Ecuador

Luxury Galapagos Multi-sport

Kayaking, Mountain Biking, Hiking & Snorkeling

(9 Days)

For those looking for a more luxurious experience in the Galapagos Islands, try this premium multi-sport adventure. We stay in the best available hotels in each port town and have amazing opportunities to get up close to a variety of marine wildlife. Kayak in turquoise waters with marine turtles, bathe on white sand beaches with sea lions, trek through active volcanoes with incredible bird life, bike in the tortoise highlands, and snorkel in the world-class marine reserve. This is the ultimate Galapagos wildlife adventure tour with that extra level of comfort!

Trip Highlights

• Sea kayak and swim with sea lions and marine turtles
• Snorkel with Galápagos sharks, rays, and tropical fish
• Hike lava rock trails to meet blue-footed boobies, finches, and other famed birds
• Mountain bike in the highlands with the giant Santa Cruz tortoise

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival into Quito

Upon arrival into Quito a BikeHike Adventures representative will be awaiting and will transfer you to a comfortable hotel in town. The remainder of the day is at leisure to explore this UNESCO heritage city. Overnight at Hotel Alameda Mercure.

Day 2: Galapagos Islands - Frigate Hill (Hiking)

In the morning, we pick you up from your hotel to transfer you to the airport for your flight to San Cristobal Island. Once in the Galápagos, we welcome you with lunch and a pre-trip briefing at a local restaurant. After lunch, our adventure begins with a hike to the San Cristobal Interpretation Center, where we learn about the volcanic formation of the Galápagos archipelago and the evolution of life on the islands. We continue our hike towards Frigate Hill along trails of lava rock featuring splendid views of the coastline and Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, while we explore dry forest and observe cacti, acacia, palo santo, Galápagos cotton, and other endemic vegetation. This is also a good time to enjoy our first encounters with local wildlife, since Frigate Hill is often visited by the Chattam lava lizard, and bird species such as the magnificent and great frigate birds, blue-footed boobies, brown pelicans, gulls, herons, Darwin finches, warblers, and mockingbirds. On our way back we can stop for a refreshing swim at Carola Beach or Mann Beach. In the evening, we explore town and dine at a waterfront restaurant. Accommodations in a first-class hotel on San Cristobal Island. (B, L, D)

Day 3: Galapagos Islands - San Cristobal Highlands - Isla Lobos (Hiking, Sea Kayaking & Snorkeling)

We begin the day with a drive up to El Junco Lagoon, a freshwater lake located in a collapsed caldera at 2,300 feet /700 meters. The lake and its surroundings comprise a beautiful Miconia forest landscape, where we will find frigate birds washing off salt from their wings, Darwin’s finches, and mockingbirds. We continue on to La Galapaguera in Cerro Colorado, a new facility operated by the National Park to breed and protect the subspecies of giant turtles endemic to San Cristobal. On the return leg of our hike, we visit El Cafetal, a historic hacienda that has sown a special class of coffee bean named Bourbon since 1875. In the early afternoon, we slip into our ocean kayaks and paddle along the coast, going north exploring bays and coves full of local wildlife – including Darwin Bay, the site of the first landing of the HMS Beagle. The route is home to colonies of sea lions, marine turtles, blue-footed boobies, and frigate birds. Once we reach Isla Lobos, we disembark and prepare for a fantastic snorkeling experience, during which we are guaranteed to enjoy one of the best sea lion encounters in the entire archipelago. In the late afternoon, we return to our hotel to enjoy another dinner together and a relaxing evening at our waterfront hotel. (B,L,D)

Day 4: Galapagos Islands - Leon Dormiido & Cerro Brujo (Sea Kayaking and Snorkeling)

We begin with a morning boat ride along the northern coast of San Cristobal Island to Puerto Grande, a secluded beach area where we begin our second sea kayaking expedition. We paddle along the coastal reef, exploring beaches and coves in search for wildlife, and arrive at Cerro Brujo, where we enjoy excellent snorkeling around its spectacular white sand beaches. We continue on to Punta Pitt, a volcanic formation on the northeastern tip of San Cristobal Island. This is a nesting site for all three types of boobies, and one of the few sites where you can see the red-footed booby. It is also another excellent snorkeling site, with crystal-clear waters full of tropical fish, turtles, and rays. On our way back, we reach Leon Dormido, the jagged remains of an old tuff cone whose flanks are home to thousands of sea birds. At Leon Dormido, we enjoy excellent snorkeling; for certified divers, this is also one of the best dives in the islands. There is a good chance of seeing Galápagos sharks, eagle and golden rays, as well as dozens of species of tropical fish, clams, starfish, and marine invertebrates. If we are lucky, we may spot hammerhead and white-tipped sharks as well. From here, we return to port where we enjoy dinner and our last evening on San Cristobal Island. (B, L, D)

Day 5: Galapagos Islands - Isabela Island (Sea Kayaking and Biking)

After breakfast, we take a small, private plane from San Cristobal to Isabela Island. Isabela is the largest island in the archipelago, formed by 6 shield volcanoes: Alcedo, Cerro Azul, Darwin, Ecuador, Sierra Negra, and Wolf. All of these volcanoes (except for one) remain active, making this island one of the most volcanically active places on Earth. Here, we'll get on our mountain bikes and follow the coastline on the look out for wildlife. We'll visit El Muro de las Lagrimas (which means Wall of Tears), a historic site that dates back between 1946 and 1959 when Isabela Island was used as a penal colony. We'll continue riding along the coast as we explore expansive white sand beaches, mangroves and lagooons. This area is filled with birdlife such as American oystercatchers, herons, flamingos, finches and many shorebirds, as well as sea lions and and marine iguanas. In the afternoon, we take our ocean kayaks and paddle out to Tintoreras, a set of small islets within Isabela Bay. The islets are filled with wildlife and home to the Galapagos Penguin, the only penguin that lives in the equatorial region. We'll also see sharks, marine turtles, sea lions and much more wildlife as we explore the many small coves and beaches. The evening is spent in the tranquil port of Puerto Villamil. (B,L,D)

Day 6: Galapagos Islands - Isabela Island (Hiking)

From Puerto Villamil, we drive to the highlands of Isabela Island up to where the road ends. Here we'll walk into a world of recent geological history. We walk on dirt trails until we arrive at the rim of the Sierra Negra volcano. Sierra Negra is an active volcano which last erupted in October 2005, and is also the second largest caldera in the world. We explore along the rim of the huge lava-filled crater.  We may also get views to the other Isabela volcanoes and the Perry Isthmus and beyond. We’ll then continue our hike all the way to Volcan Chico, an incredible area that offers puffing fumaroles and extraordinary lave formations, great examples of the dramatic geological events that have forged the Galapagos Islands over millennia. In the late afternoon, we return to Puerto Villamil and enjoy a relaxing evening on Isabela Island. (B, L, D)

Day 7: Santa Cruz Highlands (Hiking and Sea Kayaking)

After an early breakfast, we take a speedboat from Isabela to Santa Cruz Island. Once we arrive, we head to El Chato Reserve in the upper part of Santa Cruz Island – the natural habitat of the Santa Cruz tortoise, the largest in the Galápagos. These slow-moving creatures can live for more than 200 years, during which time they may grow as large as 4 feet (1.2 meters) in length and weigh more than 660 pounds (300 kilos). While we seek out these lumbering giants, we’ll also come across pintail ducks, egrets, flycatchers, finches, and frigate birds bathing in freshwater lakes. We enjoy a picnic lunch in the highlands, where we also explore lava caves featuring incredible volcanic tunnel formations, and on a clear day we have an excellent view of Media Luna, an old collapsed crater on top of Santa Cruz Island.  In the afternoon, we get back in our kayaks for a last paddle in Divine Bay. Once we arrive in Puerto Ayoro, we prepare for our farewell dinner. After a generous meal, we are free to explore the nightlife in the Galapagos most populous town, before relaxing at our first-class hotel during our last evening on the “Enchanted Islands” (B, L, D)

Day 8: Charles Darwin Research Station - Quito

In the morning, we visit the Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz Island to learn about conservation and management projects in the archipelago. The research station is also home to Lonesome George, the very last giant tortoise of his species. Afterwards, we transfer by bus to Baltra Island to board our flight back to the continent. We'll be greeted at the Quito airport and transferred in to Hotel Mercure for our last overnight in Ecuador. (B)

Day 9: Departure

Three hours prior to departure, you'll be transferred to the international airport for your flight back home.

**PLEASE NOTE** This itinerary is subject to change without notice due to seasonal changes, last-minute weather conditions, and adjustments of Galápagos National Park policy.

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