Galapagos Multisport Adventure
| Trip styles: |
Extreme |
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Activity: |
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| CODE: |
EGMA |
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Duration: |
7 days |
| Country: |
Ecuador |
| Region: |
San Cristobal Island, Santa Cruz Island, Isabela Island, Baltra Island |
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Physical rating: |
Moderate These trips involving trekking, biking, rafting, kayaking and other moderate activities, we recommend to be fit, and before coming out here, do one or two hours walk and keep a positive attitude. |
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Price: USD |
1405.00 |
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Local payment: USD |
550.00 |
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Overview
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 Island tour, where the jewels of the Galapagos are yours to discover.
Itinerary
Day 01: Transfer and hike in San Cristobal Day 02: Sea Kayak Playa Ochoa and snorkel at Leon Dormido Day 03: Hike in the Santa Cruz higlands Day 04: Sea kayak in Santa Cruz and hike to Tortuga bay Day 05: MTB coastline exploration, kayak in Tintoreras Day 06: Volcano discovery hike in the Isabela higlands Day 07: Transfer to Baltra Island, airport
What is included in this trip?
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Group Leader: Local assistance and local guide
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Accommodation: Dexule Island Hotel
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Highlights: • Hike lava rock trails to meet blue-footed boobies, marine iguanas, and sea lions • Snorkel with tropical fish, hammerhead and white-tipped sharks • Explore Miconia forest trails and meet giant tortoises in the Santa Cruz cloud forest • Walk the rim of the Sierra Negra, the world’s second largest volcano caldera • Experience the wonder of the Galapagos finch species that inspired Charles Darwin • Relax on picture-perfect white sand beaches • Enjoy more active hikes than with boat-based tours, for more wildlife encounters • Top-notch adventure and nature guides accompany you every step of your journey
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Meals: Included while in the Galapagos trip
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Transport: Boat, bike, Kayak, foot.
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No Included in this trip.
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Day 01: San Cristobal Island
We board a morning flight from Quito to San Cristobal 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) |
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Day 02: Playa Ochoa/ 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 Leon Dormido, the jagged remains of an old tuff cone
whose flanks are home to thousands of sea birds. At Leon 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 Galápagos 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 Cristobal. (B L) |
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Day 03: Santa Cruz Island
In the morning we embark in a fast boat from San Cristobal 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) |
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Day 04: Santa Cruz Island
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) |
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Day 05: Isabela Island
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) |
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Day 06: Isabela Island
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 Galápagos Islands over millennia. In the afternoon, we
return to Puerto Villamil for our last afternoon in its exotic white
beaches. (B L D) |
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Day 07: Baltra Island
In the morning, we will navigate (or flight based on weather
conditions) to Baltra Island for our airport connection back to the
continent. (B) |
Dossier
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