Birding Galapagos Island hopping tour

Early in the morning you will have to be at the National airport in order to catch your Galapagos flight, at the airport our representative will be there to assist you. At your arrival you will have to pay the Galapagos National Park entrance fee (US$ 100 cash per person). Outside, your guide will be waiting for you in order to transfer you to your hotel.

Departure to the Highlands of San Cristobal to arrive to Los Petreles Reserve where you will lunch. Los Petreles reserve is part of Jocotoco Foundation, it protects a key breeding zone for the Galápagos Petrel (Pterodroma phaeopygia) and safeguards freshwater sources for the island. Within the reserve, there are around 7 nesting colonies and 141 nests. The Galapagos Petrel, an endemic bird, nests here. Petrels visit the nests at dawn, between 3:00 and 4:00 AM. The reproductive success is low; of the 23% of the breeding population, only 12% successfully leave the nest and reach the juvenile and/or subadult stage. The rest die mostly preyed upon by rodents. Invasive species have significantly harmed the reproductive success of these species: rodents (80%), dogs (12%), and cats (8%).  The reserve also protects other endemic species such as the Medium Ground Finch (Geospiza fortis), and the Small Tree Finch (Camarhynchus parvulus). Among the flora, the Miconia robinsoniana forests stand out.

Then you will return to Puerto Baquerizo, on route you will stop in El Junco lagoon, a crater lake of an extinct volcano and it is the only fresh water spring in the Galapagos Islands. The fresh water attracts both Magnificent and Great Frigatebirds that come in to drink. Watching the frigatebirds shear over the water surface is quite a spectacular sight.

Other waterbirds that we can expect to see here include the endemic subspecies of White-cheeked Pintail, Common Gallinule and possibly some migrant waders. Darwin finches that we will be looking for in the highlands include the Small Tree Finch and the Woodpecker Finch. The endemic and Endangered San Cristobal Mockingbird is our most important target on this island but the species is usually not too difficult to find at lower elevations. The rare Galapagos Rail has been reported from the highlands of San Cristobal but we will need some luck to find it here. Dinner and overnight.

Hotel Los Algarrobos Seaside Hotel
Indigo Galapagos Hotel by IHG

(L.D)

After breakfast you will take a speed boat in order to travel to Punta Pitt located at the north of San Cristobal Island.  Punta Pitt is a combination of eroded volcanic cones and scarcely populated by endemic vegetation on the islands, this environment provides protection and warmth for species like sea lions, lava lizards, marine iguanas, frigates, pelicans and boobies. Punta Pitt is one of the two only places on the Galapagos islands where you can see three species of boobies nesting in the same area, red, blue and Nazca boobies.  On the beach you can see dozens of sea lions, frigates, pelicans, herons and lava gulls flying over the site.  If you get lucky you might get to see the rare Galapagos Petrel at sea.  Return to San Cristobal to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

This day it is possible to see Storm Petrels, Shearwaters, Phalaropes, Lava Gull, Lava Heron, Gray Blue Heron, Nazca Boobies, Blue Footed Boobies, Red Footed Boobies, Peregrine Falcon (M), Galápagos petrel, Great Frigate Bird, Magnificent Frigate Bird, Chatham Mockingbird, Small Ground Finch, Dark Billed Cuckoo, Large Ground Finch, Large Cactus finch and others.

(B.BL.D)

After an early breakfast you will depart to Española Island.  In the morning you will visit Pta. Suarez, this is a rocky point of land that sustains one of the most impressive and varied colonies of sea birds in Galapagos. Along its southern shore, steep cliffs rise up from the sea, for a spectacular view of soaring birds and the famous blowhole. A noisy colony of Sea Lions and curious mockingbirds (Hood Mockingbird) greet you as you land on their beach. You will meet a multitude of Blue-footed Boobies, Masked boobies, Albatross, Red billed Tropic Birds, Galapagos Shearwater, Phaloropes, Storm Petrels, Large Cactus Finch, Galapagos Hawk and endemic Marine iguanas with unique traces of red and green soak up the heat from the sun.

Lunch on board and in the afternoon, you will visit Gardner Islet (Española), great place for snorkeling, where it is possible to see fascinating creatures including snake eels, marble rays, diamond rays, Galapagos pufferfish, plenty of red-lipped batfish and occasional hammerhead. In the afternoon you will return to San Cristobal to diner and overnight.

(B.L.D)

After an early breakfast, departure to Floreana island, if conditions permit en route you will circumnavigate Champion Islet to search for the extremely rare Floreana Mockingbird. The specie is Critically Endangered and the surviving population is tiny. It used to inhabit Floreana but after Darwin’s visit soon became extinct on the main island. Now, it survives on two small satellite rocks only.

Arrival to Puerto Velasco and then you will depart to Asilo de la Paz in the highlands of Floreana island. Here we will target another rare species, the Critically Endangered Medium Tree Finch, which is only found here. We will also pay a visit to the tortoise reserve which is generally good for Tree Finches. Galapagos Flycatcher is also around. In the afternoon you will depart to Isabela, arrival to Puerto Villamil and transfer to the hotel to diner and overnight.

La laguna Hotel
Cormorant Beach House Hotel
Iguana Crossing

(B.L.D)

After an early breakfast depending on Galapagos National Park regulations and established schedule for our excursion, your guide will be waiting for you in order to depart to Sierra Negra Volcano, that is one of the most impressive volcanoes in the archipelago. You will hike up the trail to the caldera, which is the largest of all of the Galapagos volcanoes (c. 10km wide). The caldera is our best place to look for the Galapagos Martin, besides in Sierra Negra it is possible to find Galapagos Rail, Woodpecker Finch, Green Warbler Finch, Small Tree Finch and Galapagos Flycatcher. On route you will stop in Campoduro where a delicious lunch will be waiting for you. Then on the way back to Puerto Villamil you stop at the Flamingo pond.

In the afternoon you will visit Humedales or Marshlands, this place has a pristine ecosystem of tidal lagoons that is the habitat of flamingos and migratory birds. Four species of mangroves can be finding here. This is a great place to see several species of Darwin Finches, Mangrove Warbler and others. Return to the hotel, dinner and overnight.

(B.L.D)

After an early breakfast your guide will transfer you to the pier where a small speedboat will be waiting for you in order to depart to Cormorant Beach and then to Iguana Cove where you will have the opportunity to see one of the most amazing endemic species of Galapagos, the Flightless Cormorant, this amazing Galapagos endemic is the largest specie of cormorant in the world, it is unique because it has lost its ability to fly.

Also you can see other bird species like the incredible Galapagos Penguin (except from June to August), Frigate Birds, Shearwaters, Phalaropes, Flightless Cormorant, Greater Flamingo and some species of finches. Box lunch en route and in the afternoon you will enjoy of snorkeling, then you will return to Puerto Villamil where you will dinner and overnight.

(B.BL.D)

At 5h30 you will be transferred to pier where a speedboat will be waiting for you in order to navigate to Santa Cruz Island.

Once in Puerto Ayora you will enjoy of a delicious breakfast and then you will travel to the highlands of Santa Cruz that is continually changing and you will ascend through all seven different vegetation zones. There you are able to see the Giant tortoises in the wild at a private farm where you will lunch. This is a good place to see the Vegetarian Finch and with luck the Paint-billed Crake.

In the afternoon you will will search for Galapagos Rail at Media Luna and Cerro Crocket.  After this wonderful day you will return to Puerto Ayora where you will diner and overnight.

Pelican Bay Hotel
Hotel La Isla
Blue Galapagos Hotel

(B.L.D)

After breakfast your guide will be waiting for you in order to visit the Charles Darwin Research Station where you will learn at first hand of the conservation and research efforts in the islands seeing the tortoise hatchlings and breeding programs, which are saving several races of tortoises from extinction.

You will have the last chance to look for some of the finches that surround the Charles Darwin Station, species like Small, Medium and Large Ground Finches and Galápagos Mockingbird can be found here. Transfer to Baltra airport in order to catch your flight back to mainland, this day you will arrive to Guayaquil or Quito city, at the airport a representative of the hotel will be waiting for you to catch their shuttle and go to the hotel.

(B)