Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands 2012/2013

Ecuador & the Galápagos Luxury Holiday - 13-day enlightened tour

This voyage of discovery brings a sense of returning to where it all began, as you explore volcanic landscapes that are still evolving, and stroll the islands that inspired Darwin’s ‘Theory of Evolution’, amongst such amazingly diverse wildlife.

Tour highlights

• Travelling in the footsteps of Charles Darwin on an incredible tour of the natural world
• Soaking up the ambience of a boutique hotel set in an historic mansion in the heart of the old town of Quito
• Staying in a luxury jungle lodge in an untouched cloud forest reserve, just over the mountain from the Amazon rainforest
• Wandering through Quito old town; a UNESCO World Heritage Site
• Bartering with the street traders at Saquisili market
• Cruising bright, clear waters on the lookout for whales and dolphins, and swimming up close to sea lions and possibly marine turtles
• Viewing the nesting grounds of blue-footed boobies, penguins, flightless cormorants and

Darwin’s finches
• Visiting the Charles Darwin Research Station and seeing the iconic giant tortoises

Extend Your Holiday
If you opt for the 13-day tour, which cruises the central Galápagos islands, you have the opportunity of extending your holiday and continuing on to discover the southern islands of the archipelago as well. With a total of 8 nights aboard the Isabela II, you’ll get a real feel for the unique beauty and wildlife of this area.

Any questions? Chat to your Personal Travel Advisor 0161 491 7616

Tour Itinerary

Day 1 Depart Heathrow
Once you arrive, join your Tour Manager for welcome drinks in your Quito hotel.
Meals: In-flight.
Hotel: Casa Gangotena.

Day 2 Quito
On this morning’s walking tour of the old town, you’ll see the Presidential Palace, standing in the Plaza Independencia, and visit the impressive Cathedral, the Compania de Jesus and the Monastery of San Francisco. After a lunch of regional cuisine, you’ll head into the hills around the city to the Equator Monument, at latitude 0°, where you can straddle the northern and southern hemispheres.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.
Hotel: Casa Gangotena.

Day 3 Quito
Today you’ll venture south to the Avenue of the Volcanoes; the central spine of Ecuador where the Andes mountains are dotted with a series of spectacular active and dormant volcanoes. You’ll visit Cotopaxi National Park, with amazing views into the distance, before moving on to Saquisili market, where the entire community comes alive with vendors on every street corner. During the day, you’ll stop at an historic hacienda for lunch.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.
Hotel: Casa Gangotena.

Day 4 Quito to Mashpi Rainforest Reserve
Passing mountain pastures and broad valleys dotted with farms and villages, you’ll head into the Andes to an untouched cloud forest. Deep in the jungle, the new Mashpi Lodge combines a remarkable jungle experience with contemporary luxury. You can view the diverse tropical wildlife through huge windows, and embark on a choice of nature walks, accompanied by a naturalist guide.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Hotel: Mashpi Lodge.

Day 5 Mashpi Rainforest Reserve
Explore the delights of Mashpi Lodge further, to discover hundreds of tropical bird species, possibly thousands of orchid species, as well as monkeys and other mammals.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Hotel: Mashpi Lodge.

Day 6 Mashpi Rainforest Reserve to Quito
After a final morning in the rainforest, you’ll return to Quito.
Meals: Breakfast.
Hotel: Casa Gangotena.

Departures in August, October and November 2012
Days 7-13 on the 13-day tour option

Day 7 Quito to Galápagos
This morning you’ll transfer to the airport to meet your Cruise Representative and fly to the Galápagos Islands, where you’ll board the Isabela II for a 4 night cruise around the central islands. In the afternoon, you’ll visit the Charles Darwin Research Station to see the giant tortoise pens within an impressive giant prickly-pear cactus forest. Later on, stroll the main street of Puerto Ayora before returning to the yacht.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Vessel: Isabela II.

Day 8 Galápagos – Sante Fe and South Plaza Islands
On a walk around Sante Fe Island, you’ll see many sea lion harems, Galápagos hawks – often perched atop salt bushes – giant prickly-pear cactus and land iguana, which are unique to this island. You’ll also be able to snorkel and swim from the beach. At South Plaza Island, you’ll see how the turquoise waters contrast with the white sand and black lava of the shoreline. Further up the shore, a carpet of scarlet succulents serves as groundcover for a grove of prickly-pear cactus. Yellow-grey land iguanas sit beneath, waiting patiently for pears to drop. Watch out for frigates, swallow-tailed gulls and shearwaters gliding in the thermals.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Vessel: Isabela II.

Day 9 Galápagos – North Seymour and Santa Cruz Islands
On this morning’s trail, you’ll walk through a landscape of cacti, palo santo trees and salt bushes to explore colonies of blue footed boobies, frigate birds and swallowtail gulls. After lunch on board, you’ll head to Santa Cruz Island. After WWII, US military barges were abandoned here and the locals referred to the site as barges beach; which morphed to Las Bachas. Today, it is an important nesting area for the east Pacific green sea turtle. Lagoons just inland are the feeding grounds of various wading birds.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Vessel: Isabela II.

Day 10 Galápagos – Bartolomé Island and Sullivan Bay
After a steep climb to the summit of Bartolomé Island, you’re rewarded with fabulous views. There’s also time for penguin spotting around Pinnacle Rock on an amphibious craft called a panga. The panga also takes you to Sullivan Bay where you’ll land on a white coral sand beach and walk over lava that flowed less than 100 years ago. This is the perfect place to see and feel the volcanic origins of Galápagos.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Vessel: Isabela II.

Day 11 Galápagos to Guayaquil
This morning you’ll fly to the port city of Guayaquil on the Ecuador mainland. This evening, join your fellow travellers for a farewell dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner.
Hotel: Hilton Colon.

Day 12 Depart Guayaquil
We’ve arranged a day room at the hotel, so that you have somewhere to relax before your afternoon flight, via Madrid.
Meals: Breakfast, In-flight.

Day 13 Arrive Heathrow
You’ll arrive back this afternoon, ready to relive your adventures with friends and family.
Meals: In-flight.

Departure in December 2012

Days 7-15 on the 15-day tour option

Day 7 Quito to Galápagos
This morning, you’ll transfer to the airport to meet your Cruise Representative and fly to the Galápagos Islands, where you’ll board the Isabela II for a 6-night cruise around the southern Galápagos islands. After lunch, you’ll board a panga, a small dinghy, for an exciting coastal exploration of the shoreline of Isla Lobos, named after its colony of sea lions, with the chance to see blue footed boobies, frigate birds, pelicans and other marine birds.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Vessel: Isabela II.

Day 8 Galápagos – Genovesa Island
After a panga ride alongside the cliffs, you’ll go on a hill-top walk to see large colonies of masked boobies, frigate birds and storm petrels. After lunch, you’ll head to Darwin Bay for an easy stroll to observe thousands of birds, including red footed and masked boobies, gulls, herons, finches and mockingbirds. An optional walk takes you over lava and uneven terrain for dramatic views, or you can return to the beach to swim, snorkel or paddle out in a sea kayak.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Vessel: Isabela II.

Day 9 Galápagos – Santiago Island
A short walk inland takes you through a mangrove forest where sea turtles nest. Beyond the mangroves, flocks of pink flamingos and white cheeked pintails can be seen on the lagoon. After lunch on board, you’ll take a walk at Puerto Egas across tuff-stone layers and lava flows to see land and marine birds, marine iguanas that graze on the algae beds at low tide, and a colony of fur-sea lions. Later on, you can swim, snorkel or ride in a glass-bottomed boat.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Vessel: Isabela II.

Day 10 Galápagos – Fernandina and Isabela Islands
A one-mile walk on Fernandina Island, the youngest of the archipelago, showcases Punta Espinoza’s amazing combination of barrenness and plentiful wildlife, which includes the highest density of marine iguanas as well as sea lions, Sally Lightfoot crabs, hawks, penguins and the flightless cormorant. At Tagus Cove on Isabela Island, you can see graffiti left behind by pirates and whalers. An uphill hike through remarkable vegetation takes you to Darwin Crater, filled with salt water.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Vessel: Isabela II.

Day 11 Galápagos – Isabela Island
This morning, explore Urbina Bay, at the foot of Alcedo and Darwin volcanoes, where you can find corals, shells and many other calcareous organisms. Look out for colourful land iguanas, giant tortoises, Darwin’s finches, flightless cormorants and penguins. After lunch on board, it may be possible to snorkel along the cliffs of the partly-sunken Ecuador Volcano, depending on ocean conditions. At Punta Vicente Roca, you’ll explore the coast by dinghy, listening to a fascinating commentary by your naturalist guide who’ll explain the area’s geology while you watch for flightless cormorants, sea lions, Galápagos fur seals, Galápagos penguins, blue-footed and Nazca boobies and noddy terns.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Vessel: Isabela II.

Day 12 Galápagos – Rábida Island and Cerro Dragón
Strolling on the red beach at Rábida Island, you can observe sea lions, marine iguanas, mockingbirds, yellow warblers and several species of Darwin’s finches. Snorkelling is particularly rewarding due to the unique combination of underwater species and submarine landscapes. Watch for dolphins on the way to Santa Cruz Island, where you’ll visit Dragon Hill on the north shore. The walking trail takes in many species, including the Galápagos flycatcher and yellow warblers, as well as beautiful views of the western islands.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Vessel: Isabela II.

Day 13 Guayaquil
This morning arrive at Baltra Island and fly to the port city of Guayaquil on the Ecuador mainland. This evening, join your fellow travellers for a farewell dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner.
Hotel: Hilton Colon.

Day 14 To London
We’ve arranged a day room at the hotel, so that you have somewhere to relax before your afternoon flight, via Madrid.
Meals: Breakfast, Inflight.

Day 15 London
You’ll arrive this afternoon, and we hope you’ll leave us having gained a new perspective on the world.
Meals: Inflight.

Any questions? Chat to your Personal Travel Advisor 0161 491 7616