Passion: Fernandina Itinerary

Floreana Island: Legendary homestead of infamous Baroness Eloise Von Wagner de Bousquet.

• Punta Cormorant: We will land onto the olivine beaches of Punta Cormorant; we will be seeking Greater Flamingos on our way to another special beach with the finest sand you’ll set foot on, a sea turtle nesting ground where sharks and rays also visit regularly. (wet landing)
• Devils Crown: This is a snorkeling site located just off Punta Cormorant. The site is a completely submerged volcano that has eroded to create the appearance of a jagged crown.
• Post Office Bay: This is one of the only sites visited for the human history where you can drop your postcards in the barrel as the whalers did centuries ago. (wet landing)

Floreana Island

• Highlands of Floreana: This morning we will visit Floreana Island´s black beach, to learn about the intriguing human history of the island and it´s first inhabitants. Floreana was the first island in the Archipelago to be inhabited, since it has one of the very few fresh water sources. We will visit this fresh water source known as Asilo de La Paz, as well as the caves that served as hideouts for pirates and where the first Galapegueño was born, according to the stories of Floreana, which involve the infamous Baroness Eloise Wagner von Bousquet and her lovers who mysteriously began to disappear after settling on the island.
• Navigation: After our visit, we will have the best opportunity for a not so common yet well beloved activity in the archipelago, a full afternoon navigation to look for whales and dolphins. The waters of the Galapagos form the second largest marine reserve in the world very rich in wildlife. The biggest representatives of the underwater fauna are the different species of whales and dolphins found here. We will navigate form Floreana to Isabela Island while looking for these fascinating creatures, which are commonly seen in this area.
  This afternoon is completed by the impressive landscapes of Isabella and the Cerro Azul volcano.

Isabela Island: Isabela is the largest of the Galapagos Islands formed by five active volcanoes fused together. Wolf Volcano is the highest point in the entire Galapagos at 1707m.

• Punta Moreno: After breakfast, we step ashore at Punta Moreno  onto a superb pahoehoe lava flow surrounded by giant shield volcanoes, some of which are still active! From here we will do a short hike to a lagoon where flamingos are usually present. (dry landing)
• Elizabeth Bay:  We take a ride on a panga to a salt-water lagoon surrounded by the largest red mangroves of the Galapagos. Here, it is usual to see sea turtles come near our zodiac to greet us. Flightless cormorants and Galapagos penguins are also more abundant in this part of the archipelago.

Isabela Island

• Urbina Bay: We disembark at Urbina Bay  onto a black sand beach, nesting site for green sea turtle. We take a brief hike inland in search of land iguanas and giant tortoises (seasonal) that migrate to and from the highlands. At the beach, we will admire the remains of a geological uplift exposing coral heads and marine fossils; and if the sea conditions and time are on our side, we will also snorkel in these waters. (wet landing)

• Fernandina Island

  • Punta Espinosa: We cross Bolivar Channel to Fernandina Island, one of the world’s most unspoilt sites, and disembark  at Punta Espinosa. Strolling along the shoreline, we will be on the lookout for flightless cormorants, Galapagos sea lions, Galapagos penguins and hawks, sooty-coloured marine iguanas and bright red-orange Sally Lightfoot Crabs. (dry landing)

Isabela Island

• Tagus Cove: Tagus Cove, historic pirate hideaway where names of countless ships are recorded for posterity on the cliff face. Hike through beautiful Galapagos landscapes to Darwin Lake, a salt-water crater lagoon surrounded by tuff stone. (dry landing)
• Punta Vicente Roca: At Punta Vicente Roca we will do a panga ride around the beautiful coast line before jumping into the water to enjoy one of the best snorkeling sites of the Galapagos. The underwater cliffs found here are filled with enough colors and life to amaze everyone looking at them for the first time.

Santiago Island: This Island is located between Isabela and Santa Cruz Islands. This Island offers a wide variety of seabirds, marine iguanas and fur seals.

• Espumilla: After three days exploring the fabulous western islands, we head to central Santiago to disembark at Espumilla, onto a golden-colored sand green sea turtle nesting site. A forest trail will take us through some of the largest specimens of Palo Santo on the islands to observe yellow warblers, the unbelievably tame Galapagos flycatcher and the ever-intriguing Darwin finches. (wet landing)
• Puerto Egas: At Puerto Egas  we disembark on a dark sand volcanic beach with an interesting history of human settlement. Sleepy Galapagos fur seals lounge under arches of lava carved by the ocean and occasionally dip into the crystalline pools, also known as “grottos”. Walk along the shore and observe the abundant marine life. (wet landing)

North Seymour Island: We disembark on North Seymour (dry landing), a small uplifted island, where we will walk right up to bird nesting colonies of the two species of frigatebirds, blue-footed boobies and swallow-tailed gulls, and experience, depending on season, spectacular mating ritual displays. After this visit the ship will sail to Baltra where passengers ending their trip will disembark and passengers beginning their cruise will join us on board.
In addition to the land visits we offer a good balance of other activities such as snorkeling, panga rides and kayaking.