Galapagos - Central & West Islands aboard the Solaris

Arrive in Puembo, a quiet rural neighbourhood of Quito located around 20 minutes from the airport and 45 minutes from the downtown city centre. Ecuador's mountain capital is, at 2,850m, the second highest capital in Latin America, lying in a narrow valley at the foot of the Pichincha Volcano. Arriving into the city by plane is quite spectacular as you approach over snow-capped mountains and extinct volcanoes - a window seat is recommended! You will be met on arrival at Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO) by a driver to take you to this evening's hotel, where more information will be given to you about tomorrow's schedule. The hotel is a tranquil, colonial-style property with a large garden and swimming pool. It's located in the countryside suburbs of Quito, near the airport; perfect for an early start tomorrow. The hotel can help organise a taxi for you into downtown Quito if you arrive early in the day and wish to visit the city.

Today transfer to the airport early for your flight to the Galapagos Islands via Guayaquil (refueling stop only, you will not disembark the plane). Lying on the Equator, 970km west of the Ecuadorean coast, the Galapagos National Park is a unique collection of islands, formed by volcanoes over hundreds of thousands of years and consisting of six main islands, 12 smaller islands, and over 40 small islets, each one supporting a distinct and unique flora and fauna, including prehistoric creatures found nowhere else on earth. This desolate and fantastic habitat was discovered in 1535 by Fray Tomas de Berlanga. Charles Darwin visited the islands on the Beagle exactly three hundred years later, in 1835. He observed the total isolation of the giant reptiles and other creatures, and this played a substantial part in his theory of evolution. Of the extraordinary animals to be found in the Galapagos many are reptiles, such as the great tortoise, large land iguanas, numerous lizards and three species of non-poisonous snakes. There are also several species of turtle, which come ashore to mate. Up to three quarters of a million seabirds flock to the islands, including a third of the world's blue-footed boobies, frigatebirds, pelicans, cormorants, albatross and petrels. Only 35cm tall, the Galapagos penguin can be seen swimming among tropical mangroves, whilst offshore it is common to see dolphins, sea lions and fur seals playing in the water. Fearless though not tame, the extraordinary wildlife is often inquisitive and the opportunities for photography are superb. The Galapagos National Park charges a visitor fee of $100 USD (subject to change), payable in cash on arrival, which funds park maintenance and supervision in the Galapagos, as well as ecological study, conservation and infrastructure development in Ecuador's other national parks. Entry fees and the funds they generate for the national park system are among measures taken by the Ecuadorian government to protect its natural heritage. At Baltra Airport, a guide will meet us to help us collect our luggage and accompany us to our exclusive vessel - the Solaris yacht. We'll visit Bachas Beach this afternoon, a beautiful bay with soft, white coral sand that is frequently visited by sea turtles to lay their eggs. After enjoying some leisure time at the beach, we can explore a small lagoon hidden behind some bushes, where occasionally it is possible to observe flamingos, black-necked stilts and whimbrels. You might also observe some rusty barges, which were abandoned here after WWII when the USA rented this island as a strategic point to protect the Panama Channel from Japan.

The magical Tintoreras consists of several small islets off the coast of Isabela Island, and is one of the most emblematic visitor's sites of the Galapagos. Its impressive concentration of Galapagos wildlife can be admired easily on today's visit. From a viewpoint, we'll see herons on mangrove branches whilst Galapagos penguins and sea lions can be spotted on the land. Whitetip reef sharks can be found in the tidal channels, and their abundance is what gives these islets their Spanish name. Another highlight is the breeding colony with uncountable numbers of marine iguanas. After lunch aboard, we visit the Arnaldo Tupiza tortoise breeding centre, where we can see hundreds of giant Galapagos tortoises of all sizes. The vulnerable hatchlings are not gigantic at all, even smaller than the size of your hand. This project, just outside Puerto Villamil, was created to rescue the endangered populations of Isabela's southernmost volcanoes. In Puerto Villamil and the surrounding wetlands, there is the historical site called 'The Wall of Tears', a national cultural heritage place where punished prisoners were forced to build this long wall and useless wall of lava rocks. We may also have the chance to see American flamingos here. At the end of the afternoon, we have some free time to explore the village and/or its beach.

Landing in the north of Isabela Island, we walk to Moreno Point this morning. Located on the north coast between the volcanos of Sierra Negra and Cerro Azul, the trail runs along a solidified lava flow into a complex of coastal lagoons, where we'll find an abundance of birdlife around the lakes and mangroves. In the afternoon we enter the Bolivar Channel and navigate towards Tagus Cove. On the way, we'll see how explosive eruptions have blown out a part of the outer rims of both tuff cones, and created their characteristic horseshoe shapes and Tagus Cove. Sailors used to write the names of their vessels on the eastern cliffs of this place. A tour along the cliffs in a dinghy will give us a good chance to see the Galapagos penguin, the flightless cormorant and other sea birds. From the landing dock, it is about a 30-minute hike along the trail up to the top of the cliff from where we can view Darwin Lake; an uplifted ultra saline lake saltier than the sea, as well as several volcanos. There is graffiti on the surrounding cliffs of the cove that was written by pirates, whalers and buccaneers in past centuries.

This morning's excursion takes us to Punta Espinoza on Fernandina, the youngest of the Galapagos Islands. Witness the large colony of marine iguanas and a variety of bird life, including the unique flightless cormorant. This bird had to adjust its way of survival and perfect its skills of finding food in the ocean. Their wings, tails and feet progressively adapted for swimming. To see these birds is to witness evolution happening right in front of you. We'll tour a number of different trails and follow the path along the beach and across lava flows, for a unique opportunity to explore one of the least-visited areas of the Galapagos. While having lunch we sail to Vicente Roca point back on Isabela Island, just at the mouth of Isabela's seahorse-shape. From small panga boats we'll enter a dark cave below a spectacular arch, accompanied by roaring echoes of the waves. Just around the corner the collapsed amphitheatre of Volcan Ecuador offers another impressive view. The calmer waters of the coves are well-protected against the ocean swell and are fairly cold, but a great place for snorkelling amongst various species of shark, penguins, puffer fish and seahorses.

Espumilla Beach is a visitor's site at the northern end of James Bay, on the western coast of Santiago. After several years of suffering from wild pigs who would dig up turtle eggs, the beach has been revived as an important turtle breeding site. The turtles return year after year to bury their eggs into the cinnamon-coloured sand dunes, and the beach ridge hides mangroves with two picturesque lagoons. The colony of American flamingos and aquatic birds used to be its main attraction, but after the climate phenomenon of El Niño, strong sedimentation altered the brackish water environment and it no longer contains their food. During the climb of a hill, you will be rewarded with a beautiful overview of the transitions from sea into beach into mangrove into dry palo santo forest. At lunchtime, we navigate south to Puerto Egas, with its famous fur seal grottos. Here, we enjoy another, very different guided walk along the coastline. Its masterfully sculptured coastline of black basalts and polished multi-coloured ash layers forms a photogenic scene with collapsed lava tunnels, natural arches, caves and blowholes such as 'Darwin's toilet'. In a grotto directly below a spectacular rock arch at the end of the beach, a colony of sea lions occupies the shade. Hundreds of sally lightfoot crabs are bright orange here against the black rocks.

Take a morning excursion to the red sand beaches of Rabida to see a lagoon and the famous bachelor sea lion colony. This area is known for its birdlife, including pelicans, white-cheeked pintails and boobies. Explore the trails of Rabida; a short path leads to a saltwater lagoon; another trail goes past the lagoon to the interior, where the revered palo santo trees grow. When burned, the branches of this tree give off a pleasing aroma and ward off mosquitoes. Grab a snorkel and discover many species of fish and other marine life. Keep an eye out for white-tip sharks and sea lions. In the afternoon the boat arrives to a small little island off the southern tip of Santiago Island called Sombrero Chino, or 'Chinese Hat', named for its unique shape. Chinese Hat comprises of a tilted cone and lava flows that run down to the coast. Here it is often possible to see Galapagos penguins and the abundant marine life, including rays, turtles and sea lions.

Our panga boats bring us to the tourist hub of Puerto Ayora this morning, where we find the Charles Darwin Research Station just a short ten minute walk from the centre of the town. The centre has been responsible for conservation projects within the islands since 1959 (the centenary of the publication of Darwin's book the Origin of the Species). Here, an exhibition centre displays photos of recent volcanic eruptions, charts outlining geological formations and drawings of the evolutionary development of endemic species. The Research Station is also the training centre for naturalist guides who accompany all visitors and members of the international scientific community often come to study at the station. We'll then return to Baltra Airport, from where you fly back to Quito and transfer to your hotel.

The trip ends after breakfast at the hotel in Puembo, Quito. There are no activities planned today, so you are free to depart at any time. Pick-up times for your airport transfer to Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO) will be re-confirmed locally. If your flight is departing later in the day, luggage storage facilities are available at the hotel. If you would like to book additional nights in Quito at the end of your stay, these can be arranged either at the hotel in Puembo, or in a hotel in downtown Quito. We recommend spending extra time in Quito, or adding to your nature-based holiday by booking our four-night Amazon extension package (trip code: AE).