Nature and Birding in Guayaquil and the Western Galápagos Islands

Upon arrival at the José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport in Guayaquil, after clearing customs and immigration, you will be met and transferred to the hotel. Most flights arrive in the late evening.

Today visit Cerro Blanco, a private, 15,000-acre reserve just west of the city. Located within the Chongón-Colonche Range, the reserve is the largest and best-preserved remnant of tropical dry forest in Guayaquil, and more than 240 bird species have been recorded here. According to BirdLife International, Cerro Blanco has been identified as one of 30 priority sites for bird conservation in the Tumbesian Region. It is also an Important Bird Area and one of four protected areas nationwide that is home to seven or more globally threatened bird species (Cerro Blanco has nine). Continue to Puerto Hondo, located across the highway from Cerro Blanco. At Puerto Hondo you will canoe into narrow strips of mangroves to observe notable birds like the Masked Water-Tyrant, Striated Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron, Boat-billed Heron, Little Blue Heron, Mangrove Warbler, White Ibis, Green Kingfisher, and Neotropic Cormorant. Later, return to Guayaquil and have dinner.

Today take the route to Puerto Inca to visit the Manglares Churute Reserve, where you'll find Ecuador's largest protected mangrove area along the banks of the Guayas River estuary. The reserve also protects arid and cloud forest ecosystems in the hills of the Cordillera Churute. Due to the diversity of its habitats, in 1990 it was declared a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance. Look for birds like the Horned Screamer (known locally as the canclón), Roseate Spoonbill, herons, ibises, ducks, and woodpeckers. Other wildlife known to occur here includes crocodiles, armadillos, tigrillos, white-fronted capuchins and mantled howler monkeys.

Fly from mainland Ecuador to Baltra Island. On arrival in Baltra, board the yacht and have a light snack. This afternoon, explore the coast and interior of North Seymour, a low, flat island that was uplifted from the sea by underground seismic activity. Observe Blue-footed Boobies, which nest from May to November, along with marine iguanas, pelicans, frigatebirds, shore birds, sea lions, and endemic palo santo trees. *Please note: Cruise itineraries are subject to change without prior notice due to unforeseen circumstances (e.g. weather) or at the discretion of the captain, guide, or the Galápagos National Park. Each day there will be a briefing about the next day's activities, and daily opportunities for swimming, snorkeling, and/or kayaking.

Today, explore Genovesa Island, a horseshoe-shaped volcanic caldera with steep cliffs surrounding a beautiful bay. After a short panga boat ride, make a wet landing on Darwin Bay's white-sand beach. Then follow a short trail along mangroves and tide pools to observe Great Frigatebirds, herons, mockingbirds, Red-footed and Nazca Boobies, shorebirds, turtles, marine iguanas, and more. Look for sea lions and tropical fish as you swim, snorkel, or kayak from the beach before returning to the yacht for lunch. In the afternoon, disembark on a rocky ledge and climb the staircase at Prince Philip's Steps (El Barranco), and then hike less than a mile to see a palo santo forest, walk on hardened lava flows, and observe the interesting lives of the birds here. Search for nesting Red-footed and Nazca Boobies, as well as Great Frigatebirds, Red-billed Tropicbirds, Galápagos Doves, Swallow-tailed Gulls, and the Galápagos Short-eared Owl. When searching for Red-footed Boobies, look up to the trees; unlike other Galápagos booby species, they prefer to do their courtship and build nests above the ground. From May to January, Nazca Boobies can be spotted courting, nesting, and raising their young. Keep an eye out for Galápagos fur seals along the rocky shores during a panga ride back to the boat. This evening, attend a presentation by your Galápagos naturalist guide.

After breakfast, explore James Bay (Puerto Egas) to walk and observe the endemic fur seals. Tide-pooling gives a great opportunity to see shorebirds and seabirds, sponges, snails, hermit crabs, the endemic four-eyed blenny, marine iguanas, and sea lions. As you walk inland, you may see painted locusts, grasshoppers, and possibly even the Galápagos snake. Galápagos Flycatchers and Galápagos Hawks are also common. Return to the boat for a delicious lunch. In the afternoon, make a wet landing on Espumilla Beach, a brown-sand beach that is an important site for nesting sea turtles. Also observe land birds like Yellow Warblers, Galápagos Flycatchers, and several species of Darwin's finches. A trail leads through a palo santo forest; walk behind the beach and arrive to a saltwater lagoon, where flamingos occasionally are seen. Navigate around Buccaneer Cove (Caleta Bucanero), an area of steep cliffs and dark beaches. This was a popular place for 17th and 18th century buccaneers to careen their vessels, and the cliffs and pinnacle are used as nesting areas by several species of seabirds.

After breakfast, take a panga ride at Punta Vicente Roca to observe abundant sea lions, marine iguanas, Blue-footed and Nazca Boobies, and Flightless Cormorants. In the afternoon, make a dry landing on Fernandina Island's Punta Espinosa to observe a large colony of sea lions, marine iguanas, Flightless Cormorants, and lava cactus. Return to the boat for dinner and nightly orientation.

After breakfast, take a panga ride around Tagus Cove, which sits between the shoulders of two volcanic craters that protect it from the open sea; look for marine iguanas, sea lions, Galápagos Penguins, Flightless Cormorants, Blue-footed Boobies, and other birds. In the afternoon, take a panga ride around the islets of Elizabeth Bay to see marine iguanas, penguins, sea turtles, herons, and Blue-footed Boobies.

This morning, disembark on Isabela Island at Urbina Bay, a coral area at the base of Alcedo Volcano with land iguanas, Flightless Cormorants, and giant tortoises. Return to the yacht for lunch. This afternoon sail to Punta Moreno. Walk along coastal lagoons located among petrified lava flows where different types of birds can be seen. The trail leads to a panoramic view of the island's famous Sierra Negra and Cerro Azul volcanoes, as well as the highest part of nearby Fernandina Island.

This morning land on the green beach at Floreana Island's Cormorant Point and walk inland to a brackish lagoon to see American Flamingoes and shorebirds. Continue walking to La Picona, a beautiful white-sand beach that is an important nesting site for Galápagos green sea turtles. At the start of the year, turtles come ashore at night to dig nests and lay their eggs; by April and May the hatchlings begin to emerge from the sand and make their perilous journey to the sea. Later, take a panga ride around Champion Islet, a small island off the coast of Floreana Island. The principal attraction of Champion Islet is the nearly extinct Charles (Floreana) Mockingbird. Visitors can also observe bird species such as Swallow-tailed Gulls, Nazca Boobies, and Brown Noddies. It is a great place for snorkeling, with sea turtles, reef fishes, Galápagos Penguins, and whitetip reef sharks. In the afternoon, visit Post Office Bay. In the 18th century, British whalers placed a wooden barrel here to use as an informal post office; today, visitors continue the tradition by leaving their own postcards in the barrel for fellow travelers to carry to their destination.

After breakfast, disembark and drive to the highlands of Santa Cruz Island for a visit to the lush, green Scalesia forests and Los Gemelos (the Twin Craters), two formations created by the collapse of surface material due to underground fissures. Continue across the island to Baltra for the flight back to Guayaquil. Your guide will accompany you on the ride directly to the airport. Lunch is on your own at the airport; food options will be available for purchase after passing security. Once in Guayaquil, settle into the hotel then enjoy an afternoon at leisure before attending a farewell dinner at the hotel. If your international flight departs very late this evening/before dawn next morning, please be ready to check out of the hotel and transfer to the airport after the farewell dinner.

Transfer to the airport for your flight home.