If you are interested in visiting the Galapagos islands for a week and doing a few dives but also visiting the overland attractions then a 'Trekking and Diving' package might suit you perfectly. This package requires a minimum of 2 people. There are 2 diving days departing from Puerto Ayora on a day trip boat and giving you a taste of some the best central Galapagos dive sites may include local sites like Cousin's Rock, Mosquera Island, North Seymour, Gordon's Rock and Bartolome Island.
Overland tour attractions include the Charles Darwin Station, Tortuga Bay in Puerto Ayora and Flamingo Lagoon on the island of Isabela. On the island of Isabela you will visit the Sierra Negra volcano and Volcan Chico before swimming at the delightful Concha Perla. The trekking is reasonably challenging but not only for the super-fit.
From the moment you arrive in Baltra Airport you will be picked up and all your land and sea transfers will be taken care of until it is time for you to fly back to the mainland.
Accommodation on these tours is provided in 'Superior' hotels (official government designation) in both Puerto Ayora (example: Hotel La Fiesta) and Isabela (example: Hotel La Laguna). Your room will be a standard twin-share room with air conditioning and an ensuite bathroom. La Laguna has an amazing terrace with a hottub and a spectacular view of Isabela's 4 cardinal’s points - the ocean, Sierra Negra Volcano, Flamingo Lagoon, and Isabela Highlands . At the hotels in the Galapagos Islands you can expect:
- Air-conditioned rooms
- Restaurant
- Spoken Spanish and English
- Free wifi
- TV in room at Hotel La Fiesta only
- Laundry service
- Hot tub
- Swimming pool at Hotel La Fiesta only
- Games room at Hotel La Fiesta only
- Bar at Hotel La Fiesta only
Galapagos Adventure (7 Days / 6 Nights - 4 Dives)
Trip highlights: seals/sea lions, non diving activities, onboard experts on wildlife and natural history
Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, cage diving, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving
Dive sites and activities: Charles Darwin Station, Diving: eg Mosquera, Bartolome, Cousins Rock, North Seymour, Gordon's Rock; Tortuga Bay (kayaking/leisure), Isabela: Flamingo Lagoon, Sierra Negra volcano, Volcan Chico, Concha Perla (swimming/snorkelling).
Day 1
Your vacation starts with your arrival at the hotel in Quito where you will receive a full briefing that will explain in detail the programme of your next 6 days of tour.
Days 2-7
The next morning, after breakfast, you will be back at Quito Airport where a flight will take you to Galapagos' Baltra Airport. Once in Baltra, there will be a land transfer to Puerto Ayora where you get settled in to your hotel. The afternoon is free: you can visit the Charles Darwin Station to discover more about the Galapagos and the sites you are about to visit. Just before dinner a divemaster will meet you at the hotel, explain you the diving schedule, and you will also have the chance to try on the dive equipment that you will use during the planned dives.
For the next 2 days, after breakfast you will be transferred to Mosquera Islet and Gordon’s Rocks (according to the weekly dive site schedule) where the diving will be conducted. Despite being easy dives since the current is generally mild, you will be amazed to discover the presence of sharks, turtles, rays and barracudas, along with schools of hunting fish and the playful sea lions that are one of the main attraction of the dive safaris. The reef is also pristine, with an abundant presence of soft black corals on most sites. After the dives you will be transferred back to your hotel in the late afternoon.
On the next day you will have some time to explore Tortuga Bay where marine iguanas are a common sight. After lunch, a speed boat will take you on a 2 hr ride to Isabela island to visit the Flamingo lagoon before checking into your new hotel in Puerto Villamil to spend the night. Hiking to Sierra Negra volcano is on schedule for the next day, after a hearty breakfast. It is located 15 km from the hotel, but don't worry, you will cover most of them by bus! The hike will start at the foot of the mountain where you can already feel the warmth under the surface. Having worked up a hunger you can enjoy a box lunch and some deserved rest time. Snorkelling at Concha Perla will be done in the afternoon, before returning to your hotel for the night.
Day 7
An early morning speedboat ride will take you back to Puerto Ayora where breakfast will be ready for you. Then it is time for goodbyes before heading back to Baltra Airport to catch your flight to Quito.
[Information is best estimate in ideal circumstances and subject to changes beyond our control. The itinerary is a guide only and may be adapted to best suit the weather, tides, currents, availability and other prevailing events. Price is for the cruise, not for an exact number of dives].
"These guys are wonderful. Very knowledgeable, very professional, very personable. There were a lot of positives. If I had to pick...having them take my equipment and allow me to climb onto the boat without it was awesome. Also putting my fins on/off.
However, the tour company in Santa Cruz did not give us any details unless we asked. The Pinzon tour was not as described. The tour company on Isabella Island was fantastic, they gave us every detail that we needed without asking and when our boat back to Santa Cruz broke down, they got us on a flight to Baltra at no cost to us.
We weren't expecting to have to pay small dock taxes each day." - Deborah Kirtland, United States of America, 2 March 2023 ...
"They put us in an acceptable hotel. Communication was horrible. Additionally, the included meals were cheap and horrible. Extremely disappointing trip." - Pamela Hack, United States, 8 February 2023 ...