Nature's Masterpiece: The Galápagos Islands and Amazon Rainforest

The trip doesn't officially start until tomorrow, February 28. Still, as most flights arrive at Quito's Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO) late in the day, we've included a stay at the Wyndham Airport hotel. Rest and relax. We'll head to the Galápagos tomorrow morning.

(We're working on a 2-night pre-trip extension to explore Quito - stay tuned)!

We'll fly from Quito to San Cristobal Airport in the Galápagos this morning. We'll be met at the airport and taken to our (women-owned!) home for the week, The Ocean Spray. 

The Ecuadorian government has designated 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands as the country's first national park. To protect this extraordinary natural resource, access is tightly controlled. A licensed naturalist must accompany any trip ashore. We'll have one aboard as a resource for the voyage.

After a ship's orientation, we'll set sail for Lobos Island and Kicker Rock. Lobos Island is aptly named after the many sea lions resting and playing along its rocky shores. It's also home to various birds, including pelicans, frigate birds, yellow warblers, and more. In the clear waters of the narrow channel, sea turtles, sea lions, stingrays, and perhaps even white-tipped sharks are easy to find.

We'll view Kicker Rock, one of the most iconic sites in the Galapagos. It consists of two eroded volcanic cones towering 340 feet above the sea. Seabirds nest there, and it's a nice spot to take pictures while our dinghies circumnavigate the rock.

This morning, we'll set sail for Pitt Point where it will feel as if you’ve landed on an extraterrestrial planet. You can see the many different developments over time of how volcanic activity formed this island.  A walk to the top beholds amazing views of the surrounding waters.  Watch out for blue-footed boobies nests on the ground and keep an eye out for the red-footed boobies nesting in the trees once you reach the top of the island.

Then we're off to Witch Hill. We'll explore its awesome crevices and eroding rocks along the shoreline from our dinghy. Afterwards be prepared to visit a powdery white sand beach with teal and turquoise waters.  

Today, we'll likely see sea lions, various shore birds, finches, mockingbirds, tropical fish, and different crabs like the Sally lightfoot

This morning, we're off to Floreana and Post Office Bay. Centuries ago, great whaling ships, often at sea for years at a time,  would stop at Floreana for supplies. They devised a clever solution for sending mail home: they left letters in a particular place and when passing ships stopped there on their way back to Europe or North America, they would pick up all the letters destined for their home port and deliver them. Hence "Post Office Bay". This practice continues today! Bring a postcard to send to your home city!

After lunch, we'll head to Cormorant Point / Devil’s Crown. It's one of the finest snorkeling opportunities in the Galápagos. Impressive volcanic structures that have submerged over time lie below the surface. Hundreds of colorful fish species can be seen along the reef, with diving marine iguanas, sea turtles, sea lions, and rays. It’s a beautiful underwater spectacle you don't want to miss.

In case that's not enough, just beyond the first beach is a saltwater lagoon with flamingos!

This morning's destination is Santa Cruz Island. On the north side of Santa Cruz is Black Turtle Cove, a shallow inlet surrounded by mangroves. It provides natural protection for various marine life, attracting the vulnerable juveniles of many species. Below the water's surface, you can see black-tip and white-tip reef sharks, sea turtles, golden cow-nose rays, and spotted eagle rays. Pelicans and blue-footed boobies hunt here, diving gracefully into the water.

This afternoon, we'll head to Bartholomew Island and Pinnacle Rock, a volcanic cone formed by magma expelled by an underwater volcano. The sea cooled the hot lava, and as it exploded from contact, the pieces created a massive rock of many layers of basalt. The huge rock also has a beach where a small population of green sea turtles nest during the breeding season. Galapagos penguins gather here, and swimming offers beautiful sights of colorful schools of fish and curious sea lions.

We're off to Genovesa and Darwin Bay. Centuries ago, it was a shield volcano, but now you can see where one of the sides of its caldera collapsed after hundreds of years of erosion. It's known for the wide variety of birds it houses. An estimated 20,000 red-footed boobies call this island home.

After lunch, we'll voyage to El Barranco. (In English, this site is also known as Prince Phillip’s Steps). It leads to a rocky path up a cliff that rewards guests with a remarkable view. We'll wander through a Palo Santo forest, home to nesting red-footed boobies and other shorebirds.

Keep your eyes peeled for Red-footed boobies, blue-footed boobies, Nazca boobies, swallow-tailed gulls, storm petrels, Galapagos doves, short-eared owls, sea turtles, rays, sea lions, marine iguanas.

On Santiago Island, we'll head for Espumilla Beach in Buccaneer Cove. Buccaneer Cove is an excellent snorkeling destination. It was once a refuge for passing sailors and pirates, and the underwater formations provide a fantastic home for the many tropical fish species found here.

After lunch, we're off to Egas Port, also known as James Bay, and home to quick-footed Galapagos lava lizards. There are grottos and tide pools housing various marine species. This is also one of the best snorkeling sites in the Galapagos.

Look out for Fur sea lions, Galapagos hawks, oyster-catchers, marine iguanas, finches, sharks, sea turtles, sally lightfoot crabs, and all manner of tropical fish.

Formed by uplifted submarine lava, North Seymour Island is home to a vast colony of about 2,500 land iguanas and large populations of sea lions, blue-footed boobies, common noddies, and frigatebirds. It's possible to see land and marine iguanas along the coast and the Galápagos' largest colony of Magnificent Frigatebirds.

This afternoon in Santa Cruz, we’ll head to the highlands to see the famous giant tortoises in the wild. So renowned are these endemic animals that they gave the archipelago its name. 

We'll continue to the famous Charles Darwin Research Station, which offers guests a unique opportunity to discover the vital work to preserve the archipelago’s ecosystems. The Research Center is also home to a significant breeding program for Galapagos tortoises, whose numbers have declined since the 1970s. These captivating reptiles are accustomed to humans, so be sure to bring your camera for some close-ups!

Mosquera Islet is between the islands of Baltra and North Seymour. It's a reef of rocks and coral (the result of an uprising) and a great white sand beach. This island has one of the largest populations of sea lions in the Galápagos. There have been occasional reports at this site of Orcas (Orcinus orca) feeding on sea lions.

After our visit to Mosquera, our trip draws to an end. We'll provide transfers to Baltra airport for our return flight to mainland Ecuador. We'll all fly back to Quito together.

If you're heading home, book an evening flight home from Quito or make plans to stay overnight if the best flight home leaves earlier in the day.

For those of you joining the optional trip extension to the Amazon rain forest, we'll overnight at the Wyndham Airport Hotel in Quito for convenience and fly out in the morning.

This morning, we'll take a 30-minute commercial flight to Puerto Francisco de Orellana "El Coca". We'll be whisked from the airport to the Napo River, where we'll board a motorized canoe heading downriver on the beginning of an unforgettable experience in the Amazon rainforest. Staff will help with luggage - just take care of your carry-items.

Our destination is La Selva, a stunning (woman-owned!) eco-lodge on 50 acres of rainforest. 

After a rest, time to unpack, and a briefing from one of the naturalist guides, we'll walk down the Matapalo Charapa Trail. We'll stroll under immense strangler fig and mahogany trees while our guides share their knowledge of the flora and fauna. At this time of day, soft natural light shines through the canopy, and the diurnal and nocturnal animals are beginning their daily transitional activities.

After dinner, Garza Cocha Lagoon is an excellent place for a night canoe ride to search for caimans, bats, owls, and night mammals with the help of a spotlight. There are also wonderful opportunities for stargazing if the night sky is clear!

In your free time, between activities, you can kayak in the lagoon, get a massage, take a yoga class, or relax in your room and take a nap!

After breakfast, we'll take a 15-minute walk to La Selva's observation tower, soaring an impressive 120 feet above the forest floor. The naturalist and native guides will use a sighting scope to us the colorful birds enjoying the canopy and perhaps even primates. 

Mandi Cocha is a 30-minute walk from the tower. This small lake boasts myriad vegetation and landscapes, displaying the beauty of the flooded forest. With some luck, we might spot the famous giant otters that make their home nearby. 

We'll break for lunch and time to chat about all the critters and birds. 

This afternoon, we'll head to Garza Cocha Lagoon. This is one of the most beautiful lakes in the Ecuadorian Amazon. We'll have one of several opportunities to spot species of monkeys and birds. Sometimes, huge groups of squirrel monkeys join families of capuchin monkeys to look for food. Howler monkeys also like to spend the late afternoon around the lake. The hoatzin, a large, unique bird found only in pristine Amazon environments, is easy to spot.

We'll indulge in a delicious meal at the lodge with time to relax before bed.

After an early breakfast, we'll make our way back to the Napo River and take a motorized canoe ride to the clay lick, one of the most fascinating displays of the wild world. Hundreds of parrots and parakeets gather here to eat the mineral-rich soil, an important part of their diet.

Then we'll visit the indigenous community of Pilchi where we'll learn about how the first nations of the Amazon lived for thousands of years, including how they dress, what they eat, how they cook, and the many ways they use what the forest provides in their daily lives - a truly unique, fascinating and fun experience!

Don’t be shy to ask them questions, and be brave to try some of the traditional drinks and food! They love to share their ancestral knowledge and spread awareness about their culture. 

After lunch, we'll take a fantastic walk on the Coto Trail to the edge of the Garza Cocha Lagoon. In the afternoon, the light from the sun makes this walk an amazing experience and the perfect opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the forest. The naturalist will expound on the creatures we discover. We'll also encounter medicinal plants that have been used for thousands of years. 

It's been a busy day. Let's relax and have a leisurely dinner.

After breakfast, we'll head to the Yasuní National Park, the largest protected area in Ecuador. On this adventure, we’ll visit a different clay lick where scarlet macaws and other species of parrots congregate to drink the sodium-rich water. Other mammals such as deer, wild pigs, and tapirs also come to drink water here!

Afterward, we will take a lovely walk through this incredible forest, where we will find other species of primates unique to this area. Yasuní National Park is also the home of the last uncontacted Indigenous tribe in Ecuador—but as they are uncontacted, we won’t see them!

After lunch, we'll paddle down the beautiful Morete Yaku, the main creek that feeds into the Garza Cocha Lake. We'll see the difference between the Terra Firme forest and the swamp forest, also known as Moretal. Morete is one of the dominant species of plants in this ecosystem. This very tall palm is significant to many species of animals and for the indigenous communities that use its fruit as a vital energy source.

This is our last night in the Amazon. Over dinner, we'll regale each other with stories about the wonders we've experienced.

After breakfast, we'll make our way by boat back to Coca, where we'll be transferred to the airport. What a spectacular trip it's been!

We'll take the short flight to Quito together, where you can connect to your return flight home. If possible, book an evening flight from Quito so you have plenty of time to make your connection. Otherwise, plan on flying home the next day.