(Wednesday). Day 1. QUITO – BALTRA - LAS BACHAS
Flight to Baltra Island where you will start your cruises aboard the Poseidon after a short drive to the harbour. The deserted, picturesque beach of Las Bachas, a major egg-laying site for sea turtles, at the northern shore of Santa Cruz invites you for a swim in the crystal-clear water or to relax in the sun. Afterwards you will be visiting the bay Caleta Tortuga Negra which is close by. This bay is surrounded by mangroves where you can spot pelicans and herons. While snorkeling you can have a swim with the turtles, white-tip sharks and rays.

(Thursday). Day 2. Day 7. BARTOLOME ISLAND – PUERTO EGAS
Before breakfast, we will disembark at Bartolome Island (dry landing) for a hike to the summit. This is a steep climb aided by a wooden staircase but the view from the top is worth the effort. Return to the catamaran for breakfast. Panga ride around the colossal Pinnacle Rock, with time to enjoy the beach (wet landing) and perhaps some snorkelling with the Galapagos Penguins..
From the visitor center at James Bay on the Island of Santiago a small path leads you in southern direction along the coast. Passing by the ruins of a former salt mine company and the many inhabitants of the bank area, like sea lions, lizards, herons, and cancers, you arrive at the famous fur seal grotto, the best place in the Galapagos in order to observe these elegant animals.

(Friday). Day 3. RABIDA- CERRO DRAGON
Today a trip to the beach of the small volcanic island of Rabida. A small path leads to a small lagoon very popular with flamingos. On the way there you will also pass many pelicans nesting. The beach is also considered as one of the most beautiful snorkeling locations in the Galapagos and also frequently visited by many sea lions due to its abundance of fish. At the Island of Santa Cruz, you will head for the hill Cerro Dragon, which is an excellent spot for observing land lizards and swallow-tailed gulls. Nearby is a lagoon where you can also observe flamingos.

(Saturday). Day 4. SANTA CRUZ – CHARLES STATION - HIGHLANDS
A visit to the second largest island in the Galapagos, Santa Cruz. With six different zones of vegetation: Coastal, Arid, Transition, Scalesia, Miconia, and Pampa Zones. The Charles Darwin Research Station and the Galapagos National Park offices are also based here. The station is also a tortoise breeding centre, where tortoises of different species are prepared for reintroduction to their natural habitats. The most famous inhabitant is probably Lonesome George, the only survivor of this specific turtle species. The lush green scenery of the Santa Cruz highlands is a welcome contrast to the aridity of the lower islands.

(Sunday). Day 5. FLOREANA- PUERTO CORMORANT – DEVIL’S CROWN – POST OFFICE BAY
Floreana Island is perceived as one of the most exotic islands of the archipelago.
At Punta Cormorant you will land on a green olivine sand beach. Following a 100 m long path you will soon reach a lagoon with flamingoes, white-checked pintail ducks and other shorebirds. The trail goes on to a white beach made of grinned coral, representing flour. This is also the green sea turtle's nesting place. North of Punta Cormorant an eroded volcano, Devil's Crown, is a snorkelers delight. To the west, Post Office Bay is home to the legendary post barrel that whalers once used to send their mail.

(Monday). Day 6. ESPANOLA ISLAND —PUNTA SUAREZ – GARDNER BAY
One of the oldest of all the islands, Española is small and flat with no visible volcanic crater or vent. Punta Suarez is one of the most outstanding wildlife areas of the archipelago, with a long list of species found along its cliffs and sandy or pebble beaches. In addition to five species of nesting seabirds there are the curious and bold Española Island mockingbirds, Galapagos doves and Galapagos hawks. Several types of reptiles, including the brilliantly colored marine iguana and the oversized lava lizard, are unique to this island. When heavy swells are running, Punta Suarez is also the site of a spectacular blowhole, with thundering spray shooting 30 yards into the air.
Gardner Bay on the eastern shore has a magnificent beach. This beach is frequented by a transient colony of sea lions, and is a major nesting site for marine turtles. Around the small islets nearby, snorkelers will find lots of fish and sometimes turtles and sharks. On a trail leading to the western tip of the island you'll pass the only nesting sites in the Galapagos of the waved albatross, huge birds with a 6-foot wingspan. These huge birds nest here from April to December and represent the majority of the world's population.

(Tuesday). Day 7. PLAZAS SOUTH – SANTA FE
Located In the east of Santa Cruz, the main characteristics of the small island of South Plaza are the Opuntia cacti and the carpets of red sesuvium, a succulent plant that turns green in the rainy season. The cactus is the main food of land iguanas, which are usually, found resting in the cacti's shade. The island contains one of the largest sea lion colonies of the Galapagos, along with swallow-tailed gulls and red-billed tropicbirds. Boobies are also found roosting on the southern cliffs of the island.
Santa Fe has one of the most beautiful coves of all the visitor sites in the archipelago. A turquoise lagoon with two small white sandy beaches are protected by a peninsula where sea lions rest. A trail runs along the side of the coast and then crosses through an Opuntia Forest. These prickly pear cacti are the largest found anywhere in the Galapagos. The Santa Fe species of land iguanas are alsoo larger and of a paler yellow than on the other islands. After the hike you can swim or snorkel in the bay in the company of sea lions.

(Wednesday). Day 8. NORTH SEYMOUR – BALTRA - QUITO
On your last day, a visit to the island of North Seymour which is renowned for its frigate birds and their intensive courting rituals. The island is also inhabited by other frigate birds and blue-footed boobies, as well as endemic black lizards and sea lions inhabit on its shores. After that we will have a short stop at the harbour of Baltra (formerly known as South Seymour), where you will cross the Itabaca Channel to Baltra to take your flight back to the mainland.

8-Day Poseidon Cruises from Wednesday to Wednesday or Saturday to Saturday

SPECIFICATION