Galapagos Lodges (10 Day - can be shortened to 8 or 7 Day)

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DAY 1:   ARRIVE QUITO
Quito Accommodations
Airport pickup and transfer to hotel. We highly recommend adding an extra day in Quito before your cruise to accommodate potential flight delays and to enjoy historic Quito and its surroundings. Overnight Quito hotel.

DAY 2:   QUITO – BALTRA – SANTA CRUZ (Academy Bay, Tortuga Bay)
Red Mangrove Aventura Lodge
AM – Hotel pickup and transfer to airport for flight to Galapagos. After arrival at Baltra airport, you will have a ferry crossing to Santa Cruz Island (10 min-ride). Arrival in Santa Cruz around 11:30 AM (Depending on your flight schedule). Check-in at Red Mangrove Aventura Lodge.

PM - Begin your Academy Bay Tour at "La Loberia", where you can snorkel with sea lions (optional). 40 min. navigation to "Tortuga Bay". As we enter the white sandy beach, we have a chance to observe different marine species like Sting Rays and baby Reef Sharks in the shallow waters of the Mangrove ecosystems. After swimming on the beach we take a very short hike to the Marine Iguana nesting site. The walk back is through a Prickly Pear forest carpeted in crimson Sesuvium with black lava outcroppings home to more marine iguana colonies. Box Lunch on the beach. Welcome cocktail and briefing before dinner, evening is free. (B,L,D)

DAY 3:   SANTA CRUZ (Highlands) – FLOREANA
Red Mangrove Floreana Lodge
AM - Wake-up call at 6:30 AM. Staff will call for your luggage at 7:00 AM for transport to dock.. Breakfast. 8:00 AM Depart for Tortoise Quest Tour. This tour begins with a trip to "Los Gemelos" (The Twins), two enormous collapsed lava chambers - an awe-inspiring visual reminder of the power of nature. The short, easy hike to each of the twins is teeming with endemic flora and fauna, including the remaining Scalesia Forest draped in Liverwort, large and small tree finches, the adorable Vermillion flycatcher and more. It's a wonderful introduction to the majestic power of the forces of natures and the great biodiversity of the Santa Cruz Highlands. Afterwards, we will visit a 600-acre private reserve where the giant Galapagos tortoises freely roam, graze and sleep. Sometimes, it's a bit muddy here, so before we set out, there is a selection of field boots from which to choose; large sizes for men are available. You will be transported through this tropical environment by truck and from there, you walk through fields to mingle with these gentle giants. As prehistoric as these creatures look, wait until you hear what they sound like! After visiting the tortoises, we'll take a 5-minute ride to the entrance of a 450 meter (1350 feet) illuminated lava tunnel. With a ceiling nearly 20 feet high in most places, this is an incredible opportunity to ramble through the remnants of one of the most powerful forces in nature...lava flows. Stalagmites, stalactites, sulfur and mineral colored walls and the rippled form of a floor of lava all can be experienced in this uniquely Galapagos stroll.

PM - Return to Aventura Lodge for Lunch. 2:00 PM departure for Floreana. Sailing time is 1.5 - 2 hours. We will arrive into Floreana at approximately 4PM. First, we will cruise a cove called "Luz del Dia" (Light of Day). There is an abundance of life in this cove. You most likely will see penguins and sea lions on the steep, rocky shore and rays and tropical fish beneath the clear waters. We will continue on to the main dock in Floreana. It's not unusual to have to 'shoo' sea lions sleeping on the steps we need to ascend. On the other side of the dock are black lava rocks typically full of the amazing rich red and turquoise colored Floreana marine iguanas. We will continue on to our Red Mangrove Floreana Lodge for check-in. Briefing and a BBQ dinner at the Lodge; evening is free. (B,L,D)

DAY 4:   FLOREANA
Red Mangrove Isabela Lodge
AM – Breakfast at local restaurant. Enjoy the shores of Floreana. Depart on great adventure in which you will be able to catch the best of the island. Short navigation around in order to swim, snorkel or simply relax on beautiful and remote shores of Floreana. This is a day of full activity, be prepared to discover the amazing wildlife that surrounds Floreana. Box lunch.

PM - Walk into town to enjoy the local community or take a walk to la Loberia. The visitors site of Lobería has a path 900 m long that through areas of the GNP. This area is used by locals for recreation. Part of the trail is made up of rocks and other parts, sand. The main attraction of this site is the presence of Galapagos Sea Lions that are on the beach and in the bay of the Lobería. Marine iguanas are also seen along the shores as well as sea turtles in the rocky reefs of the Bay. Dinner at local restaurant. (B,L,D)

DAY 5:   FLOREANA (Highlands) – ISABELA (Las Tintoreras)
Red Mangrove Isabela Lodge
AM - Wake-up call at 6:30 AM. Staff will call for your luggage at 7:00 AM for transport to dock. Breakfast. 8:00 AM departure in an open-air bus that will transport you up to the highlands of Floreana while your Naturalist Guide begins filling you in on the history of the island, the first settled in the Galapagos. You will walk up to see the Asilo de la Paz (Peace Asylum) where an artisan spring is located. This spring attracted pirates, whalers and later settlers to Floreana as it was one of the very few year-round sources of fresh water in the Galapagos. The Cueva de los Piratas (Pirate's Cave) is quite literally where pirates carved temporary shelter out of soft stone and is also where one of the original settlers, Margret Wittmer, gave birth to a son, Rolf, who is still living. Some have almost jokingly referred to it as the 'Stonehenge' of Floreana due to its interesting shapes. Cerro Pajas (Bird Hill) truly lives up to its name with a multitude of Floreana Finches. It also offers spectacular views of the island and the sea below. We will visit a tortoise reserve where you can watch many of the giant tortoises up close and personal. All the while, your Naturalist Guide will be pointing out the wildlife and filling you in on the colorful history of Floreana's first inhabitants like the Baroness and re-telling the legend of the "Floreana Mystery" which entailed the mysterious deaths of several inhabitants. It has never been solved. Departure at 11:00 AM for Isabela. Sailing time is 1.5 - 2 hours.

MID-DAY: Weather and tides permitted, as we approach Isabela by sea, we will cruise by Isla Tortuga which is chocked full of frigates, blue-footed boobies and other birds that rely on the sea for their food. If you brought binoculars, this is a good time to pull them out. We will arrive into Isabela between 12:30 and 1:00 PM. Arriving in the port is a visual feast with stunning green and turquoise waters so clear, you can see sea turtles, sea lions and penguins as though looking through glass. We will check-in to the Red Mangrove Isabela Lodge and have a hot, wholesome lunch.

PM - 2:30 PM departure to Las Tintoreras and Bay Tour. After lunch, we will board a smaller craft to head out across the port, slowing down to view blue footed boobies and Galapagos penguins sharing the same rocky, sunning space before turning a bend and docking. From there, we take an intriguing walk through a jagged 'A'a lava field, passing abundant colonies of marine iguanas, to see a small canal full of resting white-tipped reef sharks. If the tide is low, they are sometimes a mere 2 feet below the surface. The views from here are something you may carry with you for the rest of your life! The black, treacherous lava field, the emerald green sea, the forest green mangrove and the cloud capped volcanoes of Isla Isabela is the sort of afternoon backdrop you are not likely to ever forget. Once you return to the dock, you can snorkel this warm, shallow bay surrounded by mangrove, for an opportunity to see white-tipped reef sharks, sea lions, penguins and, of course, the mystery of the mangrove below the surface. Don't worry, white-tipped reef sharks are not aggressive, merely fascinating. We'll have a bit of time to relax and shower before briefing and dinner at the Lodge at 7:00 PM. (B,L,D)

DAY 6:   ISABELA (Los Tuneles)
Red Mangrove Isabela Lodge
AM – After breakfast. From Puerto Villamil will take a Just an hour to get to Los Tuneles (Lava Tunnels). Along the way, we got to see plenty of marine beautiful wildlife like giant manta rays on the surface, sea turtles and more. Behind us rises the majestic Sierra Negra. We will also have a snorkeling opportunity to get close encounters with many different types of tropical fish and hopefully penguins! This is one of the few places you are able to snorkel with penguins, tropical fish and sea lions. Late lunch at Isabela lodge

PM - In the afternoon we depart to visit the highlands. A visit to a coffee farm to see the whole process of graining and roosting coffee. Local roasters will share with you the hand crafted techniques for getting such a special flavor of coffee from Galapagos. We'll have a bit of time to relax and shower before briefing and dinner at the Lodge. (B,L,D)

DAY 7:   ISABELA (Sierra Negra, Camp Duro, Cuevas de Sucre, El Mango Mirador)
Red Mangrove Isabela Lodge
AM - Wake-up call 6:30 AM. Breakfast. Depart for Sierra Negra at 8:00 AM. 4x4 vehicles will drive us up through the transitional zone and into the humid highlands that are the slopes of Volcan Sierra Negra to the point of where vehicles can go no further. The views are breathtaking! We will relax a bit and have a snack on the edge of the caldera. More advanced hikers will have the option to descend into the crater itself. Lunch: Campo Duro

PM - Visit to Las Cuevas de Sucre, is a fantastic lava tube. This is one of the newer Park Sites. Set in the transitional zone in a forest the Park service says is now completely covered in lush endemic plants. With flashlights in hand, the tunnels ceilings look like you're walking through a gold mine. Next visit El Mango Mirador, located near the road leading to the agricultural area of the island, well known since the early settlers of the island planted a tree there. From the top of highest peak, on a clear day you'll have a wonderful view of the entire southern part of Isabela Island, its nearby islands or even other islands such as Floreana and Santa Cruz. Return to the lodge for dinner and relaxing. (B,L,D)

DAY 8:   ISABELA (Cerro Orchilla, Las Lagrimas, Tortoise Breeding Center) – SANTA CRUZ (Darwin Center)
Red Mangrove Aventura Lodge
AM - Wake-up call 6:30 AM. Staff will call for your luggage at 7:00 AM for transport to dock before breakfast.
8:00 AM departure for tour. We begin with a drive out of town along the most beautiful, white sand, palm-lined beach in the whole of the Galapagos, Long Beach. This travel magazine cover stretches on for 3 kilometers before we hit the National Park and begin with a stop to walk up the stairs for astounding vistas from the top of Cerro Orchilla. As you drive down the road, you very likely will see the largest of the Galapagos marine iguanas sunning by the side of the road, and don't be surprised if you have to wait for a Galapagos tortoise to cross the road in front of you. You will visit the "Muro de Las Lagrimas" (Wall of Tears), backbreaking effort carrying jagged volcanic rock distances when constructed by prisoners of a penal colony built there. The path to the Wall of Tears is abundant with lava lizards; the males are larger and striped and the females red-throated. If you visit during breeding season, be careful not to step on or disturb the many nests along this trail. They appear as holes that a gopher might have dug, but in fact are nests. Birds are also incredibly abundant and your Naturalist Guide will assist you with identification. Isabela has more tortoises in the wild than any other island with several sub-species as lava fields created a barrier that limited their mobility to roam freely. On your way back to town, you will visit the Tortoise Breeding Center, a breeding center for the giant Galapagos Tortoises and the only place to view the rare, remaining flat backed (so-called 'tabletop' shells) Galapagos tortoises, many of which still bear the scars of volcanic activity from Sierra Negra. At roughly 11:00 AM, we will depart Isabela for Santa Cruz. Sailing time is 1.5 - 2 hours.

PM - We arrive into Puerto Ayora around 12:30 / 1:00 PM. We will check into the Aventura Lodge and have lunch. We depart at 3:00 PM for a guided tour of the fascinating Charles Darwin Research Station. After the Darwin Station, there will be some free time to shop for souvenirs or browse the shops along Charles Darwin Avenue. Dinner is at 7:00, evening is free. (B,L,D)

DAY 9:   SANTA CRUZ – BALTRA – QUITO
Quito Accommodations
AM - Wake-up call and breakfast will depend on your flight departure time. We will transport you from the hotel to the airport, accompany you on the ferry over to the airport and assist you the whole way with your baggage for your return flight to Quito.
Before entering the 'gate' to depart, you will pass through a line where you need to present the part of your Migratory Control card you have retained and now have handy for the Immigration officer. Board plane for flight to Quito via Guayaquil. Arrive Quito, airport pickup and transfer to hotel.

DAY 10:   QUITO – HOME (or begin Extension Program)
Hotel pickup and transfer to airport for flight home. (B)

Key: (B)reakfast (L)unch (D)inner

Galapagos Lodges 8D

*Tour Program – 2 person minimum / 14 person maximum (private tour quoted upon request)*

PRICING Contact GSA for preferred date availability and detailed daily itinerary.

GALAPAGOS LODGES (7, 8 & 10 Day Programs)

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10 DAY PROGRAM

Accommodation	Standard	Superior	Suite
Double	$2675	$2895	$3175
Single	$3025	$3475	$4050

8 DAY PROGRAM

Accommodation	Standard	Superior	Suite
Double	$1895	$2125	$2425
Single	$2250	$2695	$3250

7 DAY PROGRAM

Accommodation	Standard	Superior	Suite
Double	$1575	$1775	$1995
Single	$1850	$2250	$2695

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Price includes: Bilingual naturalist guide, all land transport during the itinerary, snorkel equipment (snorkel, mask, fins), all lodge/hotel accommodations (as noted), all meals (as noted), wireless Internet in rooms and social areas (Santa Cruz), use of bikes in Puerto Ayora, access to Jacuzzi and private terrace.  * Additional and or single accommodations can be arranged at the clients' request.

Not included: Galapagos airfare (will be quoted with trip proposal), international airfare, airport taxes,  entrance fees to Galapagos National Park (unless otherwise noted), hiking boots and other personal gear, meals not noted in itinerary, personal expenses (tips and gratuities, alcoholic beverages, medical or travel insurance, laundry, etc.).

Accommodation: All Red Mangrove Lodge program proposals will include 2 nights (4 star hotel - 1 pre tour & 1 post tour) in Quito or Guayaquil. View Sample Accommodations

Stay at 3 beautiful lodges on 3 incredible islands (depending on lenght of program): Santa Cruz: The Red Mangrove Aventura Lodge in Puerto Ayora, is uniquely isolated inside a red mangrove forest in front of the sea - a five minute walk to the Charles Darwin Research Station or downtown Puerto Ayora. Isabela: The Red Mangrove Isabela Lodge is a newly renovated (not merely refurbished) lodge that sits on a 3 kilometer white sand beach. Floreana: The Red Mangrove Floreana Lodge offers newly constructed casitas directly in front of the sea.

Airfare: Roundtrip Airfare (Quito/Gal/Quito - price subject to change)
$370 - Low Season: (Sep 15 - Oct 31, May 1 - June 14)
$425 - High Season: (June 15 - Sept 14, Nov 1 - April 30)

Single Supplement (hotel/lodges): Trip cost is based on twin shared hotel accommodations, a single supplement charge is assessed for those traveling alone or preferring single hotel/cabin accommodations.

Trip Extensions: Ecuador Day Tours and Ecuador & Amazon Multi-Day Tours are a great way to complement your Galapagos experience.

Carbon Offset Program:

Go South Adventures is proud to promote the CarbonFund.org program - which gives all of us the ability to offset our carbon footprint both at home and while traveling on a Go South Adventure. Learn more at CarbonFund.org, where their motto is: "Reduce what you can. Offset what you can't".