Galapagos – Kayaking Adventure

Arriving at Guayaquil Airport (GYE), you will be met by a staff member and transferred to Wyndham Hotel Guiayaquil on Guayaquil’s Malecon Simón Bolivar walkway along the Rio Guayas.

A 2-hour flight takes us to the island of San Cristobal, our entry point to the Galapagos Islands. After dropping luggage at the hotel and changing to paddling clothes, we’ll set off in the kayaks from Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. Paddling close to shore, you can easily observe and photograph some of the typical Galapagos wildlife up close, including blue-footed boobies, brown pelicans, marine iguanas and Sally Lightfoot crabs. Sea turtles are very common along this route, so keep an eye out for their heads and distinctive shape in the clear water when they come up for air. Passing Isla Lobos (Sea Lion Inlet), inquisitive young sea lions often approach the kayaks, swimming and cavorting under and around them. After 3 to 4 hours of paddling, we’ll stop at Punta Basoa for a swim and/or snorkel before boarding our comfortable support boat for the ride back to Puerto Baquerizo, a shower, dinner and a seaside walk in town.

We board the support boat for the 40-minute ride to Punta Bassa and our kayaks. Setting off northward, we pass along the shoreline of San Cristobal until arriving at the brilliant white beach at Punta Finger. This is an ideal place to swim and a great place for birding. After lunch we again board the comfortable support boat for the ride to Leon Dormido (sleeping lion), so named because of its shape, but more commonly known as Kicker Rock. This natural monument is a favorite because of the many magnificent frigate birds and boobies that nest there. Kicker Rock is a dramatic formation, the remains of a lava cone eroded by the sea resulting in two vertical rocks rising 500 feet from the ocean.

Once at Kicker Rock, we snorkel through the amazing channel between the two spires, where it is common to see white-tipped reef sharks, Galapagos sharks, sea turtles and eagle rays. Beyond the big fishes of note, the channel hosts a vividly colorful display of tropical fish contrasting against a backdrop of black volcanic rock, including razor surgeonfish, Cortez rainbow wrasse and orange-bellied triggerfish, to name only a few. After a memorable snorkeling session, we return to Puerto Baquerizo.

A 35-minute flight takes us from San Cristobal Island to Isla Isabela, but in that short time, we cross over 2 million years of geologic time. The difference in age is striking as we fly over Isabela’s stark lava flows on the landing approach. This great difference in island age is at the core of the adaptations that Darwin observed and sparked his theories of species evolution. After checking into our beautiful beachfront hotel for a change of pace, we’ll ride by bicycle to the Giant Tortoise Breeding Center. The Center works to preserve the five subspecies of giant tortoise on the Island. It’s common to see some of its successors ambling along the roadway on the bike ride. After some time at the Center, we peddle out of Puerto Villamil and past Isabela’s beautiful beaches, swamps and pools with gigantic black mangroves, vivid pink flamingos and colorful fiddler crabs. Returning to the hotel, there is time for a swim before dinner or a walk along the broad sandy beach that fronts the hotel.

In the morning we’ll take a boat ride across Bahia Isabela to Los Tuneles, a natural formation of underwater arches and tunnels formed by the rapid cooling of lava flowing into the ocean more than a million years ago. Crossing the crystal-clear water that covers this dramatic submarine landscape, it’s possible to observe a wide variety of sea life including Galapagos penguins, sea birds, eagle rays and sharks. After disembarking, a short walk takes us through a magical landscape dominated by opuntia (prickly pear) and candelabra cacti as well as red mangroves. Sea birds, such as Nazca and blue-footed boobies, flightless cormorants and storm petrels, can be observed resting on shore paying little attention to passersby. A beautifully protected snorkeling spot allows us to explore this rich underwater world and possibly observe Pacific seahorses in the shadows near shore. After returning to Puerto Villamil, we’ll paddle launch our kayaks for a paddle in the bay. Weaving in and out of the volcanic formations we’ll observe marine iguanas, small colonies of Galapagos sea lions and Galapagos penguins. Returning to the hotel there will be time to relax before dinner.

Boarding a morning transfer boat for the crossing, we continue our Galapagos exploration on Isla Santa Cruz. Shortly after landfall, we’ll be in kayaks and paddling the waters of Academy Bay. Crossing to Angermayer Point and entering the calm bay of Punta Estrada we can cruise close to shore and through mangroves to observe shorebirds, marine iguanas and Sally Lightfoot crabs. After landing the kayaks, a waiting van takes us to a Galapagos Giant Tortoise Preserve in the highlands of the island where we’ll be able observe and photograph these iconic, dome-backed creatures up close. After leaving the preserve, we’ll explore a remnant of the island’s volcanic past with a walk through a 1300-foot-long lava tunnel before descending to Puerto Ayora and checking into our elegant waterfront hotel. Time permitting, there may be a chance for a visit to the interpretive center at the Charles Darwin Research Station before dinner.

From Puerto Ayora we’ll hike for about a mile and a half to the beautiful white-sand beach at Tortuga Bay. The hike is easy and runs through a field of opuntia cacti, Matazarno and Palo Santo trees, abundant with mockingbirds and finches. At the beach, we’ll spend some time relaxing and watching the wildlife. We’ll walk the full length of this idyllic beach to a small, protected cove that’s perfect for snorkeling. After lunch back in town, we’ll take a van ride to Garrapatero, a wide bay with multiple sandy beaches backed by a fresh-water lake that hosts pink flamingos, herons, grebes, stilts and other shore birds; it also has a very nice swimming spot. At the bay, we’ll launch our kayaks for a final scenic Galapagos paddle along the coast of Santa Cruz before returning to our hotel to get ready for a special dinner out prepared at a local fisherman’s house to cap our visit to the islands with excellent food and insight into Galapagos culture.

In the morning we transfer from Santa Cruz Island to Baltra airport to take a flight to Guayaquil. After check-in at the hotel, there will be time to relax and explore the colorful Las Peñas district before a farewell dinner.

A staff member will set up transfers and assist you with your luggage to the airport for your homeward-bound flight.