zSilversea Expeditions to the Galapagos - Western Islands Adventure

Transfer to the luxurious boutique hotel, Casa Gangotena.

This morning’s city sightseeing begins in the heart of the capital’s historic San Juan neighborhood. At a popular local pastry shop, in business for more than 40 years, you’ll savor a cup of Ecuadorian hot chocolate and a quesadilla, a traditional cake-like sweet made from flour, eggs and cheese. Focusing on Quito’s handsome Colonial-era architecture, your exploration continues with some of the city’s most significant churches and monuments, including the Church of the Compania of Jesus and the Church of San Francisco. A pleasant guided stroll brings you next to La Ronda, home to artisan workshops specializing in traditional crafts including textiles, hats and candles. After lunch in one of our favorite neighborhood restaurants here, you will be escorted back to your hotel in the mid-afternoon. If you prefer, you can be dropped off at the Central Bank Museum to explore its highly regarded collection on your own. Meals B,L

Transfer to the airport for your included flight to Baltra Island where your deluxe ship awaits. Dinner is followed by the first of your nightly briefings from the ship’s well-informed naturalists. Meals B,L,D

Don’t forget your camera this morning! Bartolomé is famous for its dramatic formations like Pinnacle Rock. You can swim and snorkel, or take a walk along the beach to look for playful Galapagos penguins and Brown pelicans, perched on seaside rocks. After lunch, the captain will chart a course for Santiago Island.  Depending on sea conditions we visit beautiful Espumilla Beach, an important nesting site for the East Pacific Green Sea Turtle and home to white-cheeked pintail ducks, or Buccanee’rs cove for snorkeling and kayaking. Meals B,L,D

At the edge of the archipelago is Isabela Island, the largest and youngest island in the Galapagos. Your morning exploration of the island’s northwestern tip at Punta Vicente Roca is well worth the journey. Explore by panga, a small motorized dingy, along coastal cliffs to see Blue-footed and Nazca boobies, Galapagos penguins and pelicans. The snorkeling here can be spectacular with frequent sightings of Manta rays, sea turtles and even dolphins. After lunch we head to the black lava shores of Punta Espinoza at the northeastern corner of Fernandina.  One of the most pristine islands in the world, Fernandina hosts an impressive array of wildlife including the largest colony of marine iguanas, sea lions, colorful Sally Light-Foot crabs and the rare endemic Flightless Cormorant. Meals B,L,D

Exploring Tagus Cove this morning reveals the amazing geological and wildlife diversity of this remote island. Take in fantastic views of a saltwater lagoon which sits in the middle of a volcanic tuff cone and see the expansive lava fields of the Darwin Volcano. Yellow Warblers and Galapagos Mocking birds may be seen on our hike.  Return to the beach for snorkeling or kayaking, encountering penguins, cormorants and the shy Brown Noddy Tern along the sheltered cliffs. In the afternoon, explore by Zodiac through the pristine waters of spectacular Elizabeth Bay. With sharp eyes and the right conditions, your 90-minute excursion through the tallest red mangrove trees in the Galapagos is a great chance to observe green-back sea turtles swimming close to the surface, pelicans, herons, sea lions and penguins. Meals B,L,D

Settled by Norwegians in the early 1900’s, Floreana is one of only four inhabited islands in the Galapagos. On morning and afternoon excursions, step ashore to explore historic Post Office Bay and the island’s unique fauna – Punta Cormoran is one of the most interesting sites in the islands with olive-green sand, pink flamingos and Green Sea Turtles. You’ll have opportunity to swim, kayak or snorkel:  Floreana has some of the best snorkeling in the world. Meals B,L,D 

Step ashore on San Cristobal this morning for a motorcoach excursion to the Cerro Colorado Reserve, home to the elusive giant Galapagos tortoise! After lunch, enjoy a guided walk to Wizard Hill to observe the magnificent frigate bird, marine iguanas and raucous sea lions. Or swim, snorkel or kayak with sea lions and marine iguanas right from Cerro Brujo, a breath-taking white coral beach that’s a haven for bird-watching.   Meals B,L,D

Enjoy a landing at The Twins on Santa Cruz Island. After lunch, alight in Puerto Ayora to visit the Charles Darwin Research Center. Here you will learn about the pioneering research and important conservation work being done to preserve the islands’ precious natural heritage. Meals B,L,D

Transfer to the airport on Baltra Island for your included flight back to the mainland. Upon arrival in the thriving Pacific port of Guayaquil, you’ll be met and escorted to the deluxe Hilton Colon Hotel where the balance of your time is free.  Meals B

Your voyage with us ends this morning.  Meals B