LAND VISITS
BARTOLOME
- Island where you will have the most dramatic view of
the islands looking into Sullivan Bay and Pinnacle Rock. You can find the
Galapagos Penguin (Speeniscus Mendiculus) and the marine tortoises (go
to nest between January and March) The island is look-like a moon panorama.
ISABELA
Visits : Cape Berkeley,
Tagus Bay, Urbina, Point Vicente Roca
- Close to Cape Berkeley, half of a large volcano has dropped
away into the sea giving you the opportunity to walk through coral reefs.
- Just south of Punta Tortuga, is Tagus Cove where early
sailors frequently anchored.
- A 2 km path will take you past a salt lagoon into the
lower slopes of volcano Darwin where volcanic formations could be observed.
A Panga ride will enable you to see various sea birds usually including
the Galapagos penguin and flightless cormorant. There are good snorkelling
opportunities in the cove.
- Urbina Bay here you can find Corals, flightless cormorant,
pelicans and marine iguanas. Rays and turtles can be seen on the bay. The
views of volcano Alcedo are magnificent.
FERNANDINA
Visits : Espinosa
Point
- Landscapes are most impressive. Punta Espinoza is located
just across from Tagus Cove; this point is known for one of the greatest
concentrations of endemic marine Iguanas, flightless cormorants, Galapagos
penguins and Sea lions. Here you can see various pioneer plants such as
the Brachycereus cactus, as well as pahoehoe and lava formations and mangroves.
SAN SALVADOR
Visits : Puerto
Egas
- This is a great place to see marine iguanas basking in
the sun, the pools are full of red sally light-foot crabs which attract
hunting herons. James Bay has excellent snorkeling sites were moray eels,
sharks and octopus may be found. Behind the shoreline is Sugar Loaf volcano,
on the path you can find lava lizards, Darwin finches, doves and the Galapagos
hawk pertaining to the vegetation, the most common species are the scalesias.
RABIDA
- Here are commonly found sea lions and pelicans behind
the beach is a salty lagoon with flamingos and white cheeked pitails, on
the three quarter of a path you will find Palo Santo and magnificent views
of the island.
SANTA CRUZ
Visits : Charles
Darwin Station & Highlands
- Puerto Ayora is the main town on the south coast; just
a 20 min. walk by road northeast will lead you to the Charles Darwin Research
Station, this is a center for research and conservation of the Galapagos
species
- Other sites is Bellavista, to get there you will go through
the xerophitic vegetation into the scalecia, miconia, fern-sedge areas;
other species are the Opuntia and the Cereus, Palo Santo, Croton and Cryptocarpus
bushes.
- The visit will include a hike around "Los Gemelos",
actually sink holes rather than craters, surrounded by Scalecia Forest
where a great number of birds like the Vermillion Flycatcher and the famous
Darwin's Finches (13 species) are found.
- Other interesting places are the "Lava Tubes"
which are underground tunnels of over a km in length, formed by the solidification
of the lava flow.
ESPANOLA
Visits : Suarez
Point, Gardner Bay
- "Punta Suarez", where a wet landing is necessary
and Gardner Bay, a beautiful, white sand beach at the east end of the island,
there is good swimming and a sea lion colony; snorkeling is good offshore,
walking through the 2 km.
- Path of Punta Suarez you will find masked and blue footed
booby colonies, marine iguanas and the main attraction is the waved albatross
colony; just beyond the colony is a blow hole through which the waves force
water spouts about 29 meters into the air; on this island we also find
lava lizards. Other important species are the wood mockingbird endemic
birds, swallow-tailed gulls, red billed tropicbirds, oystercatchers and
the large cactus finch. Among the vegetation we can find Acacia, Palo Santo
and Cacti.
NORTH SEYMOUR
- On this island you can find sea lions waddling on the
beach, land iguanas, frigate birds displaying their red pouches, colonies
of blue footed boobies, swallow tailed gulls, the bright yellow warbler
and eventually fur seals. tlisplaying threir red
SAN CRISTOBAL
Visits : Potnt
Pitt, Kicker Rock, Lobos Island
- Archipelago's capital, Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. Isla
Lobos: which is the main sea lion and blue-footed booby colony for visitors
to San Cristobal.
- Punta Pitt: one of the endemic species is the lava lizard.
- Kicker Rock: is a volcanic cinder formation, where blue- footed and masked boobies can be found among frigates and other seabird species.
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