Northern Route 5 Day Galapagos Cruise | Bonita

In the morning you will take a flight from either Quito or Guayaquil to the Galapagos. Upon arrival in the Galapagos you will be met by our representative at the airport who will transfer you to your vessel where you will have a welcome drink and introduction to your crew.

After your arrival and lunch on board, you will visit Plazas, two small islands, created by an uplifting of the land.  The land iguanas are smaller here; they nest during the warm season. The hike goes along an extraordinary cliff where sea birds nest. There are approximately 1000 sea lions located on the south side of the Plazas.

Your first visit of the day will be to Black Turtle Cove which is situated in the northern region of Santa Cruz. This bay is surrounded by mangroves and is only accessible by dinghy . The shallow cove is a safe refuge for marine life. Black-tip reef sharks, marine turtles, and a variety of rays are often spotted here. You will then return to the vessel to have lunch.

In the afternoon you will make your way to the Santa Cruz Highlands. Here we have a trekking and we will find the giant tortoises in their natural habitat, this is a natural spectacle. For this visit, we recommend good walking shoes, long pants, a raincoat, a hat, and sunblock. 

In the morning you will arrive at Darwin Bay, located on Genovesa Island. Genovesa Island is a small island in the north of the Galapagos. Our unloading in Darwin Bay will be wet.  Near the beach is a mangrove swamp where we will find a colony of frigates, marine iguanas, red-footed boobies and mask boobies, the great terrestrial finch, seagulls, herons, and cactus finch.  Following the land visit, you may enjoy a relacing swim in the bay.

In the afternoon you will make a landing at Barranco. Also known as Prince Phillip’s stairs.  Here, we will go for a walk on the Barranco path. On our journey we will observe tropical birds, petrels, common frigate, red-foot boobies, mask boobies, doves, and finches.

In the morning you will arrive at Sullivan Bay. Virtually uneroded lava flows cover an extensive area of this island.  Lava pahoehoe (basaltic lava that has a smooth, billowy, undulating or ropy surface), hornitos, and mollugo (a lava colonizer) can be observed while on the island.  Snacks and refreshing beverages await you on board the ship.

In the afternoon you will arrive on Bartolome Island. We will follow a path to the top (114m) where we can see pioneering plants such as tiquilia, chamaesyce, and scalesia.  The island has been formed by cones, lava pipes where lava once flowed.  Following the wet landing at the beach, we will follow a path through mangrove swamps and sand dune vegetation, to the south beach.  At the north beach, guests can enjoy swimming and snorkelling.  From the top of Bartolome, we will be able to see the islands of Santiago, Rabida, and Isabela. You will have the opportunity to see endemic Galapagos penguins at Pinnacle Rock.

In the morning you will arrive at Seymour Island. Seymour was formed by the lifting of volcanic marine lava. Marine fossils dating back to the Pleistocene period were found on this island. In 1932, Captain Alan Hancock and his crew took 72 malnourished land iguanas from Baltra Island to North Seymour Island so that the iguanas could live in better conditions.  In 1934, colonists verified that the iguanas were in good condition. The vegetation of North Seymour is bushy and is host to nesting Real Frigates of the Galapagos.

After this activity you will be transferred to the airport where you will board your departure flight from the Galapagos.