| Quick Info Pioneer Journeys Galapagos Multisport |
 Level: Intermediate
Activities: Sea Kayaking, Mountain Biking, Hiking, Snorkeling, Diving, Surfing, Horse, Wildlife Encounters Riding.
Days: 7 or 8
Price: From
Accommodations: Standard and Tourist Island Hotels |
Overview
This is the perfect program to discover the Galapagos Islands on an active excursion in ways you never thought possible. This is our exclusive and most popular adventure in the Archipelago. It adequately combines daily hiking, sea kayaking, mountain biking, snorkeling, surfing, horse riding, nature exploration and wildlife observation activities. Our Discovery Diving will even let you experience real Diving without any certification and under the safest condition...even for kids!
The Pioneer Journeys Galapagos Multisport Adventure is an ideal option for any active lifestyle or adventure travel enthusiast. This is the ultimate Galapagos Island tour, a physically and intellectually active program that will make you live an authentic, thrilling and enriching experience while discovering the Darwin’s archipelago.
PRICE 2010 (USD)
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nº OF
TRAVELERS
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7 DAYS PROGRAM
USD
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8 DAYS PROGRAM
USD
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| 3 |
2340 |
2667 |
| 4 |
1936 |
2210 |
| 5 |
1713 |
1988 |
| 6 |
1565 |
1826 |
| 7-10 |
1560 |
1800 |
| 11-16 |
1240 |
1460 |
| ◊ PRICE INCLUDES |
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- All accommodation in standard and tourist superior hotels.
- All meals as described B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner.
- Sport and protective equipment.
- Professional English speaking guide officially certified by the Galapagos - National Park with Category III (the highest).
- All land and sea transportation.
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| ◊ PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE |
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- Airfare to/from Galapagos (subject to change): 415 USD for not Ecuadorian visitors.
- Galapagos National Park Entrance Fee: 100 USD for not Ecuadorian visitors; $6 Ecuadorians. (subject to change)
- Control Visitor Card ($10 - (subject to change).
- Beverages in restaurants.
- Tips.
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IMPORTANT FACTS:
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• BOAT TRAVEL TIME: 2-3 hours per crossing
• ACTIVITY DURATION: 2-7 hours each day
• SEASON: All year
• ALTITUDE: Sea level to 600 m.
• WEATHER TEMPERATURES: December to May: 80ºF to 90ºF / 25ºC to 30ºC. June to September: 60ºF to 70ºF / 15ºC to 20ºC. October to December: 70ºF to 80ºF/ 15ºC to 25ºC
• WATER TEMPERATURE: The waters of the Galapagos Islands are a unique mixture of warm and cold water, ranging between 65ºF and 85ºF.
• SUGGESTED: Water sandals, hiking shoes, light rain shell, water bottle, non-cotton trekking gear, sun block, hat and mosquito repellent.
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| Detailed Itinerary |
| • Day 1: HIKING AND SNORKELING IN SAN CRISTOBAL |
 In the morning we take a two hours flight from Quito to San Cristobal Island. At our arrival we have a welcome lunch and briefing before the adventure begins. We will hike out of town and visit the San Cristóbal Interpretation Center, for a general understanding about island formation, volcanoes, evolution and natural history. We continue on to explore a unique dry forest and will be able to identify cacti, acacia, palo santo, galapagos cotton and more as we hike towards Frigate Hill along trails of lava rock featuring splendid views of the coastline and Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. This will be a good time to enjoy our first encounters with local wildlife, since the hill is often visited by such Galapagos wildlife such as the magnificent and great frigate birds, blue footed boobies, brown pelicans, gulls, herons and lots of land birds including Darwin finches, warblers and mockingbirds.
Our short hike will finish at Carola Beach with our first swim that usually is shared with sea lion families and turtles. The rest of the evening is free to explore town. (L)
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| • Day 2: SEA KAYAKING ALONG THE COAST, DISCOVERY DIVING AT ISLA LOBOS AND SNORKELING OR DIVING AT LEON DORMIDO |
 After breakfast, we get transferred to the boat dock and we slip into our ocean kayaks to paddle along the coast, going north exploring bays and coves full of local wildlife, till Darwin Bay, the site of the first landing of the famous Beagle. The route is home to colonies of sea lions, marine turtles, blue-footed boobies, and frigate birds. We reach Playa Ochoa and continue to nearby Isla Lobos on the lookout for marine iguanas and sea lions.
 In Isla Lobos we do our exclusive Discovery Diving, an incredible opportunity for you to experience diving without any certification and absolutely no risk. We give you all diving equipment and, accompanied all the time by our instructor, we plunge and dive in thisd fantastic site where we are nearly guaranteed to enjoy one of the best sea lion encounters in the entire archipelago. People of all ages can  enjoy this activity…especially kids are amazed by this diving opportunity. Isla Lobos is not risky because it is like a natural sea pool with around 1 meter deep. If somebody do not want to dive, snorkeling is always available. We continue on to famous Leon Dormido, the jagged remains of an old tuff cone whose flanks  are home to thousands of sea birds. At Leon Dormido, we enjoy excellent snorkeling; for certified divers, this is also one of the best dives in the islands (optional). There is a good chance of seeing Galápagos sharks, eagle and golden rays, as well as dozens of species of tropical fish, clams, starfish, and marine invertebrates. With luck, we may also swim with hammerhead and white-tipped sharks. After that, we head to an wild and untouched beach where we relax, walk and swim in turquoise waters before our return to the hotel for our last evening in San Cristobal. (B L)
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| • Day 3: HIKE IN LAVA TRAIL AND KAYAKING IN MANGROVE AREA |
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 In the morning we embark in a fast boat from San Cristobal to Santa Cruz Islands. Once we arrive, we check in at our hotel and visit the Charles Darwin Research Station to learn about conservation and management efforts in the archipelago, always accompanied by our specialist guide. We also get to meet Lonesome  George, the last giant tortoise of his species.
After lunch in the afternoon, we hike to Tortuga Bay, a beautiful white sand beach area, nesting site to thousands of marine turtles. This trail is 3½ miles (6 kilometers) long and crosses through a dry forest lava habitat home to  hundreds of iguanas.
Walking along site the beach we arrive to the green mangrove section where we can slip into our sea kayaks and paddle around such spectacular environment home of very rare wildlife such as blue crabs. We return to Puerto Ayora to spend the evening at leisure in the Galapagos' most populous town, and have dinner and free evening. (B L )
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| • Day 4: HIKING IN THE SANTA CRUZ HIGHLANDS |
 After breakfast we transfer to El Chato reserve in the highlands of Santa Cruz Island which is the natural habitat of the giant Galapagos tortoise. We hike in this reserve to learn about these lumbering giants. We also come across highland wildlife such as pintail ducks, egrets, flycatchers, finches, and frigate birds bathing in freshwater lakes. We also walk into and explore some amazing volcanic tunnels that were created by hot flowing lava. As we walk in these underground geological formations we revive tales of buccaneers hiding Inca gold.
We continue to Los Gemelos, two volcanic craters near the top of the Island. We walk around these deep craters through a beautiful Scalesia forest covered with epiphytes and ferns. In this habitat we may see the short-eared owl, one of the two owls that live in the Islands. We return to town and get transferred to the port for our ride in one fast boat to Isabela Island and to our hotel. During our Island crossing we will be on the lookout for dolphins and whales (July to October) (B L)
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| • Day 5: MOUNTAIN BIKE COASTLINE EXPLORATION & SNORKE IN TINTORERAS |
 Isabela is the largest Island in the archipelago, formed by 6 shield volcanoes - Alcedo, Cerro Azul, Darwin, Ecuador, Sierra Negra and Wolf. All of these volcanoes except one remain active, making this island one of the most volcanically active places on earth. It is really the closest point to the technically called Hot Spot of the archipelago. After breakfast we set up our mountain bikes to explore the beautiful coastline for its scenery and wildlife treasures.
 We begin with a visit to El Muro de las Lágrimas which means Wall of Tears, a historic site that dates back between 1946 and 1959 when Isabela Island was used as a penal colony. The wall was built with lava blocks and had no other purpose that of keeping prisoners busy from the madness of isolation. We continue riding along the coast as we explore expansive white sand beaches, mangroves and brackish lagoons. This area is filled with birdlife such as American oyster catchers, herons, flamingos, finches and many  shore birds, as well as sea lions, marine iguanas and giant turtles.
In the afternoon we embark small boats to visit the Tintoreras, a set of small Islets within Isabela bay. The Islets are filled with wildlife and are home to the Galapagos Penguin, the only penguin that lives in equatorial region. We will also see sharks, marine turtles, sea lions and much more wildlife as we explore its many small coves and beaches. Diner and relaxed evening. (B L D)
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Day 6: VOLCANO DISCOVERY HIKE AND HORSE BACK RIDING IN THE ISABELA HIGHLANDS
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 From Puerto Villamil, we drive to the highlands up to where the road ends. Here we prepare our day backs and walk into a world of recent geological history. We walk on dirt trails until we arrive to the rim of the spectacular Sierra Negra volcano. Sierra Negra is an active volcano with the second biggest crater on Earth, which last erupted in October 2005.
 We explore along the rim of that huge 6x5 mile-wide (9x8 kilometer) lava-filled crater. We may also get views to the other Isabela volcanoes and the Perry Isthmus and beyond. We continue our hike all the way to Volcan Chico, an incredible area that offers puffing fumaroles and extraordinary lava formations, great examples of the dramatic geological events that have forged the Galápagos Islands over thousands of years. In the afternoon, we return to Puerto Villamil for our last afternoon in its exotic white sand beaches. (B L D)
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Day 7: TRANSFER TO BALTRA ISLAND & AIRPORT
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In the morning, we have breakfast and we navigate (or flight based on weather conditions) to Baltra Island for our airport connection back to the continent. (B) |
Day 8 (Optional): SAN CRISTOBAL EXTRA DAY OPTIONAL EXTENSION: MOUNTAIN BIKING, HIKING AND SURFING
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  This day would be the THIRD DAY IN CASE OF 8-DAYS ITINERARY: Optional one day extension for the 8-days Galapagos Adventure Program)
After breakfast we prepare for our excursion to the highlands of San Cristobal. Our bus picks us from our hotel and we visit a semi natural “galapaguera”, where we walk around Giant Galapagos Turtles and have some interpretative chats about evolution and nature environment. From there we continue our way to the white sand and turquoise water Chino Beach. There we relax and practice an excellent surf with the help of our instructor.
 After lunch, we start our way back and stop at El Junco, the only natural fresh water lagoon that is full all year around in the entire archipelago. We do an interesting hike up to the lagoon and around it, observing several endemic birds and flora. We also visit the sightseeing point called Mirador de la Soledad and then we can continue our trip by riding our mountain bikes, all the way down back to the hotel. Then we have dinner and free evening. (B L) |
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