Travel to Galapagos: Galapagos Family Adventure

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Galapagos Family Adventure

			DAYS: 11 GRADE: I define PRICE: From $3790 per person (Includes Local Air) HIGHLIGHTS: Quito Galapagos cruise Wildlife interactions Snorkeling ACCOMMODATIONS: Hotels/Lodges Yacht/Ship MEALS: As noted  [B-Breakfast, L-Lunch,   D-Dinner] Prices, Departure Dates and Included Services Send to a Friend Print this Itinerary

The Galapagos Islands provide the ideal setting for a family vacation where young people can observe wildlife close-up, swim and snorkel and learn about the basics of evolution. Aboard the M/V Eclipse or M/Y Eric, separate activities are geared to younger audiences. Kid-friendly meals, child-sized snorkeling equipment, wetsuits and life vests are added bonuses. Limited spaces available! Families of 6 or more persons can also charter their own private yacht at any time. The cruise can be adapted to a family style and guided interpretation on shore excursions oriented towards the interests and knowledge of young people. Plan at least a year in advance to charter. Discounts are available for children under 12 years of age on certain family departures. Prices for children $2770-$3790.

DAY 1 :  QUITO
Arrive in Quito. A representative will meet you for a private transfer to your hotel. Overnight at the Cafe Cultura, or similar.

The motor yachts M/V Eric and Flamingo (and sister ship M/V Letty) are part of a trio of identical, first-class vessels.

DAY 2 :  QUITO
Enjoy a private half-day city tour of colonial Quito, designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Beginning in the new "Amazonas" district, you pass by the American Embassy, House of Culture, and the Legislative Palace where stone murals record the country's history. The old colonial center includes the bustling Independence Plaza, the narrow street of La Ronda, the dazzling gold-leafed altars of La Compania Church and the San Francisco cathedral. Travel out of the city to visit Mitad del Mundo, the Equatorial marker where the northern and southern hemispheres meet.  Your tour includes a visit to the excellent ethnographic museum where you get an overview of the Ecuador's amazing cultural diversity. The rest of the day is free for you to relax, shop or prepare for your exciting Galapagos Islands adventure. Overnight Cafe Cultura, or similar. [B]

DAYS 3-10 :  GALAPAGOS
Airport transfer for the 2 hour flight to your boarding point. Upon arrival meet your naturalist guide and transfer to your vessel for a welcome reception and orientation by the captain and crew. Enjoy tropical refreshments as the yacht gets under way. The next 7 days will be filled with adventure and daily discoveries as you voyage from island to island, accompanied by the best naturalist guides in the Galapagos. We work with a fleet of the top small vessels in the Islands, which vary according to price, style and cabin configuration. Below is a sample voyage itinerary. Day by day itineraries vary according to the yacht and are always subject to changes by the Galapagos National Park. [BLD]

	Kids mingle up close with the friendly Galapagos wildlife.

DAY 4 :  (SAMPLE) SULLIVAN BAY-SANTIAGO ISLAND / BARTOLOME
A 1987 volcanic eruption covered Sullivan Bay with pahoehoe (ropey) lava. Hiking across the smooth lava flow is a visual lesson in the geological origin of the archipelago and the establishment of pioneering plants gaining a foothold in this desolate terrain. Cool down with a swim and snorkel before returning to the yacht for lunch. In the afternoon visit Pinnacle Rock on Bartolome Island where penguins are often spotted. Hike up to the summit of the island for spectacular views of Pinnacle Rock and picturesque bays with white-sand beaches and lush mangrove swamps. Various volcanic formations are identified such as spatter and tuff cones. Watch for pelicans and Galapagos Hawks. [BLD]

DAY 5 :  DARWIN BAY/PRINCE PHILIPS STEPS -GENOVESE
Darwin Bay is the former caldera of a collapsed volcano with steep, soaring walls. Known as the bird island, Genovese features a wealth of avian species including great frigatebirds, herons, mockingbirds, boobies, swallow-tailed gulls, storm petrals, and Darwins finches. This afternoon, you may kayak or ride the dinghy along the steep cliffs to view birds nesting in the narrow rock crevices. Red-Billed Tropicbirds, as well as Masked and Red-Footed Boobies are usually seen on the hike up Prince Philips Steps to the high plateau . The path meanders through a Palo Santo forest before emerging on the other side of the island. Snorkeling in the submerged caldera is excellent, as the high nutrient content of the water attracts abundant sea life. [BLD]

DAY 6 :  JAMES BAY-SANTIAGO/RABIDA
Landing at the beautiful black sand beach of Puerto Egas we hike through the dry interior observing land birds such as hawks, doves and finches, before reaching the coastline. Deep blue-green grottos shelter sea lions and night herons, as well as invertebrate organisms such as sea urchin, octopus and starfish. This is one of the only places in the Galapagos to spot fur seals, navigating amongst the marine iguanas basking on the black lava rock. In the afternoon, Rabida Island offers a stark contrast where oxidized iron in the lava has colored the beaches and soaring cinder cones a striking red. Brilliantly colorful flamingos feed and nest in a brackish lagoon. Snorkeling along the red cliffs presents opportunities for viewing exotic and colorful reef fish. [BLD]

At the Charles Darwin Research Station, you'll have the chance to photograph the giant tortoise, rarely seen in the wild.

DAY 7 :  CHARLES DARWIN STATION, HIGHLANDS - SANTA CRUZ
Visit the famous Charles Darwin Station on Santa Cruz Island and learn about research and conservation initiatives including breeding programs to reintroduce specific tortoise species back onto the island of their origin. Meet Lonesome George, possibly the oldest resident of Galapagos and the last surviving individual giant tortoise of his Pinta Island sub-species. In the lush green highlands we explore lava tubes and pit craters and look for giant tortoises in the wild. Enjoy a typical Ecuadorian lunch at a local restaurant. [BLD]

DAY 8 :  POST OFFICE BAY, PUNTA CORMORANT- FLOREANA
Floreana has a colorful history of pirates, whalers, convicts and assorted characters. The evocative wooden postal barrel at Post Office Bay was created by whalers in 1793 who would be out to sea for years at a time. Outbound mariners would deposit letters and ships returning home would pick them up. Mariners and travelers continue to use the postal drop today. Punta Cormorant features two contrasting beaches: a green-tinged olivine beach and a powdery white sand beach, separated by a salt lagoon habitat of flamingos, pintails, stilts, and other wading birds. The white sand beach is a nesting site for green sea turtles. Devils Crown, an eroded volcanic cone, is a favorite site for boobies, pelicans, frigatebirds and red-billed tropicbirds. Snorkel and cavort in the crater with playful sea lions and colorful tropical fish. [BLD]

DAY 9 :  GARDNER BAY, PUNTA SUAREZ ESPANOLA
Relax on the beach with the sea lions at Gardener Bay. Snorkeling from shore you find plenty of beautiful fish as well as harmless nurse sharks and sea turtles. Due to its isolation, Espanola has a high number of endemic species found only on this island. We visit the nesting site of 10-12,000 pairs of Waved albatross (April December).At 1 meter height and a 2 meter wing span, the albatross are one of the most impressive and comical aerial acrobats in the world. They are found no where else on Earth. Punta Suarez is an outstanding opportunity to see more wildlife including five species of nesting seabirds such as Hood Island mockingbirds, Galapagos doves, and Galapagos hawks. Brilliant-hued marine iguanas and giant lava lizards roam the terrain. A short hike leads to the Blowhole, a fissure in the lava cliffs which blasts incoming breakers into geysers over 90 high. [BLD]

	Kids are thrilled to swim and snorkel with playful, cavorting sea lions.

DAY 10 :  SOUTH PLAZAS / RETURN TO QUITO
Although it is one of the smallest islands at 426 by one-half mile, South Plazas features a large sea lion colony and an Opuntia cactus forest populated by land iguanas. Between January and June the ground cover bursts into large yellow blooming flowers, a favored diet of the iguanas. Following the morning hike, return to the airport for your mainland flight. Arrive Quito by late afternoon. Overnight at Cafe Cultura, or similar. [BL]

DAY 11 :  QUITO
Transfer to the airport for your return flight home or extend your trip to visit more of Ecuador's natural wonders. [B]

Questions? Ask Our Program Directors.

. C o n t a c t Jeff Stivers 1(800)345-4453