Mary Anne Galapagos Cruises

Travel to Genovesa Island and reach Darwin Bay (wet landing), a unique site lined with red mangroves and soft-haired prickly pear cacti, where red-footed boobies and great frigatebirds perch tamely. In the afternoon, at El Barranco (dry landing), climb the edge of a cliff where frigatebirds, masked boobies and red‐footed boobies nest. Seek out the impressive red‐billed tropicbird amidst Galapagos storm petrels.

Begin today with a dry landing at Bartolome Island. Climb wooden steps to reach the summit of this spatter cone for a most breathtaking panorama of the islands, well-photographed Pinnacle Rock, views of neighboring Santiago Island and many other central islands in the distance. In the afternoon, visit Chinese Hat, an island that’s less than 820 feet in size and gets its name from its shape, best appreciated from the north side. Lava formations can be seen on the western side of the island, formed under the sea and raised upward, making coral heads on the lava possible to observe. Be amazed by the landscapes covered with sea lion colonies, marine iguanas and Galapagos penguins.

This morning, make a wet landing onto Rabida’s deep-red beaches to explore the island’s fascinating interior and saltwater lagoon. Darwin’s finches, Galapagos mockingbirds and yellow warblers feed off the vegetation. Given the right time of year, you may observe brown pelicans nesting on salt bushes that fringe the beach. This afternoon, head across to Cerro Dragon on Santa Cruz’s northwest shore (dry landing) to visit a saltwater lagoon, home to greater flamingos, black-necked stilts and white-cheeked pintails. Further inland explore a fantastic land iguana nesting site.

Spend today visiting Santa Cruz Island´s most famous highlights. Make a dry landing at the dock of Puerto Ayora then head to the island’s highlands. This area, in contrast to the coastal region, has lush vegetation and forest due to the humidity in the higher regions. Visit one of the ranches of the area where it is possible to see giant tortoises in their natural habitat. As these animals migrate from the coastal area to the highlands and back, the visited ranch will depend on the presence of the tortoises since they roam free and change locations. This is also a good place to see the Galapagos hawk, barn owl and other birds such as the vermilion flycatcher or the yellow warbler that fill the surrounding forests. Enjoy lunch back on the ship, then head back to Puerto Ayora for your second visit of the day: the Fausto Llerena Tortoise Breeding Center, where you will see tortoises from different islands. The animals are found in large semi‐natural pens for their protection but also to ensure an easy view for visitors. The pens are divided according to four different stages: eggs, neonates, juveniles (held here until they are mature enough to be repatriated) and adults. After this visit, take time to browse the shops in the town of Puerto Ayora before boarding the ship, as this is the only opportunity for souvenir shopping during the itinerary.

Begin today with a dry landing on one of the oldest docks of the archipelago. Colorful South Plaza is home to vibrant green prickly pears, deep red sesuvium and coppery-orange land iguanas. Impressive seaward cliffs are excellent for observing a variety of coastal birds. In the afternoon, arrive at Santa Fe (wet landing) to look for the endemic species of land iguana, which are larger and more yellow than land iguanas on other islands. The largest prickly pear cacti in the Galapagos are also found here.

Spend the day on fantastic Espanola Island, starting with Punta Suarez on a trail that is about 2 miles long for a walk that takes about 2 hours. A geyser near the trail sprays water some 75 feet into the air, making it one of the most popular landing sites in Galapagos. The highlights include sea lions sometimes seen body‐surfing in the large breaks, large marine iguanas with red‐colored males in the breeding season, oystercatchers, blue‐footed and Nazca boobies, Galapagos hawks, Galapagos doves, swallow‐tailed gulls, red-billed tropicbirds in flight, waved albatross who are present only from April to December, Espanola mockingbirds and lava lizards. The last three species are endemic to Espanola Island.

In the afternoon, head to Gardner Bay (wet landing), an outstanding beach with sea lions, marine iguanas and the intrepid Espanola mockingbird. Nearby there is a good spot for snorkeling in Gardner Islet, where playful sea lions might join you. Enjoy more snorkeling at Osborn Islet, a great place to observe great quantities of marine life.

After breakfast, disembark in Puerto Ayora to take your transport to the Baltra airport, making a short stop to visit the Twin Craters. Los Gemelos (twins) are two deep craters located to the side of the road that leads to Puerto Ayora from the other side of the island. These huge holes were probably created in a volcanic explosion or by magma chambers underneath the island’s surface. This is also a good place to see the Galapagos hawk and barn owl of this island and the surrounding forests filled with birds such as the vermilion flycatcher or the yellow warbler. The contrast of the highlands vegetation with the arid coastal zones is notable. After this visit head to the Baltra airport for your flight back to the mainland.