San Cristobal
360 TOUR
360 Tour, we leave eraly in the morning to the pier and take the boat, we will ride around the island visiting Punta Pitt, Bahía Rosa Blanca, Bahia Sardina, Cerro Brujo, Leon Dormido (Kicker Rock). During the tour we have chance to see frigate birds, blue footed boobies, dolphins, sea lions, sea turtles, hammerhead shark, seagulls and more! This complete tour will offer the best views of the Island!
Santa Cruz
Bartholomew
This small island is located on the centre of the archipelago, and on a clear day, more than ten islands can be spotted from the top of the viewpoint. The diversity and richness of this island is related to the Upwelling Phenomenon, very cold water surrounds the shore and provides food for many marine species.
The Pinnacle Rock, formed by an eroded toba cone, is the most emblematic formation of the archipelago. On its base, a small colony of Penguins cohabits with Sea Lions and Marine Birds. On the visit site of the beach, one can observe juvenile sharks swimming along the shore line, and sometimes on the surroundings, a hawk domain the air.
Great snorkeling opportunities with penguins and sea lions off a golden-sand beach at the foot of popular Pinnacle Rock.
Seymour
Located directly to the north of Baltra Island, Seymour is very famous for its colony of frigates found on the south west side of this small island. Also we will found blue footed boobies, land iguanas, swallow tailed gulls, pelicans and red billed tropic birds. Flora and fauna is very attractive; here is the best spot to watch frigates and blue footed boobies, we will see them flying and standing in the trees, this is amazing place for watching the blue footed boobies nest, they will have their babies inside and they look very cute and small. Perfect place for bird lovers! During your visit will be the possibility to watch the frigate with their inflatable red-coloured throat pouches called gular pouches, which they inflate to attract females during the mating season.
Plazas
This is part of a pair of islands and one of the smallest to be visited, located only a short distance from Santa Cruz, South Plaza has a unique sesuvium and opuntia landscape which provides some of the most interesting wildlife observations available in the Galapagos. A large colony of noisy sea lions, and a fascinating colony of land iguanas, this island is the most populated by this amazing reptile, which can be seen sunning themselves or feeding opuntia pads and fruits. Plazas offers amazing beaches with clear water where we can do snorkel and enjoy the landscape and marine fauna.
Santa Fé
The best spot for snorkeling, with clear waters, sea turttles, sea lions and more! In this island you will find land iguanas, very big, they are resting on the road that we will walk to go to the top of the hill, during the walking we will see fauna and flora, cactus, birds, iguanas and amazing landscape!
Pinzón
Pinzon Island, also known as Duncan Island, the name become after the visit of the Pinzon Brothers, captains of La Pinta and La Niña; the two caravels that accompanied La Santa Maria with Cristobal Colon, in their first voyage to this amazing continent and islands!
Pinzon island is home of the giant tortoises, sea lions and other endemic species, also marine iguanas and dolphins. Here we can do snorkeling with sea lions, sharks, manta rays and sometimes endemic penguins.
Isabela
Sierra Negra Volcano
• Main Activities: Hiking and walking
• Intensity: Medium - High
• Duration of the Tour: 5 hours
• Daily departures: 7:30am
• Group size: 16 people maximum
• Includes: Boxed lunch, drinks, and transportation with a bilingual (English/Spanish) naturalist guide.
The tour begins by taking a 45-minute bus ride towards the highlands until you reach the Park Control Point, which is 900 metres above sea level. From there on, we will hike on foot for approximately 45 minutes until we reach the edge of the Sierra Negra caldera. From here on out, the landscape is mostly flat; we will walk for another hour in this section of the rim of the volcano. After that, we will enjoy our lunch (included in the cost). As an optional extra (depending on the weather conditions), we might take the trail to Volcan Chico or the new trail recently opened by the Galapagos National Park to the site of the last eruption of the volcano. Thereafter, the transport will pick you up to get you back to your hotel in Puerto Villamil. Complimentary photos of your tour will be available immediately after the tour at the Isamar Hotel so that you can copy them to your memory card or USB.
It is also worth mentioning that this tour can be done on horseback (at an additional cost of 100 USD per person, with a minimum of two people).
Tunnels (Cabo Rosa)
• Main Activities: Snorkelling
• Intensity: Easy - Medium
• Tour Duration: 5 hours
• Daily departures: 7:30am and 11am
• Group size: 10 people max.
• Includes: Snorkelling equipment (mask and fins), wetsuit, boxed lunch, drinks, towels, transportation, and an English-speaking naturalist guide.
Tour Description:
The tour begins by taking a 45-minute speedboat ride west of Puerto Villamil. Our first stop will be to visit the different lava formations, where you will have the chance to walk across some of the lava platforms. After that, we will get into the water and go snorkelling around the inner tunnels, swimming with the famous marine life of Galapagos, such as the Pacific green turtle, Sea horses, White tip reef sharks, and of course, the famously curious Galapagos Sea lions. Lunch will then be provided on board before heading back into town.Complimentary photos of your tour will be available immediately after the tour at the Isamar Hotel so that you can copy them to your memory card or USB. We can offer the option of private and personalised tours to suit your needs.
Safety Information Disclaimer:
The area of the tunnels was formed by the collapse of lava formations into the sea. What caused this collapse is the intense wave activity against lava platforms. Therefore, depending on sea conditions, we may not have access to all areas of the platform on the day of the tour.
These unsuitable conditions only happen a few times a year.
Tintoreras
• Main Activities: Snorkelling and Hiking
• Intensity: Easy - Medium
• Duration of the tour: 3 hours.
• Daily Departures: Morning and Afternoon
• Group size: 16 people maximum
• Includes: Snorkelling equipment (mask and fins), wetsuit, transportation and a bilingual (English/Spanish) naturalist guide.
• Features: Galapagos White Tip Reef Sharks, Sea Turtles, Penguins, Galapagos Marine Iguanas, and Sea Lions.
Tour Description:
From the main dock we will take a 45-minute boat ride around the different lava formations of the Tintoreras islets, where we may spot some penguin colonies. After that, we will stop at one of the lava platforms and walk (on flat ground) for 1 hour where we can see many unique marine iguanas and the essential colonies of the Galapagos sea lions, as well as white tip reef sharks. Then we will enter the water to snorkel and swim among sea turtles, sea lions and marine iguanas. After the last submersion we will return to the main dock. Complimentary photos of your tour will be available immediately after the tour at the Isamar Hotel so that you can copy them to your memory card or USB.
Kayaking Tintoreras
• Main Activities: Kayaking
• Intensity: Medium
• Tour duration: 2.5 hours
• Daily Departures: Morning and Afternoon
• Group size: 16 people maximum
• Includes: Double kayaks, snorkelling equipment (mask and fins), wetsuits, life jackets and a local guide.
Tour Description:
We will start in the bay of Puerto Villamil and paddle to Tintoreras Island. Your guide will point out the different animals of the Galapagos Islands while rowing, such as seabirds, sea lions and marine iguanas. There is also an option to take a break from kayaking and snorkel with the marine animals. Complimentary photos of your tour will be available immediately after the tour at the Isamar Hotel so that you can copy them to your memory card or USB.
Tortuga Island
• Main Activities: Snorkelling and Fishing
• Intensity: Intermediate
• Tour Duration: 5 hours
• Departures: Special request
• Group requirements: At least 5 people will be needed for this tour.
• Highlights: Hammerhead Sharks and Giant Manta Rays
• Includes: Snorkelling equipment (mask and fins), wetsuit, boxed lunch, drinks, towels, transportation, and a guide.
Tour Description:
A whole team dedicated to giving you the best possible experience will be provided, including an English-speaking naturalist guide. We will take a boat ride for 30 minutes to Isla Tortuga and around the island to get the incredible opportunity to see birds of the Galapagos marine species, such as the blue-footed boobies, Nazca boobies, frigate birds, lava gulls and various other tropical birds. We will then enter the water for deep sea snorkelling around the outer area of the island for about 1 hour. There's a good chance that we will see hammerhead sharks and swim with giant manta rays. Once back on the boat, we will travel to Lobería Grande. During this section of the tour, there will be the option to fish with the crew from the boat. Once we arrive at Lobería Grande, we will enjoy our lunch (included in the price), after which we will have one more opportunity to swim in even deeper water.
Finally, the boat will take us back to Puerto Villamil. Complimentary photos of your tour will be available immediately after the tour at Isamar Hotel so you can copy them to your memory card or USB.
Sulphur Volcano Tour
• Main Activities: Walking and climbing
• Intensity: Hard
• Tour Duration: Full day
• Daily departures: Special request
• Minimum price of tour: 400 USD (5 people)
The Sulphur Mines are located on the western side of the Sierra Negra Volcano, approximately 11km from the control booth “El Healing”, which is where the trail starts. We will pass through the western side of the caldera of the Sierra Negra, where the equestrian trail ends, and our trip will continue inside the caldera with a steep upwards slope, after which we finally arrive at a site where we will find several sulphur fumaroles. Part of the trail is used by local hunters, the same ones who hunt mainly wild pigs and cattle. Personnel from the Galapagos National Park also enter through this site to go to the different workplaces where they do conservation work. During the rainy season in the Sierra Negra Volcano, there is an intense fog which reduces the visibility of the landscape on most of the trail. However, during hot summers, you will have the opportunity to enjoy the spectacular landscape of this volcano. The main attraction of this site is the observation of the landscape, various fumaroles, and sulphur mines. In the Sierra Negra Volcano, one of the designated campsites is next to the sulphur mines. Complimentary photos of your tour will be available immediately after the tour at the Isamar Hotel so that you can copy them to your memory card or USB.
It is also worth mentioning that this tour can be done on horseback (at an additional cost of 100 USD per person, with a minimum of two people).
Boat charter by route:
Option 1:
The cost for the boat charter for 35 spaces is $1300 USD per person (including taxes) via Santa Cruz Isabela. The boat has the capacity of 40 people, but we recommend no more than 35 people at a time.
Option 2:
The Santa Cruz cruise boat is the only cruise ship that has the capacity of more than 40 passengers at a time. The cost per person, for each route, is $10,000USD.
Transportation from Baltra Airport - Isabella Island/Isamar Hotel:
Baltra Airport is located on its own island; from the airport to Itabaca Channel, by bus, it costs 5USD per person. An operator of Galapagos can send the list of passengers entering and make the payment via transfer beforehand. To cross the channel, the cost is 1USD per person. From here to reach Puerto Ayora in Santa Cruz, there are two options - a bus which costs 5USD per person, or a taxi which is 25USD per journey. The travel time is approximately 30 minutes, the journey takes you through the heart of the most central island, Santa Cruz. From there, it is necessary to take a speedboat to the main port in Isabela Island, the cost of this journey is 30USD. This trip takes approximately 1.5 hours in the open ocean. From the port to the hotel in Villamil, it will cost another 5USD for the taxi to reach Isamar Hotel. Another option would be to fly directly from Baltra to Isabela, the price of this is 120USD per national (Ecuadorian), and 145USD for foreigners. The flight time is approximately 30 minutes, during which you will be able to see all the various landscapes of the archipelago.