Grand Majestic
8-day Cruise "A"
(San Cristobal, Española, Floreana, Santa Cruz, Genovesa, Rabida, Santiago, San Cristobal)
Day 1: Monday
San Cristobal Island
In the morning:
San Cristobal airport arrival
You will arrive at San Cristobal Island in the morning.
After passing through immigration and baggage claim, you will be met by a Grand Majestic staff member and transferred to the yacht. You will be shown to your cabin where you will have some time to settle in before lunch and a welcome briefing.
San Cristobal airport arrival, San Cristobal Island |
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Difficulty: |
Easy |
Type of Landing: |
Dry Landing |
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El Junco Lagoon, San Cristobal Island |
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Highlights & Animals: |
Beautiful lagoon filling the crater of the extinct volcano. Frigates and occasionally some species of local water birds |
Difficulty: |
Easy/Moderate |
Type of Landing: |
Dry Landing |
Possible Activities: | Hiking |
Day 2: Tuesday
Española Island
In the morning:
Gardner Bay, Gardner Islet & Osborn Islet
This excursion takes you to the spectacular Gardner Bay. After landing, you can walk across a lovely white-sand beach amongst a busy sea lion colony or dive into the water to swim with sea lion pups. You may also see curious mockingbirds on the beach.
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Gardner Bay, Gardner Islet & Osborn Islet, Española Island |
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Highlights & Animals: |
White sandy beach, sea lions, mockingbirds; snorkeling: colorful fish, sea lion nursery |
Difficulty: |
Easy |
Type of Landing: |
Wet Landing |
Possible Activities: | Hiking, snorkeling, dinghy ride, kayaking |
In the afternoon:
Suarez Point
On the trail to Suarez Point you will have the chance to spot blue-footed boobies, albatrosses, and Nazca boobies. This island is the breeding site of nearly all of the world’s 12,000 pairs of waved albatrosses. You will also visit a beautiful site on the ocean front where there is a cliff that the large albatrosses use as a launching pad! You will have the chance to see the famous blowhole that spurts sea water into the air. The landscape is great for photography.
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Suarez Point, Española Island |
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Highlights & Animals: |
Hood mockingbirds, Nazca boobies, waved albatrosses (approximately from the last week of April until the last week of January), red-billed tropicbirds, lava lizards, Galapagos hawks, blowhole, amazing landscape and maybe blue-footed boobies. |
Difficulty: |
Difficult |
Type of Landing: |
Dry Landing |
Possible Activities: | Hiking |
Day 3: Wednesday
Floreana Island
In the morning:
Cormorant Point
Cormorant Point hosts a large flamingo lagoon where other birds such as common stilts and white-cheeked pintails can also be seen. The beaches on this island are distinct: The Green Beach is named so due to its green color, which comes from a high percentage of olivine crystals in the sand, and the Flour Sand Beach is composed of white coral.
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Cormorant Point, Floreana Island |
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Highlights & Animals: |
Flamingoes, green-colored beach |
Difficulty: |
Easy |
Type of Landing: |
Wet Landing |
Possible Activities: | Hiking, snorkeling, dinghy ride, kayaking |
Afterwards:
Devil’s Crown
You will have a chance to snorkel around Devil’s Crown which is the rocky remains of an offshore volcano sticking out of the water. This is a great location to spot a wide range of marine creatures.
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Devil’s Crown, Floreana Island |
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Highlights & Animals: |
Large array or marine species |
Difficulty: |
Moderate/Difficult |
Type of Landing: |
No Landing |
Possible Activities: | Snorkeling, dinghy ride |
In the afternoon:
Post Office Bay
You will land on a beach and head to a spot where 18th century whalers placed a wooden barrel used as an unofficial mail box. The custom continues to this day with Galapagos visitors. So, don’t forget your postcards, and don’t be surprised if the post card arrives to its destination before you even get home!
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Post Office Bay, Floreana Island |
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Highlights & Animals: |
Post office barrel, nice sandy beach |
Difficulty: |
Easy |
Type of Landing: |
Wet Landing |
Possible Activities: | Hiking, snorkeling |
Afterwards:
Baroness Viewing Point
Baroness Viewing Point is a fantastic place to absorb the environment of the Galapagos. Once inhabited by an indulgent baroness and her three lovers, the history of this island is intriguing. The legends about this baroness are associated with a fascinating murder mystery. There are easy trails in this area for exploring the flora and fauna of Floreana.
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Baroness Viewing Point, Floreana Island |
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Highlights & Animals: |
Great view, sea turtles, mysterious story about the first inhabitants of the islands |
Difficulty: |
Easy |
Type of Landing: |
Dry Landing |
Possible Activities: | Hiking, snorkeling, dinghy ride, kayaking |
Day 4: Thursday
Santa Cruz Island
In the morning:
Twin Craters
You will visit the Twin Craters located opposite to each other on both sides of the road leading from Puerto Ayora to Baltra. The name is only figurative; not real craters, these formations were created by the collapse of surface material in underground fissures and chambers. The view is breathtaking.
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Twin Craters, Santa Cruz Island |
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Highlights & Animals: |
Pit craters, Scalesia Forest |
Difficulty: |
Easy |
Type of Landing: |
Dry Landing |
Possible Activities: | Hiking |
In the afternoon:
Fausto Llerena Breeding Center
You will visit “Fausto Llerena” Tortoise Breeding Center in Puerto Ayora, where giant tortoises are bred in captivity. This is home to tortoises ranging from 3-inches (new hatchlings) to 4-feet long adults. Subspecies of the giant tortoises interact with one another, and many of the older tortoises are accustomed to humans stretching out their heads for a photo opportunity. The babies are kept until they are about four years-old and strong enough to survive on their own.
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Fausto Llerena Breeding Center, Santa Cruz Island |
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Highlights & Animals: |
Giant tortoises, finches, Galapagos rails |
Difficulty: |
Easy |
Type of Landing: |
Dry Landing |
Possible Activities: | Hiking |
Day 5: Friday
Genovesa Island
In the morning:
El Barranco
El Barranco, also known as Prince Phillip’s Steps, is a steep, rocky path that leads up a high cliff rock face. A marvelous view can be appreciated from here. This site is also home to Palo Santo vegetation as well as red-footed boobies, short-eared owls, Galapagos storm petrels, and Galapagos doves.
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El Barranco, Genovesa Island |
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Highlights & Animals: |
Red-footed boobies, short-eared owls, storm-petrels, Galapagos doves |
Difficulty: |
Moderate |
Type of Landing: |
Dry Landing |
Possible Activities: | Hiking, snorkeling, dinghy ride, kayaking |
In the afternoon:
Darwin Bay
Visit the white-sand coral beach of Darwin Bay which includes a half mile trail (0,75km) that winds through mangroves filled with land birds. Nazca boobies, red-footed boobies, and swallow-tailed gulls, which can easily be spotted here. Further down the path we’ll find tidal pools where sea lions swim playfully. At the end is a spectacular view of a cliff.
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Darwin Bay, Genovesa Island |
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Highlights & Animals: |
Nazca boobies, red-footed boobies, swallow-tail gulls, mangroves, coral pebble beach, snorkeling: rays, colorful reef fish, and hammerhead sharks occasionally |
Difficulty: |
Easy |
Type of Landing: |
Wet Landing |
Possible Activities: | Hiking, snorkeling, dinghy ride, kayaking |
Day 6: Saturday
Rabida and Santiago Islands
In the morning:
Rabida
You will visit Rabida Island (or Jervis) which is one of the most colorful and volcanically varied islands in the archipelago as well as a great snorkeling site. We will start on Rabida’s famous maroon/red sand beach, and after an easy hike, you will arrive to a stunning lookout to enjoy the amazing landscapes. The island is a birdwatcher’s delight. Some species are abundant such as a few varieties of finches, Galapagos vermilion flycatchers, Galapagos hawks and brown pelicans.
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Rabida Island |
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Highlights & Animals: |
Snorkeling: white-cheeked pintail ducks, colourful fish, sea lions, brackish water lagoon, pelicans |
Difficulty: |
Easy/Moderate |
Type of Landing: |
Wet Landing |
Possible Activities: | Hiking, snorkeling, dinghy ride, kayaking |
In the afternoon:
Chinese Hat Islet
This small islet is located near the southeast coast of Santiago Island. Its name comes from the distinct shape of the islet’s summit. Chinese Islet is a great location to view many geological formations such as lava tunnels and lava flows. Some of the lava flows were formed underwater and subsequently raised above sea level. The presence of coral heads on the lava flow indicates this phenomenon.
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Chinese Hat Islet, Santiago Island |
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Highlights & Animals: |
Lava formations, great site for snorkeling with an abundance of marine species such as sea lions, sharks, rays and penguins. |
Difficulty: |
Easy |
Type of Landing: |
Wet Landing |
Possible Activities: | Hiking, snorkeling, dinghy ride, kayaking |
Day 7: Sunday
San Cristobal Island
In the morning:
Witch Hill
Located on the northern coast, this eroded hill and its surroundings present one of the most picturesque beaches in the Galapagos with its white powdery sand and the abundance of animals. Wildlife includes sea turtles, rays, and various types of booby birds. The clear water provides an excellent opportunity for enjoying swimming and snorkeling.
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Witch Hill, San Cristobal Island |
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Highlights & Animals: |
Beautiful rock formations, sea lions, shore birds, finches and mockingbirds; Snorkeling: nice tropical fish, anemones, sponges, coral |
Difficulty: |
Easy |
Type of Landing: |
Wet Landing |
Possible Activities: | Hiking, snorkeling, dinghy ride, kayaking |
In the afternoon:
Lobos Island
You will take an excursion to Lobos Island which means “Sea Lion Island.” This appropriately named island is ripe with noisy, playful, jolly sea lions who will welcome you to their home with open, well, fins. This island also offers great snorkeling opportunities as well as the chance to see blue-footed and Nazca boobies.
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Lobos Island, San Cristobal Island |
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Highlights & Animals: |
Sea lions, frigate birds, blue-footed boobies |
Difficulty: |
Easy/Moderate |
Type of Landing: |
Dry Landing |
Possible Activities: | Hiking, snorkeling, dinghy ride |
Day 8: Monday
San Cristobal Island
In the morning:
Gianni Arismendy Interpretation Center
This site is part of an environment project. The tour of this center will explore the natural history of the islands including human interaction and conservation efforts. The Museum of Natural History explains the volcanic origin of the archipelago, ocean currents, climate, and the arrival of endemic species. The Human History exhibit chronologically describes significant events such as discovery and colonization of the islands.
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Gianni Arismendy Interpretation Center, San Cristobal Island |
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Highlights & Animals: |
Great exhibits about the archipelago’s natural history |
Difficulty: |
Easy |
Type of Landing: |
Dry Landing |
Possible Activities: | Hiking |
Afterwards:
San Cristobal airport departure
After this final visit, you will be transferred to the San Cristobal airport in time for your flight back to the mainland.
San Cristobal airport departure, San Cristobal Island |
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Difficulty: |
Easy |
Type of Landing: |
Dry Landing |
Itineraries are generally stable but may change due to weather, wildlife, safety, park regulations, guest abilities, or operational needs. Images shown are referential, and not all listed activities on each visitor point may be completed. Your guide and captain will always aim to choose the best possible itinerary.
www.grandmajestic-cruise.com