NOTE: Please keep in mind that our west itinerary starts right after you arrive to the islands. If possible,  please  wear clothes  comfortable  enough  for a visit to the highlands  of Santa Cruz Island: comfortable shoes, a hat for the sun, pants or shorts.   You will be reunited with your luggage at around 5:00 in the afternoon when you board the ship at Puerto Ayora (Santa Cruz Island)

EASTERN ITINERARY AT A GLANCE  8-day/7-night Saturday-Saturday OR 5-day/4-night Saturday-Wednesday    |    4-day/3-night Wednesday-Saturday Day MORNING AFTERNOON Sat Baltra PM Black Turtle Cove Sun Tower - Darwin Bay Tower - Prince Philip's Steps Mon Bartolome Santiago Island - Sullivan Bay Tue Rabida Island Santa Cruz - Dragon Hill Wed Santa Cruz - Highlands Santa Cruz - Darwin Station Thu South Plaza Island Santa Fe Island Fri Hood - Gardner Bay Hood - Osborn Islet Sat Santa Cruz - Lava Tunnels Disembark 2021 8-day/7-night Saturday/Saturday 2022 8-day/7-night Saturday/Saturday Jan 2-9 Jan 16-23 Jan 30-Feb 6 Feb13-20 Feb 27-Mar 6 Mar 13-20 Mar 27-Apr 3 Apr 10-17 Apr 24-May 1 May8-15 May 22-29 Jun 5-12 Jun 19-26 Jul 3-10 Jul 17-24 Jul 31-Aug 7 Aug 14-21 Aug 28-Sep 4 Sep 11-18 Sep 25-Oct 2 Oct 9-16 Oct 223-30 Nov 6-13 Nov 20-27 Dec 4-11 Dec 18-25 Jan 29-Feb 5 Feb 26-Mar 2 Apr 9-13 Apr 23-30 May 21-28 Jun 4-11 Jun 18-25 Jul 2-9 Jul 16-23 Jul 30-Aug 6 Aug 13-20 Aug 27-Sep 3 Sep 10-17 Sep 24-Oct 1 Oct 8-15 Oct 22-29 Nov 5-12 Nov 19-26 Dec 3-10 Dec 17-24 Dec31-Jan7/2023 Detailed itinerary follows

DAY 1  - SATURDAY

AFTERNOON

After arriving at Baltra airport we will be greeted by an Angermeyer Cruises representative  to then board the Passion and have lunch. After lunch, we will navigate a short distance to Black Turtle Cove, a large mangrove  lagoon on the north coast of Santa Cruz Island.   Pelicans and herons roost on the branches, while marine dwellers such as green sea turtles or golden rays may cruise right next to the panga as it makes its way through the mangroves.

 

DAY 2 - SUNDAY

MORNING

We travel to Genovesa Island and reach Darwin Bay (wet landing), a unique site lined with red mangroves and soft‐haired prickly pear cacti where red‐footed boobies and great frigatebirds perch tamely.

 

AFTERNOON

At Prince Philip Steps (dry landing), we climb the edge of a cliff where frigatebirds, masked boobies,  and  red‐footed  boobies  nest.  We  will  be  seeking  out  the  impressive  red‐billed tropicbird amidst Galapagos storm petrels.

 

DAY 3 – MONDAY

MORNING

Dry landing at Bartholomew to climb up the wooden steps and reach the summit of this spatter cone for a most breath‐taking  panorama of the island’s well photographed  Pinnacle Rock and views of neighbouring Santiago and many other central islands in the distance.

 

AFTERNOON

We  head  across  to Sullivan  Bay  (dry  landing)  in Santiago  to walk  over  a recent  lava  flow, including very fresh pahoehoe lava formations, lava bubbles containing crystallized minerals and pioneer plants. Along the shoreline, we may find Galapagos penguins and herons going after small fish.

 

DAY 4 - TUESDAY

MORNING

Wet landing onto Rábida's deep‐red beaches to explore the red island's fascinating interior and saltwater lagoon. Darwin’s finches, Galapagos mockingbirds and yellow warblers feed off the vegetation. Given the right time of the year we may see brown pelicans nesting on salt bushes that fringe the beach.

 

AFTERNOON

We  head  across  to  Cerro  Dragón  on  Santa  Cruz's  northwest  shore  (dry  landing)  to  visit  a saltwater lagoon, home to Greater Flamingos, black‐necked stilts and white‐cheeked pintails. Further inland we find a fantastic land iguana nesting site.

 

DAY 5 – WEDNESDAY

MORNING

We will spend this day visiting Santa Cruz Island's most famous highlights. We will have a dry landing at the dock of Puerto Ayora to then board our transportation  and head to the island’s highlands. This area, in contrast to the coastal region, has lush vegetation and forest due to the humidity in the higher regions.

 

We will visit one of the ranches of the area where it is possible to see giant tortoises in their natural habitat. As these animals migrate from the coastal area to the highlands and back, the chosen ranch will depend on the presence of the tortoises since they roam free and change locations. This is also a good place to see the Galapagos hawk and barn owl of this island and the surrounding forests are filled of birds such as the vermilion flycatcher or the yellow warbler.

 

AFTERNOON

We will enjoy lunch at the ranch to then head back to Puerto Ayora for our second visit of the day, the Charles Darwin Research Station and the Fausto Llerena Breeding Center. Here, we will see tortoises from different islands. The animals are found in large semi‐natural pens for their protection, but also to ensure an easy view for the visitors. The pens are divided according to four different stages: eggs, neonates, juveniles (held here until they are mature enough to be "repatriated"), and adults.

 

After  this visit, we will have  some  time to explore  the town of Puerto  Ayora  and its many souvenir shops, before boarding the M/Y Passion for dinner and the evening briefing.

 

DAY 6 – THURSDAY
MORNING

Dry landing on one of the oldest docks of the archipelago, colorful Plaza Sur is home to vibrant green prickly pears, deep red Sesuvium and coppery‐orange  land iguanas. Impressive seaward cliffs are excellent for a variety of coastal birds. This is also a great place to observe the adult and pup sea lions swimming along the shores.

 

AFTERNOON

After a wet landing on Santa Fe onto a white beach where sea lions are usually resting, we will be looking for the endemic species of land iguana, larger and yellower than land iguanas on other islands. The largest prickly pear cacti in the Galapagos are also found here.

 

DAY 7 – FRIDAY
MORNING

At Punta Suárez (dry landing), a spectacular walk to give insight into the intimacies of life at sea, with nesting sites of blue‐footed and Nazca Boobies, as well as the fascinating breeding rituals (April to December) of the waved albatross. Lined with neon‐colored marine iguanas (January), and lazy Galapagos sea lions, we walk up to an amazing viewpoint of the famous blowhole.

 

AFTERNOON

We will spend the day in fantastic Española, starting with Gardner Bay (wet landing), an outstanding beach with sea lions, marine iguanas, and the intrepid Española mockingbird.

 

DAY 8 – SATURDAY

MORNING
This is our last day in the islands. After breakfast we will disembark in Puerto Ayora to take our transport to the Baltra airport, making a short stop to visit the Twin Craters. The Gemelos (twins) are two deep craters located to the side of the road that leads to Puerto Ayora from the other side of the island.  These huge holes were probably created in a volcanic explosion or by magma chambers underneath the island's surface.

 

This  is  also  a good  place  to  see  the  Galapagos  hawk  and  barn  owl  of  this  island  and  the surrounding forests are filled of birds such as the vermilion flycatcher or the yellow warbler. Something worth mentioning is the contrast of the vegetation of the highlands with the arid coastal zones.

 

After this visit we will make our way to the Baltra airport for the flight to mainland Ecuador.

 

In addition to the land visits we offer a good balance of other activities such as snorkeling, panga rides and kayaking.