Galapagos Island Hopping: Santa Cruz, San Cristobal & Española — 6 Days
The classic two-island route plus a full day on Española, home of the waved albatross
- Full day on Española and Gardner islet
- Albatross season May to December
- Snorkel gear and towels included
- Bilingual naturalist guide
- Breakfast and lunch included
-
Duration6 days / 5 nights
-
DifficultyModerate
-
DepartureBaltra Airport (GPS), Santa Cruz Island — pick-up at 11:00 on day 1. The programme ends at San Cristobal Airport (SCY) on day 6.
-
Departure daysDaily departures
-
LanguagesEnglish, Spanish
Tour overview
The extra day is the point. Six days let you add Española — the oldest island in the archipelago and the only nesting ground on earth for the waved albatross — to the classic Santa Cruz and San Cristobal circuit.
You begin with wild giant tortoises and lava tunnels in the Santa Cruz highlands, then spend a full day snorkelling off Pinzon or Santa Fe. After the crossing to San Cristobal come the interpretation centre, Punta Carola and Cerro Tijeretas, and then the 360 tour of Kicker Rock, where hammerhead sharks patrol below the snorkellers.
Day five is the one you will talk about: two hours’ sailing south to Española, a two-hour walk past nesting marine iguanas, blue-footed and masked boobies and, from May to December, the albatrosses themselves. Lunch on board, then Gardner islet for turtles, rays and sea lions.
All of it runs with bilingual naturalist guides licensed by the Galapagos National Park, booked and operated by Ecosportour’s own team in Quito. Hotels are on land, with air conditioning and private bathrooms.
Itinerary
-
Day 1: Arrival in Baltra and the highlands of El Chato
11:00 transfer from the airport to your hotel. 12:00 lunch. 14:00 to the highlands of Santa Cruz to watch giant tortoises in the wild, then into the lava tunnels, vast volcanic formations that show how the islands were shaped. 17:00 back at the hotel. 19:00 briefing on the next day's activities.
-
Day 2: Pinzon or Santa Fe by yacht
08:00 pick-up in Puerto Ayora and transfer to the pier to board the yacht. Around 50 minutes' sailing to Pinzon Island for two snorkels with white-tip reef sharks, Galapagos sharks, sea turtles, sea lions and shoals of reef fish. Lunch on board. Second snorkel with reef sharks, manta rays and sea lions. Visit to La Fe beach, white sand and a sea turtle nesting site from November to February, with a final snorkel from the shore before returning to Puerto Ayora.
-
Day 3: Crossing to San Cristobal, interpretation centre and Cerro Tijeretas
06:00 pick-up and transfer to the municipal pier of Puerto Ayora for the two-hour speedboat crossing to San Cristobal. Hotel check-in, then the interpretation centre for a talk on the origin of the islands and the human history of the archipelago. Lunch at a local restaurant. Afternoon snorkel at Punta Carola beach, where a large sea lion colony shares the warm, clear water with you, followed by a short walk to Cerro Tijeretas for a second snorkel with sea lions, sea turtles and reef sharks. Return to the hotel.
-
Day 4: 360 tour: Kicker Rock, Punta Pitt and Rosa Blanca Bay
07:00 pick-up from the hotel and transfer to the yacht. Forty minutes' sailing to Kicker Rock (Leon Dormido), the only place in Galapagos where you can snorkel with Galapagos hammerhead sharks, along with sea turtles and sea lions. Twenty minutes on, Cerro Brujo and its volcanic formations and seabirds. Lunch on board. Afternoon at Punta Pitt for red-footed boobies and a fine beach, then Rosa Blanca Bay for a short walk and a swim in a large lava pool with Galapagos sharks, sea lions and sea turtles. Return to Puerto Baquerizo Moreno.
-
Day 5: Full day on Española and Gardner islet
07:00 pick-up from your hotel in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno and transfer to the tourist pier for a two-hour sail to Española. South of San Cristobal, this is one of the oldest islands in the archipelago: a walk of around two hours takes you past nesting marine iguanas, blue-footed and masked boobies and, in season from May to December, the waved albatrosses that fly in from the mainland to nest. Lunch on board, then 30 minutes' sailing to Gardner islet to snorkel with sea turtles, sea lions, rays and clouds of colourful fish. Two hours back to Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, finishing at the pier.
-
Day 6: Shopping in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno and departure
Free morning for shopping in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. 10:30 pick-up from your hotel and transfer to San Cristobal Airport for airline check-in. End of services.
What's included
Included
- Personalized assistance throughout the programme
- Exclusive arrival and departure transfers: airport - hotel - airport
- Hotel accommodation (hotel of your choice) with A/C and private bathroom
- Breakfast at the hotel and lunch at local restaurants, from lunch on day 1 to breakfast on the last day
- Bilingual naturalist guide licensed by the Galapagos National Park
- Yacht excursions to the islands as per the itinerary
- Snorkelling equipment and towels
- Juices with meals and unlimited drinking water 24 hours a day at the hotel
- Airport transport and Itabaca Channel crossing, round trip
- Hotel taxes and water taxis
Not included
- Galapagos National Park entrance fee: USD 200
- Transit Control Card issued by the Galapagos Governing Council: USD 20
- Flights to and from the Galapagos Islands
- Dinners
- Tips and personal expenses
What to bring
- Swimwear and a quick-dry change of clothes
- Reef-safe sunscreen, hat and sunglasses
- Windbreaker for the long boat crossings
- Closed walking shoes with grip for the two-hour walk on Española
- Binoculars and a camera for the albatross and booby colonies
- Cash in US dollars for dinners, tips and personal expenses
- Passport, needed for the Transit Control Card
Good to know
-
When can I see the waved albatross on Española?
The albatrosses nest on Española between May and December. Outside those months the walk still takes you past nesting marine iguanas and blue-footed and masked booby colonies.
-
How long is the Española excursion?
It is a full day: two hours' sailing each way from Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, a walk of around two hours on the island, lunch on board and a snorkel stop at Gardner islet, 30 minutes from Española.
-
How fit do I need to be?
Moderate fitness is enough, but this programme is more demanding than the five-day options: the Española walk lasts about two hours over uneven volcanic terrain, and there are long crossings — two hours to San Cristobal and two hours each way to Española. All snorkelling is done from the boat or the beach, with gear and a guide provided.
-
Which airports does the programme use?
You arrive at Baltra Airport, on Santa Cruz, and fly home from San Cristobal Airport on day 6, so you will need an open-jaw ticket. Flights are not included.
-
What extra fees are payable on arrival?
The Galapagos National Park entrance fee of USD 200 and the USD 20 Transit Control Card issued by the Galapagos Governing Council. Dinners, tips and personal expenses are also excluded.
-
Where will I snorkel with hammerhead sharks?
At Kicker Rock (Leon Dormido) on day 4, the only site in Galapagos where snorkellers can swim with Galapagos hammerhead sharks. Sightings depend on conditions and can never be guaranteed.
Book this tour
Tell us your dates and we will confirm availability within 24 hours.
Write to us and we will hold your places while you decide.
More tours in Island Hopping
- Arrive San Cristobal, depart Baltra
- Española and Gardner islet day trip
- Charles Darwin Station and Las Grietas
- Lunch included every day
- Swim at Kicker Rock
- 4 nights hotel with A/C
- Breakfast and lunch included
- Bilingual naturalist guide
- 4 nights hotel with A/C
- Lunch included every day
- Bilingual naturalist guide
- Snorkel gear and towels included