JOURNEY I ITINERARY

8 DAY GALAPAGOS CRUISE (Tuesday - Tuesday)

*Please note the itinerary may vary due to changes in air schedules, weather, national park regulations, local conditions, safety or unforeseen emergencies.

DAY 1 - Tuesday / Galapagos Arrival and Highlands, Santa Cruz

We begin our morning with a flight to the Galapagos Islands.  Our crew meets us at the airport and assists us with our luggage and transfers with us to the Journey I. Once on board we have lunch and in the afternoon set off of the highlands of Santa Cruz.

A trip to the highlands offers an excellent opportunities for viewing wild tortoises. As you walk through the forest, listen carefully for the sound of heavy foot steps and the sound of shrubs being slowly crushed as the tortoises make their way through the brush to enjoy a meal. The Highlands also offers plenty of lava tubes, sinkholes and craters to explore. Theses eerie formations offer a fascinating hike into the belly of the island to view its volcanic make-up.

DAY 2 - Wednesday / Sombrero Chino and Puerto Egas

Sombrero Chino is a small island off the coast of Santiago, here on the rocky shoreline Galapagos penguins, eagle rays, sea lions and marine iguanas are frequently seen. The small cove offers and excellent snorkeling site.

Puerto Egas is home to some of the Galapagos Island's best tide pools. Sponges, snails, hermit crabs, barnacles and fish including the endemic four-eyed blenny can be seen. The walk also presents visitors with a variety of shore birds, marine iguanas, sally light foot crabs, sea lions and fur seals.

DAY 3 - Thursday / Sullivan Bay, Santiago and Bartolome

In the early 1900's the volcano on Santiago erupted, lava flowed eastward towards Bartolome. The extreme heat created by the flow would cause obstacles like trees to evaporate, leaving behind only an imprint of the life which once existed. The Sullivan Bay lava field is a variety of interesting patterns. The shapes and textures of trees, which once existed there and Hornitos caused when pockets of gas or water trapped under the lava exploded.

Located just off Sullivan Bay east of Santiago, Bartolome, a desolate island with few plants is the most visited and most photographed island in the Galapagos. Bartolome's Pinnacle Rock has become one of the best recognized and most photographed sights in the islands and was the back drop for the motion picture Master and Commander.

DAY 4 - Friday Morning / Bachas Beach and Plazas

Located west of Caleta Tortuga Negra on Santa Cruz, Bachas Beach is a favorite nesting site for sea turtles. The lagoon behind the beach offers the opportunity to view coastal birds like pink flamingos, black-necked stilts and whimbrels. Bachas also is home to hundreds of blue-footed boobies who can be seen hunting in the waters just off the coast.

Located off the east coast of Santa Cruz, South Plaza is a small island with an interesting collection of species. Home to a noisy colony of sea lions, South Plaza is known for its lazy land iguanas who can be seen waiting under the prickly pear cactus for some of the delicious fruit to drop. Swallow-tailed gulls can be seen nesting along the cliffs. While yellow-tailed mullets, Audubon shearwaters, frigatebirds and brown pelicans can all be seen flying past.

DAY 5 - Saturday / Interpretation Center, Frigatebird Hill and Isla Lobos, San Cristobal

Arriving at the island of San Cristobal, we visit the interpretation center to learn about the conservation efforts in the Galapagos. We hike 20-30 minutes outside town to Frigatebird Hill named for the birds that frequent the area.  Here you are able to see both magnificent frigatebirds and great frigatebirds in the same colony.

Returning to the Journey I we head just up the coast to a small islet known as Isla Lobos for the many sea lions who live here. The tranquil waters make it the perfect spot to snorkel with these fun loving animals.

DAY 6 - Sunday  / Punta Suarez and Gardner Bay, Española

Española's two visitor sites offer an exceptional island visit. Gardner Bay is a favorite destination for swimming and snorkeling as well as offering a great beach. Punta Suarez is one of the highlights of the Galapagos Islands. The variety and quantity of wildlife assures a memorable visit. Visitors find migrant, resident, and endemic wildlife including brightly colored marine iguanas, Española lava lizards, Hood mockingbirds, swallow-tailed gulls, blue-footed boobies, masked boobies, Galapagos hawks, a selection of finch, and waved albatross.

DAY 7 - Monday / Punta Cormorant, Devil's Crown and Post Office Bay, Floreana

Floreana is best known for its colorful history of buccaneers, whalers, convicts, and colonists. In 1793 British whalers established the Post Office Barrel to send letters to and from England. This tradition has continued over the years, and even today visitors may drop off and pick up letters, without stamps, to be carried to far destinations. Punta Cormorant offers two highly contrasting beaches. The landing beach is of volcanic origin and is composed of olivine crystals, giving it a greenish tinge. At the end of the short trail is a carbonate beach of extremely fine white sand. Formed by the erosion of coral skeletons, it is a nesting site for green sea turtles.

DAY 8 - Tuesday / Darwin Station and Galapagos Departure

Located near the center of the archipelago, Santa Cruz is the center of tourism in the Galapagos. A ten minute walk from the center of town, the Charles Darwin Research Station is the working Galapagos based branch of the international, non-profit Charles Darwin Foundation, a visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station is included in all cruises of the islands. Visitors learn about natural history, issues concerning the islands, and see the Tortoise breeding and rearing project at work.

Having completed our cruise we head back across the island to the Baltra Airport where we say good-bye to our guide before catching our flight back to the mainland.

View the 8 Day Cruise Itinerary (Friday - Friday)

View the 5 Day Cruise Itinerary (Friday - Tuesday)

View the 4 Day Cruise Itinerary (Tuesday - Friday)