Galápagos Family Adventure

Arrive in Ecuador's capital city, Quito, and transfer to our elegant hotel in the heart of the Old Town.

Walk the streets of colonial Quito, considered South America’s best-preserved historical center. Stop at Independence Plaza, the presidential palace, and the monastery of San Francisco, one of the most impressive religious buildings in Latin America. Stand with one foot on each side of the equator at Mitad del Mundo. End our first day with a welcome reception and dinner at our hotel’s highly acclaimed restaurant.

Transfer to the airport after breakfast for our short flight to Baltra to embark on La Pinta. Our first stop is South Plaza Island, where we loop the entire island on foot, taking in carpets of scarlet succulents, often a meal for land iguanas. View colonies of sea lions and marine birds as we circle the coastline.

Disembark on Santa Fe Island this morning and walk among the towering Opuntia cacti with very soft thorns. Home to an endemic species of land iguana and Galápagos hawks, Santa Fe is the site of the longest-running research project on marine iguanas, begun in the 1970s. Explore marine life from their perspective as we swim with acrobatic sea lions and search for sea turtles. Later, cruise to San Cristóbal Island for a visit to the Galapaguera de Cerro Colorado tortoise reserve. The center is located in a deciduous forest that is home to dozens of bird species, including the San Cristóbal mockingbird and the San Cristóbal lava lizard—both island endemics.

Sea lions may greet us as we land on the beach at Punta Pitt, an eroded tuff cone. Punta Pitt is ideal for snorkeling and is also the only site in the Galápagos where its three species of boobies can be found together. Later, cruise to Cerro Brujo, during which we take in the immensity of the stunning cliffs of “Sorcerer’s Hill.” Relax on the beach with sea lions, snorkel from shore, or explore the area on a guided walk to a hidden lagoon to look for black-necked stilts, ruddy turnstones, whimbrels, and white-cheeked pintails.

Continue our adventure on Española Island, home to swallow-tailed gulls, Española mockingbirds, and Nazca boobies. Disembark and walk among the world’s only population of waved albatross at Punta Suarez. In the afternoon, sink our toes into the white coralline sand among several colonies of Galápagos  sea lions at Gardner Bay. Here, we may have the opportunity to observe the endemic mockingbird of Española defending its territory. Spend time in the water snorkeling and searching for king angelfish, damselfish, parrotfish, rays, sea turtles, and reef sharks.

Say goodbye to our friends on La Pinta as we disembark in Puerto Ayora. Visit the Charles Darwin Research Station to hear about the Rearing in Captivity program dedicated to giant tortoises and see the efforts and results of Galápagos  biology fieldwork. Enjoy free time to stroll the streets of Puerto Ayora before taking a water taxi to our beachfront hotel for an afternoon at leisure.

Travel into the highlands to observe giant tortoises roaming in their natural habitat at a local family farm. Be enthralled by the endemic Scalesia, members of the daisy family as tall as trees, and look for the emblematic Darwin’s finches as we stroll through the forest near the twin sinkholes known as Los Gemelos. Return to our hotel and toast our adventure at a memorable farewell dinner this evening.

Bid farewell to the Galápagos as we transfer to the airport for our return flight to Quito. Check in to optional dayrooms at our hotel to relax before departing on return flights.