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Multisport Adventure Tour

Duration: 7 Days / 6 Nights

Level of difficulty: Moderate

Activities: Wildlife Encounters, Sea Kayaking, Mountain Biking, Hiking, Snorkeling

Accommodations: Standard & Tourist Superior Island Hotels

Introduction:

Discover the southern islands of the Galapagos Archipelago on an active excursion in ways you never thought possible. Our exclusive and most popular adventure in the Islands combines daily kayaking, mountain biking, trekking, snorkeling, and nature exploration activities.

The Galapagos Multisport Adventure is an ideal complement for any active lifestyle or adventure travel enthusiast. This is the ultimate Galapagos Islands tour, where the jewels of the Galapagos are yours to discover.

Trip highlights:

• Sea kayak with sea lions, penguins and marine turtles
• Discover perfect white sand beaches by mountain bike
• Snorkel with Galapagos sharks, rays, and hundreds of tropical fish
• Meet blue-footed boobies, finches, and other famed birds
• Get to know the house of Lonesome George, which was the last giant tortoise of his species
• Relax in perfect white sand beaches
• Spend more time on land for more wildlife encounters
• Top-notch adventure and nature guides will accompany you every step of your journey
• Support the local communities through this sustainable land program
• Effortless inter-island transfers include one flight and one boat crossing

Itinerary:

DAY 1: TRANSFER AND HIKE IN SAN CRISTOBAL
We board a morning flight from Quito to San Cristóbal Island. Once we arrive we have a welcome lunch and briefing before the adventure begins. We will hike out of town and visit the San Cristóbal Interpretation Center, for a general understanding about island formation, volcanoes, evolution and natural history. We continue on to explore a unique dry forest and will be able to identify cacti, acacia, palo santo, Galapagos cotton and more as we hike towards Frigate Hill along trails of lava rock featuring splendid views of the coastline and Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. This will be a good time to enjoy our first encounters with local wildlife, since the hill is often visited by such Galapagos wildlife such as the magnificent and great frigate birds, blue footed boobies, brown pelicans, gulls, herons and lots of land birds including Darwin finches, warblers and mockingbirds. On our way back we can stop for a refreshing swim at Carola Beach. In the evening we enjoy a gourmet waterfront dinner. The rest of the evening is free to explore town. (L)

DAY 2: SEA KAYAK PLAYA OCHOA AND SNORKEL AT LEON DORMIDO
We slip into our ocean kayaks and spend the morning paddling along the coast, going north exploring bays and coves full of local wildlife – including Darwin Bay, the site of the first landing of the HMS Beagle. The route is home to colonies of sea lions, marine turtles, blue-footed boobies, and frigate birds. Once we reach Playa Ochoa, we continue on to nearby Isla Lobos on the lookout for marine iguanas and sea lions. This is a fantastic snorkelling site where we are nearly guaranteed to enjoy one of the best sea lion encounters in the entire archipelago. We continue on to León Dormido, the jagged remains of an old tuff cone whose flanks are home to thousands of sea birds. At León Dormido, we enjoy excellent snorkelling; for certified divers, this is also one of the best dives in the islands (optional). There is a good chance of seeing Galapagos sharks, eagle and golden rays, as well as dozens of species of tropical fish, clams, starfish, and marine invertebrates. With a little lucky, we may also swim with hammerhead and white-tipped sharks. In the afternoon we return to our hotel for our last evening in San Cristóbal. (B, L)

DAY 3: HIKE IN THE SANTA CRUZ HIGHLANDS
In the morning we embark in a fast boat from San Cristóbal to Santa Cruz Islands. Once we arrive, we transfer to El Chato reserve in the highlands of Santa Cruz Island which is the natural habitat of the incredible Galapagos tortoise. We hike in this reserve to learn about these lumbering giants. We also come across highland wildlife such as pintail ducks, egrets, flycatchers, finches, and frigate birds bathing in freshwater lakes. We also walk into and explore some amazing volcanic tunnels that were created by hot flowing lava. As we walk in these underground geological formations we revive tales of buccaneers hiding Inca gold. We continue to Los Gemelos, two volcanic craters near the top of the island. We walk around these deep craters through a beautiful Scalesia forest covered with epiphytes and ferns. In this habitat we may see the short-eared owl, one of the two owls that live in the islands. We return to town and the afternoon. This evening is free to dine at any of the good selection of island restaurants. (B, L)

DAY 4: SEA KAYAK IN SANTA CRUZ & HIKE TO TORTUGA BAY
After breakfast, we visit the Charles Darwin Research Station to learn about conservation and management efforts in the archipelago. We also get to meet Lonesome George, the last giant tortoise of his species. Later this morning we put-in our kayaks and paddle around Divine Bay and Punta Estrada, through calm turquoise waters that wind through high-walled lava channels. Within the channels, white-tipped sharks and rays tour beneath the clear water, while colonies of blue-footed boobies, tropic birds, herons, crabs and marine iguanas perch along the jagged cliffs. In the afternoon, we hike to Tortuga Bay, a beautiful white sand beach area, nesting site to thousands of marine turtles. This trail is 3½ miles (6 kilometers) long and crosses through a dry forest lava habitat home to hundreds of iguanas. We return to Puerto Ayora to spend the evening at leisure in the Galapagos' most populous town. (B, L)

DAY 5: MTB COASTLINE EXPLORATION & KAYAK IN TINTORERAS
From Santa Cruz we embark on a fast boat to Isabela Island. During our island crossing, we will be on the lookout for dolphins and whales (July to October) Isabela is the largest island in the archipelago, formed by 6 shield volcanoes - Alcedo, Cerro Azul, Darwin, Ecuador, Sierra Negra and Wolf. All of these volcanoes except one remain active, making this island one of the most volcanically active places on earth. When we arrive we set up our mountain bikes to explore the beautiful coastline for its scenery and wildlife treasures. We begin with a visit to El Muro de las Lágrimas which means Wall of Tears, a historic site that dates back between 1946 and 1959 when Isabela Island was used as a penal colony. The wall was built with lava blocks and had no other purpose that of keeping prisoners busy from the madness of isolation. We continue riding along the coast as we explore expansive white sand beaches, mangroves and brackish lagoons. This area is filled with birdlife such as American oyster catchers, herons, flamingos, finches and many shore birds, as well as sea lions and marine iguanas. In the afternoon we take our ocean kayaks and paddle out to Tintoreras, a set of small islets within Isabela Bay. The islets are filled with wildlife and are home to the Galapagos penguin, the only penguin that lives in equatorial region. We will also see sharks, marine turtles, sea lions and much more wildlife as we explore its many small coves and beaches. (B, L, D)

DAY 6: VOLCANO DISCOVERY HIKE IN THE ISABELA HIGHLANDS
From Puerto Villamil, we drive to the highlands up to where the road ends. Here we prepare our day backs and walk into a world of recent geological history. We walk on dirt trails until we arrive to the rim of the Sierra Negra volcano. Sierra Negra is an active volcano which last erupted in October 2005. We explore along the rim of the huge 6x5 mile-wide (9x8 kilometer) lava-filled crater. We may also get views to the other Isabela volcanoes and the Perry Isthmus and beyond. Optionally, we continue our hike all the way to Volcan Chico, an incredible area that offers puffing fumaroles and extraordinary lava formations, great examples of the dramatic geological events that have forged the Galapagos Islands over millennia. In the afternoon, we return to Puerto Villamil for our last afternoon in its exotic white beaches. (B, L, D)

DAY 7: TRANSFER TO BALTRA ISLAND & AIRPORT
In the morning, we will navigate (or flight based on weather conditions) to Baltra Island for our airport connection back to the continent. (B)

OPTIONAL 1 DAY EXTENSION IN SAN CRISTOBAL ISLAND

DAY 1: TRANSFER AND BEACH HIKE IN SAN CRISTOBAL
We board a morning flight from Quito to San Cristóbal Island. Once we arrive we have a welcome lunch and briefing before the adventure begins. In the afternoon we walk out of town towards Loberia Beach. We walk through beach trails and black lava rocks where we find the largest marine iguanas in the archipelago. We continue exploring the trail until the terrain becomes a bit more challenging to Las Negritas. Las Negritas means "Black Cliffs", and is filled with sea birds that nest and on this cliff side. We get close-up views to frigate birds, blue-footed boobies, masked boobies, tropic birds, and endemic gulls. We stop for a break to catch the beautiful San Cristóbal ocean landscape. On our way back we stop at Lobería Beach for snorkeling and leisure in this white sand beach. During snorkeling sea lions encounters are common, as well as many species of tropical fish, rays and even sea turtles. We return to town in the late afternoon. (L)

DAY 2: MOUNTAIN BIKING IN THE SAN CRISTOBAL HIGHLANDS
We depart in the morning by vehicle to the highlands all the way up to El Junco. El Junco is an extinct volcano crater lagoon located in the highest part of San Cristóbal Island. It is frequented by Frigate Birds that use the fresh water to wash salt water from their wings. We walk and explore the lagoon area which is covered by endemic Miconia forest, and other species. We fit our bikes and helmets, and after a safety briefing, we begin a scenic downhill ride mostly on dirt roads. During this journey we stop to get fantastic views to the coastline or search or birdlife. We continue cycling until we return to town. We meet the rest of our group for lunch, before an afternoon visit the Frigate Hill and Darwin Bay. (B)

IMPORTANT: This itinerary is subject to change without notice due to seasonal changes, last minute weather conditions and adjustment of Galapagos National Park policy.

Prices per person:

The Price includes:

• Accommodations in standard and tourist superior hotels
• Meals as described
• Adventure and protective equipment
• Professional English speaking guide
• Land and sea transportation

The price does not include:

• Airfare to/from Galapagos (subject to change)
• Galapagos National Park Entrance Fee (subject to change)
• Beverages in restaurants
• Dinners in Santa Cruz Island
• Tips.

IMPORTANT FACTS:

• BOAT TRAVEL TIME: 2-3 hours per crossing
• PADDLE OR ACTIVITY DURATION: 2-4 hours each day
• SEASON: All year
• ALTITUDE: Sea level to 600 m.
• WEATHER TEMPERATURES: December to May: 80ºF to 90ºF / 25ºC to 30ºC. June to September: 60ºF to 70ºF / 15ºC to 20ºC. October to December: 70ºF to 80ºF/ 15ºC to 25ºC
• WATER TEMPERATURE: The waters of the Galapagos Islands are a unique mixture of warm and cold water, ranging between 65ºF and 85ºF.
• SUGGESTED: Water sandals, hiking shoes, light rain shell, water bottle, non-cotton trekking gear, sun block, hat and mosquito repellent.