Legend

Monday

AM – Baltra Airport

Departure from Quito or Guayaquil to Baltra Island (2 ½-hour flight). Arriving in the Galapagos, passengers are picked up at the airport by our natural guides and taken to a ten-minute bus drive to the pier to board the ^M/V Galapagos Legend.

PM – Highlands Tortoise Reserve(Santa Cruz Island)

Dry landing. In the central highlands of Santa Cruz Island we have our best opportunity to interact at close quarters with totally wild, Galapagos giant tortoises. A short walk among these huge, 600lb, reptiles will also offer the chance for more highland species, especially several species of the famed finches.

• Difficulty level: easy
• Type of terrain: flat & sometimes muddy
• Duration: 45-minute drive / 1 ½-hour walk.

OR (For Extended Cruises only)

Pm- Black Turtle Cove (Santa Cruz Island)

Here, we can find four species of mangrove in the extensive tidal lagoon system that stretches for almost a mile inland. During our panga ride through the labyrinth we will spot many turtles, herons of several species, sharks and rays. The experience is otherworldly and seems to transport us back to the beginning of time.

• Difficulty level: easy
• Type of terrain: water
• Duration: 1-hour panga ride.

Tuesday

AM – El Barranco, Prince Philip’s Steps (Genovesa Island)

Riding our pangas to the far side of the caldera, red-billed tropicbirds display vociferously overhead while Galapagos fur seals can be seen on the shoreline. Once at the top of the rocky stairway we are immediately met by Nazca boobies, red-footed boobies, mockingbirds and finches that line our way through a palo santo forest until we arrive at an expansive open lava field. Wedge-rumped storm petrels swarm above the lava where we keep our eyes peeled for short-eared owls.

• Difficulty level: Moderate.
• Type of terrain: rocky – lava.
• Duration: 45-minute walk.

PM – Darwin Bay (Genovesa Island)

From within the flooded caldera of Tower Island we set foot onto a sandy beach to be greeted by swallow-tailed gulls often said to be the most beautiful gull in the world. Our short, flat, trail leads us past stands of mangroves and saltbush on which we have our best possible looks at nesting red-footed boobies and great frigatebirds. At the tidal lagoon we may also see the rarest gull in the world, our very own, endemic lava gull.

• Difficulty level: Moderate.
• Type of terrain: Sand & Lava.
• Duration: 2 ½-hour walk aprox.