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This tour is the perfect introduction to the Galapagos for those of you that only have a few days to spend in this incredible archipelago. It is perfectly suited to individuals, couples or families. On this trip you can discover the most representative sites of the Galapagos on Santa Cruz Island and practice Snorkelling with Sea Lions in the crystal waters and crescent bays of Santa Fe Island. The close proximity you will enjoy to the fantastic wildlife will ensure you leave the Galapagos Islands with incredible memories and some amazing photographs.
A Taste Of Galapagos is a four day, three night tour arriving and departing from Baltra airport. It includes transfers to and from the airport, all excursion fees, hotel accommodation in a double room or family room, three breakfasts and three lunches. Equipment hire of wetsuits and snorkelling gear for all tours is also included this trip.
Itineraries
Day 1
Santa Cruz Highlands
On arrival to Baltra you will be met by our friendly local representative at the airport and taken on a short bus ride to the Itabaca channel. Here you will board the Ferry and cross the narrow strait to Santa Cruz. Once on Santa Cruz, your Galapagos adventure will truly begin as you enjoy the unique landscape on your journey to the interior of the island.
First, we head to your hotel in Puerto Ayorez for check-in and a welcome drink. Once check in has taken place, we travel up into the Highlands to visit El Chato, the Tortoise reserve, for a stroll around the ranch with your nature guide, enjoying the Giant Tortoises in their natural habitat. The grounds of El Chato can support up to 8,000 giant Tortoises and is an excellent place to take photographs of these magnificent creatures.
From here we put on some wellington boots and head down into the earth to explore the incredible Lava Tunnel, formed thousands of years ago by a river of molten lava.
Our first day’s tour completed, you are free to relax in the comfort of the hotel or venture out to explore the town and port area, where you can find many good restaurants in which to enjoy your evening meal.
WHAT TO BRING:
Comfortable shoes
Windbreaker / jacket
Day 2
Navigated Tour of Bahia
08h00 - Breakfast –
08h45: NAVIGATED TOUR OF BAHIA
The tour begins with a trip to La Loberia Islet named after the colony of wolves that live there. Here you can enjoy some great snorkelling observing a rich variety of fish species and experience a memorable swim with the sea lions that frequent these waters.
Our next destination is Punta Estrada, an excellent place to observe terns, blue-footed boobies, frigates and several other species.
We then journey to the Canal de Tintoreras, which is accessed by walking along the canal. Here you will find the white tip sharks (Tintoreras) that give this place its name, accompanied by a spectacular view of the entire island.
At the Playa de los Perros, named after the dog crabs that live at this beach, you can see colonies of nesting iguanas, and enjoy a great view of the bay.
Our last stop before lunch is Las Grietas , gigantic walls resulting from lava formations crossed by an arm of brackish water, providing the perfect place for snorkeling activities.
13H00: Lunch
After lunch we head to one of the most famous locations of the Galapagos Islands, Tortuga Bay. Here is one of the best beaches on the islands, famed for its scenic beauty, and fabulous white sand. It is the nesting place of the black turtle and during the visit you can see marine iguanas, sea turtles, sharks and many species of fish. Available activities at this beach include snorkelling and Kayaking.
Day 3
Santa Fe Island Tour
07h30 - Breakfast
08h00 - 15h30: Santa Fe Island Tour (Snorkelling)
Following an early breakfast, we board our boat and Navigate for 1 hour to Santa Fe Island, an island of just 24 km2, but teeming with life. It is located in the central part of the archipelago, southeast of Santa Cruz. Geologically, Santa Fe is believed to be one of the oldest islands of the Galapagos, with some rocks found there estimated to be in the region of 4 million years old.
We will visit 2 especially good locations for snorkelling, where the particularly calm currents and turquoise waters offer the opportunity to swim with sea lions and observe a rich variety of sea life including starfish and manta rays.
Lunch on board
While fishing is a strictly controlled activity in the Galapagos, you will have the opportunity to participate in Experiential fishing when our guides carry out a demonstration of this activity in specially authorized places on route to our next destination.
Playa Escondida is a beautiful beach In a bay that we can only reach by sea,
Where you will have the opportunity to relax on its white sand, enjoy a swim, or spend your time photographing the marine iguanas that are plentiful in this location.
Day 4
Visit to Los Gemelos
08h00 Breakfast
Hotel Check-out
Our final destination on this tour is a visit to Los Gemelos, (The Twins). Situated in the highlands of Santa Cruz and shrouded in the rich vegetation of an Escalecía forest, you will discover this pair of giant craters, bisected by a road, that were formed by the collapse of huge magma chambers - a testament to the island’s violent volcanic history.
There are a variety of mosses, ferns and epiphytes to observe in this forested region which is home to many species of bird, including small and large tree finches that are endemic to the Galapagos Islands.
Transfer to Baltra airport.
After leaving Los Gemelos, with your tour now concluded you will be transferred back to Baltra airport for your onward flight.
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Trip includes:
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Trip Excludes:
- Air ticket
- Entrance to the Galapagos National Park
- Alcoholic drinks
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Pricing NameStartEndGroup (Min-Max)Pricing
Single travellers are welcome too! If you decide to come on your own, we will pair you up with someone from the same sex and a similar age group, or if you prefer, you can pay the single person supplement and have the room to yourself.
If you get seasick in your home country then it is likely you will get seasick in the Galapagos Islands as these tours do involve quite a bit of time onboard boats. That said, there are many medications and techniques to help combat this problem and your doctor may also be able to advise on how best to reduce this problem.
Internet in the Galapagos Islands is notoriously slow and patchy, although all of the hotels we use do have it. Just don't expect the kind of blistering speeds available in the UK and you won't be disappointed!
Although some tour companies pack you in to maximise their profits, at Toucanto we do realise that you are not a sardine! With that in mind our tours are limited to a maximum of twenty people.
Yes! This is an excellent tour for families, although we do have a minimum age restriction of 15 for all participants.
Although we are not able to offer extra nights for this trip, it may be possible to change to a longer itinerary before your trip begins. If you wish to explore this possibility please contact our sales department for more information.
If you have specific dietary requirements we recommend that you contact us prior to booking so that we can verify if we can meet your needs on the trip.
Good question! On the Survival Kit page of this website you can find useful advice about what to pack for your Toucanto trip.
While travellers cheques can be used in larger cities, we recommend a mixture of currency and debit or credit card for the safest way to carry your money. There is a good availability of cashpoints or ATMs in the larger towns and some establishments may also take ApplePay.
Although there is a hospital in Puerto Ayora, Medical Services in the Galapagos Islands are limited and serious injuries or illness may require an airlift to the mainland. It is essential that all visitors to the Galapagos Islands carry adequate travel Insurance to cover them in the event of a problem. Should you need medical assistance speak to your guide who will make the necessary arrangements for your care.
There will be some climbing in and out of boats on this trip but many travellers in their seventies manage these sorts of trips. There will be some hiking involved so it can be a good idea to prepare yourself for this type of holiday by getting a bit of practise in before you go. Ultimately, it's your call.
Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands are widely considered to be a safe location to visit and many thousands of people visit them every year without incident. See our Travel Survival Kit web page for advice on keeping safe when you travel.
In the Galapagos Islands, as well as the rest of Ecuador the US Dollar is the currency of use.
The policies on social distancing are:
Social distancing enforced throughout experience.
Contactless payments for gratuities and add-ons.
If you have a specific query related to your planned trip to Ecuador and the Galapagos and you can't see your answer here, please drop us a line using the 'Trip Enquiry' button and we will do our best to answer your question.
The policies on face masks and attendee health are:
Face masks required for travellers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Temperature checks for travellers upon arrival
The policies on sanitization are:
Hand sanitiser available to travellers and staff.
Regularly sanitised high-traffic areas. Gear/equipment sanitised between use.
Transportation vehicles regularly sanitised.
The policies on social distancing are:
Social distancing enforced throughout experience.
Contactless payments for gratuities and add-ons.
The policies on staff health and safety are:
Guides required to regularly wash hands.
Regular temperature checks for staff.
Important notes
CORONAVIRUS:
For the latest information on entry requirements to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, please visit:
Travelling to Ecuador from the UK
STARTING POINTS:
This trip starts in the Galapagos, at Baltra Airport at 11:30am on day 1.
The trip ends at Baltra Airport following your return transfer on day 4.
Please advise Toucanto no later than 15 days prior to departure, of your flight arrival and departure times.
Customer services phone number to call while in Galapagos if any issues: +593 52524587
Whether you are arriving to Galapagos from Quito or Guayaquil airports, you must purchase your Galapagos Transit Control Card (USD 20) at the Consejo de Gobierno counter in the entrance hall; if you haven’t purchased this card you might be denied boarding. Please be aware that you will need to have cash (USD) with which to pay as credit cards are not accepted
Please arrive at the airport at least 2 hours prior to the departure time as this can be a slow process.
Once you have purchased your Transit Control Card you will proceed to check your luggage at SICGAL counter where they seal your check in bags; then go to the check in counter of your respective airline.
The Galapagos park fee (USD 100) and Isabela Port fee (USD 10) are payable upon arrival to the islands and again must be paid in cash. These payments are in addition to your trip payment.
It is essential to ensure that when you make your booking, your details are correct and match your passport. If your passport and booking details provided to us do not match it could cause issues with your transit card and may result in you being required to purchase a new card at your own expense.
Please view our Standard Booking Conditions here.
GALAPAGOS PARK RULES:
Strict rules apply in the Galapagos Islands designed to protect and preserve its unique biodiversity. Toucanto Ltd totally supports these rules which govern the times of the day that a destination can be visited and regulate the distance to be maintained between people and wildlife. You are advised that the collection and removal of shells or corals from the Galapagos is strictly forbidden and rigidly enforced and baggage is regularly checked on departure to ensure compliance. You will be advised of this information again on arrival by your guide, but the responsibility for observing these rules lies with you.
Failure to observe these rules can lead to hefty fines for travellers and can adversely affect our company’s ability to continue offering tours in the Galapagos Islands – these rules must be adhered to by all, without exception. Failure to adhere to the rules can result in being removed from the trip without refund.
For more information, please follow this link: http://www.galapagos.org/travel/travel/park-rules/
SINGLE SUPPLEMENTS:
A single supplement is available on this trip.
INTERNET IN THE GALAPAGOS:
Please be advised that although our partner hotels in the Galapagos do have internet connections it’s often very slow and may not always be functional.
HOT WATER FACILITIES:
Please be aware that in the Galapagos hotel hot water services can be limited and as such hot water may not always be available at busy times and cold showers maybe the only option.
