Peru Travel Ideas

Itinerary:

Accommodations: Ship berth of choice

8 Day itinerary

Day 1 Saturday. Quito to the Galapagos

NOTE: The itinerary listed below is to be used as a guide only. Actual itineraries are set closer to departure.

You will be collected from your hotel and transferred to the airport for your flight to the Galapagos Islands. You will arrive at Baltra Island in the morning. After passing through immigration and baggage claim you will be met by Cormorant staff and transferred to the yacht. You will be shown to your cabin where you will have some time to settle in before lunch and a welcome briefing.

The afternoon visit, Bachas Beach, located on the north shore of Santa Cruz, is a swimming beach. One of the few remnants of the U.S. World War II presence in the Galapagos, a floating pier, can be seen here. You may see flamingos, Sally Lightfoot crabs, hermit crabs, black necked stilts, and whimbrels. Sea turtles also nest off the beach. LD

Day 2 Sunday. Bartholomew Island & Sullivan Bay (Santiago Island)

Our morning visit includes the Bartholomew Island, home of the famous Pinnacle Rock. Bartholomew consists of an extinct volcano with a variety of red, orange, black and even green volcanic formations. We will take a trail of stairs to the summit of the volcano (about 30 or 40 minutes) where you will enjoy one of the best views of the islands! You will also visit a small, beautiful beach, surrounded by the only vegetation found on this barren island. The beach is perfect for snorkeling where you may even see the Galapagos penguins.

In the afternoon we will head for Sullivan bay. This site, located southeast of Santiago Island, is of great geological interest. The area is covered by Pahoehoe lava flows (solidified lava in corrugated or accordion form). It was very active in the last 25 years of the nineteenth century. The Sullivan lava formed in 1897. This flow is a geologically very young. The magma formed is flat, but the movement of underground lava, the rapid cooling and other eruptions led to the break in many places. 200 m around the landing, you can see patterns of vegetation that were burned during the eruption. A visit to this area of black lava is preferable in the afternoon because the temperature is more pleasant and the light is better for photographs. BLD

Day 3 Monday. South Plazas Island & Santa Fe Island

In the morning, you will head to South Plaza Island. This small island with steep cliffs was formed by rising lava and is now covered by Opuntia cacti. It is also home to one of the largest sea lion colonies as well as colorful yellow and red land iguanas. The most characteristic plant is the Sesuvium. During the rainy season its color is a greenish to yellowish tone and in the dry season (end of June through January) a bright red.

Our afternoon visit is to Santa Fe Island. Santa Fe (Barrington) is home to the small picturesque bay and anchorage on the island northeast coast. The bay has two visitor trails, one leading to a scenic viewpoint atop a cliff and the other spanning from a small beach to a tall prickly pear cactus forest. BLD

Day 4 Tuesday. Witch Hill & Pitt Point (San Cristobal Island)

We will visit Witch Hill (Cerro Brujo) in the morning where you will explore one of the nicest beaches in the Galápagos. You'll be tantalized by the texture and sight of the powdered, soft white sand. With a colony of sea lions and Blue-footed Boobies, this scenic place is bustling with life. Just beyond the beach is a lagoon, thriving with Egrets and Great Blue Herons. The turquoise water and abundant marine life will invite you to snorkel their midst.

In the afternoon we will visit Pitt Point. Pitt Point holds its own as the northeastern most site on Isabela. After an easy hike, you will be rewarded with a unique treat. Herein lays the only nesting site which hosts all species of Galápagos Boobies. Photographers will be thrilled with this intimate natural experience. The attractive volcanic tuff formations will have geologists and laymen alike imagining the forces of nature that possessed the earth to create this land. BLD

Day 5 Wednesday. Breeding center "galapaguera" Cerro Colorado & el Junco or Kicker Rock (san cristobal island)

In the morning we will visit the Breeding Center “Galapaguera” Cerro Colorado located near the Interpretation center on San Cristobal Island.

"Galapaguera" Cerro Colorado is a new visitor site in the northeast part of San Cristobal Island and can now be reached in roughly one hour by road from Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. On the trees and shrubs surrounding the site, you may see land birds like warbler, finches and mockingbirds can be observed and on the trails, giant tortoises. They live there wild but in a protected area to assure their survival by sealing them off from introduced predators, like pigs and goats. Once the tortoise perceives danger, it goes into its defensive stance, retreating into its hard shell.

In the afternoon, a panga ride and snorkeling around the Kicker Rock (Leon Dormido) known as the Sleeping Lion because of its resemblance, this site is located off the coast of San Cristobal. The remains of a lava cone eroded by the sea, two vertical rocks rising 500 feet above the ocean, form a small channel that is navigable by small boats. This Galapagos Islands natural monument has become a favorite sight for cruises due to the many tropicbirds, frigatebirds and boobies that fill the surrounding air. Beneath the sea the crystal waters offer a brilliant show of colorful tropical fish and invertebrates. BLD

Day 6 Thursday. Gardner Bay - Gardner Islet - Osborn Islet & Suarez Point (Española Island)

Española Island is the southernmost island of the Galapagos and is the breeding site of nearly all of the Waved Albatrosses in the entire world. Española is densely populated with mockingbirds, Blue-footed and Nazca Boobies, Darwin finches, Galapagos Doves, hawks, red and green marine iguanas, and loads of sea lions.

In the morning, we will start with the spectacular Gardner Bay. After landing, you can walk across a lovely white sand beach amongst a busy sea lion colony or dive into the water to swim with sea lion pups. It is the breeding site of nearly all of the world´s 12,000 pairs of Waved Albatrosses.

In the afternoon, we will visit Suarez Point on a trail where you will have the chance to see Blue-footed Boobie, albatrosses and Nazca Boobies. We will also visit a beautiful site on the ocean front where there is a cliff that the large albatrosses use as a launching pad! You’ll have the chance to see the famous blowhole that spurts water into the air. The landscape is great for photography. BLD

Day 7 Friday. Baroness Viewpoint - Post Office Bay & Cormorant Point - Islet Champion (Floreana Island)

We will visit two sites on Floreana Island. Floreana is known for its fabulous snorkeling sites, its vibrantly pink flamingos and its black sand beaches. Baroness Viewpoint is a fantastic place to take it all in. Your guide will tell you about the murder and mystery in this island's history. Suffice to say, it was once inhabited by an indulgent Baroness and her three lovers. There are easy trails in this area for exploring the flora and fauna of Floreana.

Then we will visit the famous Post Office Bay. You will land on a beach and head to a spot where 18th century whalers placed a wooden barrel for use as an unofficial mail box. The custom continues to this day with Galapagos visitors. So, don't forget your postcards, and don't be surprised if the post card arrives to its destination before you even get home!

In the afternoon, we will head to Cormorant Point. Here you will enjoy a hike to a salt-water lagoon which is home to flamingoes. You will also get to swim in Champion the one of the best snorkeling site in the Galapagos Islands. BLD

Day 8 Saturday. Charles Darwin Research Station & Departure

In the morning we start at the Charles Darwin Station- Breeding Center "Fausto Llerena" home to turtles ranging from 3-inches (new hatchlings) to 4-feet long. Here you will observe the various sub-species of turtles interacting with each other, and possibly with you. Many of the older turtles are accustomed to humans, and will stretch out their heads for a pet. The babies are only kept until they are about four years old, or large enough to survive in the wild. These conservation efforts continue to be extremely successful.

After this final visit, you will be transferred to Baltra's airport in time to catch your flight back to the mainland. BL

DEPARTURES:

• Saturdays

HOTELS:

Please see our Galapagos Pre and Post module for Quito hotel choices for your pre and post cruise options.

Includes

• Domestic Flights Quito - Galapagos - Quito (+/-$550USD)
• Galapagos Park entrance fee of $100USD
• Visitors ticket of $10USD
• All Transport
• All tours as indicated
• Local Guides
• All entrances
• All meals as listed B = Breakfast,
  L = Lunch, D = Dinner

Not Included

• 1 night Pre & 1 night Post accommodation in Quito. Please click here for our Galapagos pre and post hotel module options
• Passport & Visa Costs
• Vaccination Costs
• Personal Spending Money
• Meals where not listed
• Drinks
• International Flights
• Travel Insurance
• Airport departure taxes
• Border taxes or fees

Package Departures

Please call us to inquire about departure dates

8 - Our Antarctic adventure begins. Flight from Punta Arenas to King George Island (South Shetland Islands).
The flight takes a little under 2 hours. Upon arrival we will be able to tour around the area where the "Presidente Eduardo Frei M." Chilean Base and "Bellinghausen" Russian Base are located. We will gather at the beach on Fildes Bay for embarkation, by Zodiac boats, to M/V "Ocean Nova". BLD

9 - Our Antarctic adventure begins. Flight from Punta Arenas to King George Island (South Shetland Islands).
The flight takes a little under 2 hours. Upon arrival we will be able to tour around the area where the "Presidente Eduardo Frei M." Chilean Base and "Bellinghausen" Russian Base are located. We will gather at the beach on Fildes Bay for embarkation, by Zodiac boats, to M/V "Ocean Nova". BLD

10 - Our Antarctic adventure begins. Flight from Punta Arenas to King George Island (South Shetland Islands).
The flight takes a little under 2 hours. Upon arrival we will be able to tour around the area where the "Presidente Eduardo Frei M." Chilean Base and "Bellinghausen" Russian Base are located. We will gather at the beach on Fildes Bay for embarkation, by Zodiac boats, to M/V "Ocean Nova". BLD