ANGELITO

a) If you are in Puerto Ayora before the cruise starts, the meeting is at 11:30 at the harbor of Puerto Ayora.
b) If you arrive from the mainland: Baltra is a small island, the only Galapagos Island not included in the National Park’s area. The Americans built Baltra’s airport in 1941-1948, using it as their air force base in the Pacific during the Second World War. The airport and harbor are now Ecuadorian military territory. Unfortunately, both of the military presences have left their traces.
Even if we always speak about Baltra, the airport’s official name is South Seymour, and its air code is GPS. With an essential reduction of energy consumption for lighting and ventilation, rainwater recovery, waste recycling, and more, the new building of 2013 has been promoted as the first ecological airport worldwide.
Puerto Ayora is a small charming town, the largest in the Galapagos, and the head of tourism, and offers several hotels, bars, restaurants, a hospital, banks, and many small shops. The airport Baltra is in the north, linked by a road to cross the island.
The Galapagos National Park’s offices and the Charles Darwin Research Station are in Puerto Ayora.
After lunch, we visit Highland Santa Cruz: The drive up to the highlands takes approximately a half-hour. In this short time,we can observe the changes between the different vegetation zones, from the Arid zone to the Transition zone and up to the Scalesia zone, which is also agricultural. Here, the problems of introduced animals and plants are noticeable. On the road’s highest point, the National Park area starts again.
In the highlands, we visit the Rancho Primicias to enjoy the Galapagos tortoises living here in liberty; these are easy to view on this small farm, refreshing in the water pools or snoring in the shadow.

Española belongs to the oldest islands of the Galapagos. Because of its geographic isolation, many endemic species are to find the island, making our visit especially attractive. Española is the only place worldwide where the endemic waved albatrosses come for breeding from April to December.
Playa Gardner: We have a wet landing on a splendid, long, white beach of coral sand. For this visit, youdo not need shoes. There is no trail, and the open beach offers the opportunity to observe finches andmockingbirds in the saltbush vegetation, as Galapagos sea lions sleeping in the sun. It is an excellent place for swimming and snorkeling from the beach!
Punta Suarez: Loop trail with a smooth, dry landing on a jetty. The walk on stony, rocky ground is longer and more challenging.
Even at the first steps of the trail, the colorful Española marine iguana and Galapagos sea lions welcome us. Everywhere the curious Española mockingbird approaches the visitors. The path leads through the nesting colonies of blue-footed boobies, Nazca boobies, and waved albatrosses. Also, the big Española lava lizards are to find everywhere.
The low cliff of the whole south coast is an ideal nesting place for the endemic Galapagos albatross; here, it is the only place in the world where, from April to December, we can see these big, beautiful birds. Then, another resting spot close to a cliff with an incredible landscape offers the observation of all the different marine birds flying along the coast. An albatross during his ungainly landing or the spectacular take-off from the cliff to start its elegant flight are fantastic events to witness.
Our next stop is at the blowhole: the waves push the seawater through a fissure in the cliff, depending on the
strongness and tide level, till 80 feet/24m high in the air!

Santa Fe: Santa Fe has a large colony of sea lions living in this beautiful bay. After the wet landing on the beach, the trail leads through the dry vegetation of the Arid zone to a beautiful cliff with notably highprickly pear cacti, then back to a second beach.
Only very attentive visitors may detect the endemic land iguanas of Santa Fe because their camouflageis perfect, and their territories are pretty significant!
Those who want can end the morning with snorkeling at this new special place!
South Plaza: It is a small uplifted island with a cliff of 25 meters altitude on the island’s southern side. The flat, rocky northern coast has a big colony of Galapagos sea lions and, on the East-point, lives a colony of bachelor sea lions. The loop is easy, with a dry landing on a jetty.
The prickly pear cactus trees and the vital colony of land iguanas are beautiful. Depending on the season, the sesuvium ground vegetation changes its color from intense green in the rainy season to orange and purple in the dry season.

Black Turtle Cove: Before breakfast, we leave the boat to enjoy a beautiful panga ride into the big, protected
mangrove cove. In the far away, small corners, we turn the motor off to row noiselessly and observe the marine turtles: many of them are in this cove during their mating and nesting season fromDecember to February! But even out of season, we always find some turtles staying back in the mangroves. So early in the morning, there is high activity, and we observe golden rays, spotted eagle rays, white-tipped reef sharks, and young Galapagos sharks.
Unfortunately, after breakfast on board, it is time to say goodbye to the staff and leave the Angelito. We disembark at the harbor of Baltra.
Baltra: With the bus, drive to the airport for a morning flight back to the continent. Our guide takes care until the last minute!
Meantime, the Angelito is thoroughly cleaned and prepared to be ready for the next group, which arrives on the same flights as the leaving group flies out!

Baltra is a small island, the only Galapagos Island not included in the National Park’s area. The Americans built Baltra’s airport in 1941-1948, using it as their air force base in the Pacific during the Second World War. The airport and harbor are now Ecuadorian military territory. Unfortunately, both of the military presences have left their
traces.
Even if we always speak about Baltra, the airport’s official name is South Seymour, and its air code is GPS. With an essential reduction of energy consumption for lighting and ventilation, rainwater recovery, waste recycling, and more, the new building of 2013 has been promoted as the first ecological airport worldwide.
North Seymour: A beautiful place to start our tour through the Galapagos, just north of Baltra. It is a flat, uplifted island in the rain shadow of the island of Santa Cruz, so the vegetation is typical of a dry, Arid Zone.
The waves sometimes make the dry landing on a small peer tricky. A dry landing means moving from the yacht to the zodiac and onto the island while staying with dry feet.
The loop trail leads from a small peer along the rocky coast and is full of surprises: sea lions, swallow-tailed gulls, sally lightfoot crabs, and marine iguanas, and we walk through the nesting area of blue-footed boobies and frigatebirds.

Sombrero Chino: Only a 200-meter wide channel separates this small island from the big Santiago Island. The shape of the volcanic island looks like a Chinese hat. The scenery is very charming. The wet landing is on a small, white coral beach with many sea lions. Wet landing means you will getyour feet and lower parts of your legs wet while exiting the zodiac.
The smooth and short trail leads along the coast with very fragile lava. There are a lot of small lavatubes and tiny but very attractive vegetation. Pillow lava is to see on the turning point of the trail.
First snorkeling activity of this week! Fantastic and recommendable, even if you never did it before. We include snorkel equipment in our cruise prices. If you need a wetsuit, you can rent it on board.
Bartolome: With the Pinnacle Rock, a classic beauty and the most photographed Galapagos scenery! The dry landing is on a jetty, and then the summit trail leads to Bartolome’s highest point on a wooden footbridge and steps to protect the fragile environment. The view from the top across Bartolome, Santiago with Sullivan Bay, and the surrounding islands is superb! All the secondary cones, lava flows, and lava tubes mimic a moon landscape.
In the later afternoon, we enjoy a panga ride to look out for the Galapagos penguins; they live and nest in the lava tubes of the rocky shore.

The bird island Genovesa is low and flat, the most northern and isolated to visit by cruise ships, and one more of the highlights of our itinerary. The longer navigation is during the night, crossing the equator!
Darwin Bay: The wet landing is on the small white beach of coral sand. The trail follows the shore vegetation of red mangrove, saltbush, and the unique prickly pear cactus that here often grows like a hanging cactus with soft hairy spines. Under the shore vegetation nest, the swallow-tailed gulls, the red-footed boobies, and magnificent frigate birds do it in the bushes and trees. A few Nazca boobies do nest on the ground.
The trail leads along small tidepools up to the cliff with a spectacular view over the caldera. Thousands of Galapagos fiddler crabs are in the sandy ground by low tide. The snorkeling in the blue water of this bay is delicious!
Prince Philip’s Steps: The dry landing is at the cliff, and Prince Philip’s Steps are the only possibility to climb the steep basaltic cliff.
Then, the easy trail leads first through a small nesting colony of masked boobies and then crosses a low, dense forest of palo santo trees where red-footed boobies have nests. Arriving on the island’s edge, thousands of small petrels fly around! These Little birds have their nests in the crevices and tubes of the fragile lava. They are the favorite food of the short-eared owl. We keep oureyes open to find the hunter; not easy; the owls are well camouflaged! On both sides of the trail are big Nazca booby nesting-colonies. We end the excursion with a panga ride at the foot of the cliffs.

Puerto Egas, Santiago Island: The landmark of Puerto Egas is the large tuff formations of cliffs with relief structures.
The wet landing is on a black beach. Here, it is an excellent place to discover shore life. The hike with the intertidal life during the constantly changing tide levels shows an unusual, unique fauna. Often, we can observe lava herons fishing in the isolated tidal pools. During the walk, we can see Galapagos sea lions, sally lightfoot crabs, and marine iguanas. Depending on the season, many migrant shorebirds live on these rich costas during wintertime.On the turning point of the trail is the Fur Seal Grotto, where the Galapagos fur seals have found an ideal living space in the crevices and caves of the rocky lava coast.
Rabida: Incredibly unique is the red sand of the beach, contrasting with the saltbush vegetation and the silvery palo santo trees on the slopes. The source of the peculiar red color is the lava that containsa high proportion of ferric oxide. Before the last El Niño, the beach of Rabida had one of the most significant Galapagos sea lion colonies; now, reduced to a small remaining population, they are still recuperating.
There is a small lagoon behind the zone of saltbush vegetation, depending on the season, with flamingos and white- cheeked pintail ducks. This beautiful beach is another special snorkeling place.

Puerto Ayora is a small charming town, the largest in the Galapagos, and the head of tourism, and offers several hotels, bars, restaurants, a hospital, banks, and many small shops. The airport Baltra is in the north, linked by a road to cross the island.
The Galapagos National Park’s offices and the Charles Darwin Research Station are in Puerto Ayora.
We visit the Station early in the morning to learn about the significant scientific effort to protect the National Park Galapagos. Especially the raising programs of the different subspecies of Giant tortoises are well documented.
The Van Straiten Exhibition Hall offers exciting documentation about the Galapagos Islands,illustrated by potos and diagrams.
The vegetation on the walk to the Station and back is exuberant green, and Darwin’s finches are easy to spot.
Our passengers on an eight-day cruise have some time to visit the town. After being only on inhabited islands, a short moment of free time offers the opportunity to walk around, drink a coffee, or buy a souvenir. The meeting to go back on board for lunch is at 11:30 at the harbor.
*For passengers who booked the shortened option, ITINERARY A5, the cruise services end after this visit: we escort them to the Itabaca Channel, from where they go to Baltra to catch the flight back to Ecuador’s Mainland or the luggage transfer to the hotel you have booked if you stay in the Galapagos.

Baltra is a small island, the only of the Galapagos that is not included in the National Park’s area. The Americans built Baltra’s airport in 1941-1948, using it as their air force base in the Pacific during the Second World War.
The airport and harbor are now Ecuadorian military territory. Unfortunately, both of the military presences have left their traces.
Even if we always speak about Baltra, the airport’s official name is South Seymour, and its air code is GPS. With an essential reduction of energy consumption for lighting and ventilation, rainwater recovery, waste recycling, and more, the new building of 2013 has been promoted as the first ecological airport worldwide.
Las Bachas is a white coral beach in the north of the island of Santa Cruz and a genuinely lovely place to begin our tour. Our first visit starts with a wet landing. Wet landing means getting your feet wet while exiting the zodiac. Seawater and sand between the toes, what a feeling! The walk along the beach is easy. There are small brackish water lagoons behind the dune where it is posible to observe coastal birds like black-necked stilts, whimbrels, white-cheeked pintail ducks, and, occasionally, flamingos.
Important: we take care and do not walk on top of the dunes because it is a favorite nesting site of sea turtles. After the walk, we can swim and enjoy the beach.

Mosquera: This small sandy island between North Seymour and Baltra is home to one of the Galapagos’ more significant sea lion colonies, with several harems. It is an excellent place to observe their behavior. The wet landing can sometimes be a little difficult, depending on the tide. We also may see endemic lava gulls and other coastal birds. We find marine iguanas and sally lightfoot crabs on the lava rocks and, sometimes, even scorpions under the stones.
First snorkeling activity of this week! Fantastic and recommendable, even if you never did it before. We include snorkel equipment in our cruise prices. If you need a wetsuit, you can rent it onboard.
Cerro Dragon: The name means Dragon Hill and is a very scenic visiting point. The hike passes first a flamingo lagoon behind the beach vegetation and leads through an impressive forest of prickly pear cacti. The following loop trail goes to a small hill where land iguanas live and nest. The view from this little peak over the surrounding landscape is spectacular.

Tagus Cove: This protected cove was a favorite resting site of early pirates and whalers in the 19th century. They carved and painted their names on the high cliffs of the bay; it is emotive to see this historic testifies.
We start with a dry landing, and then the scenic hike leads uphill through the Dry zone vegetation to Darwin Lake, a saltwater crater lake. At the trail’s end, we go up to a parasitic spatter cone and have a fantastic view of the Darwin Volcano’s lava field. Later, we enjoy a fantastic panga ride along the cliffs to look out for Galapagos penguins and flightless cormorants.
If the water is clear, Tagus Cove is a fascinating snorkeling place to discover many marine invertebrates in the vertical walls.
Punta Espinoza, Fernandina Island: This visit to one of the youngest islands of the Galapagos is undoubtedly a highlight of a cruise in the Galapagos. The terrain of Fernandina is rocky due to its volcanic nature. Depending on the tide, the dry landing is on the pier in the mangroves or directly on the lava.
On the hike in this pleasant marine environment of the Galapagos, we find large colonies of marine iguanas.
We stay strict on the pathway because the dunes are their nesting areas. On the lava coast, close to the shoreline, are the nesting places of the flightless cormorant, one of the most enigmatic Galapagos birds. Also, watch out for lava lizards, the Galapagos hawk, marine turtles, snakes, and the Galapagos penguins. And, obviously, more Galapagos sea lions.
We enjoy the largest groups of the endemic lava cacti that are to find on the lava flow. A short trail inland on a lava field leads to the edge of a large aa lava flow.

Urbina Bay, Isabela Island: Another exclusive site! It is an area uplifted out of the sea at the foot of Volcan Alcedo.
The wet landing is on a steep beach, which is sometimes a bit difficult because of the high waves. But, with care, we do it. Occasionally, we find flightless cormorants and huge marine iguanas along the shore. On the trail leading inland, we watch out to see the colorful land iguanas. If lucky, we cross with a Galapagos tortoise along the pathway! Then, we have time for snorkeling at this remarkable place.
Elizabeth Bay: This afternoon, we do not walk but drive with the zodiac into the protected mangrove cove. The entrance through a very narrow channel is not always easy, but our experienced crew manages it carefully, and so we find ourselves in the midden of this peaceful lagoon. In the small and far-away little corners, we turn the motoroff to noiselessly observe sea turtles. In Elizabeth Bay, we find the tallest red mangrove trees of the Galapagos.

Navigation to Villamil with Whale Watching
Punta Moreno: Early in the morning, we start a hike on Punta Moreno’s rough lava field. It is a place where we can see all three cactus species: candelabra cactus, prickly pear cactus, and lava cactus. This lava field also has many pioneer plants.
The lava field turns out to be fantastic scenery, with oases with brackish water pools with flamingos, common gallinules, white-cheeked pintail ducks, and paint-billed crakes. We also may see the flightless cormorant. The Galapagos surprises never end! Snorkeling at this great place is, once more, unique!
Navigation to Puerto Villamil: At approximately 10:30 in the morning, we start our longer navigation. It usually takes about 6 hours, and it is a beautiful part of our cruise along the shoreline around the Volcano Cerro Azul.
Sometimes, this navigation may be rougher, but you can enjoy watching out for dolphin schools and whales on the sun deck. We hope to be lucky today too! Just before the dark, we arrive in the small harbor of Puerto Villamil. Villamil is the main settlement in the south of Isabela Island. The village has grown up in the last few years but is still small and calm with its scenic beaches and peaceful ambiance.

*For those passengers having booked the shortened option, ITINERARY B6, the cruise services end
a) by traveling with the public speed boat at 6 am from Villamil to Puerto Ayora and, from there, to Baltra airport OR
**b) at 4:30 pm after the day’s activities in Villamil.

**Sierra Negra: Today, we’ll discover an absolutely different Galapagos! By bus, we go uphill, approximately 17 miles/27.3 km, to arrive close to the caldera of the Vulcan Sierra Negra. We can observe the changes in the different vegetation zones of the volcano. The Sierra Negra (Spanish: Black Mountain) is a massive shield volcano, and it is one of the most active in the Galapagos, with the most recent eruption in June 2018.

It is often a little bit rainy or misty and foggy, which is why it is so unexpectedly green here.
On a hike of about one hour, we go to the volcano’s rim to appreciate the large caldera measuring 6.2 miles/10 km from North to South and 5.6 miles/9 km from East to West. If the weather allows, it is impressive scenery! We also can see the vast new lava field from the eruption of 2005.

Baltra is a small island, the only of the Galapagos that is not included in the National Park’s area. The Americans built Baltra’s airport in 1941-1948, using it as their air force base in the Pacific during the Second World War.
The airport and harbor are now Ecuadorian military territory. Unfortunately, both of the military presences have left their traces.
Even if we always speak about Baltra, the airport’s official name is South Seymour, and its air code is GPS. With an essential reduction of energy consumption for lighting and ventilation, rainwater recovery, waste recycling, and more, the new building of 2013 has been promoted as the first ecological airport worldwide.
Las Bachas is a white coral beach in the north of the island of Santa Cruz and a genuinely lovely place to begin our tour. Our first visit starts with a wet landing. Wet landing means getting your feet wet while exiting the zodiac. Seawater and sand between the toes, what a feeling! The walk along the beach is easy. There are small brackish water lagoons behind the dune where it is posible to observe coastal birds like black-necked stilts, whimbrels, white-cheeked pintail ducks, and, occasionally, flamingos.
Important: we take care and do not walk on top of the dunes because it is a favorite nesting site of sea turtles. After the walk, we can swim and enjoy the beach.

Mosquera: This small sandy island between North Seymour and Baltra is home to one of the Galapagos’ more significant sea lion colonies, with several harems. It is an excellent place to observe their behavior. The wet landing can sometimes be a little difficult, depending on the tide. We also may see endemic lava gulls and other coastal birds. We find marine iguanas and sally lightfoot crabs on the lava rocks and, sometimes, even scorpions under the stones.
First snorkeling activity of this week! Fantastic and recommendable, even if you never did it before. We include snorkel equipment in our cruise prices. If you need a wetsuit, you can rent it onboard.
Cerro Dragon: The name means Dragon Hill and is a very scenic visiting point. The hike passes first a flamingo lagoon behind the beach vegetation and leads through an impressive forest of prickly pear cacti. The following loop trail goes to a small hill where land iguanas live and nest. The view from this little peak over the surrounding landscape is spectacular.

Tagus Cove: This protected cove was a favorite resting site of early pirates and whalers in the 19th century. They carved and painted their names on the high cliffs of the bay; it is emotive to see this historic testifies.
We start with a dry landing, and then the scenic hike leads uphill through the Dry zone vegetation to Darwin Lake, a saltwater crater lake. At the trail’s end, we go up to a parasitic spatter cone and have a fantastic view of the Darwin Volcano’s lava field. Later, we enjoy a fantastic panga ride along the cliffs to look out for Galapagos penguins and flightless cormorants.
If the water is clear, Tagus Cove is a fascinating snorkeling place to discover many marine invertebrates in the vertical walls.
Punta Espinoza, Fernandina Island: This visit to one of the youngest islands of the Galapagos is undoubtedly a highlight of a cruise in the Galapagos. The terrain of Fernandina is rocky due to its volcanic nature. Depending on the tide, the dry landing is on the pier in the mangroves or directly on the lava.
On the hike in this pleasant marine environment of the Galapagos, we find large colonies of marine iguanas.
We stay strict on the pathway because the dunes are their nesting areas. On the lava coast, close to the shoreline, are the nesting places of the flightless cormorant, one of the most enigmatic Galapagos birds. Also, watch out for lava lizards, the Galapagos hawk, marine turtles, snakes, and the Galapagos penguins. And, obviously, more Galapagos sea lions.
We enjoy the largest groups of the endemic lava cacti that are to find on the lava flow. A short trail inland on a lava field leads to the edge of a large aa lava flow.

Urbina Bay, Isabela Island: Another exclusive site! It is an area uplifted out of the sea at the foot of Volcan Alcedo.
The wet landing is on a steep beach, which is sometimes a bit difficult because of the high waves. But, with care, we do it. Occasionally, we find flightless cormorants and huge marine iguanas along the shore. On the trail leading inland, we watch out to see the colorful land iguanas. If lucky, we cross with a Galapagos tortoise along the pathway! Then, we have time for snorkeling at this remarkable place.
Elizabeth Bay: This afternoon, we do not walk but drive with the zodiac into the protected mangrove cove. The entrance through a very narrow channel is not always easy, but our experienced crew manages it carefully, and so we find ourselves in the midden of this peaceful lagoon. In the small and far-away little corners, we turn the motoroff to noiselessly observe sea turtles. In Elizabeth Bay, we find the tallest red mangrove trees of the Galapagos.

Punta Moreno: Early in the morning, we start a hike on Punta Moreno’s rough lava field. It is a place where we can see all three cactus species: candelabra cactus, prickly pear cactus, and lava cactus. This lava field also has many pioneer plants.
The lava field turns out to be fantastic scenery, with oases with brackish water pools with flamingos, common gallinules, white-cheeked pintail ducks, and paint-billed crakes. We also may see the flightless cormorant. The Galapagos surprises never end! Snorkeling at this great place is, once more, unique!
Navigation to Puerto Villamil: At approximately 10:30 in the morning, we start our longer navigation. It usually takes about 6 hours, and it is a beautiful part of our cruise along the shoreline around the Volcano Cerro Azul.
Sometimes, this navigation may be rougher, but you can enjoy watching out for dolphin schools and whales on the sun deck. We hope to be lucky today too! Just before the dark, we arrive in the small harbor of Puerto Villamil. Villamil is the main settlement in the south of Isabela Island. The village has grown up in the last few years but is still small and calm with its scenic beaches and peaceful ambiance.

Sierra Negra: Today, we’ll discover an absolutely different Galapagos! By bus, we go uphill, approximately 17 miles/27.3 km, to arrive close to the caldera of the Vulcan Sierra Negra. We can observe the changes in the different vegetation zones of the volcano. The Sierra Negra (Spanish: Black Mountain) is a massive shield volcano, and it is one of the most active in the Galapagos, with the most recent eruption in June 2018.

It is often a little bit rainy or misty and foggy, which is why it is so unexpectedly green here.
On a hike of about one hour, we go to the volcano’s rim to appreciate the large caldera measuring 6.2 miles/10 km from North to South and 5.6 miles/9 km from East to West. If the weather allows, it is impressive scenery! We also can see the vast new lava field from the eruption of 2005.
Lagoons of Villamil: In the afternoon, we make an excursion to the lagoons of Villamil. We start at the Tortoise Breeding Centre to discover different subspecies of the Galapagos Giant Tortoises and the station’s efforts to restore the endangered populations.
We take a beautiful trail going from lagoon to lagoon on the walk back to town, watching out for flamingos, common gallinules, white-cheeked pintail ducks, and black-necked stilts. There also is a forest of button mangroves.
*For those passengers having booked the shortened option, ITINERARY B6, the cruise services end a) by traveling with the public speed boat at 6 am from Villamil to Puerto Ayora and, from there, to Baltra airport OR b) at 4:30 pm after the day’s activities in Villamil.

Punta Cormorant: The wet landing is on the Green Beach of Punta Cormorant. If the light conditions are correct, the sand shines green due to the high percentage of olivine crystals. It is unique!
On the easy walk through the Arid Zone, we come to a big saltwater lagoon with flamingos, white-cheeked pintail ducks, black-necked stilts, and, depending on the season, more migratory shorebirds. On a short walk, we find ourselves at the White Flour Sand Beach, named because of the fineness of the sand of white corals. It is a famous nesting beach for marine turtles, so it is crucial not to walk on the dune. Often, we can see many stingrays in shallow water.
Devil’s Crown: The Corona del Diablo, a leftover of a volcano looking like a black Crown emerging from the sea, is one of the Galapagos’ most famous snorkeling places. The experience is utterly unique, but it is essential to know that this snorkeling place is only for experienced snorkelers due to the strong currents.
After this visit, we navigate to Puerto Ayora on the Island of Santa Cruz to arrive there at approx. 5 pm/17:00.
Puerto Ayora is a small charming town, the largest in the Galapagos, and the head of tourism with several hotels, bars, restaurants, a hospital, banks, and many small shops. You can go out for a moment andwalk around, drink a coffee, or buy souvenirs.
During this time, Angelito’s staff is busy with the food supply and all the other necessary things to be ready again to continue the cruise.
*For passengers who booked the shortened option, ITINERARY B7, the cruise services end after arriving in Puerto Ayora.

Baltra is a small island, the only Galapagos Island not included in the National Park’s area. The Americans built Baltra’s airport in 1941-1948, using it as their air force base in the Pacific during the Second World War. The airport and harbor are now Ecuadorian military territory. Unfortunately, both of the military presences have left their traces.
Even if we always speak about Baltra, the airport’s official name is South Seymour, and its air code is GPS. With an essential reduction of energy consumption for lighting and ventilation, rainwater recovery, waste recycling, and more, the new building of 2013 has been promoted as the first ecological airport worldwide.
North Seymour: A beautiful place to start our tour through the Galapagos, just north of Baltra. It is a flat, uplifted island in the rain shadow of the island of Santa Cruz, so the vegetation is typical of a dry, Arid Zone. The waves sometimes make the dry landing on a small peer tricky. A dry landing means moving from the yacht to the zodiac and onto the island while staying with dry feet. The loop trail leads from a small peer along the rocky coast and is full of surprises: sea lions, swallow-tailed gulls, sally lightfoot crabs, and marine iguanas, and we walk through the nesting area of blue-footed boobies and frigatebirds.

Sombrero Chino: Only a 200-meter wide channel separates this small island from the big Santiago Island. The shape of the volcanic island looks like a Chinese hat. The scenery is very charming. The wet landing is on a small, white coral beach with many sea lions. Wet landing means you will getyour feet and lower parts of your legs wet while exiting the zodiac.
The smooth and short trail leads along the coast with very fragile lava. There are a lot of small lavatubes and tiny but very attractive vegetation. Pillow lava is to see on the turning point of the trail. First snorkeling activity of this week! Fantastic and recommendable, even if you never did it before. We include snorkel equipment in our cruise prices. If you need a wetsuit, you can rent it on board.
Bartolome: With the Pinnacle Rock, a classic beauty and the most photographed Galapagos scenery! The dry landing is on a jetty, and then the summit trail leads to Bartolome’s highest point on a wooden footbridge and steps to protect the fragile environment. The view from the top across Bartolome, Santiago with Sullivan Bay, and the surrounding islands is superb! All the secondary cones, lava flows, and lava tubes mimic a moon landscape. In the later afternoon, we enjoy a panga ride to look out for the Galapagos penguins; they live and nest in the lava tubes of the rocky shore.

The bird island Genovesa is low and flat, the most northern and isolated to visit by cruise ships, and one more of the highlights of our itinerary. The longer navigation is during the night, crossing the equator!
Darwin Bay: The wet landing is on the small white beach of coral sand. The trail follows the shore vegetation of red mangrove, saltbush, and the unique prickly pear cactus that here often grows like a hanging cactus with soft hairy spines. Under the shore vegetation nest, the swallow-tailed gulls, the red-footed boobies, and magnificent frigate birds do it in the bushes and trees. A few Nazca boobies do nest on the ground. The trail leads along small tidepools up to the cliff with a spectacular view over the caldera. Thousands of Galapagos fiddler crabs are in the sandy ground by low tide. The snorkeling in the blue water of this bay is delicious!
Prince Philip’s Steps: The dry landing is at the cliff, and Prince Philip’s Steps are the only possibility to climb the steep basaltic cliff. Then, the easy trail leads first through a small nesting colony of masked boobies and then crosses a low, dense forest of palo santo trees where red-footed boobies have nests. Arriving on the island’s edge, thousands of small petrels fly around! These little birds have their nests in the crevices and tubes of the fragile lava. They are the favorite food of the short-eared owl. We keep oureyes open to find the hunter; not easy; the owls are well camouflaged!
On both sides of the trail are big Nazca booby nesting-colonies. We end the excursion with a panga ride at the foot of the cliffs.

Puerto Egas, Santiago Island: The landmark of Puerto Egas is the large tuff formations of cliffs with relief structures. The wet landing is on a black beach. Here, it is an excellent place to discover shore life. The hike with the intertidal life during the constantly changing tide levels shows an unusual, unique fauna. Often, we can observe lava herons fishing in the isolated tidal pools. During the walk, we can see Galapagos sea lions, sally lightfoot crabs, and marine iguanas. Depending on the season, many migrant shorebirds live on these rich coasts during wintertime.On the turning point of the trail is the Fur Seal Grotto, where the Galapagos fur seals have found an ideal living space in the crevices and caves of the rocky lava coast.
Rabida: Incredibly unique is the red sand of the beach, contrasting with the saltbush vegetation and the silvery palo santo trees on the slopes. The source of the peculiar red color is the lava that containsa high proportion of ferric oxide. Before the last El Niño, the beach of Rabida had one of the most significant Galapagos sea lion colonies; now, reduced to a small remaining population, they are still recuperating. There is a small lagoon behind the zone of saltbush vegetation, depending on the season, with flamingos and white- cheeked pintail ducks. This beautiful beach is another special snorkeling place.

Puerto Ayora is a small charming town, the largest in the Galapagos, and the head of tourism, and offers several hotels, bars, restaurants, a hospital, banks, and many small shops. The airport Baltra is in the north, linked by a road to cross the island.
The Galapagos National Park’s offices and the Charles Darwin Research Station are in Puerto Ayora. We visit the Station early in the morning to learn about the significant scientific effort to protect the National Park Galapagos. Especially the raising programs of the different subspecies of Giant tortoises are well documented. The Van Straiten Exhibition Hall offers exciting documentation about the Galapagos Islands,illustrated by potos and diagrams.
The vegetation on the walk to the Station and back is exuberant green, and Darwin’s finches are easy to spot.
Our passengers on an eight-day cruise have some time to visit the town. After being only on inhabited islands, a short moment of free time offers the opportunity to walk around, drink a coffee, or buy a souvenir. The meeting to go back on board for lunch is at 11:30 at the harbor.
*For passengers who booked the shortened option, ITINERARY A5, the cruise services end after this visit: we escort them to the Itabaca Channel, from where they go to Baltra to catch the flight back to Ecuador’s Mainland.
*If we have passengers starting our four-day cruise with ITINERARY A4, they usually arrive from the mainland on one of the first flights in the morning, and the meeting for them also is at 11:30 am at the harbor of Puerto Ayora.
Highland Santa Cruz: The drive up to the highlands takes approximately a half-hour. In this short time,we can observe the changes between the different vegetation zones, from the Arid zone to the Transition zone and up to the Scalesia zone, which is also agricultural. Here, the problems of introduced animals and plants are noticeable. On the road’s highest point, the National Park area starts again.
In the highlands, we visit the Rancho Primicias to enjoy the Galapagos tortoises living here in liberty; these are easy to view on this small farm, refreshing in the water pools or snoring in the shadow.

Española belongs to the oldest islands of the Galapagos. Because of its geographic isolation, many endemic species are to find the island, making our visit especially attractive. Española is the only place worldwide where the endemic waved albatrosses come for breeding from April to December.
Playa Gardner: We have a wet landing on a splendid, long, white beach of coral sand. For this visit, youdo not need shoes. There is no trail, and the open beach offers the opportunity to observe finches andmockingbirds in the saltbush vegetation, as Galapagos sea lions sleeping in the sun. It is an excellent place for swimming and snorkeling from the beach!
Punta Suarez: Loop trail with a smooth, dry landing on a jetty. The walk on stony, rocky ground is longer and more challenging. Even at the first steps of the trail, the colorful Española marine iguana and Galapagos sea lions welcome us. Everywhere the curious Española mockingbird approaches the visitors. The path leads through the nesting colonies of blue-footed boobies, Nazca boobies, and waved albatrosses. Also, the big Española lava lizards are to find everywhere. The low cliff of the whole south coast is an ideal nesting place for the endemic Galapagos albatross; here, it is the only place in the world where, from April to December, we can see these big, beautiful birds. Then, another resting spot close to a cliff with an incredible landscape offers the observation of all the different marine birds flying along the coast. An albatross during his ungainly landing or the spectacular take-off from the cliff to start its elegant flight are fantastic events to witness.
Our next stop is at the blowhole: the waves push the seawater through a fissure in the cliff, depending on the strongness and tide level, till 80 feet/24m high in the air!

Santa Fe: Santa Fe has a large colony of sea lions living in this beautiful bay. After the wet landing on the beach, the trail leads through the dry vegetation of the Arid zone to a beautiful cliff with notably high prickly pear cacti, then back to a second beach.
Only very attentive visitors may detect the endemic land iguanas of Santa Fe because their camouflageis perfect, and their territories are pretty significant! Those who want can end the morning with snorkeling at this new special place!
South Plaza: It is a small uplifted island with a cliff of 25 meters altitude on the island’s southern side. The flat, rocky northern coast has a big colony of Galapagos sea lions and, on the East-point, lives a colony of bachelor sea lions. The loop is easy, with a dry landing on a jetty.
The prickly pear cactus trees and the vital colony of land iguanas are beautiful. Depending on the season, the sesuvium ground vegetation changes its color from intense green in the rainy season to orange and purple in the dry season.

Black Turtle Cove: Before breakfast, we leave the boat to enjoy a beautiful panga ride into the big, protected mangrove cove. In the far away, small corners, we turn the motor off to row noiselessly andobserve the marine turtles: many of them are in this cove during their mating and nesting season fromDecember to February! But even out of season, we always find some turtles staying back in the mangroves. So early in the morning, there is high activity, and we observe golden rays, spotted eagle rays, white-tipped reef sharks, and young Galapagos sharks.
Unfortunately, after breakfast on board, it is time to say goodbye to the staff and leave the Angelito. We disembark at the harbor of Baltra.
Baltra: With the bus, drive to the airport for a morning flight back to the continent. Our guide takes care until the last minute!
Meantime, the Angelito is thoroughly cleaned and prepared to be ready for the next group, which arrives on the same flights as the leaving group flies out!

Baltra is a small island, the only of the Galapagos that is not included in the National Park’s area. The Americans built Baltra’s airport in 1941-1948, using it as their air force base in the Pacific during the Second World War.
The airport and harbor are now Ecuadorian military territory. Unfortunately, both of the military presences have left their traces.
Even if we always speak about Baltra, the airport’s official name is South Seymour, and its air code is GPS. With an essential reduction of energy consumption for lighting and ventilation, rainwater recovery, waste recycling, and more, the new building of 2013 has been promoted as the first ecological airport worldwide.
Las Bachas is a white coral beach in the north of the island of Santa Cruz and a genuinely lovely place to begin our tour. Our first visit starts with a wet landing. Wet landing means getting your feet wet while exiting the zodiac. Seawater and sand between the toes, what a feeling! The walk along the beach is easy. There are small brackish water lagoons behind the dune where it is posible to observe coastal birds like black-necked stilts, whimbrels, white-cheeked pintail ducks, and, occasionally, flamingos.
Important: we take care and do not walk on top of the dunes because it is a favorite nesting site of sea turtles. After the walk, we can swim and enjoy the beach.

Mosquera: This small sandy island between North Seymour and Baltra is home to one of the Galapagos’ more significant sea lion colonies, with several harems. It is an excellent place to observe their behavior. The wet landing can sometimes be a little difficult, depending on the tide. We also may see endemic lava gulls and other coastal birds. We find marine iguanas and sally lightfoot crabs on the lava rocks and, sometimes, even scorpions under the stones.
First snorkeling activity of this week! Fantastic and recommendable, even if you never did it before. We include snorkel equipment in our cruise prices. If you need a wetsuit, you can rent it onboard.
Cerro Dragon: The name means Dragon Hill and is a very scenic visiting point. The hike passes first a flamingo lagoon behind the beach vegetation and leads through an impressive forest of prickly pear cacti. The following loop trail goes to a small hill where land iguanas live and nest. The view from this little peak over the surrounding landscape is spectacular.

Tagus Cove: This protected cove was a favorite resting site of early pirates and whalers in the 19th century. They carved and painted their names on the high cliffs of the bay; it is emotive to see this historic testifies.
We start with a dry landing, and then the scenic hike leads uphill through the Dry zone vegetation to Darwin Lake, a saltwater crater lake. At the trail’s end, we go up to a parasitic spatter cone and have a fantastic view of the Darwin Volcano’s lava field. Later, we enjoy a fantastic panga ride along the cliffs to look out for Galapagos penguins and flightless cormorants.
If the water is clear, Tagus Cove is a fascinating snorkeling place to discover many marine invertebrates in the vertical walls.
Punta Espinoza, Fernandina Island: This visit to one of the youngest islands of the Galapagos is undoubtedly a highlight of a cruise in the Galapagos. The terrain of Fernandina is rocky due to its volcanic nature. Depending on the tide, the dry landing is on the pier in the mangroves or directly on the lava.
On the hike in this pleasant marine environment of the Galapagos, we find large colonies of marine iguanas.
We stay strict on the pathway because the dunes are their nesting areas. On the lava coast, close to the shoreline, are the nesting places of the flightless cormorant, one of the most enigmatic Galapagos birds. Also, watch out for lava lizards, the Galapagos hawk, marine turtles, snakes, and the Galapagos penguins. And, obviously, more Galapagos sea lions.
We enjoy the largest groups of the endemic lava cacti that are to find on the lava flow. A short trail inland on a lava field leads to the edge of a large a lava flow.

Day 4. Wednesday: Urbina Bay
Urbina Bay, Isabela Island: Another exclusive site! It is an area uplifted out of the sea at the foot of Volcan Alcedo.
The wet landing is on a steep beach, which is sometimes a bit difficult because of the high waves. But, with care, we do it. Occasionally, we find flightless cormorants and huge marine iguanas along the shore. On the trail leading inland, we watch out to see the colorful land iguanas. If lucky, we cross with a Galapagos tortoise along the pathway! Then, we have time for snorkeling at this remarkable place.
Elizabeth Bay: This afternoon, we do not walk but drive with the zodiac into the protected mangrove cove. The entrance through a very narrow channel is not always easy, but our experienced crew manages it carefully, and so we find ourselves in the midden of this peaceful lagoon. In the small and far-away little corners, we turn the motoroff to noiselessly observe sea turtles. In Elizabeth Bay, we find the tallest red mangrove trees of the Galapagos.

Punta Moreno: Early in the morning, we start a hike on Punta Moreno’s rough lava field. It is a place where we can see all three cactus species: candelabra cactus, prickly pear cactus, and lava cactus. This lava field also has many pioneer plants.
The lava field turns out to be fantastic scenery, with oases with brackish water pools with flamingos, common gallinules, white-cheeked pintail ducks, and paint-billed crakes. We also may see the flightless cormorant. The Galapagos surprises never end! Snorkeling at this great place is, once more, unique!
Navigation to Puerto Villamil: At approximately 10:30 in the morning, we start our longer navigation. It usually takes about 6 hours, and it is a beautiful part of our cruise along the shoreline around the Volcano Cerro Azul.
Sometimes, this navigation may be rougher, but you can enjoy watching out for dolphin schools and whales on the sun deck. We hope to be lucky today too! Just before the dark, we arrive in the small harbor of Puerto Villamil. Villamil is the main settlement in the south of Isabela Island. The village has grown up in the last few years but is still small and calm with its scenic beaches and peaceful ambiance.

Sierra Negra: Today, we’ll discover an absolutely different Galapagos! By bus, we go uphill, approximately 17 miles/27.3 km, to arrive close to the caldera of the Vulcan Sierra Negra. We can observe the changes in the different vegetation zones of the volcano. The Sierra Negra (Spanish: Black Mountain) is a massive shield volcano, and it is one of the most active in the Galapagos, with the most recent eruption in June 2018.

It is often a little bit rainy or misty and foggy, which is why it is so unexpectedly green here.
On a hike of about one hour, we go to the volcano’s rim to appreciate the large caldera measuring 6.2 miles/10 km from North to South and 5.6 miles/9 km from East to West. If the weather allows, it is impressive scenery! We also can see the vast new lava field from the eruption of 2005.
Lagoons of Villamil: In the afternoon, we make an excursion to the lagoons of Villamil. We start at the Tortoise Breeding Centre to discover different subspecies of the Galapagos Giant Tortoises and the station’s efforts to restore the endangered populations.
We take a beautiful trail going from lagoon to lagoon on the walk back to town, watching out for flamingos, common gallinules, white-cheeked pintail ducks, and black-necked stilts. There also is a forest of button mangroves.
*For those passengers having booked the shortened option, ITINERARY B6, the cruise services end a) by traveling with the public speed boat at 6 am from Villamil to Puerto Ayora and, from there, to Baltra airport OR b) at 4:30 pm after the day’s activities in Villamil.

Punta Cormorant: The wet landing is on the Green Beach of Punta Cormorant. If the light conditions are correct, the sand shines green due to the high percentage of olivine crystals. It is unique!
On the easy walk through the Arid Zone, we come to a big saltwater lagoon with flamingos, white-cheeked pintail ducks, black-necked stilts, and, depending on the season, more migratory shorebirds. On a short walk, we find ourselves at the White Flour Sand Beach, named because of the fineness of the sand of white corals. It is a famous nesting beach for marine turtles, so it is crucial not to walk on the dune. Often, we can see many stingrays in shallow water.
Devil’s Crown: The Corona del Diablo, a leftover of a volcano looking like a black Crown emerging from the sea, is one of the Galapagos’ most famous snorkeling places. The experience is utterly unique, but it is essential to know that this snorkeling place is only for experienced snorkelers due to the strong currents.
After this visit, we navigate to Puerto Ayora on the Island of Santa Cruz to arrive there at approx. 5 pm/17:00.
Puerto Ayora is a small charming town, the largest in the Galapagos, and the head of tourism with several hotels, bars, restaurants, a hospital, banks, and many small shops. You can go out for a moment andwalk around, drink a coffee, or buy souvenirs.
During this time, Angelito’s staff is busy with the food supply and all the other necessary things to be ready again to continue the cruise.
*For passengers who booked the shortened option, ITINERARY B7, the cruise services end after arriving
in Puerto Ayora.