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.

Trip Excludes: 

• Air ticket
• Entrance to the Galapagos National Park
• Alcoholic drinks

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.