Your honeymoon should give your marriage a perfect start. Your memories will last a lifetime. Picture yourselves laying at the beach, swaying to a soft island breeze, the sound of the ocean waves relaxing your souls, sipping a cocktails and enjoying delicious meals, while you explore this rare destination where you can expect the unexpected.
We can make the planning of your honeymoon stress-free. We are passionate about creating for you the trip of a lifetime.
Let us treat you in one of the most remote, spectacular, and utterly unique place on earth; the Galápagos Islands! A romantic paradise waits to envelope you in a most unique experience that will remain in your hearts and minds for the rest of your lives.
Day 1: Arrival to Quito or Guayaquil
AM OR PM
Transfer in Airport - Hotel Sheraton Quito or Oro Verde Guayaquil
Enjoy the romantic atmosphere at your room, an unforgettable evening with all those touches to make you feel in heaven...
Picture yourself in your robes, sipping Champagne on ice, tasting luscious and exotic tropical fruits and chocolates.
Breakfast at the hotel and transfer to airport.
Transfer in at Baltra Airport.
Ferry crossing to Santa Cruz Island (10 min-ride). Arrival at Santa Cruz around 11:30 AM (Depending on your flight schedule).
The adventure will start with a trip to "Los Gemelos" (The Twins), two enormous collapsed lava chambers - an awe-inspiring visual reminder of the power of nature. The short, easy hike to each of the twins is teeming with endemic flora and fauna, including the remaining Scalesia Forest draped in liverwort, large and small tree finches, the adorable Vermillion flycatcher and more.
It's a wonderful introduction to the majestic power of the forces of nature and the great biodiversity of the Santa Cruz Highlands.
PM
Lunch will be served in one of the farms.
Afterward, we will visit a 600-acre private reserve where the giant Galapagos tortoises freely roam, graze and sleep. Sometimes, it's a bit muddy here, so before we set out, there is a selection of field boots to choose from, including large sizes for men, are available.
You will be transported through this tropical environment by truck, and from there you walk through fields to mingle with these gentle giants. As prehistoric as these creatures look, wait until you hear what they sound like! After visiting the tortoises, 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 to ramble through the remnants of one of the most powerful forces in nature...lava flows. Stalagmites, stalactites, sulfur and mineral-colored walls and the rippled floor formed from lava can all be experienced in this uniquely Galapagos stroll.
Check-in at Red Mangrove Aventura Lodge.
Private Dinner in your Ocean view Suite, which will be decorated with candles, petals of flowers on the bed and a bottle of champagne or wine, delicious local fruits and more all this on one of the most exotic destinations on the planet.
Breakfast at the lodge.
Depart to Floreana via Santa Fe
Our navigation will take us to Santa Fe, home to one of the most beautiful coves in all the Galapagos formed from an uplift (rather than a volcano) giving the island a relatively flat surface rather than the typical conical shape of the other islands.
Santa Fe hosts a forest of Opuntia cactus, which are the largest of the archipelago, and Palo Santo. Good opportunity for bird-watching at weathered cliffs that provides a haven for swallow-tailed gulls, red-billed tropic birds, sehar-waters petrels.
Santa Fe species of Land iguanas are often seen, as well as lava lizards. There is a turquoise lagoon and calm waters where snorkeling can be done along with sea lions and florescent fishes. Or visit a submerged rock where several manta rays and marine turtles can be found.
PM
Lunch on board.
We will continue sailing to reach Floreana and on our way another great opportunity to snorkel cove called Luz del Dia (Light of Day).
There is an abundance of life in this cove. You will most likely see penguins and sea lions on the steep, rocky shore and rays and tropical fish beneath the clear waters.
Arrival in Floreana Island
Visit to Black Beach to enjoy this beautiful spot, swim, snorkel or simply relax by absorbing the special scenery or walk to La Loberia.
Check in Floreana Lodge
BBQ Dinner at a local restaurant to enjoy Galapaguena food and warm hospitality of one of the first families to arrive at the island and leasing from them about the mysteries of Floreana.
A gift basket awaits the Honeymooners at the cozy cabin of the lodge.
Breakfast al the local restaurant.
Departure in an open-air bus that will transport you up to the highlands of Floreana while your Naturalist Guide begins filling you in on the history of this, the first settled island in the Galapagos.
You will reach the Asilo de la Paz (Peace Asylum) where the spring is located, an artisan spring that attracted pirates, whalers and later settlers to Floreana as it was one of the very few year round sources of fresh water in the Galapagos.
The Cueva de los Piratas (Pirate's Cave) is quite literally where pirates carved temporary shelter out of soft stone and is also where one of the original settlers, Margret Wittmer, gave birth to a son, Rolf, who is still living. Some have almost jokingly referred to it as the 'Stonehenge' of Floreana due to its interesting shapes.
Cerro Pajas (Bird Hill) truly lives up to its name with a multitude of Floreana finches. It also offers spectacular views of the island and the sea below. We will visit a tortoise reserve where you can watch many of the giant tortoises up close and personal. All the while, your Naturalist Guide will be pointing out the wildlife and filling you in on the colorful history of Floreana's first inhabitants, like the Baroness, and re-telling the legend of the "Floreana Mystery" which entailed the mysterious deaths of several inhabitants. It has never been solved.
Departure at 11:00 AM for Isabela. Sailing time is 1.5 - 2 hours.
MID-DAY: We will approach Isla Tortuga which is chockfull of frigates, blue-footed boobies and other birds that rely on the sea for their food. If you brought binoculars, this is a good time to pull them out.
We will arrive at Isabela between 12:30 and 1:00 PM.
Arriving in the port is a visual feast with stunning green and turquoise water so clear, you can see sea turtles, sea lions and penguins as though looking through glass. We will check into the Red Mangrove Isabela Lodge and have a hot, wholesome lunch.
PM
Departure to Las Tintoreras and Bay Tour.
After lunch, 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 sunning space before turning a bend and docking.
From there we take an intriguing walk through a jagged "aa" lava field, passing abundant colonies of marine iguanas, to see a small canal full of resting white-tipped reef sharks.
If the tide is low, they are sometimes a mere two feet below the surface. The views from here are something you may carry with you for the rest of your life! The black, treacherous lava field, the emerald green sea, the forest green mangrove and the cloud capped volcanoes of Isla Isabela create the sort of afternoon backdrop you are not likely to ever forget.
Once you return to the dock, you can snorkel this warm, shallow bay surrounded by mangrove, for an opportunity to see white-tipped reef sharks, sea lions, penguins and, of course, the mystery of the mangrove below the surface. Don't worry, white-tipped reef sharks are not aggressive, merely fascinating.
We'll have a bit of time to relax and shower before briefing and dinner in the Lodge at 7:00.
Enjoy a special honeymoon decoration in you Ocean Front Room
Breakfast at the lodge
Depart for Sierra Negra Tour
4x4 vehicles will drive us up through the humid highlands to the slopes of Volcan Sierra Negra.
Then we hike to arrive at the caldera of Sierra Negra, the second largest in the world at four miles across. The views are breathtaking! We will relax a bit and have a snack on the edge of the caldera.
For the more hardy of the group, the option exists to walk an especially difficult hour further to Volcan Chico, where fumarole activity is abundant, and again, the views are spectacular. This is not an easy hike, however, as it is mostly across lava fields on slopes.
PM
After returning from Sierra Negra, we will have lunch at Campo Duro.
Campo Duro offers a 'tortoise patronage' program that doesn't involve money changing hands.
Guests have the opportunity to become a patron to their chosen tortoise at the reserve merely by choosing a tortoise (they're all numbered), naming their tortoise and then entering a story in the Patron's book such as information on why they chose the name they chose and their contact information.
Then, the Patron invites any and all of their friends to go visit their tortoise and provide them with updates.
Back to the lodge.
Briefing and dinner at the Lodge
Your dessert will be the best part; you will enjoy a unique private candlelit evening treated to chocolate fondue and fresh fruits on the terrace of the lodge.
Breakfast at the lodge
Bike Ride to visit Muro de las Lagrimas, Cerro Orchilla and Humedales.
We begin with a bike ride out of town along the most beautiful, white sand, palm lined beach in all of Galapagos, Long Beach.
This beach, straight from the cover of a travel magazine, stretches on for 3 kilometers before the National Park where we walk up the trail for astounding views from the top of Cerro Orchilla.
Visit the "Muro de Las Lagrimas" (Wall of Tears), a unique construction built by the backbreaking of prisoners of a penal colony centuries before. The path to the Wall of Tears is abundant with lava lizards, the males are larger and striped and the females red-throated.
This ride will be 9 kilometers approx. flat landscape.
11:00 AM, depart Isabela for Santa Cruz. Sailing time is 1.5 - 2 hours.
PM
Arrive in Puerto Ayora around 12:30-1:00 PM.
Check in Aventura Lodge and Lunch.
Depart 3:00 PM for guided tour of the fascinating Charles Darwin Research Station. After the Darwin Station, there will be some free time to shop for souvenirs or browse the shops along Charles Darwin Avenue.
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.
Catch flight to Guayaquil, Pick up at airport of Guayaquil and to take La Ruta del Sol.
For you to begin feeling the flavor of this region, we will take you on a 2-hour drive through picturesque fishing villages, along white sand beaches, and through amazing landscapes. Superb landscapes for pictures!
Arrive to our lodge, Red Mangrove Samai Lodge:
"At 330 feet above sea level there emerges this oasis amid the ivory nut, tangerine, and orange groves. Built with natural materials, the cabins call to mind the countryside and its sweetness rather than the beach. Tapping the strong energy that steams from the encounter of mountain and sea, the lodges have been set up after a mixture of Feng Shui, Andean and Amazonian cosmogonies. Safeguarded by sounds of the jungle and lightened up by the ocean breeze, Samai is an inn-and-spa suited for recollection, relaxation and healing".
Enjoy the beauty and tranquility at this oasis of peace. Time to enjoy the Jacuzzi, swimming pool and spa treats.
Around 7:00 pm prepare for dinner at one of the best Restaurant in Montañita. This place will welcome you for dinner and offer you the chance to enjoy Montañita's famous nightlife.
Time to do arts and crafts shopping.
Return to Samai for a good night sleep, before you could enjoy a soak in a panoramic whirlpool at the lodge.
Your are the boss; choose the following activities:
Lear how to dive: take a discover/resort scuba diving experience in order to explore the world under the water, our professional team of experts will teach step by step how to became lover of the beauty below the water.
Or walk 10 to 15 minutes to the San Jose beach; to enjoy a beach day to be connected with the local community, walk, swim, relax on this beartiful spot.
PM
Lunch at Cuna Luna Hotel whit a wonderful panoramic view and an extensive gourmet menu.
At the middle of the afternoon, return Samai to enjoy the sunset and coffee, bear, or soft drinks and to prepare ourselves to experience one of the most amazing ancestral activities.
At Samai, holistic healing and spa, techniques are promoted to rejuvenate you on every level: mind body and spirit. The facilities will blend the tranquility of the mountain, the soft breeze of the beach and the sound of the ocean will embrace you giving the opportunity to deeply relax and take the strength from the mother nature.
The activities in Samai Center are extensive and you can chose from:
- Shamanic Healing and Ceremonies
- Aromatherapy and Massage
- Rain-Drop Technique
- Salt & Oils Scrub
- Meditation Instruction private session
- Feng Shui Support and Class
- Tarot Card
Prices for this alternative healing techniques and activities varies and are not included, please ask us about them.
Dinner at the lodge.
Late night optional Jacuzzi, swimming pool and Jacuzzi.
Transfer to Guayaquil, on the way we will stop at Propueblo NGO - San Antonio 15 minutes north of Montanita and Manglaralto, visit arts and crafts first class creations by locals.
By noon time, arrival to Guayaquil and check in at Oro Verde Hotel.
PM
Depart for Guayaquil City tour.
Visit the city starting with Centennial Park on 9 de Octubre Avenue. Continue along this avenue to see how the city has been renovated, past the first fire station, the Masonic temple and some buildings from the beginning of the 20th century. Opposite the Cathedral you can go into Seminario Park, also known as Iguana Park, which is famous for its iguanas lounging in the sunshine.
Our next stop will be at the Southern Market at Malecon 2000, to visit Integration Plaza and the artisan market, the Union Club and the first fort in Guayaquil, where a statue of Jose Joaquin de Olmedo (first mayor of Guayaquil) stands in front of the Guayas River.
The tour continues along Malecon Simon Bolivar to our next stop: Civic Plaza, where you can visit the Moorish Tower, City Hall and the Rotonda monument. Continue by car to Las Peñas, the old neighborhood where the city was born, located at the foot of Santa Ana Hill.
Then to we will take you on a yacht tour by the Guayas River, where you can enjoy a beautiful view of the city at night.
For this program, we recommend to book your international flights to Ecuador arriving to and departing from Guayaquil, however if you prefer Quito, consider an extra domestic flight on day 10th to reach Quito.
Germany 0800-180-6586
United Kingdom 0-808-101-2270
USA / Canada 1-888-254-3190
