Itinerary Expand all Quito to Guayaquil Day 1 Start Quito Land Only clients should aim to arrive at the hotel this afternoon/evening. Free transfers are available for all clients. A local guide will welcome you to Quito and explain the schedule for the next few days. Accommodation: Hotel Casona de la Ronda (or similar) Day 2 Discover Quito at your leisure Today is free to relax, recover from the flight and explore the fascinating city of Quito. Quito is the second highest capital in the world, standing at 2850m on the western cordillera of the Andes. It is one of the smaller and more attractive of the colonial capitals of South America. Because of the altitude visitors to Quito are advised to take it easy at first. Accommodation: Hotel Casona de la Ronda (or similar) Meals included: Breakfast Day 3 Fly to San Cristobal Airport & Lobos Islet Morning Fly to Galapagos: Transfer to Quito Airport and fly to San Cristobal Airport in the Galapagos Islands. Upon arrival to the Islands, you will pass through the airport inspection point to make sure that no foreign plant or animals are introduced to the island, and to pay the National Park Entrance Fee. Your guide will meet you, help you collect your luggage and escort you on a short bus ride to the harbour where a dinghy will be waiting to take you to the yacht. Afternoon Lobos Islet (San Cristobal): The Asylum of Peace hike goes past a mesmerising cave and visits a fascinating freshwater spring. La Loberia beach is an ideal spot to enjoy the ocean, as well as the cute Sea lions that live there. Accommodation: Archipel II Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 4 South Plaza & Sante Fe Morning South Plaza: Popular South Plaza is not to be missed! This bizarre 'Jurassic islet' is the best place to see the emblematic 'Galapagos dragons', which crawl across it. Afternoon Sante Fe: Sante Fe is another crown jewel of the Galapagos, where the pale Barrington land iguana and practically every other creature is unique to the archipelago or this island alone. Accommodation: Archipel II Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 5 Chinese Hat & Dragon Hill Morning Chinese Hat: Though recently born out of fire, the volcanic islet Chinese Hat does not appear to be any more inhospitable than Bartolome and lunatic Sullivan Bay. This tiny, rusty-coloured islet just begins to sprout. You arrive just in time to witness the next chapter about colonisation by pioneers! Afternoon Dragon Hill (Santa Cruz): Thanks to the successful breeding programme, Dragon Hill is still populated by the largest wild population of Galapagos land iguanas on Santa Cruz. Accommodation: Archipel II Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 6 Santa Cruz Island Morning Charles Darwin Research Station: The most memorable part of the Charles Darwin Research Station will probably be the successful breeding centre and its celebrity 'Lonesome George'. Afternoon Santa Cruz Highlands: Santa Cruz offers excellent opportunities for seeing wild Galapagos giant tortoises, roaming through pastures in the agricultural zone and in the transition zone of the adjacent El Chato Tortoise Reserve. Accommodation: Archipel II Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 7 Tintoreras Islet & Isabela Island Morning Tintoreras Islet: This group of jagged rocky islets just off the coast of Puerto Villamil forms one of the most stereotypical sites of the Galapagos. Afternoon Arnoldo Tupiza Breeding Centre on Isabela Island: In the Arnoldo Tupiza Tortoise Breeding Centre you can see hundreds of giant Galapagos tortoises of all sizes (the vulnerable hatchlings are not gigantic at all, even smaller than the size of your hand!). Accommodation: Archipel II Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 8 Isabela Island Morning Moreno Point: Fresh, promising greens of pioneer vegetation contrasts strongly with the dead, pitch-black lava flow that once reached the ocean at Moreno Point. Afternoon Elizabeth Bay: At the remote Elizabeth Bay you will enjoy the best dinghy-ride of the Galapagos, which combines a visit to the Marielas Islets in the mouth of the bay, with the highest mangles in its innermost heart. Accommodation: Archipel II Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 9 Isabela & Fernandina Islands Morning Tagus Cove (Isabela): Tagus Cove is a historical anchorage at the northern entrance of Bolivar Channel (between Isabela and Fernandina). Afternoon Espinoza Point (Fernandina): Westernmost Fernandina harbours one of the world's most virgin, untouched ecosystems, and is another crown jewel of the Galapagos. Accommodation: Archipel II Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 10 Disembark Santa Cruz; fly Baltra to Guayaquil and end. Morning Bachas Beach (Santa Cruz): Strolling along its coastline, the blinding white Bachas Beach appears full of natural life. It is one of the most important breeding sites for Pacific Green turtles. Afternoon transfer out to Baltra Airport: Assisted by the naturalist guide and some crew members, the dinghy will bring you and your luggage to Baltra, where we will take the airport shuttle. From here we fly to Guayaquil where it's possible to connect with international flights this evening from 6pm onwards. Meals included: Breakfast
Napo Wildlife Centre Extension (XGA) Code: XGA Spend three nights in a luxurious eco-lodge overlooking Anangucocha Lake, and experience one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet - the Amazon Rainforest. The Napo Wildlife Centre is one of the best eco-lodges in the Ecuadorian Amazon basin. Located deep within Yasuni National Park, Napo Wildlife Centre is perched on a hillside in the heart of the forest. Its small number of rooms and large private reserve means that visitors have excellent chances of spotting some of the many mammals living in the forest. In this region over 500 species of bird have been recorded, as well as numerous monkey species, tamarins, tapirs, sloths, jaguars (rarely seen), caimans and lizards. The detailed itinerary can be found here. Please ask your sales consultant for more details. Price from: £1739 (compulsory supplement of £840 for sole travellers)
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.
Catamaran - Archipel II The Archipel II is a catamaran with an outside lounge and dining area, an inside lounge/bar area and a spacious sun deck, perfect for relaxing and observing the incredible Galapagos landscape. There are two cabins with double beds and six twin cabins with two single beds. All cabins have air conditioning and en suite bathrooms. Beach towels are provided and there are also two sea kayaks on board for passenger use. Please note that a lot of the travelling between islands is done overnight, so some cabin noise and movement should be expected. Boat specifications: Catamaran16 passenger capacity with 2 double cabins and 6 twin cabins. Crew: 9 + 1 naturalist guide Length: 27m Beam: 11m
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