A wonderful island-hopping trip for the non-sailors of us or those who want a more active Galapagos experience. After a short stopover in Quito of Guayaquil, you fly out to the Galapagos and spend time hiking, biking, paddling and snorkelling around 3 of the archipelago’s most spectacular islands – Santa Cruz, Floreana and Isabela. Taking boat trips from one island to the next and staying in local guesthouses, this itinerary combines wonderful wildlife, adventure and scenery and gives you a fascinating insight into the people, history and wildlife of the famous archipelago.
Itinerary Highlights
Experience the Galapagos through the eyes of the locals
Paddle, swim and snorkel with penguins, sea-lions and turtles
Hike and bike along deserted beaches and rugged cliff-tops
Get up close and personal with giant tortoises & marine iguanas
Hike the Sierra Negra Volcano for spell-binding views
What’s included
Private tours for most included activities
Meet & greet airport service
Luxury or boutique accommodation at your chosen level
Expert guides in each destination
flexibility
This is an example itinerary. It is fully flexible; you can add or detract days and include hotels at your chosen budget. It departs daily.
8
Nights
Price Guide
from $9,995 pp
Our quotes are bespoke for your customised trip. The prices displayed are indicative only, read more
Day 1
Ecuador Mainland
Day 2
Quito or Guayaquil
Arrive into Quito or Guayaquil and spend a day recovering from the jetlag. Quito is certainly the prettier of the 2 cities with a gorgeous UNESCO-protected colonial centre and easy access to the Cotopaxi National Park and the equatorial line and monument. That said, Guayaquil still has plenty to offer including the bustling Malecon 2000 coastal boardwalk and the popular Cacao Train that takes you out to the pretty Hacienda Danesa.
Day 3-4
Merida – Ancient & Colonial Treasures
Today, you fly out to Baltra just across the channel from Santa Cruz for the start of your island-hopping adventure. Santa Cruz is one of the key hubs of the Galapagos, a beautiful island of lush mist-covered hills that tumble onto golden beaches, mangrove forests and jagged reef. Spend 2 days exploring the wonderful wildlife based at a unique tented camp or an ocean-front hotel. For adventure seekers, you can paddle-board, kayak and snorkel amidst rays, sea-lions and tropical fish or hike and bike in the highlands observing the Giant Tortoises in their natural habitat. Alternatively, you can visit the Charles Darwin Research Centre, enjoy boat-trips out to the nearby islands of North Seymour, South Plazas and Santa Fe or walk to Las Grietas or the beautiful Tortuga Bay.
Day 5-6
Floreana – Pirates, Mystery & Wildlife
After breakfast, you bid farewell to Santa Cruz and take a speedboat across to Floreana, the smallest inhabited island in the Galapagos and home to around 150 residents. Floreana Island is rich in mystery, legend and intrigue and you will hear tales of pirates and the “Enigma of Floreana,” involving the unexplained deaths of several of the inhabitants. Mystery aside, Floreana brims with wildlife and you can snorkel, swim and paddle at Black Beach; visit the sea-lion colony of Loberia or head into the highlands to visit pirate caves, freshwater springs and local farmsteads.
Day 7-8
isabela – Beaches, Volcanoes & Wetlands
Your adventure continues on the island of Isabela, a short speedboat trip away. Isabela is the Galapagos’ largest island offering a dizzying mix of beaches, wetlands, mangroves and old lava flows, all dominated by huge volcanoes. Here, you can visit the local town, snorkel at Tintoreras amidst white tipped sharks, sea lions, turtles, rays and penguins, and visit the “Wall of Tears”, built in the late 1940’s by Second World War prisoners. For keen walkers, the hike up Sierra Negra Volcano is unmissable, a breathtaking climb through countless micro-climates amidst rich birdlife including Galapagos Hawks, finches, flycatchers and even Short Eared Owls. Finally, on reaching the summit, you are rewarded with magnificent panoramic views across the Galapagos which stretch even further to the islands of Fernandina, Pinzon and Santa Cruz if you continue to “Volcan Chico” through a desolate mars-like landscape of lava tubes and fumaroles.
Day 9
Return to Mainland Ecuador
Today, you bid farewell to the Galapagos and return to Santa Cruz by boat for a flight back to mainland Ecuador. End of services
Day 10
onward connections
A note on price
The prices outlined above are a rough guide to give you an idea of costs and enable you to budget for your trip.
Guide prices are generally for private arrangements based on twin share, in well located, good quality accommodation (excluding international flights).
Please note costs are indicative and may vary due to a number of factors such as; travel date, hotel choice, room category, number of people travelling and prevailing exchange rates.
Price Guide from $9,995 per person
When to travel
Ecuador sits on the equator and enjoys 12 hours of light (preferably sunshine!) each day. However, its climate is as diverse as the country’s landscapes and can be divided into 4 main zones:- the Pacific lowlands, the Andes, the Amazon and the Galapagos. On the coast, the country enjoys a tropical climate with temperatures ranging from 23-26°C. The hottest months of February to April coincide with the rainy season where days are blighted by tempestuous downpours. The highlands follow a similar pattern, wettest in April, although a good bit cooler, 16°C on average although dropping close to zero at night. The steamy Amazon is hot and sticky all year though marginally more oppressive in January and February.
The Galapagos is a year round destination whose climate is determined by the prevailing ocean currents. From December to May, temperatures reach the 30’s with short, sharp showers although the warmer waters of the Panama current lend themselves to excellent snorkelling. From June to December, the Humboldt current dominates bringing milder temperatures (early 20’s) and cooler nutrient-rich water. The mornings coincide with a sea-mist (garua) that rapidly burns off in the sun. For a month-by-month wildlife calendar, please contact an Oasis Travel consultant.
Add on’s
Back on mainland Ecuador, there is wonderful walking at Cotopaxi National Park and wildlife both at Mindo Cloud-forest as well as the Amazon Rainforest, a short flight from Quito. If you are basing yourself at Guayaquil, a wonderful drive through the Cajas National Park takes you to the colonial gem of Cuenca which in turn is in easy reach of the fascinating Inca site of Ingapirca.
Further afield, there are direct flights to Bogota and San Jose in Costa Rica for breathtaking national parks, wildlife and more eco-adventures as well as Buenos Aires and Lima which would lead you nicely on to the Inca higlights of Peru and the breathtaking mountains, glaciers and condors of Patagonia.
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