Santa Cruz, Isabela
We will take you to enjoy a Full Adventure in the Galapagos Islands: Santa Cruz and Isabela in our original Red Mangrove style. With only a short navigation from island to island, you will experience the best of each.
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AM
Baltra Airport.
Ferry crossing to Santa Cruz Island (10-minute ride). Arrival at Santa Cruz around 11:30 AM (depending on your flight schedule).
PM
Lunch at the hotel.
Refresh you diving skills, by taking an afternoon of pool training at our full equipped Dive Center.
Briefing and Dinner at Aventura lodge.
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AM
Breakfast at the Lodge.
Diving in Santa Cruz. with opportunities to see Eagle Rays, Manta Rays, Hammerheads, White-Tipped Reef Sharks, Galapagos Shark, Stingrays, Marbled Rays, Tiger Snake Eels, Moray Eels, Garden Eels, Sea Stars, Sea Turtles, Jacks, Blue and Gold Snappers, Flag Cabrilla, Creolefish, King Angelfish, Barracuda, Heiroglyphic Hawkfish, Frogfish, Yellowtail Surgeonfish, Spotfin Burrfish, Scorpionfish, Cardinalfish, Nudibranch and more!
PM
Lunch will be served at the hotel
After lunch, the adventure starts with a trip to "Los Gemelos" (The Twins), two enormous collapsed lava chambers, a wonderful introduction to the majestic power of the forces of nature and the great biodiversity of the Santa Cruz Highlands. This short, easy hike to each of the twins is swarming with endemic flora and fauna, including a remnant of Scalesia Forest, draped in liverwort, lichens and mosses, where is easy to spot some Darwin finches and perhaps the short eared owls.
After "Los Gemelos", a short bus ride will take us to (Las Primicias) 600-acre private reserve where the giant Galapagos tortoises freely roam, graze, and sleep. Sometimes it's a bit muddy here, so before setting out, we will provide a selection of field boots (Wellington boots) to choose from, including large sizes for men.
Walking among the tortoises in wild, will be one of the most treasured moments of your trip. After visiting these prehistoric creatures on their natural habitat, we'll take a 5-minute ride to the entrance of a 450-meter (1350 feet) illuminated lava tunnel. With a ceiling nearly 20 feet high in most places, this is an incredible opportunity see lava stalagmites, stalactites, sulfur, mineral-colored walls, and the rippled floor formed from lava along this unique lava formations
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AM
Breakfast at the Lodge.
Diving in Santa Cruz. with opportunities to see Eagle Rays, Manta Rays, Hammerheads, White-Tipped Reef Sharks, Galapagos Shark, Stingrays, Marbled Rays, Tiger Snake Eels, Moray Eels, Garden Eels, Sea Stars, Sea Turtles, Jacks, Blue and Gold Snappers, Flag Cabrilla, Creolefish, King Angelfish, Barracuda, Heiroglyphic Hawkfish, Frogfish, Yellowtail Surgeonfish, Spotfin Burrfish, Scorpionfish, Cardinalfish, Nudibranch and more!
PM
Departure to Isabela.
Sailing time is 1.5 to 2 hours.
Arriving in the port is a visual feast, with stunning green and turquoise water so clear you can see turtles, sea lions, and penguins as though looking through glass. We will check into the Red Mangrove Isabela Lodge where you will be greeted with a welcoming cocktail.
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AM
After breakfast you will depart to Isla Tortuga for 2 dives where you will have a chance to see Sea Horses, Mantas, Stingrays, Sea Turtles, White-Tipped Reef Sharks, Hammerheads, King Angelfish, Yellowtail Surgeonfish, Barber fish, Blue-Chin Parrotfish, Bumphead Parrotfish, Galapagos Groupers, Galapagos Sheephead, Harlequin Wrasse, Grey Grunts, Tuna, Barracuda, Corals, Tubes and more. Possibility of Sunfish and Orcas.
PM
After lunch, departure to "Las Tintoreras" and Bay Tour.
At the main dock, we will board a smaller craft to head out across the port, slowing down to view blue-footed boobies and Galapagos penguins sharing the same rocky sunbathing space, before turning a bend and docking.
From there, we take an intriguing walk through a jagged lava field, passing abundant colonies of marine iguanas and sea lions, to see a small canal of shallow waters, full of resting white-tipped reef sharks.
The views from here are something you will take with you for the rest of your life! The black, treacherous lava field, the emerald green sea, the green mangroves, and the cloud-capped volcanoes of Isla Isabela create an afternoon backdrop you are not likely to ever forget.
Once you finish the walk, you can snorkel in this warm, shallow bay surrounded by mangroves, for an opportunity to see white-tipped reef sharks, sea lions, sea turtles, and, of course, the mystery of the mangrove below the surface. Don't worry, white-tipped reef sharks are not aggressive, but merely fascinating.
Once we return to the lodge, we'll have a bit of time to relax and shower before briefing and dinner.
Overnight at our Lodge.
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AM
After breakfast ride through town enjoying the simplicity of this traditional island and search for the Flamingo spots. Visit the Galapagos National Park Isabela Breeding Station where you will be able to know the different species of Galapagos tortoises, the growing process from the newborns up to the centenary individuals found on this stations.
Hike along a beautiful boardwalk for about 45 minutes enjoying part of the Isabela wetlands, with high opportunities to see flamingos and other stunning birds.
Before returning to the lodge, visit the well known Playa del Amor (Love Beach) and enjoy the magical feeling of this organic sand beach surrounded by mangroves.
PM
Lunch at Isabela Lodge and depart to Santa Cruz.
Sailing time is 1.5 to 2 hours
Once in Santa Cruz, enjoy a free afternoon or take the complimentary bicycles to explore Puerto Ayora at your leisure.
Dinner at the Lodge.
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AM
Breakfast at the Lodge.
Diving in Santa Cruz. with opportunities to see Eagle Rays, Manta Rays, Hammerheads, White-Tipped Reef Sharks, Galapagos Shark, Stingrays, Marbled Rays, Tiger Snake Eels, Moray Eels, Garden Eels, Sea Stars, Sea Turtles, Jacks, Blue and Gold Snappers, Flag Cabrilla, Creolefish, King Angelfish, Barracuda, Heiroglyphic Hawkfish, Frogfish, Yellowtail Surgeonfish, Spotfin Burrfish, Scorpionfish, Cardinalfish, Nudibranch and more!
PM
Tour to the fascinating Charles Darwin Research Station where you can learn about the whole Galapagos.
Dinner and overnight at Aventura Lodge
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AM
Breakfast at the Lodge.
Diving in Santa Cruz. with opportunities to see Eagle Rays, Manta Rays, Hammerheads, White-Tipped Reef Sharks, Galapagos Shark, Stingrays, Marbled Rays, Tiger Snake Eels, Moray Eels, Garden Eels, Sea Stars, Sea Turtles, Jacks, Blue and Gold Snappers, Flag Cabrilla, Creolefish, King Angelfish, Barracuda, Heiroglyphic Hawkfish, Frogfish, Yellowtail Surgeonfish, Spotfin Burrfish, Scorpionfish, Cardinalfish, Nudibranch and more!
PM
After lunch, depart towards the ?Itabaca Channel? on private transportation for about 45 minutes. Upon arrival to this crystal clear turquoise water you will be instructed about basic techniques on sea kayaking. You will be escorted by a watercraft and guided by a certified specialist to guarantee an outstanding and safe kayaking afternoon.
Begin at the dock where you will take your kayak and start the journey along the shore of this paradisiacal northern part of Santa Cruz Island, exploring the amazing channel that separates Santa Cruz from Baltra Island.
You will be able to enjoy beautiful scenery full of contrasts, the stunning shore cliffs home of many sea birds such as blue-footed boobies, frigate birds, brown pelicans, among others, that will make this, a dreamlike ride.
Snorkeling opportunities from the kayak with high chances to see sea lions, green sea turtles and countless schools of tropical fish.
Back to the Aventura Lodge for dinner
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AM
Breakfast at the lodge.
Depart 3 hours before your flight in order to arrive back at the Baltra Airport the requested 1.5 hours before your flight.
Transport and guide included from the hotel to the airport.
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