ARCHIPEL I ROUTE A5B4

ITINERARY A5B4 / 8D – 7N

Our adventurous 7 nights route enables you to combine visits around the largest island of Isabela, the sea bird colonies of popular North Seymour and the exclusive Genovesa. Explore the untouched western end of Galapagos, which has just been born out of fire and the lush highlands. And, on the spectacular volcano islet of Bartolomé and the lava flow at Sullivan Bay, you will certainly get impressed by the creative forces and fascinating pioneer species.

HIGHLIGHTS
  • Virgin Fernandina & isolated west coast of Isabela make you eye-witness of evolution.
  • Pioneer species colonize barren lava fields
  • Flightless cormorants, largest marine iguanas and penguins near the equator
  • Unique tidal channel with whitetip reef sharks & rays
  • Famous sea bird colonies of popular North Seymour and isolated Genovesa in one short cruise

High chance of spotting

American Flamingo
American Flamingo Galapagos

Flightless Cormorant
flightless cormorant galapagos islands

Galapagos Penguin
galapagos penguin

Galapagos Giant Tortoise
galapagos giant tortoise giant turtle

Marine Iguana
iguana marine

Whitetip reef Shark
whitetip reef shark galapagos
Legend

Arrival

Snorkeling

snorkeling galapagos islands

Hike

Kayak

kayak galapagos islands

Dinghy Ride

panga ride galapagos islands

Departure

VISITORS SITES MAP

DAY 1 / THURSDAY

AM: Arrival at Baltra Airport

PM: CC Fausto Llerena

DAY 2 / FRIDAY

AM: Moreno Point (Isabela) panga ride galapagos islandssnorkeling galapagos islands

PM: Urbina Bay  snorkeling galapagos islands

DAY 3 / SATURDAY

AM: Espinoza Point (Fernandina) snorkeling galapagos islands

PM: Vicente Roca Point panga ride galapagos islandssnorkeling galapagos islands

DAY 4 / SUNDAY

AM: Puerto Egas (Santiago) kayak galapagos islands snorkeling galapagos islands

PM: Rabida  kayak galapagos islands panga ride galapagos islands snorkeling galapagos islands

DAY 5 / MONDAY

AM: Black Turtle Cove  kayak galapagos islands panga ride galapagos islands snorkeling galapagos islands
PM: Bachas Beach snorkeling galapagos islands

DAY 6 / TUESDAY

AM: Prince Philip Steps (Genovesa)  kayak galapagos islandspanga ride galapagos islandssnorkeling galapagos islands

PM: Darwin Bay (Genovesa) kayak galapagos islandspanga ride galapagos islandssnorkeling galapagos islands

DAY 7 / WEDNESDAY

AM: Bartholomew panga ride galapagos islandssnorkeling galapagos islands

PM:  Sullivan Bay (Santiago) snorkeling galapagos islands

DAY 8 / THURSDAY

AM: Twin Craters – El Chato Reserve (Santa Cruz)

Transfer out to Baltra Airport 

ISLANDS OVERVIEW & ACTIVITIES

ITINERARY A5B4

Thursday

AM: Arrival at Baltra Airport

Arrival at Baltra Airport and transfer in. You will have to pay your Galapagos National Park entrance fee and your luggage will be inspected.

Activities:

Difficulty: – –

Archipel ATC Cruises Galapagos Islands Ecuador
PM: CC Fausto Llerena

A tour at Fausto Llerena Breeding Center you can see the tortoises of Española Island, ending in the tortoise exhibit corral. Tortoises of this corral are accustomed to humans; it is an excellent spot to be photographed with them!

Activities: 

Difficulty: Easy

el chato reserve Archipel ATC Cruises Galapagos Islands Ecuador

Friday

AM: Moreno Point (Isabela)

Fresh, promising greens of pioneer vegetation contrast strongly with the dead, pitch-black lava flow that once reached the ocean at Moreno Point.

Activities:  panga ride galapagos islandssnorkeling galapagos islands

Difficulty: Moderated

moreno point Archipel ATC Cruises Galapagos Islands Ecuador
PM: Urbina Bay

On Isabela nature seems to hunt for the largest. The exceptional coastal plain at Urbina Bay attracts prehistoric giants in the wild, such as the largest land iguanas.

Activities:  snorkeling galapagos islands

Difficulty: Easy

urbina-bay-galapagos

Saturday

AM: Espinoza Point (Fernandina)

At Fernandina, you will find some of the most bizarre animal species, products of natural selection. Among them is the flightless cormorant, which after thousands of years isolated here lost the ability to fly and turned its wings into fins.

Activities:  snorkeling galapagos islands

Difficulty: Easy – Moderated

Tagus Cove Archipel ATC Cruises Galapagos Islands Ecuador
PM: Vicente Roca Point (Isabela)

We will enter a dark cave below a spectacular arch, accompanied by the roaring echoes of the waves. The calmer waters inside are well-protected and are a great place for snorkelling amongst various species of sharks, penguins, seahorses and the giant mola-mola.

Activities:  panga ride galapagos islandssnorkeling galapagos islands

Difficulty: Easy – Moderated

Espinoza point Archipel ATC Cruises Galapagos Islands Ecuador

Sunday

AM: Puerto Egas (Santiago)

Puerto Egas is historical, and the favourite site on Santiago for wildlife lovers; and it’s even the best place in the archipelago to observe Galapagos fur seals.

Activities:  snorkeling galapagos islands

Difficulty: Moderated

Puerto Egas Santiago Islands
PM: Rabida

Upon landing at this remarkable red beach, you will usually be greeted by a large bachelor colony of Galapagos sea lions.

Activities:  kayak galapagos islandspanga ride galapagos islandssnorkeling galapagos islands

Difficulty: Easy – Moderated

Rabida Galapagos Islands

Monday

AM: Black Turtle Cove

Black Turtle Cove: At 08:30 AM your last adventure takes place en route to the airport, exploring Black Turtle Cove from the dinghy. The quiet lagoon and surrounding mangrove forest enable the observation of sea turtles and sharks. The visit ends at 09:00 with the disembarking at Baltra airport.

Activities: kayak galapagos islandspanga ride galapagos islandssnorkeling galapagos islands

Difficulty: Easy

caleta-tortuga-negra
PM: Bachas Beach

Around noon you will embark on the Archipel cruise. Your cabins will be assigned, and lunch will be served. Your afternoon excursion will be at Bachas beach, a lovely bay with soft, white coral sand that is visited by sea turtles. Besides leisure time there, you could visit a lagoon to observe flamingos. Return onboard after 2-hours.

Activities: snorkeling galapagos islands

Difficulty: Easy

Las bachas beach Archipel ATC Cruises Galapagos Islands Ecuador

Tuesday

AM: Prince Philip’s Steps (Genovesa)

Not only because of its historical English name (Tower) Genovesa has a royal touch. Follow in the footsteps of Prince Philip – Galapagos lover for many years – and visit this favourite birding spot with the largest breeding colonies of red-footed and Nazca boobies, and look for a remarkable short-eared owl that hunts on foot!.

Activities:  kayak galapagos islandspanga ride galapagos islandssnorkeling galapagos islands

Difficulty: Easy

Prince Philip’s Archipel ATC Cruises Galapagos Islands Ecuador
PM: Darwin Bay (Genovesa)

As one of the outer islands and most exclusive places on the Galapagos, Genovesa is well worth last night’s longer navigation. This compact site in the heart of its flooded crater shows the extreme varied coastal ecosystems of the Galapagos in miniature; nearly too much for a single day.

Activities:  kayak galapagos islandspanga ride galapagos islandssnorkeling galapagos islands

Difficulty: Easy

Darwin Bay Archipel ATC Cruises Galapagos Islands Ecuador

Wednesday

AM: Bartholomew

This tiny volcano islet is just recently born out of fire. Enter its wild romantic setting of spatter cones and craters, and see the most famous panorama of the Galapagos.

Activities:  panga ride galapagos islandssnorkeling galapagos islands

Difficulty: Easy

Bartolome Archipel ATC Cruises Galapagos Islands Ecuador
PM: Sullivan Bay (Santiago)

Sullivan bay is incomparable to any other visitor’s site; setting foot at the recently solidified lava flow is like landing on the moon!

Activities:  snorkeling galapagos islands

Difficulty: Easy

Sullivan bay Archipel ATC Cruises Galapagos Islands Ecuador

Thursday

AM: Twin Craters - El Chato Reserve (Santa Cruz)

El Chato Reserve is a protected area and official part of the Galapagos National Park. It extends from Cerro El Chato as far down as the southwestern coast of Santa Cruz Island, where females lay their eggs.

Activities:

Difficulty: Easy

El Chato reserve Archipel ATC Cruises Galapagos Islands Ecuador
Transfer out to Baltra Airport

Assisted by the naturalist guide and some crew members, the dinghy will bring you and your luggage to Baltra, where we will take the airport shuttle. Your guide will accompany you to the check-in counters in the departure hall.

We expect you to return home with stunning pictures and unforgettable lifelong memories!

Activities:

Difficulty: – –

Archipel ATC Cruises Galapagos Islands Ecuador
DAY 1

Thursday

AM: Arrival at Baltra Airport

Arrival at Baltra Airport and transfer in. You will have to pay your Galapagos National Park entrance fee and your luggage will be inspected.

Activities:

Difficulty: – –

Archipel ATC Cruises Galapagos Islands Ecuador
PM: CC Fausto Llerena

A tour at Fausto Llerena Breeding Center you can see the tortoises of Española Island, ending in the tortoise exhibit corral. Tortoises of this corral are accustomed to humans; it is an excellent spot to be photographed with them!

Activities: 

Difficulty: Easy

el chato reserve Archipel ATC Cruises Galapagos Islands Ecuador
DAY 2

Friday

AM: Moreno Point (Isabela)

Fresh, promising greens of pioneer vegetation contrast strongly with the dead, pitch-black lava flow that once reached the ocean at Moreno Point.

Activities:  panga ride galapagos islandssnorkeling galapagos islands

Difficulty: Moderated

moreno point Archipel ATC Cruises Galapagos Islands Ecuador
PM: Urbina Bay

On Isabela nature seems to hunt for the largest. The exceptional coastal plain at Urbina Bay attracts prehistoric giants in the wild, such as the largest land iguanas.

Activities:  snorkeling galapagos islands

Difficulty: Easy

urbina-bay-galapagos
DAY 3

Saturday

AM: Espinoza Point (Fernandina)

At Fernandina, you will find some of the most bizarre animal species, products of natural selection. Among them is the flightless cormorant, which after thousands of years isolated here lost the ability to fly and turned its wings into fins.

Activities:  snorkeling galapagos islands

Difficulty: Easy – Moderated

Tagus Cove Archipel ATC Cruises Galapagos Islands Ecuador
PM: Vicente Roca Point (Isabela)

We will enter a dark cave below a spectacular arch, accompanied by the roaring echoes of the waves. The calmer waters inside are well-protected and are a great place for snorkelling amongst various species of sharks, penguins, seahorses and the giant mola-mola.

Activities:  panga ride galapagos islandssnorkeling galapagos islands

Difficulty: Easy – Moderated

Espinoza point Archipel ATC Cruises Galapagos Islands Ecuador
DAY 4

Sunday

AM: Puerto Egas (Santiago)

Puerto Egas is historical, and the favourite site on Santiago for wildlife lovers; and it’s even the best place in the archipelago to observe Galapagos fur seals.

Activities:  snorkeling galapagos islands

Difficulty: Moderated

Puerto Egas Santiago Islands
PM: Rabida

Upon landing at this remarkable red beach, you will usually be greeted by a large bachelor colony of Galapagos sea lions.

Activities:  kayak galapagos islandspanga ride galapagos islandssnorkeling galapagos islands

Difficulty: Easy – Moderated

Rabida Galapagos Islands
DAY 5

Monday

AM: Black Turtle Cove

Black Turtle Cove: At 08:30 AM your last adventure takes place en route to the airport, exploring Black Turtle Cove from the dinghy. The quiet lagoon and surrounding mangrove forest enable the observation of sea turtles and sharks. The visit ends at 09:00 with the disembarking at Baltra airport.

Activities: kayak galapagos islandspanga ride galapagos islandssnorkeling galapagos islands

Difficulty: Easy

caleta-tortuga-negra
PM: Bachas Beach

Around noon you will embark on the Archipel cruise. Your cabins will be assigned, and lunch will be served. Your afternoon excursion will be at Bachas beach, a lovely bay with soft, white coral sand that is visited by sea turtles. Besides leisure time there, you could visit a lagoon to observe flamingos. Return onboard after 2-hours.

Activities: snorkeling galapagos islands

Difficulty: Easy

Las bachas beach Archipel ATC Cruises Galapagos Islands Ecuador
DAY 6

Tuesday

AM: Prince Philip’s Steps (Genovesa)

Not only because of its historical English name (Tower) Genovesa has a royal touch. Follow in the footsteps of Prince Philip – Galapagos lover for many years – and visit this favourite birding spot with the largest breeding colonies of red-footed and Nazca boobies, and look for a remarkable short-eared owl that hunts on foot!.

Activities:  kayak galapagos islandspanga ride galapagos islandssnorkeling galapagos islands

Difficulty: Easy

Prince Philip’s Archipel ATC Cruises Galapagos Islands Ecuador
PM: Darwin Bay (Genovesa)

As one of the outer islands and most exclusive places on the Galapagos, Genovesa is well worth last night’s longer navigation. This compact site in the heart of its flooded crater shows the extreme varied coastal ecosystems of the Galapagos in miniature; nearly too much for a single day.

Activities:  kayak galapagos islandspanga ride galapagos islandssnorkeling galapagos islands

Difficulty: Easy

Darwin Bay Archipel ATC Cruises Galapagos Islands Ecuador
DAY 7

Wednesday

AM: Bartholomew

This tiny volcano islet is just recently born out of fire. Enter its wild romantic setting of spatter cones and craters, and see the most famous panorama of the Galapagos.

Activities:  panga ride galapagos islandssnorkeling galapagos islands

Difficulty: Easy

Bartolome Archipel ATC Cruises Galapagos Islands Ecuador
PM: Sullivan Bay (Santiago)

Sullivan bay is incomparable to any other visitor’s site; setting foot at the recently solidified lava flow is like landing on the moon!

Activities:  snorkeling galapagos islands

Difficulty: Easy

Sullivan bay Archipel ATC Cruises Galapagos Islands Ecuador
DAY 8

Thursday

AM: Twin Craters - El Chato Reserve (Santa Cruz)

El Chato Reserve is a protected area and official part of the Galapagos National Park. It extends from Cerro El Chato as far down as the southwestern coast of Santa Cruz Island, where females lay their eggs.

Activities:

Difficulty: Easy

El Chato reserve Archipel ATC Cruises Galapagos Islands Ecuador
Transfer out to Baltra Airport

Assisted by the naturalist guide and some crew members, the dinghy will bring you and your luggage to Baltra, where we will take the airport shuttle. Your guide will accompany you to the check-in counters in the departure hall.

We expect you to return home with stunning pictures and unforgettable lifelong memories!

Activities:

Difficulty: – –

Archipel ATC Cruises Galapagos Islands Ecuador