Prepare for an adventure-filled exploration through the Galapagos Islands on this beautiful island. During World War II, the island’s airport was a US Military base protecting the Panama Canal from enemy attack. Surrounding the airport now you will see land iguanas indigenous to the island.

Off the northern tip of Baltra is this flat, low-lying island where blue-footed boobies nest, sea lions play and the largest colony of frigate birds in the Galapagos congregates.

A small uplifted island just off the northeast coast of Santa Cruz. The island’s low-lying landscape is covered with colorful saltbush, scrub, and giant prickly pear cactus. A subspecies of land iguana is found on the island in plentiful abundance and sometimes can be seen munching on the cactus. The southern cliffs are steep and rocky, and home to numerous seabirds as well as a bachelor colony of sea lions. Looking down into the clear blue waters, schools of surgeonfish swim by as birds shoot in and out of the holes in the cliff. A short hike and Zodiac ride provide ample opportunity to observe the beauty and wildlife of the island.

Santa Fe Island lies to the southeast of Santa Cruz Island; located at the center of the Galapagos archipelago. It is also called Barrington Island, after British Admiral Samuel Barrington. Geologically, it one of the oldest of the volcanic islands, with rock formations beneath the surface of the water dating back almost four million years. Santa Fe Island is home to the Santa Fe land iguana and the Santa Fe rice rat, an invasive species. Large numbers of sea lions reside here as well, and can often be seen “surfing” in the waves along the coast or sunning on the beaches. The island is also home to the longest running research project on marine iguanas, begun in the late 1970’s. There is a single visitor site on the island, and three marine sites. The vegetation here is characterized by a dense forest of the giant Santa Fe cactus. Two trails can be found on Sante Fe Island. One is a short loop that provides an up-close look at the massive Santa Fe cacti. Santa Fe land iguanas and Galapagos hawks can be observed from this trail as well. The second trail climbs a steep cliff, providing a dramatic view of the inland section of the island. Underneath the surface of the waves below, sea lions are the main attraction along with sea turtles, rays and Galapagos sharks.

Pitt Point is located on the northeastern tip of San Cristobal Island. After disembarking onto the small greensand beach, you’ll hike up to a plateau, where the view and landscape are so spectacular it is well worth the effort. A steep gully leads up the cliff to a breeding ground for all three varieties of boobies: red-footed, blue-footed, and Nazca. It’s one of the few places in the Galapagos where you can see all three species nesting together.

Eroded volcanic peaks in the north and rich vegetation in the south characterize the island. This island is also home to the only freshwater lake in the Galapagos

Floreana Island was once a penal colony for Ecuador, the first capital of the Galapagos and where Charles Darwin met the viceroy of Galapagos. Your excursion options include a medium-intensity wet landing at Cormorant Point (or Punta Cormorant), where you may see two plant species found only at this particular site, as well as flamingos, stilts and whit cheeked pintail ducks. Or try advanced snorkeling in Devil’s Crown Volcanic Cone to spy grunts, groupers, chubs, spotted eagle rays, white-tipped reed sharks, sea stars, parrotfish and rainbow wrasse.

A prized stop along Isabela’s coastline. It is a sheltered inlet and one of the westernmost points in the Galapagos. A scenic zodiac ride offers excellent wildlife viewing and access to a rich mangrove ecosystem. Blue-footed boobies, pelicans, and nesting flightless cormorants perch on small rocky islands in the Bay. Penguins often pop up when you least expect it and nearby blue-footed boobies dive into the sea like missiles. The Zodiacs carefully cruise into the shallower reaches of the ecosystem to look for rays, sea turtles, and schools of fish. Great blue herons and Galapagos hawks can also be seen within the branches of the mangroves.

Punta Moreno is one of the least visited sites on Isabela due to its remote location and difficult access. Stark black volcanic rocks cover the landscape and when juxtaposed with the brilliant green of lush plant growth around ponds, it makes for a spectacular sight. Add a mix of coastal wildlife and it’s a visitor’s delight. Here, you can go on an extended Zodiac ride to view blue-footed boobies, pelicans, and the flightless cormorant while searching in the water for fast swimming penguins, rays, and maybe even a shark or two. Another option is a hike over the black lava rock to observe coastal ponds where sea turtles and sharks often reside and then head inland to what seems like an oasis—an interior lake where flamingos are often found.

A fifteen-minute stroll from one end to the other along Charles Darwin Avenue promises plenty of sights and sounds in this, the largest city of the Galapagos Islands. A charming seaside town, Puerto Ayora features Ecuadorian and international cuisine, local artisans and shopping as well as snorkeling and scuba diving.

Gardner Bay on Espanola’s northern side hosts one of the longest beaches in the Galapagos, and a beautiful way to start the day. During a morning walk along a soft white sand beach, you’ll visit a sea lion colony, look for pups playing in shallow water pools, and search for the startlingly red Sally Lightfoot crabs, shorebirds, and marine iguanas. Afterwards, go for a swim, snorkel or just relax on the sparkling white sand.

Among the many sights of Isla Espanola is Punta Suarez, a rocky point of land where guests may observe various colonies of sea birds as well as fauna found nowhere else on the planet. Also on this island is Bahia Gardner, a beautiful beach offering an excellent opportunity to relax and swim.

Prepare for an adventure-filled exploration through the Galapagos Islands on this beautiful island. During World War II, the island’s airport was a US Military base protecting the Panama Canal from enemy attack. Surrounding the airport now you will see land iguanas indigenous to the island.