5-day Galápagos cruise expedition

Friday (Day 1) – Baltra & Sombrero Chino

Including: lunch, diner
Overnight: 2-persons cabin
Activities: hiking, snorkelling

Upon arrival at Baltra airport, you will be greeted by a representative from the Aqua expedition cruise. Together with your fellow passengers, you board a bus that will take you to the Baltra passenger dock. With a panga (local word for zodiac) you board the ship. You will be served a lunch and immediately set sail for your first destination: Sombrero Chino.

You are lucky to visit this island during this cruise. Despite its quite central location, Sombrero Chino receives fewer visitors than other Galápagos sites. This is because it is semi-protected by the national park. Such a small island is more vulnerable to too many visitors and access is limited to a select number of ships to limit damage to the fragile ecosystem.

Sombrero Chino is one of the most recognisable of the Galápagos Islands. The name means “Chinese Hat.” It is easy to understand why: this island near Santiago has the shape of a traditional Chinese hat, a gently sloping cone rising from the clear water. It is one of the smallest Galápagos Islands, but don’t be fooled: it has a great visitor site with an unforgettable view!

Like most Galápagos Islands, Sombrero Chino is of volcanic origin. Centuries ago the volcano erupted on the nearby island of Santiago, pushing up stones and forming a so-called “splash cone”. It is essentially a mountain made of lava and rocks from an erupted volcano. Over time, the mountain has eroded and the ocean cut a channel between the Santiago volcano and its splash cone.

Sombrero Chino is still very close to the island of Santiago and vessels anchor in the clear blue channel. The visitor path starts at a beautiful beach: you are welcomed by bright red Sally Lightfoot crabs and marine iguanas. The path passes by a colony of endemic Galápagos sea lions, after which you pass a lava field: look for the lava cactus that grows in the cracks. On the beach you keep your eyes open looking for the American oystercatcher, a wader with a striking orange beak. Along the way you will see lava lizards. At the end of the path you will be rewarded with a beautiful view of a cliff, where the waves crash into the coast below.

Sombrero Chino is known as an excellent snorkelling spot. Protected by the greater Santiago, the water is fairly calm, but still deep enough to attract spectacular sea-life, including white tipped reef sharks. Lucky snorkelers also can see the somewhat rare Galápagos penguin.

Saturday (Day 2) – Isla Cowley, Islote Albany & Santiago: Caleta Bucanero

Including: breakfast, lunch, diner
Overnight: 2-persons cabin
Activities: hiking, snorkelling, panga rides

This very special day is almost entirely devoted to the wonderful life under water.

At night, the Aqua set course for a very special island east of Isabella: Islote Cowley. This islet in the shape of a croissant is a very popular diving location. You will see a huge variety of animals here while snorkelling this morning. In and on the water you will probably come across a range of shark species, Galápagos sea lions, stingrays, green sea turtles, penguins, manta rays and much more. You will also find sponges and corals here, and if you’re lucky, even seahorses!

During lunch you will recover from all the beautiful things you were able to see this morning while the Aqua sails to your next snorkelling location: Albany Rock.

Albany Rock is located northwest of the island of Santiago. Here you snorkel in a protected bay with little current. There is a sloping rock face covered with yellow black coral and large boulders with many gaps. Sea turtles, barracudas, golden and spotted eagle rays and sharks are regularly seen here.

Today you also go on a beautiful panga ride along Caleta Bucanero. Caleta Bucanero means pirate bay. The name reminds us of the time when pirates anchored here to supply and repair their ships. The cliffs along the coastline are home to a diversity of seabirds, which use the ridges as food shelters and breeding grounds. Watch for the blue-footed boobies, seagulls and pelicans. Galápagos fur seals find shelter among the rocks and sea lions swim along the coast. The rocks themselves are also fascinating due to their special shapes. Can you discover “the praying monk” and “the elephant”?

Sunday (Day 3) – Santiago: Puerto Egas & Bahía Sullivan

Including: breakfast, lunch, diner
Overnight: 2-persons cabin
Activities: hiking, snorkelling, panga rides

The island of Santiago offers you a wonderful variety of walks, panga rides and snorkelling activities this day. Your first visit is Puerto Egas, on the northwest side of the island.

The visit starts with a wet landing on an intriguing black beach. Here you will find beautifully eroded rock formations, full of sally lightfoot crabs. From this beach you continue a path inland and then you will return to the coast. The liquid lava has formed a surreal landscape here. You will marvel at the beautiful structures in the lava on a seemingly empty plain. The lava has formed caves that offer a home to the Galápagos fur seal. This is even the best location in the Galápagos archipelago to see this endemic species! It is the smallest type of fur seal. The fur seal looks a lot like the Galápagos sea lion, but distinguishes itself especially by its much thicker fur. That is why you will find it during the walk in the shade of the lava caves, shielded from the hot sun.

Your journey continues towards Sullivan Bay. You will find a lava field as far as the eye can see; you feel like you have landed on an alien planet. Look for the two types of lava that have given this landscape their distinct form: pahoehoe and a’a lava.

The Hawaiian pahoehoe is called rope lava in English. When lava flows while the top is already solidifying, ripples occur in the crust. These ridges look like a rope.

The term a’a comes from Hawaiian and stands for “auw-auw” because it will be difficult and painful to walk barefoot on this type of lava. A’a lava flows have a spiky, pueraceous surface and are made of broken lava blocks. A’a is created with fast-flowing lava. The small rocks cover a dense core, the most active part of a lava flow. As the sticky lava flows down the slope of the volcano in the core, the solidified rocks are carried along on the surface. You will be surprised that even on this inexorable landscape, plant life is possible.

The animal life on this side of the island of Santiago is also very interesting. You have a chance to see penguins here!

Monday (Day 4) – Isla Rábida & Isla Bartolomé

Including: breakfast, lunch, diner
Overnight: 2-persons cabin
Activities: hiking, snorkelling, panga rides

South of Santiago is the island of Rábida. Visions of white sandy beaches and lush greens are likely to fill your mind when you start planning your trip to the Galapagos Islands. However, upon arrival on the island of Rábida you will be surprised by the rich red colour of the sand and the rugged volcanic coastline.

On the dark red beach you will be welcomed by a colony of sea lions. The deep red colour in the sand comes from the high iron content in the volcanic material on this island.

From the beach you follow a trail inland. Here brown pelicans build their nest, a very good chance to see this beautifully large bird up close. You will also see marine iguanas huddled along the path to keep warm, mocking birds and the yellow warbler lead you to a saltwater lagoon. Rábida has the best lagoons in the Galápagos with the greatest chance of seeing the vibrant pink flamingos. Keep your eyes open during the walk. You have the chance to see the Galápagos hawk, Darwin finches, the blue-footed booby and the nazca booby on Rábida.

After this walk you put on your wetsuit again and you get the time to explore underwater life. Playful sea lions, colourful tropical fish and white tipped reef sharks await your arrival.

After lunch you will visit the island of Bartolomé.

You go ashore and start a walk all the way up to the top of this island. The viewpoint of Bartolomé is the most iconic of all locations in the archipelago. This small island is in the middle of the archipelago and on a clear day more than ten islands can be seen from the top. It is possible that the Galápagos hawk or a heron floats above you.

The Pinnacle rock, formed by an eroded toba cone, is the most emblematic formation of the archipelago. At the base of this rock lives a small colony of penguins with sea lions and sea birds. After admiring this beautiful view, we descend to a golden sandy beach from where you will go snorkelling. At Bartolomé you may see penguins, juvenile sharks and rays, and perhaps a single young sea lion comes to play.

Wednesday (day 5) – Islote Mosquera

Including: breakfast
Activities: hiking

Unfortunately you wake up this morning on your last day in the archipelago. But you do not leave the islands without saying goodbye to the playful sea lions that accompanied you during your journey. Before leaving, you will visit Islote Mosquera.

Mosquera is a small island of only 160 by 600 meters between Baltra and Seymour Norte. However, one of the largest colonies of sea lions is located on this small piece of paradise-like sandy beach. Sometimes Orcas are also seen here who come to hunt the sea lions.

After this visit it is really time to say goodbye to the archipelago, the crew of the Aqua and your fellow passengers.

Your options

From here you can go to the airport to fly back to mainland Ecuador. However, you also have the choice to extend your stay in the Galápagos with one or more nights in a nice hotel. Contact us to discuss the options. We are happy to offer you a customised offer.

The Galápagos Islands are a protected nature reserve. It is therefore always possible that your trip or activities must be adjusted as a result of decisions made by the National Park Directorate. The captain of your ship may also decide to change the program if the weather or other circumstances so require.