World Wildlife Fund

Classic Galapagos Adventure

Aboard the M/V Letty

March 30 – April 9, 2012

It is nearly impossible to overstate the importance of the Galapagos as a scientific and natural treasure. As you’ll learn on this tour, WWF's important projects in the islands continue to make a big difference in addressing overfishing, sustainable tourism and renewable energy.

• With the best guide-to-traveler ratio, our guests are ensured personal encounters with nature.
• Our renowned expedition leaders perform additional training to guarantee our guests a spectacular experience.
• Swim and snorkel with sea lions, sunbathe with iguanas, kayak among whales and dolphins, and spend a night in the highlands at an exclusive camp.

Trip Itinerary

The dates below do not include travel time to and from the destination. Please consult our tour operator, Natural Habitat Adventures, to discuss your best flight options.

Friday, March 30, 2012: Quito
Upon your arrival in Quito, you will be met at the airport by a local representative and transferred to the Hilton Colon, located in Quito’s central district. Dinner is on your own this evening. Hilton Colon

Saturday, March 31: Quito / Otavalo Market
Enjoy a visit to the famed Otavalo Marketplace, which is at its peak on Saturdays. For those who choose, a city tour of Quito is available as an alternative to the market. This evening, gather for an orientation and welcome dinner. Hilton Colon (B,L,D)

Sunday, April 1: Quito / San Cristobal, Galapagos Islands
Fly to the Galapagos where you'll meet your expedition leader and board our yacht. You'll quickly discover the magic of the islands, with a chance to snorkel with sea lions at Playa Ochoa. A sunset cruise around Kicker Rock affords views of blue-footed boobies perched on its 500-foot high cliffs and frigate birds soaring overhead.(B,L,D)

Monday, April 2: Genovesa
Genovesa Island is a collapsed volcano that attracts vast numbers of seabirds that come here to nest. Inside the flooded crater you are surrounded by a cacophony of red-footed boobies, lava gulls, storm petrels and yellow-crowned night herons. At Darwin Bay, swim again with sea lions. (B,L,D)

Tuesday, April 3: Bachas Beach/North Seymour
Snorkel and sunbathe at Las Bachas, a fabulous white sand beach on Santa Cruz. The powdered coral is a favorite nesting site for sea turtles. Bright orange Sally Lightfoot crabs pepper the black lava at water’s edge. On North Seymour find a large nesting colony of magnificent frigate birds and land iguanas that display an intense yellow color during mating season. (B,L,D)

Wednesday, April 4: Fernandina / Isabela
Fernandina is the youngest and most active volcano in the Galapagos. Land at Punta Espinoza, where flightless cormorants nest on barren lava while colonies of marine iguanas bask nearby. Cruising across Bolivar Channel, keep watch for whales and dolphins. On the largest island, Isabela, explore Tagus Cove by panga (motorized rafts), finding penguins and pelicans and even graffiti that dates back to the 1800s when the names of ships were carved into the rock above a historic anchorage for pirates and whalers. (B,L,D)

Thursday April 5: Isabela
Elizabeth Bay on Isabela’s west coast is a marine sanctuary – no landings are permitted. Explore the small islets in the bay via panga, where you’re likely to see penguins and blue-footed boobies perched on the rocks and diving for pompano and dorado. As we cruise through a giant red mangrove cove, look for brown pelicans, sea turtles, spotted eagle rays, golden rays and sea lions. At Urbina Bay, step ashore on a white sand beach to witness one of the best examples of geological uplift in the Galapagos, a phenomenon that occurs when molten rock beneath the surface suddenly shifts. In 1954 the shoreline was uplifted nearly 15 feet and the coastline was driven three-quarters of a mile further out to sea, exposing giant coral heads and stranding marine organisms on what was now on shore. Urbina is also home to a colony of some of the largest land iguanas in the islands. (B,L,D)

Friday, April 6: Santiago / Santa Cruz  
At Puerto Egas on Santiago search the tidepools for octopus, starfish and marine iguanas feeding on algae. This afternoon, continue to Santa Cruz, the highest island in the chain. Those who wish to participate in a unique camping opportunity will disembark and transfer to the remote highlands of Santa Cruz for the night. The private camp, with views of the ocean, is tucked among lush vegetation that attracts giant tortoises. A bus returns you in the morning to rejoin the boat for the day's activities. (Please note: At times, the camp may be closed because of poor weather conditions.) (B,L,D)

Saturday, April 7: Santa Cruz / Darwin Station / Santa Fe 
In the misty craters of the Santa Cruz highlands, search for giant tortoises in their natural habitat. Lava tubes lace the ground beneath the scalesia forest, and we may venture into one of the caverns. Also visit Puerto Ayora, the main town on Santa Cruz, and tour the world-famous Charles Darwin Research Station. At the tortoise-rearing facility, see tiny babies bred to help increase the depleted population as part of the station’s conservation mission. This afternoon,  cruise to Santa Fe, where you'll find one of the most scenic turquoise lagoons in the Galapagos as well as a host of endemic species including the Galapagos hawk and mockingbird, a variety of Darwin’s finches, and land iguanas that feast on the fruit of the prickly pear cactus. Snorkel from the beach, perhaps enticing some of the resident sea lion colony to swim with you. (B,L,D)

Sunday, April 8: San Cristobal / Quito
At Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, capital of the Galapagos, visit the National Park Interpretation Center. Late this morning fly back to Quito and transfer to the hotel. Hilton Colon (B)

Monday, April 9: Depart Quito
Transfer to the airport for flights home or onto an optional extensions in Amazon rain forest, Machu Picchu or Easter Island. (B)