Itinerary Expand all Guayaquil to Guayaquil Day 1 Arrive Guayaquil Ask your Expedition Advisor about adding our optional Guayaquil package which includes your transfers, breakfasts, and pre- and post-cruise hotel accommodations. Accommodation: Hotel Oro Verde Day 2 Guayaquil / Baltra / Daphne Major Meet your Expedition Leader and fellow travelers. Fly 600 miles across the Pacific Ocean to the Galapagos Islands and board the Evolution. After a safety briefing, enjoy a circumnavigation of Daphne Major, a paradise for sea birds such as magnificent frigatebird. Accommodation: The Evolution Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 3 Isabela Island / Fernandina Island Zodiacs take you on a dramatic ride into the heart of a sunken volcano at Punta Vicente Roca. Take to the water, where we swim and snorkel among sea turtles, penguins and possibly even sea horses. Explore the lava fields of Punta Espinosa, located on Fernandina, the youngest and most volcanically active island in the Galapagos. Here we spot flightless cormorants and marine iguanas. Whale watch from the Evolution’s open-air decks as we cross the Bolivar Channel. Accommodation: The Evolution Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 4 Isabela Island Isabela is the Galapagos archipelago's largest island, and is composed of five volcanoes – Cerro Azul, Sierra Negra, Darwin, Wolf and Alcedo – all of which are actually still considered active! Hike along the uplifted section of sea floor in Urbina Bay at the base of the Alcedo Volcano. Our naturalists point out the tortoises, colorful land iguanas and other wildlife that feed on the vegetation. Board our Zodiacs for an excursion to Tagus Cove, where we look for penguins, flightless cormorants, pelicans along the cliffs before a chance to snorkel and swim. Accommodation: The Evolution Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 5 Bartolomé / Santiago Island: Sullivan Bay Visit Bartolomé Island, hiking to the top of a dormant volcano for a dramatic panorama, including famed Pinnacle Rock. The island is dotted with craters, cinder cones, lava flows, spatter cones and broken lava tunnels which run down from the summit. Our Zodiac drivers will take “non-hikers” for a ride around the cliffs, observing a stunning volcanic landscape and Galapagos penguins. Swim and snorkel with sea lions and maybe even speedy penguins. This afternoon, hike across the panoehoe lava of Sullivan Bay, seeing some of the hearty flora colonizing the landscapes. Stroll along the coralline beach spotting black and white oystercatchers. Accommodation: The Evolution Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 6 Santa Cruz Island: Bachas Beach / Rabida Island Bachas Beach is home to one of the last remnants of the US World War II presence in Galapagos-a floating pier- which we’ll see on our morning walk along with Sally Lightfoot crabs, black necked stilts and whimbrels. Snorkel in the calm waters where sea turtles nest. While exploring uninhabited Rabida Island at the archipelago’s geologic center, watch for up to nine species of Darwin’s finches, doves, yellow warblers and mockingbirds. A small saltwater lagoon is home to white-cheeked pintail ducks and black-necked stilts. Snorkelers may take to the water with sea lions, sea turtles and reef fish such as damsels and pufferfish. During a guided kayaking excursion, watch for brown pelicans and blue-footed boobies while savoring views of the island’s sloping volcanic peak. Accommodation: The Evolution Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 7 Santa Cruz Island After a tasty breakfast onboard our Galapagos cruise ship, head to a private reserve in the forested highlands to see and photograph giant tortoises. Stop at a family run sugar cane farm that also produces small-batch moonshine. Since 1970, more than 2,000 tortoises have been hatched, raised and released from the Fausto Llerena Tortoise Breeding Center at the Darwin Research Center, which was founded in 1959. Learn about the vital work being done here before returning to the Evolution. Accommodation: The Evolution Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 8 Española Island As the southernmost island in the archipelago, Española’s relative isolation has resulted in not only an abundance of unusual wildlife, but species and subspecies that are endemic to the island, such as Española (Hood) mockingbird, Española (Hood) racer snake, Española (Hood) lava lizard, waved albatross and brightly colored marine iguanas. Enjoy a Zodiac ride before wading ashore to Punta Suarez through a sea lion colony. Walk along the cliffs looking for waved albatrosses, Galapagos hawks, Hood mockingbirds and the red-colored race of marine iguana en route to Española’s blowhole, where waves spout 90 feet into the air. After lunch on our yacht, swim, snorkel and kayak in the waters off Gardner Bay. You are also welcome to bring along your book or a camera for a relaxing afternoon on this white-sand beach. Accommodation: The Evolution Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 9 San Cristóbal Island / Guayaquil End your Galapagos Islands cruise by returning to San Cristóbal to visit the Interpretation Center, opened by the park in 1998. Fly to Guayaquil, where you board your flights home. If you took advantage of our Guayaquil add-on package, enjoy time to relax at the Hotel Oro Verde. Meals included: Breakfast
Ecuador British passport holders do not need a visa for Ecuador. Very few other nationalities need a visa for Ecuador, but if you are in any doubt you should contact the nearest Ecuadorian Embassy.
Ecuador There are no mandatory vaccination requirements, however, if you have travelled to a country at risk of Yellow Fever prior to arriving in Ecuador you will be required to have a valid Yellow Fever Certificate with you. Recommended vaccinations are: Typhoid and Hepatitis A. If you will spend any time in the Amazon Rainforest we recommend a Yellow Fever vaccination. Please note that your certificate of vaccination may be inspected on arrival to this region. Malaria is also a risk in some areas of the country (including the Amazon Rainforest) so we suggest you consult a doctor for more advice. Dengue fever and/or Chikungunya are known risks in places visited on this trip. Both are tropical viral diseases spread by daytime biting mosquitoes. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available for either, and therefore the best form of prevention is to avoid being bitten. We recommend you take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites. Zika fever is a mosquito‐borne viral disease and a known risk in places visited on this trip. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available, we therefore strongly recommend you take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites. PLEASE NOTE: All visitors to Ecuador will be required to show valid medical insurance on arrival and cannot enter the country without it.
The Evolution The classically styled Evolution's interior is fully air-conditioned, and cabins on all three decks offer ample storage space, a writing desk, bedside tables and private facilities. The Evolution's spacious cabins are the largest on average in the Galapagos and act as the perfect haven for an afternoon siesta between your excursions. While the Evolution may carry a group of just 32 guests, she is generous in size with a host of amenities. From relaxing on the sun deck to reading in the lounge, you're sure to relish the friendly ambiance. Enjoy briefings by your naturalists in the comfortable lounge or spend time with a snack and your fellow passengers at the canopied bar - a superb place for watching the sun set over the Pacific. After excursions, relax in the hot tub or find a cushy deck chair while enjoying more outside space than any other yacht in its class. Because there is an "open bridge" policy aboard the Evolution, you are welcome to visit the captain and crew and learn all about the ship’s operation and navigation. A convenient boarding platform makes it easy and safe to board our excursion boats. Cabins All cabins feature private bathrooms with hair dryers and toiletries, climate controls, writing desk and safe-boxes, plus ample storage space. During every excursion, stewards will service your spacious cabin.
December 16, 2020 Most Wanted Trips of a Lifetime in 2021 Travel may have been put on hold for 2020, but that didn’t stop many of you planning your next bucket-list adventure
May 13, 2020 Wildlife in the Galapagos: Come with the eyes of Darwin The National Geographic once described the Galapagos Islands as, "A
May 7, 2020 Captain Galapagos, the sea and the islands 200 years ago, a ship was built – the legendary HMS Beagle.
April 23, 2020 7 Once-in-a-Lifetime Travel Experiences When it comes to travel, everyone has a different mindset.