’s famous blowhole, where incoming waves spout 90 feet into the air. For those who don’t hike, take a panga ride around the island. You’ll still see the blowhole, sea lions, albatrosses, tropicbirds and gulls.

Back on board, choose your snorkeling equipment and get ready for a great lunch! In the afternoon we visit Gardner Bay on Hood Island, where we can swim and snorkel among sea lions. Dominant male sea lions mark out territories along the shore and patrol them noisily, defending against other males who might want to invade the “harem.” (B,L,D)

For the Kids: Spend siesta time completing the wildlife chart in your Young Explorer’s Field Guide and on the poster in the ship common area; Sand castle building on Gardner Bay Beach; Guided snorkeling from the panga with fish, rays, sea lions and (maybe) small sharks

Day 4 • Monday
Santa Cruz Island
Today we visit the economic capital of the Galapagos, Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island. At the Charles Darwin Research Station, world famous for its research and tortoise breeding programs, learn about the vital work being done to study and preserve Galapagos wildlife. You’ll see the famous giant tortoises in all forms of development, from babies to full-grown. Head into the forested highlands, hiking through the wet fields for an opportunity to see giant tortoises in the wild. While walking among these gentle giants, you can pose for photos or simply observe these remarkable creatures. After a special barbecue lunch in the highlands, explore a lava tube and two sink holes. Before returning to the Evolution, we have free time to explore the village of Puerto Ayora, the largest human settlement in the Galapagos. (B,L,D)

For the Kids: Visit pirate treasure caves; Take flashlights underground for a lava tube adventure; Get a glimpse with legendary Lonesome George at the Charles Darwin Research Station; Enjoy hot chocolate bread in a small village

Day 5 • Tuesday
Santiago (James) Island / Bartolomé Island
It’s time to visit Darwin’s favorite island! Santiago has several sites to visit at the western end of James Bay. Puerto Egas, with its black sand beaches, was the site of a small salt mining industry in the 1960s. Spend two hours walking to a fur seal grotto and looking at shore birds, marine iguanas and Galapagos hawks. Bring everything you need to swim and snorkel from the beach after our walk. A morning snack is awaiting us back on board…perfect for munching on as the Evolution navigates Buccaneer Cove. Buccaneer Cove is a particularly scenic area of steep cliffs and dark beaches. After lunch and a “power siesta,” head back into the water to swim and snorkel. In the afternoon we visit Bartolomé Island, which provides important clues as to how life began on the Galapagos. A few hardy plants have begun to colonize the lava rock. Climb 371 steps to the summit of Bartolome. There is a splendid panorama of lava flows, beaches, sea, neighboring islands and the jagged Pinnacle Rock. Does Pinnacle Rock look familiar? It was featured in the movie Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World. (B,L,D)

For the Kids: Swim and snorkel in the company of fish, sea stars and quick little Galapagos penguins; Enjoy movies and popcorn for a relaxing evening; Climb a dormant volcano

Day 6 • Wednesday
Genovesa (Tower) Island / Darwin Bay
Genovesa Island contains one of the largest and most diverse bird populations in the Galapagos. From our pangas we see red-billed tropicbirds. This morning climb Prince Philip’s Steps to an area with colonies of Nazca boobies, red-footed boobies and great frigatebirds, which have a very large wingspan and a slender, dramatic silhouette in flight. Breeding males inflate their strawberry-colored chest pouches to an enormous size. Hike 1.5 miles through the Palo Santo forest to a storm petrel colony. Snorkel from pangas in calm, protected waters before lunch.   Spend the afternoon kayaking along Darwin Bay’s cliffs. In the afternoon we visit Darwin Bay, home to the nocturnal swallow-tailed gull and the rare lava gull. A walk along the cliffs gives us fine views of the Pacific Ocean. We have a chance to swim and snorkel here. (B,L,D)

For the Kids: Kayak in a protected bay; Wildlife scavenger hunt; Study navigation charts with our captain (how deep is the caldera at Genovesa?); Interpretive walks with Level 3 naturalists – the highest rating; Study the stars of the night sky sitting just 1° north of the Equator

Day 7 • Thursday
Fernandina Island: Punta Espinosa / Isabela Island: Tagus Cove
The morning finds us at Fernandina, the youngest and most volcanically active island in the Galapagos. We land at Punta Espinosa. There are flows of ropy “pahoehoe” lava that have been newly colonized by lava cactus. Flightless cormorants build their nests on the point, sea lions sprawl on the beach and play in the tide pools, Sally Lightfoot crabs scuttle along the rocks, and marine iguanas dot the sand. In the afternoon, we sail round to Isabela Island and explore Tagus Cove, whose surrounding cliffs are marked with the names of pirate and whaling ships from long ago. On our panga ride we look for penguins, flightless cormorants, pelicans and iguanas. We then have a chance to stretch our legs as we walk uphill and look down into Darwin's Lake. The landscape is impressive, with plants characteristic of the dry zone. We may see several species of Darwin’s finches here. (B,L,D)

For the Kids: Hike across pahoehoe lava; Prepare ceviche with our chef; Race pangas around the island or see if you can beat your guide to the top of a dormant volcano; Dolphin and whale watch in the Bolivar Channel; You’ve crossed the Equator four times – be prepared something special!

Day 8 • Friday
North Seymour Island / Black Turtle Cove
In the morning we visit North Seymour Island, where there are good nesting sites for a large population of magnificent frigatebirds. Blue-footed boobies perform their courtship dance in the more open areas, and swallow-tailed gulls perch on the cliff edges. Despite the surf that can pound the outer shore, sea lions haul out onto the beach and can be found along with marine iguanas. This is also the only place to spot colorful land iguanas – these definitely can’t be kept as pets! Snorkel with sharks (don’t worry, they’re friendly), rays and sea lions before lunch. Caleta Tortuga Negra (“Black Turtle Cove”) is a beautiful and peaceful area of mangroves, where on our panga ride we look for schools of golden rays, endangered green sea turtles, white-tipped reef sharks, lava herons and blue-footed boobies. For part of the time, we’ll turn off the motors of our pangas and just drift silently through the cove. Tonight we enjoy a farewell dinner aboard the Evolution. (B,L,D)

For the Kids: Wildlife scavenger hunt; Magic towel folding; Tonight before dinner there will be a fun Galapagos quiz!

Day 9 • Saturday
San Cristóbal / Guayaquil
Back at San Cristóbal, we visit the Interpretation Center to learn about conservation efforts in the Galapagos. We then fly to Guayaquil, where we spend the night at our hotel. (B,L Aloft)
 
Day 10 • Sunday
Guayaquil / U.S.
We take a morning flight to the U.S., and connect with flights home. (B,L Aloft)