Galápagos Family Adventure

Arrive in Ecuador's capital city, Quito, and transfer to our sustainable hotel with spectacular views of Quito.

Walk the streets of colonial Quito, considered South America’s best-preserved historical center. Stop at Independence Plaza, the presidential palace, and the monastery of San Francisco, one of the most impressive religious buildings in Latin America. Stand with one foot on each side of the equator at Mitad del Mundo. Cap off the day with a welcome reception and dinner.

Transfer to the airport after breakfast for our short flight to Baltra to embark on La Pinta. Our first stop is South Plaza Island, where we loop the entire island on foot, taking in carpets of scarlet succulents, often a meal for land iguanas. View colonies of sea lions and marine birds as we circle the coastline.

Disembark on Santa Fe Island this morning and walk among the towering Opuntia cacti with very soft thorns. Home to an endemic species of land iguana and Galápagos hawks, Santa Fe is the site of the longest-running research project on marine iguanas, begun in the 1970s. Explore marine life from their perspective as we swim with acrobatic sea lions and search for sea turtles. After lunch, we venture to Puerto Baquerizo Moreno on San Cristóbal Island, close to where Darwin first stepped on the Galapagos Islands in 1835 and today the archipelago’s provincial capital. Visit the Gianni Arismendi Interpretation Center, where exhibits delve into the islands' human history and the volcanic origins that have shaped the unique wildlife found here. Continue to Cerro Tijeretas for breathtaking panoramic views and to observe the magnificent flight of frigatebirds.

Sea lions may greet us as we land on the beach at Punta Pitt, an eroded tuff cone. Punta Pitt is ideal for snorkeling and is also the only site in the Galápagos where its three species of boobies can be found together. Later, cruise to Cerro Brujo, during which we take in the immensity of the stunning cliffs of “Sorcerer’s Hill.” Relax on the beach with sea lions, snorkel from shore, or explore the area on a guided walk to a hidden lagoon to look for black-necked stilts, ruddy turnstones, whimbrels, and white-cheeked pintails.

Continue our adventure on Española Island, home to swallow-tailed gulls, Española mockingbirds, and Nazca boobies. Disembark and walk among the world’s only population of waved albatross at Punta Suarez. In the afternoon, sink our toes into the white coralline sand among several colonies of Galápagos  sea lions at Gardner Bay. Here, we may have the opportunity to observe the endemic mockingbird of Española defending its territory. Spend time in the water snorkeling and searching for king angelfish, damselfish, parrotfish, rays, sea turtles, and reef sharks.

Say goodbye to our friends on La Pinta as we disembark in Puerto Ayora. Travel into the highlands to observe giant tortoises roaming in their natural habitat at a local family farm. Marvel at the endemic Scalesia, members of the daisy family as tall as trees, and look for the emblematic Darwin’s finches as we stroll through the forest near the twin sinkholes known as Los Gemelos. Next, visit the Charles Darwin Research Station to hear about the Rearing in Captivity program that is dedicated to giant tortoises and see the efforts and results of Galápagos  biology fieldwork. Continue by water taxi to our beachfront hotel for an evening at leisure.

Enjoy a biking excursion to Garrapatero Beach for a refreshing dip in the water. Check out the nearby brackish lagoon, home to stilts, plovers, pintails, and flamingos. Return to our hotel and toast our adventure at a festive farewell dinner this evening.

Bid farewell to the Galápagos as we transfer to the airport for our return flight to Guayaquil. Check in to our hotel and connect with return flights, arriving back in the United States the next day.