Cloud Forest, Andes and Galapagos

Summary of Trip

• Specially chartered private yacht in the Galapagos
• Experience some of best and easiest birding in the world
• Led by top guides in Galapagos and Ecuador
• Small group of up to 15 guests

A journey that takes you from the tropical cloud forests literally buzzing with humming birds, to Ecuador’s Avenue of Volcanoes with its dramatic scenery and colorful markets, then onto Galapagos for an eight day cruise on a luxury motor yacht visiting some of the most spectacular islands in this remarkable archipelago. The trip will be fully escorted by Santiago Bejarano, one of the leading naturalists in the Galapagos.

Details

• Trip begins in Quito and ends in Guayaquil
• 8 days/7 nights on board the yacht, 2 hotel nights in Quito, 1 night La Carriona, 2 nights Sachatamia.
• All meals included.
• Tour Cost £3,290 per person, excluding international flights Includes all accommodation, guide services, meals, transport, internal flights Quito-Coca-Quito and Quito-Galapagos-Guayaquil, non-bottled soft drinks.
• Flights from the UK to Quito and Guayaquil start at around £850. We can help guests co-ordinate their international flights which are available from local UK airports.

Outline Itinerary
28th October – Arrive in Quito
29th October - 31st October – Cloud Forest
1st November – Avenue of Volcanoes
2nd November - 9th November – Galapagos
10th November – Arrive Home

NOTE:

Land cost includes:

• Domestic flight Quito-Galapagos-Guayaquil.
• All accommodation meals and soft drinks in mainland Ecuador and aboard the yacht in the Galapagos.
• The price is based on 2 people sharing a double room.
• $10 Galapagos Migration Card.
• The services of expert local naturalists and all transport in the Galapagos.

Land Cost Does Not Include:

• International airfare
• Galapagos National Park Entrance Fee ($100 per person)
• Departure Tax from Ecuador ($28 per person)
• Alcoholic beverages. Gratuities

Single Supplement:

If you prefer your own room, there is a single supplement cost of £240 per person for the time in mainland Ecuador. All boat cabins must be shared, except by special arrangement.

If you would like any more information or to chat over the details of the trip we would be delighted to help. Telephone 01482 872 716 for more information or email us today.

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Itinerary

28th October – Quito Arrive in the afternoon to Quito (assuming KLM) You will be met at the airport by Santiago and taken to your hotel, Hotel Quito, which has beautiful views across the city of Quito and the Valley of Tumbaco. Time to check in, and relax before a welcome meal in the hotel restaurant on the top floor of the hotel with some of the best views across the city.

29th October - 31st October – Cloud Forest After an early breakfast we set off across the Andes to the West of Quito and the area of Mindo. The cloud forest here has some of the best and easiest birding and the highest diversity of epiphytes (plants that grow on top of other plants) of anywhere in the world, along with an array of orchids and other stunning tropical flora. The forest, which is less than two hours from Quito, boasts some 9,000 species of plant with over 320 bird species recorded in the valley near to our lodge, Sachatamia.

The area around the lodge has lots of easy trails and is literally buzzing with hummingbirds with over 20 different species spotted in a single day. The location of our lodge also allows us to visit some of the best reserves in the area like Mindo, Los Bancos and the Milpe Sanctuaries.

After breakfast on 31st October we set off to Quito. Quito was declared by UNESCO to be a World Heritage Site thanks to its beautiful colonial architecture and has not only beautiful scenery but a fascinating cultural heritage. After lunch together in the historic old section, we drive on to a beautiful 200 year old colonial hacienda in the valley of Los Chillos called La Carriona where we spend the night.

1st November – Avenue of Volcanoes After breakfast we will drive south through Ecuador’s Avenue of Volcanoes, with spectacular scenery punctuated by snow capped peaks and onto the Saquisili market, to see their main market day. This market, which is where the Indian communities from the region trade their produce, will provide you with a colourful and fascinating glimpse of Andean culture as they trade everything from llamas and sheep, to pots and pans.

We will have lunch in the historic hacienda of La Cienega at the foot of the Cotopaxi Volcano before heading back to Quito arriving back mid-afternoon. The afternoon and evening free to relax and prepare for Galapagos (evening meal not included)

Download large jpg version of this map: Detailed Itinerary

2nd November – Baltra A small islet that we will fly to, where we will be met by the crew of the yacht and go onboard for lunch.

Santa Cruz – Bachas Beach A beautiful white sandy beach, turquoise water and a great place to practice snorkelling. A fantastic introduction to the islands with Greater Flamingos, Marine Iguanas, Sally Lightfoot crabs and sea lions to welcome us!

3rd November – James Island – Sullivan Bay A spectacular lava flow built 100 years ago, but looks and feels like just yesterday. We will walk upon this lava flow, giving us a perfect introduction to the volcanic origins of the islands and an understanding of their geology. A great snorkel site, with the possibility of snorkelling with Galapagos Penguins here too for those who wish to snorkel.

Bartolome WHome to one of the most iconic scenery shots of Galapagos, this small island located off the eastern shore of James Island is home to beautiful panoramic views. The striking volcanic landscape, looks almost lunar and provides a great introduction to the volcanic origins of the islands, with spatter cones and cinder cones. You will also see Pinnacle Rock, a striking example of a tuff cone, and good examples of pioneering plants, including some beautiful stands of lava cactus. At sea level, this is a great place for swimming and snorkelling, if you are lucky with Galapagos Penguins.

4th November – Genovesa (Tower) A highlight of any visit to the Galapagos, a truly beautiful island thanks to the richness of its birdlife. Located in the northeast portion of Galapagos, the island is an outpost for many seabirds (as is Espanola in the South). Interestingly there are no land reptiles here and only very small marine iguanas, due to direction of ocean currents which apparently would not have carried terrestrial animals there. You will visit the following sites

Darwin Bay This bay is actually the caldera of an extinct, partially eroded volcano, with the surrounding cliffs forming the inner portion of the rim. You arrive on a corral beach, and will immediately be struck by the birdlife. Great Frigate bird males, Red-footed boobies nesting in the mangroves, Swallow-tailed Gulls, Lava Gulls, and Yellow-crowned Night Herons can all be seen along the sandy trail.

Prince Philip’s Steps The visit begins with a great panga (small dingy) ride along the base of the cliffs where you see Red billed Tropicbirds trying to make a precise landing in their nest. Squadrons of Frigate birds are seen flying back and forth, whilst Red-footed boobies perch on branches of Palo Santo trees which seemingly grow out of the cliffs. Once you arrive on land and climb to the cliff-top, you enter an area where nesting Nazca Boobies and Great Frigate birds are found. It is also a great place to see Galapagos Doves and Vampire Finches (sharp-beaked ground finches)…ask your guide for the full story on the name! You will also see great numbers of Storm Petrels here, sometimes in tens of thousands. If you are lucky, you may also see a short-eared owl hunting Petrels during the day.

5th November – James Island A chance to take look at one of the sites visited by Darwin (Buccaneer Cove) where he spent the majority of his land visits in the Galapagos. We also visit Puerto Egas, a beautiful walk along the coast and the best place for Galapagos Fur Seals, plovers, herons and oyster catchers. In the afternoon we navigate across the eastern coast of Isabella, with some fantastic volcanic sites, beautiful scenery and the chance of seeing whales and dolphins.

6th November – Isabela - Punta Vicente Roca Measuring over 1800 square miles, and accounting for over half the land surface area in Galapagos, at about 80 miles in length, the seahorse shaped Isabela Island is the largest in the Galapagos. Isabela is formed from six separate volcanoes (Alcedo, Cerro Azul, Darwin, Ecuador, Sierra Negra and Wolf). A fantastic volcanic formation which we will visit by dingy. Located on the north-west side of Isabella Island, it provides a dramatic landscape of a giant collapsed shield volcano. Also great for seeing Brown Noddies, Blue-footed Boobies, Flightless Cormorants and Galapagos Penguins.

Fernandina Together with Genovesa, this is a ‘must see’ place in the Archipelago. Fernandina is the largest and most pristine of the islands and home to the largest population of marine iguanas as well as being the best place to see nesting Flightless Cormorants. It is also a good place to see the Galapagos Snake, Hawk and Lizard.

7th November – Isabella - Urbina Bay A newly uplifted area with colourful land iguanas and lush vegetation on the foot hills of Alcedo Volcano that host the largest population of Giant Tortoises along with a population of Flightless Cormorants, the Galapagos Hawk and finches.

Elizabeth Bay Spectacular mangrove cove that will give us the opportunity to enjoy one of the best breeding grounds of the Galapagos Penguin as well as the chance to see green sea turtles.

8th November – Isabella Island (Puerto Villamil) Today is our first guaranteed sighting of Giant Tortoises. The Galapagos has 11 different species of Giant Tortoise with five different species on the island of Isabella. We get the chance to see them at a new breeding site built by the Galapagos National Park Service and the Charles Darwin Research Station. We will also explore the island in the hope of seeing some Giant Tortoises in the wild. The island is also a great place for Galapagos Penguins and marine iguanas.

9th November – Santa Cruz - Guayaquil After an early breakfast we leave the boat to take a bus that will drive us up to the highlands of Santa Cruz, were we will have a chance to look for Giant Tortoises in the wild, and see the amazing forests of Scalacia (giant daisies!) before returning to Baltra for our flight back mainland Ecuador – this time to the city of Guayaquil on the Pacific Coast (all international flights to Ecuador stop in both Quito and Guayaquil). We will have chance to go to the Grand Hotel Guayaquil for time to freshen up and have a farewell meal together, before returning to the airport for your flight back to the UK which leaves early evening arriving back in the UK on the 10th November.

10th November Transfer to the airport for flight home.

Please note: Itineraries are unlikely to change significantly but are subject to change. Weather, wildlife breeding, instructions from the Galapagos National Park, specific abilities and interests of passengers as well as operational matters may cause your guide or captain to change the times or nature of your visits. Your guide will always endeavour to have the best itinerary for you within these constraints.

Download a PDF of this Itinerary - Cloud Forest, Andes and Galapagos Itinerary

If you would like any more information or to chat over the details of the trip we would be delighted to help. Telephone 01482 872 716 for more information or email us today.

Accommodation

If you would like any more information or to chat over the details of the trip we would be delighted to help. Telephone 01482 872 716 for more information or email us today.