Ecuador Galapagos Luxury Adventure Cruise on Endemic Tour

Your Guides

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The best people to immerse you in a destination are the ones who live there, which is why we feature local Adventure Guides on our trips. Here are a few that you might meet on this adventure.

Luis Die

Luis was born in Seville, Spain, and graduated from the Universidad Autonoma de Madrid with a degree in Environmental Biology. He is fluent in Spanish, English, and French and has guided in Galapagos since 1999. In addition to being a professional nature photographer, Luis has a Master's Degree in Geographic Ecology and is active with conservation groups. A born teacher, he enthusiastically shares his knowledge of Galapagos with people of all ages. He lives in Quito with his wife, twin sons, and daughter and is MT Sobek's head naturalist guide. 

Greg Estes

Greg arrived in the Galapagos in 1982 leading the Cambridge Darwin Centenary Galapagos Expedition to conduct research on the feeding ecology of marine iguanas. After graduating from the University of London with an honors degree in Biology, Greg's research in Galapagos has encompassed a wide range of ecological projects, including studies on sperm whales and the endangered Galapagos petrel. Greg and his wife have retraced Darwin's footsteps through Galapagos using information from his original notebooks and manuscripts of the famous voyage. 

Fernando Ortiz

Fernando is an Ecuadorian marine biologist who has worked and lived in Galapagos for over 25 years. An accomplished diver, he has enjoyed more than 5,000 dives in the Galapagos, Ecuador, Cayman Islands, Cozumel, Baja California, Palau, Malaysia, and Costa Rica. He joined Conservation International in 2005 after working for the Galapagos National Park as Head of the Department of Control and Conservation of Marine Ecosystems. Fernando returned to guiding to re-encounter the environment that he is so passionate about and loves inspiring MT Sobek travelers on their adventures in the Galapagos.

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                    [Headline] => Arrive in Quito
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Welcome to the historic city of Quito, the capital of Ecuador. An MT Sobek representative will meet you outside customs at the airport and escort you to your hotel. After settling in at the hotel, the rest of the day is free to unwind, take advantage of the pool\'s spa services or begin your exploration of this dynamic city. Dinner is on your own tonight.
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                    [Headline] => Tour Quito\'s Old Town
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Enjoy a leisurely breakfast before setting out on half-day guided tour of colonial Quito. The city\'s UNESCO-listed old town contains the best examples of Colonial Baroque architecture in South America! After lunch, you are free to explore more of the old town, return to the hotel, or shop for handicrafts made by local artisans.

Gather in the hotel at 6:30pm for a briefing with your fellow travelers and MT Sobek representative, who will discuss tomorrow\'s flight to the Galápagos Islands and the adventure ahead. Dinner is on your own tonight.
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                    [Headline] => Fly to the Galapagos Islands 
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Rise for breakfast and an early transfer flight from Quito to Baltra Island in the Galápagos. After meeting your naturalist guide, take a short transfer from Baltra to Bachas Beach on the north side of Santa Cruz Island. Encounter sea lions on the beautiful, white-sand beach, look for flamingos and great blue herons in the lagoon, and spot hatchlings\' footprints leading from the nest to the water\'s edge (sea turtles nest here from December to April). Return to Baltra and board your private luxury catamaran. Enjoy a welcome dinner onboard.
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                    [Headline] => Hike & Snorkel Amid Rich Birdlife of Genovesa Island
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Genovesa Island is known as Bird Island and is one of the most interesting for visitors! Hike along Darwin Beach on the north side of Darwin Bay, formed by the rim of a sunken crater. Red mangroves along the trail provide habitat for yellow warblers, yellow-crowned night herons, and pintail ducks. The highlight of this site is the incredible abundance of Red-footed Boobies, Great Frigatebirds and Swallow-tailed Gulls. Despite being the most abundant species of booby in the islands, the red-footed is rarely seen unless you visit Genovesa. The bay also offers several places to snorkel; from deep waters along the cliffs across the bay, to shallow waters by the beach. In either case, there are many fish to see and great chances of seeing sharks, rays and sea lions.

After lunch, explore the cliffs by Zodiac before climbing Prince Phillip\'s Steps to the island\'s plateau. The landing sport is a rock fall that forms a natural staircase up the cliffs but the rest of the trail is quite easy and leveled. Walk through massive colonies of Red-footed and Nazca Boobies and an extraordinary Palo Santo forest on the way to a lava ridge where thousands of storm petrels dart about while Short-eared owls stalk them for prey. Along with Darwin Beach, this is one of the trails in the entire Galápagos with the most abundance of fauna. Snorkelers can explore the cliffs, where there are many fish and great chances of seeing sharks, rays and sea lions.
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                    [Headline] => See Giant Tortoises in the Wild on Santa Cruz and Explore Santiago Island
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This morning, explore the lush highlands of Santa Cruz Island. Walk along a shady trail between the Twin Craters, actually two sinkholes created long ago by underground lava tunnels that collapsed. Learn about the special nature of the surrounding forest, with its Scalesia pedunculated trees (endemic to the Galápagos) and abundant bird life including finches, Vermilion Flycatchers, and mockingbirds. Continue for a special opportunity to see giant tortoises in their wild and natural habitat. The Galápagos Islands are named after these magnificent, ancient creatures and the experience with them is magical.

Cruise over lunch to Santiago Island, and venture ashore at Sullivan Bay. Hike along the sandy shore, surrounded by lava fields that formed only about 100 years ago. Your guide will point out the hardy "pioneer" plants, specialized flora that are the first to colonize a lava field. Conclude with a refreshing swim and chance to do some snorkeling! 

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                    [Headline] => Isabela Island\'s Wetlands, Sierra Negra Volcano and Tortoise Breeding Center
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Isabela Island\'s wetlands are home to abundant bird life, including flamingos, stilts, whimbrels, gallinules, finches, Pintail Ducks, Brown Pelicans and more. Marine iguanas creep through the marshes as well. Part of the trail goes up Orchilla hill, which offers a nice view of the nearby town of Puerto Villamil. Continue to the Sierra Negra Volcano (4,890\'), one of the most active volcanoes in the Galápagos. Hikers are rewarded with an unforgettable lesson in volcanic geology, with the chance to see the main volcanic caldera, very recent lava flows and fumaroles, and several smaller craters at the Chico Volcano site. Along the way, enjoy spectacular views of the ocean and surrounding islands.

Enjoy lunch on board, then visit the Arnaldo Tupiza Breeding center, a highlight of any visit to Isabela Island. Here, giant tortoises of the Isabela Island subspecies are hatched and cared for until they can survive on their own in the wild. Hundreds of adorable baby tortoises lumber about in raised pens, designed to protect them from predators including rats and ants. Even the walk to get to the breeding center from town is fun, as it is connected to Puerto Villamil by a boardwalk over some marshy wetlands where sightings of flamingos and other water birds are common.
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                    [Headline] => Explore Isabela\'s Elizabeth Bay & Urbina Bay
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Head out this morning to explore Elizabeth Bay, located along the west coast of Isabela Island. This is one of the island\'s breeding sites for penguins. Exploring the mangroves, channels and coves by panga, you\'ll have the chance to see many sea turtles, penguins, pelicans, flightless cormorants, herons and rays.

After lunch, anchor near Isabela\'s Urbina Bay - famous for having uplifted 15 feet along 2 miles of coastline exposing corals and invertebrates in its strata. Follow your guide on the trail to look for Galápagos land iguanas, Galápagos hawks, and finches. You can also snorkel at this location and look for turtles, cormorants, a large diversity of fish and, with a bit of luck, octopus and lobsters.

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                    [Headline] => Explore Isabela\'s Tagus Cove & Fernandina Island, the Archipelago\'s Youngest Island
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In the morning, visit Tagus Cove, located to the west of Darwin Volcano on Isabela Island. While walking, inspect the inscriptions left by pirates in the 1800\'s. From here, you can see Darwin Lake, perched above sea level, but full of saltwater. It contains no fish, but it is very common to see a variety of bird species. After the walk, cruise by panga along the coast of Isabela to look for wildlife. Snorkelers will have great chances of swimming with penguins, cormorants and sea lions.

Rest for lunch, then set out from your anchorage near Punta Espinosa on Fernandina Island - said to be the largest ecologically pristine island in the world and one of the highlights of the trip. This island is an active shield volcano which had an eruption as recently as 2018. Upon landing, take a walk on black lava fields in search of marine iguanas, colorful Sally Lightfoot crabs and Galápagos sea lions lounging in its tidal pools. 

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                    [Headline] => Hike & Snorkel on Santiago Island & Rábida
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Wake for a wet landing on Santiago\'s soft, sandy Espumilla Beach. Walk the island\'s lagoon and beach in search of raptors and finches before suiting up for cliff-side kayaking and snorkeling. Perhaps the finest snorkel of the trip, you will be amazed by the array of colorful marine life, from angelfish and rays to sea turtles and white-tipped reef sharks. 

After lunch, visit the small red volcanic island of Rábida near the center of the archipelago. Its red-sand beach is home to sea lions and pups. Behind the beach is a brackish lagoon, home to migratory shorebirds, wading birds, and ducks. Two species of boobies nest along the cliffs. Snorkel with colorful fish and reef sharks along the cliff face or swim with sea lion pups - another highlight of the trip! Back on the boat tonight, enjoy a festive farewell cocktail hour and a group dinner with the captain.
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                    [Headline] => Mosquera Islet & Return to Quito
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Arrive this morning off of Mosquera Islet to see a large sea lion colony. Then disembark the Endemic and head to the Baltra airport for your return flight to Quito. An MT Sobek representative will greet you at Quito airport and provide assistance to your nearby hotel.
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                    [Travel_Type] => 2.5-hour flight transfer
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Use the complimentary airport shuttle to transfer to the airport in time for your outbound flight, or opt to stay on in Quito to join us for one of our extensions in Ecuador or Peru!
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    [ActivityHighlight] => This trip is rated Level 2 (on a scale of 1-5). It is considered easy to moderate, which is usually appropriate for travelers in generally fit condition. Your days will be filled with adventurous activities such as swimming, snorkeling, easy walking/hiking, daily zodiac rides, and kayaking. Please note that terrain on the islands is often varied and uneven. Terrain can also be slippery. There is one day of touring in the city of Quito.
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Accommodations

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Luxurious comfort aboard a sleek new catamaran with private balconies and a full crew to cater to your every need. Also includes an upscale hotel in Quito.

Swissotel-Quito, Ecuador

Luxury Hotel

The upscale Swissôtel offers five-star comfort in Quito's Floresta neighborhood, close to great shopping, interesting museums, and the city's architectural gems. Elegant and comfortable rooms feature city or mountain views, flat-screen TVs with premium channels, complimentary Wi-Fi, and more. There are four restaurants onsite offering a variety of international cuisine. Other perks include a fitness center and an indoor pool.

Wyndham Quito Airport Hotel-Quito

Comfortable Hotel

The Wyndham Quito Airport is a convenient and comfortable stopover after your journey back from the Galápagos chosen for its location right next to the airport. Both international and Ecuadorian food options are available at the onsite restaurant and for room service. Rooms have large TVs and free WiFi. There is a 24-hour complimentary airport shuttle.

Endemic

Luxury Small Ship

Indulge in exceptional style and comfort aboard Endemic, a 115-foot luxury catamaran built in 2018. Its nine luxury cabins, including eight identical suites, set the new standard for modern elegance. Each cabin comes with floor-to-ceiling windows, private balconies, en-suite bathrooms, air-conditioning, and much more. There is an abundance of natural light throughout, and the lounge and deck areas are spacious and beautifully designed - there is even a Jacuzzi! An exclusive buoyancy system gives added stability, plus you can see marine wonders from paddle boards, kayaks, and translucent "crystal" kayaks. Endemic conforms to the highest safety ratings, is 100% single-use plastic free, and has 11 crew members in addition to our naturalist guide. This the best luxury option for adventurers seeking a dream Galapagos cruising experience.

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