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Galapagos Islands Red Mangrove Land-Based Itineraries
5-DAY & 6-DAY* PACKAGES - DAILY DEPARTURES
Rates  - The Lodges

5-Day Itinerary - Daily Departures

Day 1 AM
Flight from Quito or Guayaquil to Baltra Island. Then Santa Cruz Highlands and 'Los Gemelos'.
Galapagos Islands
Click for larger image - 131K
PM Darwin Research Center
Day 2 AM
Santa Cruz & Floreana Islands - tour of Academy Bay and the 'La Loberia'. Motorboat trip to 'Tortuga Bay'. Swimming on the beach, short hike to Marine Iguana nesting site.
PM Lunch on the beach and then back to the hotel to shower and depart to Floreana Island
Day 3 AM
Floreana Island Highlands and Peace Asylum.
PM Lunch at Lodge before departure to Isabela Island
Day 4 AM
Isabela to Santa Cruz Island, 'Tintoreras' Reef Shark resting site. Then visit penguin colony in Puerto Villamil.
PM Puerto Ayora and overnight at Red Mangrove.
Day 5 AM
Baltra Island to Ecuador Mainland

Day 1: Morning flight from either Quito or Guayaquil to Baltra Island
Upon arrival at Baltra Island you will be met by a representative of the Red Mangrove Adventura Lodge. Galapagos giant tortoise, namesake of the Galapagos IslandsYou will board a ferry for a 10-minute crossing to Santa Cruz Island, followed by a bus ride to the Santa Cruz Highlands. Here you will get a chance to see 'Los Gemelos' (The Twins) which are twin volcanic pit craters. You can walk in one of the few remaining forests of scalesia trees and perhaps see a vermilion flycatcher, or small and large tree finches. After lunch you will hike to the natural habitat of the particular species of giant tortoises (right) that live in the highlands. Lunch is provided on the tour and then it's a two-hour transfer to the town of Puerto Ayora. You will have time to get settled into your hotel, and then in the afternoon you will walk through the village to the Darwin Research Center for a tour. Back at the hotel you will have a welcome cocktail, dinner, a briefing on your program and overnight. (B, L, D)

Day 2: Santa Cruz & Floreana Islands
This morning you will have a tour of Academy Bay and the 'La Loberia'. You can even snorkel with sea lions (optional) before a 40-minute motorboat trip to 'Tortuga Bay'. As you land on the white sandy beach you will have a chance to observe different marine species of sting rays and baby reef sharks in the shallow waters of the Mangrove ecosystem. After swimming on the beach you will take a short hike to the Marine Iguana nesting site. (4 hours) Lunch on the beach and then back to the hotel to shower and depart to Floreana Island, which is located 40 nautical miles south of Santa Cruz. Along the way you will have the opportunity to see dolphins and whales. Overnight at the Red Mangrove Adventura Lodge with a briefing and BBQ dinner. (B, L, D)
Degree of difficulty for this day: 2 of 5

Day 3: Floreana and Isabel Islands
Marine Iguanas, Galapagos IslandsAfter breakfast you drive up to the Highlands through the agricultural zone. The Peace Asylum is a visitor site that tells us about the human history of 'The Enchanted Islands.' Floreana was the first island to be colonized and this is also the only opportunity to see the medium tree finch. (3 hours) Lunch at the Lodge before your departure to Isabela Island located 57 nautical miles northwest of Floreana Island. Overnight at the Red Mangrove Isabela Sierra Negra Lodge with a briefing and dinner. (B, L, D)
Degree of difficulty for this day: 3 of 5

Day 4, Isabela to Santa Cruz
After breakfast you will take a dinghy ride to visit 'Tintoreras' (Reef Shark resting site) where the sharks spend the night in the bottom of the crevices. The trail will take you to see one of the few marine iguana colonies in town that have not been disturbed by introduced species. Opportunity to see the colony of penguins that are recently getting established in Puerto Villamil. (2 hours) Lunch at the lodge and then return to Puerto Ayora in the afternoon. Dinner and overnight at the Red Mangrove Adventura Lodge. (B, L, D)
Degree of difficulty for this day: 1 of 5

Day 5: Baltra Island to Ecuador Mainland
After breakfast, transfer out to Baltra's Airport in order to catch your flight back to the mainland. Check out time will be depending on the scheduled flight. (B)


6-Day Itinerary - Daily Departures
*Note: The 6-day itinerary is the same as the 5-day itinerary with an extra night on Isabela Island and a tour of the Isabela Highlands.

Day 1 AM
Flight from Quito or Guayaquil to Baltra Island. Then Santa Cruz Highlands and 'Los Gemelos'.
Galapagos Islands
Click for larger image - 131K
PM Darwin Research Center
Day 2 AM
Santa Cruz & Floreana Islands - tour of Academy Bay and the 'La Loberia'. Motorboat trip to 'Tortuga Bay. Swimming on the beach, Marine Iguana nesting site.
PM Lunch on the beach and then back to the hotel to shower and depart to Floreana Island
Day 3 AM
Floreana Island highlands and Peace Asylum.
PM Lunch at Lodge before departure to Isabela Island
Day 4 AM
Isabela Highlands - Horseback and hike to Sierra Negra Volcano.
PM Lunch and visit Volcan Chico and 'Mina de Azufre'.
Day 5 AM
Isabela to Santa Cruz Island, 'Tintoreras' Reef Shark resting site. Then visit penguin colony in Puerto Villamil.
PM Puerto Ayora and overnight at Red Mangrove.
Day 6 AM
Baltra Island to Ecuador Mainland

Day 1: Morning flight from either Quito or Guayaquil to Baltra Island
Vermilion flycatcher, Galapagos IslandsUpon arrival at Baltra Island you will be met by a representative of the Red Mangrove Adventura Lodge. You will board a ferry for a 10-minute crossing to Santa Cruz Island, followed by a bus ride to the Santa Cruz Highlands. Here you will get a chance to see 'Los Gemelos' (The Twins) which are twin volcanic pit craters. You can walk in one of the few remaining forests of scalesia trees and perhaps see a vermilion flycatcher (left), or small and large tree finches. After lunch you will hike to the natural habitat of the particular species of giant tortoises that live in the highlands. Lunch is provided on the tour and then it's a two-hour transfer to the town of Puerto Ayora. You will have time to get settled into your hotel, and then in the afternoon you will walk through the village to the Darwin Research Center for a tour. Back at the hotel you will have a welcome cocktail, dinner, a briefing on your program and overnight. (B, L, D)

Pirates Cave, Floreana Island, Galapagos IslandsDay 2: Santa Cruz & Floreana Islands
This morning you will have a tour of Academy Bay and the 'La Loberia'. You can even snorkel with sea lions (optional) before a 40-minute motorboat trip to 'Tortuga Bay'. As you land on the white sandy beach you will have a chance to observe different marine species of sting rays and baby reef sharks in the shallow waters of the Mangrove ecosystem. After swimming on the beach you will take a short hike to the Marine Iguana nesting site. (4 hours) Lunch on the beach and then back to the hotel to shower and depart to Floreana Island, which is located 40 nautical miles south of Santa Cruz. Along the way you will have the opportunity to see dolphins and whales. Overnight at the Red Mangrove Floreana Lodge with a briefing and BBQ dinner. (B, L, D)
Degree of difficulty for this day: 2 of 5

Day 3: Floreana and Isabela Islands
After breakfast you drive up to the Highlands through the agricultural zone. The Peace Asylum is a visitor site that tells us about the human history of 'The Enchanted Islands.' Floreana was the first island to be colonized and this is also the only opportunity to see the medium tree finch. (3 hours) Lunch at the Lodge before your departure to Isabela Island located 57 nautical miles northwest of Floreana Island. Overnight at the Red Mangrove Isabela Sierra Negra Lodge with a briefing and dinner. (B, L, D)
Degree of difficulty for this day: 3 of 5

Day 4: Isabela Highlands
After breakfast you take a bus ride to the Isabela Highlands where you will be taking horses for a ride and Sierra Negra Volcano crater, Isabela Island, Galapagos Islandshike to Sierra Negra Volcano (left), one of the active volcanoes of the Galapagos Lunch at the crater which is known as the largest caldera in the islands with a diameter of 9-10 kms and offers volcanic activity and spectacular geology and vegetation. 'Volcan Chico' on the northwest side of the caldera is an area of fumaroles and the 'Mina de Azufre' west of Volcan Chico is a sulphur deposit site, with more fumaroles activity. (4 hours). Return to the lodge with the afternoon free for relaxing on the beach. Dinner and overnight at the lodge. (B, L, D)
Degree of difficulty for this day: 2 of 5

Day 5, Isabela to Santa Cruz
After breakfast you will take a dinghy ride to do visit in 'Tintoreras' (Reef Shark resting site) where the sharks spend the night in the bottom of the crevices. The trail will take you to see one of the few marine iguana colonies in town that have not been disturbed by introduced species. Opportunity to see the colony of penguins that are recently getting established in Puerto Villamil. (2 hours) Lunch at the lodge and then return to Puerto Ayora in the afternoon. Dinner and overnight at the Red Mangrove Adventura Lodge. (B, L, D)
Degree of difficulty for this day: 1 of 5

Day 6: Baltra Island to Ecuador Mainland
After breakfast, transfer out to Baltra's Airport in order to catch your flight back to the mainland. Check out time will be depending on the scheduled flight. (B)