Nat Geo Delfina

AM: Welcome to Galápagos! Fly to Baltra in the center of the archipelago, a little world unto itself in the Tropical Pacific. Take a short bus ride to the dock with our naturalists and embark the ship waiting at anchor.

PM: Sea lions greet us at South Plaza, an uplifted block carpeted in salt-loving succulents and teeming with wildlife, including a noisy group of bachelor sea lions and a population of land iguanas. Admire diverse seabirds swooping along high sea cliffs.

AM: Explore one of the oldest islands in the archipelago. Land on a small, sparkling beach at Punta Pitt for a hike up to a plateau where masked, blue- and red-footed boobies all nest and look for endemic Cristóbal mockingbirds, lava lizards and other wildlife.

PM: Take Zodiac cruises along the base of the volcanic cone of Cerro Brujo, before landing on a beautiful white-sand beach to explore the coastal ecosystems. Take a swim and practice your snorkeling skills in the turquoise waters. Return on board for a sunset navigation around the iconic Kicker Rock.

AM: Explore the expanse of bright white sand at quiet Gardner Bay, where sea lions rest and play. Opt this morning to swim from the beach, snorkel along the offshore islets, kayak, or paddleboard.

PM: Take nature walks at Punta Suarez, one of the most important seabird islands in Galápagos. After landing, walk among vividly-colored marine iguanas and breeding colonies of sea lions before venturing further afield along spectacular cliffs home to colonies of blue footed and Nazca boobies, swallow-tailed gulls and, seasonally, the world's only population of waved albatross.

AM: Join the 19th-century tradition of leaving and taking letters from the barrel for hand delivery at Post Office Bay. Paddleboard and kayak along the mangrove-lined coast at Baroness Lookout, named after the early settler and eccentric Eloise Bosquet de Wagner. Continue to Champion Islet, where you can snorkel among sea lions and abundant fish-life, or cruise along the shore by Zodiac, while keeping an eye out for the endangered Floreana mockingbird.

PM: Land on a beach tinted green with olivine crystals. Hike through unique vegetation past a lagoon popular with flamingos and other shore birds to a second beach of fine white sand, known for nesting green turtles. 

AM: Before breakfast, depart by Zodiac to explore the volcanic coast and offshore islets at Tintoreras. Look for penguins, turtles, and the largest marine iguanas in Galápagos, then take a walk in an otherworldly volcanic landscape to a fissure filled with seawater, which is a popular resting place for white-tipped reef sharks, known as “Tintoreras” locally.

PM: Choose to take a drive up into the highlands, then hike up to the large caldera of one of the six massive shield volcanoes that make up Isabela. Alternatively, you may choose to spend a more leisurely time in the village of Puerto Villamil, exploring its wildlife-rich wetlands and its vibrant beach bars.

AM: Call at Puerto Ayora, the largest human settlement in the archipelago and headquarters of the two most important conservation entities in Galápagos: the Galápagos National Park Directorate and the Charles Darwin Research Station, both of which are long-term grantees of the Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic Fund. Learn about the conservation efforts run by these organizations, then tour the giant tortoise breeding corrals, a successful pioneering effort to return wild populations to a natural state.

PM: Explore the town at your leisure and meet at a waterfront restaurant for a special Galápagos lunch. Continue into the highlands of Santa Cruz to explore the cultural and natural attractions of the area, where much of our produce is grown on local farms. This will include a stop at a small ranch located on the traditional migratory route of the Santa Cruz species of giant tortoise, where we’ll spend time enjoying these iconic creatures as they go about their lives, unconcerned by our presence.

AM: Depart for pre-breakfast photo and nature walks on Rábida Island, known for its bright red beach and volcanic substrate. We may see flamingos and other shore-birds feeding in a brackish lagoon, and we will search for endemic land birds such as Galápagos hawks and doves. After breakfast, enjoy kayaking, paddleboarding, and snorkeling along the indented coastline.

PM: Snorkel and explore by kayak and Zodiac the crystalline water surrounding Sombrero Chino, one of a group of distinctively shaped small islets off Santiago. Keep a keen eye for the Galápagos penguin, sometimes spotted along the coast.

AM: Disembark after breakfast and transfer to Balta for your flight back to the mainland. Transfers to the airport and luggage assistance will be provided.

AM: Welcome to Galápagos! After breakfast, transfer to the airport for the 1 ½-hour flight to Baltra in the center of the islands, a little world unto itself in the Tropical Pacific. Take a short bus ride to the dock with our naturalists and embark the ship waiting at anchor.

PM: After lunch and a chance to settle in, join the first Zodiac cruise at Caleta Tortuga Negra (Black Turtle Cove), a quiet mangrove-lined lagoon on Santa Cruz Island. Look for green turtles, sharks, and schools of golden and eagle rays.

AM: Sail north across the Equator to the remote northern realm of the Galápagos, bathed in warmer tropical waters and home to the red-footed boobies, Nazca boobies, swallow-tailed gulls, great frigates birds and other nesting seabirds.

PM: Kayak, paddleboard, snorkel, and cruise along the caldera walls in search of wildlife. Later, climb Prince Phillip’s Steps for a walk among colonies of nesting seabirds to a field of broken lava, where an astounding number of storm petrels nest.

AM: Hike over the smooth pahoehoe lava and admire spatter cones, little miniature hornitos, and the wild riot of black lava at Sullivan Bay, the result an eruption recorded by passing buccaneers in 1897.

PM: Climb the steps to the summit of this 300-foot volcanic wonderland for stunning views. Explore, swim and snorkel from the beach.

AM: Cross the Equator at Volcán Ecuador, northernmost of Isabela’s six great shield volcanoes. Snorkel and Zodiac along the wildly eroded coast, where we might see green turtles, fur seals and even penguins. The waters here in the west are rich.

PM: In the remote western archipelago, hike over impressive lava past tide pools where marine iguanas gather in piles, young sea lions play and the strange flightless cormorant nests. Fernandina is the youngest, and most pristine island in Galápagos.

AM: Hike through the dry forest along the uplifted coastline at Urbina Bay, where you search for land iguanas and giant tortoises that are sometimes sighted. Return to swim from the inviting black sand beach

PM: Land in the footsteps of Darwin and Melville at historic Tagus Cove, once the haunt of whalers and pirates. Opt to hike inland along the crater rim for view's of Darwin's Lake. Kayak, paddleboard and snorkel in the cove. 

AM: Explore tide pools and look for fur seals sheltered in quiet grottos of black basalt at Puerto Egas, where you see evidence of an old salt mine and other human history. Swim and snorkel from the beach frequented by sea lions and marine iguanas. Swim, snorkel, kayak, and paddleboard along the spectacular coast of Buccaneers Cove, a secluded atelier where pirates once careened their ships.

PM: Explore a dense coastal forest, home to Galápagos hawks and other land birds, at Playa Espumilla, or stroll along the wide turtle-nesting beach.

AM-PM: Call at Puerto Ayora, the largest town and headquarters of both the Galápagos National Park and Charles Darwin Research Station. Tour the giant tortoise breeding corrals, a pioneering effort, and then head to the lush, green highlands to see giant tortoises roaming in the wild. Here you also have lunch at a local ranch, and those who wish can visit the Tomás de Berlanga school, supported by the Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic Fund. Most evenings, scientists or a representative from the Charles Darwin Station joins us aboard.

AM: Come out on deck at sunrise as we circumnavigate Daphne Major, looking for wildlife and learning about the important research undertaken here. Disembark after breakfast and transfer to Balta for your flight back to the mainland. Transfers to the airport and luggage assistance will be provided.