4 day wildlife tour in the Galapagos Islands on board the Anahi catamaran


This tour takes you to Espanola Island in the Southern Galapagos National Park where you can hike into the nesting areas of the world's only colony of waved albatross. The Galapaguera (Giant tortoise sanctuary, breeding center and sanctuary), Post Office Bay and Gardner beach with their white sands and turquoise waters are all important stops. This cruise allows you to experience the unique wildlife of the archipelago via liveaboard. The Anahi catamaran, a boat of first-class with 8 cabins and excellent service, is the perfect vessel to navigate the equatorial waters.
Day 1: San Cristobal Island: Interpretation Center, Cerro Tijeretas & Española Island: Carola Point

You will fly from Quito or Guayaquil to San Cristobal at approximately midday. Our guide will meet you at the lobby and take you to the Yacht Anahi. One of our crew members will handle your baggage and transport it directly to the yacht.

We will head to the dock and board small Zodiacs that will take us to Yacht Anahi. After a welcome drink from our Captain and crew, you will be assigned to your cabins. After lunch, our guide will briefly explain the afternoon activities.

San Cristobal Island: Interpretation Center

You will embark at 2 p.m. and begin your walking tour to the Interpretation Center San Cristobal. It is located outside the small town of Pto. Baquerizo Moreno is the capital of Galapagos Province. The Interpretation Center gives a wonderful introduction to the islands. It covers everything from their natural and human history to the efforts of the National Park and Marine Reserve to preserve the fragile environment. Then we walk up to Frigate Bird Hill.

San Cristobal Island: Cerro Tijeretas

The short hike takes approximately 30 minutes and starts at the Interpretation Center. Visitors are treated to spectacular views of the white beaches, the Kicker Rock formation rising from the Pacific Ocean and the roofs at the Puerto Baquerizo houses. It is home to Frigate birds, who nest there at certain times throughout the year. This gives it its name. Here you can see both the "great" and "magnificent" species of frigate birds.

Espanola Island: Carola Point

We descend from the hill towards Punta Carola, which is a small cove where we can find cute sea lions. A great spectacle!

Day 2: Española Island: Punta Suarez & Gardner Bay

After a night boat ride, we will arrive at Espanola Island. Also known as Hood Island, it is named after Viscount Samuel Hood. It is located in the southeast corner of the archipelago. It is also considered one of the oldest, at four million years old, and is known as Santa Fe. It is becoming a barren, rocky land that lacks vegetation. There are sand beaches and soft shingle beaches, which attract a lot of Galapagos Sea Lions.

Suarez Point

Two spots are particularly popular with visitors. After breakfast, we will visit Suarez Point. This is a great spot due to its abundant bird-life. There are many species of animals on this island, including the Espanola Mockingbird with a longer, more curving beak than other variations; the Espanola Lava Lizard; and the Marine Iguana subspecies Venustissimus which has red markings on the back. Swallow-tailed Gulls, as well as other tropical birds, can be seen on the rocky slopes. The Waved Albatross is one of the most fascinating attractions. It breeds here every year from March to January. Also, the Blue-footed Boobies perform their mating dances. There are many masked Boobies and colonies of sea lions.

Gardner Bay

After lunch, we'll head back to the yacht and take a brief rest before continuing our afternoon visit Bahia Gardner. This beautiful beach is great for snorkeling and swimming. We will also see a large colony of playful sea-lions. With luck, we may even be able to spot Galapagos Hawks and local snake species.
Finches, mockingbirds and sea turtles.

Day 3: Floreana Island: Punta Cormorant, Devils Crown & Post Office Bay & Asilo de la Paz

Floreana Island is named after Juan Jose Flores who was the first president of Ecuador and took control of the archipelago under his administration. Charles Island was named after King Charles II of England, and Santa Maria after one Columbus' ship. It covers 173 km (67 mi) and was formed from volcanic eruptions, like the main archipelago islands. The highest point is Cerro Pajas at 2,100ft.

Punta Cormorant

We will visit Punta Cormorant in the morning, which is the site with the most flamingo lagoons in the Galapagos. The area is surrounded by two cones of "tuff" nature that create a unique atmosphere. Apart from flamingos there are many species of shorebirds. The most common being stilts, pintail ducks with white checks and other migratory bird. Because of the unique island's endemic plant life, this area is very special. These two beaches are among the most beautiful in the island. They include the "green beach", which is due to the high amount of olivine crystals embedded in the sand, and the "Flour beach", made up of coral. You can also snorkel around the area. To begin our snorkeling activity at the area known as, we return to the yacht.

Devils Crown

Corona del Diablo (Devil's Crown). It is a submerged, eroded volcanic cone. The interior is perfect for the support of a beautiful coral reef habitat. This site is one of the most interesting marine sites in Galapagos. You can see reefs, sea-lions, reef fish and hammerhead sharks as well as many other fish species. After lunch, we'll return to the yacht for a brief navigation and rest period.

Post Office Bay

Afternoon visit to the Post Office Bay. This bay was used as a station for letter exchanges. It is made from a wooden barrel, which was originally placed by crew members of whaling ships in the 18th century. This simple system has been used by both tourists and sailors to exchange letters to all corners of the globe. It is possible to hand carry letters and postcards to your destination. This creates a unique "Postal Service".

Asilo de la Paz

Later, we will visit "Asilo de La Paz (Haven of Peace), a place that is known for its strange history as the first space to be occupied by a Wittmer family from Germany. After touring the caves that this family once lived, we'll return to our yacht and begin our navigation towards Puerto Ayora. This is the largest town in the Galapagos.

Day 4: Santa Cruz Island: Charles Darwin Research Station & Transfer out

After breakfast, we will board our ship and, with the help of our guide, visit an interesting attraction before we head to the airport. We will begin with a visit to the Galapagos National Park Fausto Llerena turtle breeding and Interpretation Center, where we will learn more about the conservation efforts made for this rare animal.

We will then be taken to the Itabaca Channel, where we cross with a ferry. From there we board a bus that takes us to the Airport at Baltra Island. Our journey ends here. We will say goodbye our guide, and the Galapagos Islands await your next visit.

Included

  • Accommodation in double/twin cabins or Suites with king sized beds with private facilities
  • All meals during cruise, drinking water, coffee & tea
  • All excursions accompanied by bilingual licensed guide as per Galapagos park approved itinerary
  • Cruise Fuel Surcharge
  • Transfers within the islands on cruise dates as per itinerary
  • Personalized 24/7 assistance during tour.
  • Snorkeling equipment for marine excursions

Not Included

  • Galapagos National Park Entrance Fee US$100 per person (in cash only to be pain upon entry to the Islands)
  • Galapagos Migration Card US$20 in cash per person (at Quito or Guayaquil Airport)
  • Alcoholic / soft drinks, personal expenses, extras, tips and other services not specified in the program
  • Travel, medical & cancelation Insurance and any services on Mainland
  • All sizes wet-suits for rent on board (in cash)
  • Flights to Galapagos from Quito / Guayaquil
  • International flights to/from Ecuador.

Highlights

  • Learn about the Giant Tortoise breeding programs at "La Galapaguera"
  • Spot bright green and red colored marine iguanas on Española island
  • Send a Post Card back home using the Post office barrel on Floreana Island
  • Snorkel with rays, sea turtles and possibly hammer head sharks at the Devils Crown