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GALAPAGOS LEGEND
Detailed Cruise Itinerary

Itinerary A

Monday
am. Baltra Airport
Departure from Quito or Guayaquil to Baltra (2½ hours flight). Passengers are picked
up at the airport by our naturalist guides and taken on a ten minute bus drive to the
pier to board the M/V Galapagos Legend.

pm Highlands & Pit Craters (Santa Cruz)
Trek through the highlands of Santa Cruz, observe the famous giant tortoises in their
natural habitat, walk inside surprising lava tubes; also visit Pit Craters created from the
collapse of surface materials into chamber fissures underground.

Tuesday
am. Egas Port & Salt Mines (Santiago) SN
Most of the landscape is comprised of layers of rocks and lava flows. Observe great
blue herons, striated herons, yellow – crowned night herons. The Salt mines are an
important historic spot because of salt exploitation.

pm. Bartolomé SN, DR
After a hike to the summit you’ll be impressed by the view of the eroded tuff cone
of Pinnacle Rock. Beach and snorkeling time to see Galapagos penguins, sea turtles,
among a great variety of colorful fish schools.

Wednesday
am. Dragon Hill (Santa Cruz) SN
The trail leads up to Dragon Hill which offers a lovely view of the bay. This is a nesting
site for reintroduced land iguanas. Walk by a brackish lagoon where feeding flamingos
can be occasionally found.

pm. North Seymour SN, DR
This site is a major nesting colony of blue-footed boobies, and has the largest colony of
the magnificent frigate bird. Also encounter sea lions, land iguanas, and on a lucky day,
you might even come across a Galapagos Snake.

Thursday
am. Baltra airport

Itinerary B

Thursday
am. Baltra airport

pm. Ballena Bay & Edén Islet (Santa Cruz) SN, DR, KY
Beautiful green sand cove at the base of Dragon Hill. The beach contains a large amount
of olivine crystals, the same that originate from volcanic materials.

Friday
am. Moreno Point (Isabela) SN, DR
Main attractions are coastal lagoons amid black lava flows where there are several
species of birds. Panoramic view of three volcanoes, the most actives of the Islands:
Sierra Negra, Cerro Azul of Isabela Island and La Cumbre.

pm. Elizabeth Bay (Isabela) DR
Take a dinghy ride along the coast surrounded by mangrove forest for an opportunity
to admire Flightless Cormorants, Galapagos Penguins, and a resting area for sea turtles.

Saturday
am. Urbina Bay (Isabela) DR
Visit the volcanic ash beach and coral area. Explore the uplifted coral reef that resulted
from 1954 volcanic activity, with a spectacular view of Alcedo Volcano. After the walk,
time for snorkeling.

pm. Tagus Cove (Isabela) SN, DR, KY
Learn about the eruption of five volcanoes that formed this island. Admire a variety of
seabirds, such as Blue-footed Booby, Brown Noddy, terns, Flightless Cormorant, a large
number of Galapagos Penguins seasonal.

Sunday
am. Espinosa Point (Fernandina) SN
See the biggest marine iguanas mingling with sally-light foot crabs; Flightless Cormorants
nesting sites, Galapagos Penguins and the Galapagos Hawk.

pm. Vicente Roca Point (Isabela) SN, DR
Great deep water snorkeling at one of the richest marine havens on Earth and
opportunity to find Nazca and Blue-footed Boobies, noddies, Brown Pelicans, penguins,
sea turtles, Flightless Cormorants, white-tipped sharks.

Monday
am. Highlands (Santa Cruz)
Trek through the highlands of Santa Cruz, observe the famous giant tortoises in their
natural habitat, walk inside surprising lava tubes.
Baltra airport

Itinerary C

Monday
am. Baltra Airport

pm. Bachas Beach (Santa Cruz) SN
Encounter sea birds, marine iguanas, sea turtles, Darwin finches, mockingbirds, and gulls,
as well as interesting native and endemic vegetation. Opportunity to walk on the white
sand beach that is one of the main nesting sites of sea turtles.

Tuesday
am. South Plaza ( Plaza Island)
Observe land and marine iguanas, sea lions, blue-footed boobies and many other sea
birds. Due to their proximity with marine iguanas, this is the only place on Earth where
we will find the Galapagos hybrid iguana.

pm. Santa Fé SN, DR, KY
This island is home to a number of endemic species including Galapagos Hawk,
Galapagos Snake, rice rats, a variety of finches and one of the four species of Galapagos
mockingbirds. Deep-water snorkeling.

Wednesday
am. Pitt Point & Islet (San Cristóbal) SN, DR, KY
This is probably the only site where the three booby species of the Galapagos can be
seen together: Nazca, Blue-footed, and Red-footed; as well as two species of frigatebirds
and a sea lion colony.

pm. Cerro Brujo (San Cristóbal) SN, DR, KY
It’s an eroding tuff cone which forms cliffs where seabirds are often seen nesting. It
looks over a beautiful white sand beach where you can spot sea lions, pelicans, bluefooted
boobies, marine iguanas.

Thursday
am. Cerro Colorado Tortoise Reserve (San Cristóbal)
It has been built to improve the status of the population of the island tortoises,
Geochelone chatamensis in an environment with conditions similar to their natural
state; it is one of the few places where you can see Calandrinia galapagosa, a plant
endemic to San Cristobal in danger of extinction.

Itinerary D

Thursday
am. San Cristóbal Airport

pm. Interpretation Center & Tijeretas (San Cristóbal)
Learn about the history of the islands in the context of nature, humankind and
conservation. Tijeretas Hill walk through beautiful landscapes ending with a magnificent
view nearby a large frigatebird colony.

Friday
am. Gardner Bay, Gardner & Osborn Islets (Española) SN, DR, KY
Spot Galapagos hawks, American oyster catchers, Galapagos doves, hood mockingbirds,
3 species of Darwin finches, yellow Warblers, lava lizards, and marine iguanas.

pm. Suárez Point (Española)
Explore volcanic formations and a riveting wildlife. Besides the sea lion colonies, this is
a very important site for bird watching. A major highlight is their mating season, from
May through December.

Saturday
am. Post Office (Floreana) SN
Continue the tradition by placing unstamped postcards inside the barrel which reach
their destinations for free. Observe the mocking bird of Galapagos, some species of
Darwin’s finches, yellow Warblers, and lava lizards.

pm. Cormorant Point (Floreana) SN, DR
It features endemic plants such as Scalesia villosa, Galapagos daisies, white sand black
mangrove, and holy stick. Spot sea turtles, Blue-footed Boobies and small reef sharks
floating along the shoreline in search of food.

Sunday
am. Cerro Mesa Reserve (Santa Cruz)
Observe numerous endemic plants, 7 subspecies of Darwin’s finches, Vermillion Flycatcher.
Impressive view of Baltra, Santiago, Isabela, Santa Fé, Daphne Islands.

pm. Charles Darwin Research Station (Santa Cruz)
Observe the giant tortoises that are part of the reproduction program and the world’s
most famous tortoise, Lonesome George, the last surviving specimen of his species.

Monday
am. Daphne
Volcanic tuff cone, formed by successive explosions produced by the mixture of lava
and water. Observe Darwin’s finches, Blue-footed Boobies, Nazca Boobies, Red-billed
Tropicbirds, Swallow-tailed Gulls, Brown Noddies.

Baltra airport

Note: this itinerary was written by the ship owner. It is subject to change without notice.

Updated 16 February 2012

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