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Home Galapagos Kayaking Galapagos – Kayaking Adventure

Galapagos – Kayaking Adventure

Season(s)
Mar-May / Nov-Dec
Length
9 Days
Level
Easy
Airport
Guayaquil GYE
75000

Highlights

Kayaking Trip of a Lifetime

We have designed a Galapagos kayaking tour that no one else offers and virtually defines “trip of a lifetime.” These islands, where creatures have never learned fear of humans, offer an authentically unique experience that will forever change the way you think of wildlife.

 

Note: All guests must be fully vaccinated to participate in this trip.

Kayaking the Galapagos islands

Darwin’s World Within Itself

To explore this natural paradise that Charles Darwin called “a little world within itself,” we embark on an active and accessible multi-island journey that combines the best wildlife viewing in the world with sea kayaking, snorkeling and hiking.
Darwin Finch on Galapagos Islands

A Range of Islands and Experiences

Traveling from island to island, we hike otherworldly volcanic landscapes and have amazingly up close (really up close) encounters with wildlife. We’ll explore the turquoise waters by kayak and snorkel with penguins, sea turtles, and playful sea lions.
Kayaking into white sand beach on the Galapagos islands

Best Weather and Wildlife

The timing and itinerary of our Galapagos trips coincide with the finest weather, as well as the greatest diversity of wildlife activity the Galapagos has to offer. Staying in exquisite boutique hotels, you escape the crowds and explore the Galapagos under your own power, forging a unique connection to one of the most remarkable places on Earth.
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Handcrafted Adventures

We have crafted these trips to combine adventure, comfort and style. Every day you’ll experience a new and exciting aspect of the islands, interacting with marvelous wildlife. Every evening you’ll to come back to a hot shower and stretch out and relax in a beautifully appointed seaside room. After enjoying a gourmet meal, you can go for a walk on the beach under an equatorial sky ablaze with stars.
Galapagos Kayaking Adventures Handcrafted for Quality

Locally Sourced

In the Galapagos, we use locally owned transportation services, stay in locally owned hotels and buy all our food and supplies on the islands, so this trip truly represents our values in responsible and sustainable tourism. With itineraries timed for the best weather and diversity of wildlife activity, our expert local guides work alongside Galapagos Park Service certified naturalist guides to bring you an unforgettable adventure.
Photographing Galapagos sea turtles

The Galapagos Your Way

Sharing the Galapagos Islands with family and friends is a chance to forge a bond of experience that will last a lifetime. We can make your Galapagos dream come true on your schedule and with the perfect set of elements to suit your needs and desires. Call us at 1-800-677-0877 to discuss the many possibilities.
Dolphin jumping on a crossing between Galapagos Islands

Itinerary

Day 1

Arrive Guayaquil

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.
Overnight: Wyndham Hotel Guiayaquil
Meals: None
Day 2

Guayaquil to San Cristobal – Sea Kayaking

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.
Overnight: Blue Marlin Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 3

Puerto Baquerizo to Punta Finger – Snorkel Kicker Rock

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.
Overnight: Blue Marlin Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 4

Santa Cruz to Isabela – Bike Ride – Giant Tortoise Breeding Center

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.
Overnight: Casa Marita
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 5

Isabela – Snorkel Los Tuneles – Kayak Bahia Isabela

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.
Overnight: Casa Marita
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 6

Isabela to Santa Crus – Kayak Canal de Itabaca – Giant Tortoise Highlands

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.
Overnight: Angermeyer Waterfront Inn
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 7

Tortuga Bay Walk – Sea Kayaking Garrapatero Bay

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.
Overnight: Angermeyer Waterfront Inn
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 8

Flight back to Guayaquil – Farewell Dinner

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.
Overnight: Wyndham Hotel Guiayaquil
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner
Day 9

Depart Guayaquil

A staff member will set up transfers and assist you with your luggage to the airport for your homeward-bound flight.  
Overnight: N/A
Meals: Breakfast

Accommodations

Wyndham Hotel Guiayaquil

 The hotel fronts Rio Guayas Millennium Walk and is a short distance from the 400-year-old Las Peñas neighborhood, a colorful cultural center known for restaurants, art galleries and studios. The Wyndham Hotel Guiayaquil is a modern, full-service hotel with excellent amenities.
Hotel Website

Blue Marlin Hotel

The Blue Marlin Hotel offers easy access to Puerto Baquerizo Moreno and is close to La Pequena Beach, as well as the Charles Darwin Monument.

Casa Marita

Set along a crescent-shaped beach, Casa Marita is one of Puerto Villamil's nicest hotels. The property has the rambling homey feel of a seaside villa. The rooms are bright and decorated in Mediterranean style. The restaurant features produce grown in the hotel’s organic garden. Hotel Website

Angermeyer Waterfront Inn

The family owned garden property of Angermeyer Waterfront Inn is right on the water, walking distance from a beautiful swimming beach and features very comfortable rooms and an excellent restaurant. Hotel Website

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LEARN MORE
At this time we do not offer any extensions for this trip but please feel free to call us about added travel options at 1-800-677-0877. We have spent a lot of time in and around the destinations we offer and are more than happy to share our experience.

Dates & Availability

Dates
Trip Length
Price
Availability
Notes
11/3/23 - 11/11/23
11/3/23 11/11/23 9 days
5495
Available
4/26/24 - 5/4/24
4/26/24 5/4/24 9 days
5495
Available
2024 Departure
11/1/24 - 11/9/24
11/1/24 11/9/24 9 days
5495
Available
2024 Departure
NOTE: Trips showing as 'Available' have at least 4 places open. All prices are $USD unless otherwise stated.

What Is Included

  • Tour leader and local naturalist guides
  • Double accommodation in hotels
  • Meals detailed in the itinerary
  • Motor boat transportation
  • Kayak  and safety equipment
  • Airport transfers
  • Bottled water
  • Tips for carriers and porters

What Is Not Included

  • International flight to/from Guayaquil (GYE)
  • Tips for guides and staff
  • International Airport Tax (will be included in your international ticket)
  • Beverages
  • Insurance of any type
  • Personal expenses
  • Single Supplement $1095
  • Cost of hospitalization and evacuation if necessary
  • Flight Guayaquil – Galapagos – Guayaquil: $585 (subject to change)
  • Interisland Flight San Cristobal – Isabela: $210 (subject to change)
  • Galapagos Park entrance fee: $130 (subject to change)
  • Galapagos transit control card
Copyright 2018 © Tofino Expeditions (USA), Inc. • All Rights Reserved • 1567 NW Elgin Ave • Bend OR • 97703
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Total Deposit: $ 75000 USD
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