Transfer from Baltra airport to hotel with Highland Visit along the way.

This tour consists of visiting 2 sites: El Chato with Lava tunnels and Los Gemelos.

Meet your guide and the rest of the group at the airport and start your Galapagos journey through the Highlands of Santa Cruz, finishing at your hotel in the afternoon.

This visit consists of visiting 2 sites: El Chato with Lava tunnels and Los Gemelos.
Firstly a visit to Las Gemelos, the twin craters that are actually sink holes surrounded by Scalesia forest. Vermillion flycatchers and often seen here, as well as short eared owls on occasion if you look very carefully.

The next stop is El Chato Tortoise Reserve & lava tunnels near Santa Rosa, approx 19km from Puerto Ayora. This is one of the only places where you can observe the ancient creatures up close in the wild. They look old, they smell old and they even sound old when they suck in their necks and heads and let out a hiss of air, like an old leather cushion. The reserve is also a great place to see the short eared owls, Darwin`s finches, yellow warblers and paint billed crakes.

The walking path will begin with the lava tunnels which were formed by the solidifying of the outside skin of molten lava flow, then continues through the tortoise reserve.

Lunch will be served at the Tortoise reserve.

After you return to the current century you will be transported back to Puerto Ayora and your hotel for check in.

Depart 7am for a 2 tank dive trip

Meet at Academy Bay Diving office at 6.55am – Depart 7am for a 2 tank dive trip
Includes: 2 tanks, all equipment, guide, lunch, towels, photos & videos

PM: Free time – Please see the list of suggested visitor site here.

DINNER – Join us at a local restaurant and experience seafood at it’s best! if you don’t like seafood “chuleta” the pork chops here are to die for, and the vegetarian options are also delicious. With fresh local produce you can’t go wrong.

Depart 7am for a 2 tank dive trip

Meet at Academy Bay Diving office at 6.55am – Depart 7am for a 2 tank dive trip
Includes: 2 tanks, all equipment, guide, lunch, towels, photos & videos

PM:Guided tour – THE SANTA CRUZ BREWERY – pick up dive center

The Santa cruz Brewery is the first microbrewery in Santa Cruz and have produced the first craft beer in Galapagos. Their brewing station is located just outside of Bellavista (10 minutes from Puerto Ayora) surrounded by endemic trees and nature.
Over the last 10 years they have produced several styles of beer, both traditional and experimental with the flavours of Galapagos.
For example, the Coffee Porter beer (Carapachuda) brewed with Galapagos coffee, Passion Beer (Made with Passion Fruit) and the latest Gose-style beer creation, made with Sea Salt and organic coffee cherries, both Galapagos products.

Depart 7am for a 2 tank dive trip

Meet at Academy Bay Diving office at 6.55am – Depart 7am for a 2 tank dive trip.
Includes: 2 tanks, all equipment, guide, lunch, towels, photos & videos

PM: COOKING CLASS – CEVICHE fresh local fish or vegetarian

Join The ‘Galapagos Chefs’ turning fresh local seafood and produce into a delicious, traditional, galapagueñan ceviche.

Depart 7am for a 2 tank dive trip

Meet at Academy Bay Diving office at 6.55am – Depart 7am for a 2 tank dive trip.
Includes: 2 tanks, all equipment, guide, lunch, towels, photos & videos

PM guided visit – LA VIÑA – go directly from dive trip

La Viña is a farm situated in the highlands of Santa cruz that offers a 40 minute walking trail through the lush plantations of coffee, cocoa and sugar cane.
During the walk, whilst learning about the coffee growing process, you may pluck mandarins, lemons, oranges or guava fruits to eat, depending on the season. Towards the end of the trail you will be treated to the process of extracting juice from the sugar cane, and then finally see the process of cleaning, drying and sorting the coffee and cocoa.
Of course the exprience would not be complete without taste testing the finished productos before you leave!

Depart 7am for a 2 tank dive trip

Meet at Academy Bay Diving office at 6.55am – Depart 7am for a 2 tank dive trip.
Includes: 2 tanks, all equipment, guide, lunch, towels, photos & videos

PM: guided visit – EL TRAPICHE & EL DIBUJO – go directly from dive trip
The trapiche farm makes sugar cane alcohol. See the process of juicing the cane with their trusted donkey, listen to the explanation of the fermentation process, and of course taste test the final product.

Watch and help one of the Galapagos local woodworkers turn a block of wood into a work of art – tortoise, sea lion or shark. Choose your Galapagos souvenir direct from the maker (and save a little on the main street prices!).

Depart 7am for a 2 tank dive trip

Meet at Academy Bay Diving office at 6.55am – Depart 7am for a 2 tank dive trip. The site will depend on your experience and our itinerary – Please see a description of dive sites below. Return approx. 3pm
Includes: 2 tanks, all equipment, guide, lunch, towels, photos & videos

PM: Free time – please see the list of Self Guided sites here.

Ferry departs Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz at 7.30am. Please be ready at your hotel for transfer to the boat at 6.45am. The ferry ride is approx. 2 hours on a speed boat (during July – Nov this trip can be quite bumpy)

On arrival to Isabela you will be met by a representative from the hotel who will give you a briefing of your activities in Isabela, pick up times for all your tours and take you to your hotel to check in.

Los Tuneles – hotel pick up 11am
Return approx. 5pm
Take approximately 1 hour boat ride east along the Isabela coast to a breathtaking area called Los Tunules.
As the name suggests, the area is a maze of tunnels and bridges formed by the lava millions of years ago. This maze with it’s crystal clear blue waters is the home to penguins, sea turtles, sea lions, white tipped reek sharks and a multitude of birds, including the Blue Footed Boobie which frequently can be seen resting on the rocks with the penguins.
After a boat ride through Los Tuneles you will be taken to a snorkel site where you can get up close and personal with the local residents.

There will be time to take a short walk along the lava rocks so make sure to take some shoes or sandals.

Included: lunch, guide & snorkel equipment

Hotel Pick up 7.20am

The bus ride to the Control booth is approximately 40 minutes, winding through the tropical areas on the slope of the volcano. At La Cura (control booth) you will meet your horse and begin the 12 km trail to the Sulfer mines, with the first section being the hike up to the rim of the Sierra Negra crater. From here you can enjoy breathtaking views of the crater itself, and also the coast of Isabela, and if it’s clear also catch a glimpse of Isla Fernandina.
Back on the horse, the trail follows the west side of the Volcano along the rim, to The Sulfur Mines.
At the top of the Sulfer mines trail you will need to leave your horse and continue on foot into the caldera along a steep slope that finally reaches a site where several sulfur fumaroles can be observed and the landscape is similar to what you might expect on the moon!
After taking in the sites and having a rest, you will climb back out of the crater and mount your horse for the return trip to El Cura and the bus.

Round trip is approx. 24km.

Volcan Sierra Negra rises 1490 meters above the sea level and last erupted in June 2018.
This trip is best to be taken on horseback, but if we have a group of enthusiastic hikers/walkers, this can also be arranged.

Box lunch provided on the tour but you will need to take extra drinking water, hat, sunscreen, walking shoes. It’s also a good idea to take a light rain jacket or poncho.

Included: guide, transport, horse, box lunch

Return to Santa Cruz – 6am
Please be ready at your hotel for transfer to the boat at 5.20am. The ferry ride is approx. 2 hours on a speed boat (during July – Nov this trip can be quite bumpy)

On arrival to Santa Cruz – please come to the Academy Bay office to leave your bags.
Experience a traditional Ecuadorian/Galapagueñan breakfast.
Bolon, bistek, guatita (if you are brave), or even seco de chivo (goat stew)!

The morning is an optional Boat ride to Tortuga bay where you can relax at the beach or go snorkelling. A packed box lunch is provided. The boat will return to Puerto Ayora at approx 1.30pm.

Ferry departs Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz at 3pm. Please be at Academy Bay office at 2.10pm. The ferry ride is approx. 2 hours on a speed boat (during July – Nov this trip can be quite bumpy)

On arrival to San Cristobal you will be met by a representative from the hotel who will take you to your hotel to check in.
4-6pm – Check in at Dive/tour center to check equipment and receive tour and meeting time instructions.
* you can exchange these 2 ferries with a flight from Isabela to San Cristobal with an extra cost

Depart 7.30am for a 2 tank dive trip

Return approx. 2-3pm
Includes: 2 tanks, all equipment, guide, lunch, towels, photos & videos

PM: Free time – Please see the list of suggested visitor site here.

For bike rider enthusiasts it is possible to join our local dive guide (and ameture triathlete/cyclist) Santiago on one of his training rides into the Highlands of San Cristobal in the afternoon. You will need to pay for the cost to rent the bike and maybe a tip for Santiago. This can be arranged directly with him on arrival – or you can let us know in advance if this will interest you.

Depart 7.30am for a 2 tank dive trip

The boat trip is around 2 hours on a speed boat, and can be bumpy during the colder months.
The first stop is Punta Suarez for a 2 hour walk around the island. Despite the dry climate the island is one of the world’s only known nesting sites for the Waved Albatross (aka Galapagos Albatross). From April to December this island is covered with these adorably clumsy birds. Blue-Footed and Nazca Boobies as well as many other bird species also call this island home.

The next stop is is Gardner Bay for 1 dive or snorkelling with Eagle rays, reef sharks, sea lions and many reef fish. Whale sightings are common (but not guaranteed) during the open water cruise to/from San Cristóbal Island. Return approx. 5pm

Includes: snorkel equipment, guide, lunch, towels, photos & videos

We will pick you up at the hotel at 8am for the bus ride into the Highlands of San Cristobal to visit: El Junco, the only fresh water lagoon in the Archipelago, (It is actually not a lagoon as such, but a volcanic crater filled with fresh water).

From there you continue by bus to the Route of the Waterfalls, a 2.5 hour walking round trip that takes in the natural beauty of the Galapagos highlands and of course the water falls along the way. If it’s hot please bring your bathing suit and towel so you can take a refreshing dip in the fresh water.

You will eat lunch at the finca who use home grown organic and locally produced food.
You finish the afternoon learning about the process of turning Sugarcane into juice and trapiche, which of course you can taste to your hearts content!

Includes: lunch, transport & guide

PM: Celebrate your last night’s dinner with your new found family, in the house of a local fisherman (which doubles as a little museum).

Hotel pick up 2 hours before your flight departure time.
Say goodbye to your guide and new friends.

We really hope you enjoyed your time with us in the Galapagos Islands!