Ecuador and Galápagos Islands | Birding the Chocó-Andes and Eastern Archipelago

Upon arrival in Quito, you will be met and taken to your hotel. Check-in time 2:00 PM. It’s recommended to consider booking a pre-night (at additional cost) to acclimate to the high elevation.

Today, depart for Yanacocha Biological Reserve. Clinging to the slopes of Pichincha Volcano at an elevation of approximately 10,000 feet and comprising 2,371 acres of mostly elfin Polylepis forest, this protected area was established to safeguard the critically endangered and endemic Black-breasted Puffleg. Other high-altitude species in this area include Andean Guan, Rainbow-bearded Thornbill, Golden-breasted and Sapphire-vented Puffleg, Great Sapphirewing, Sword-billed Hummingbird, Rufous and Tawny Antpitta, Ocellated and Blackish Tapaculo, Black-chested and Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager, Golden-crowned Tanager, and many more. Enjoy lunch at the reserve, and then head for Sachatamia Lodge, arriving in time to enjoy its lush grounds and feeders this afternoon.

Before breakfast, go birding with your guide and visit the on-property blind. Then, spend the day at Mashpi-Amagusa Reserve, a 320-acre protected area in the Chocó foothills that functions as a critical link between lower subtropical forest and higher montane forest at neighboring Mashpi Lodge. The altitude here ranges from 2,450 to 5,600 feet. The birding is fantastic along this corridor, with many Chocó endemics that are difficult to find elsewhere, such as Rose-faced Parrot, Orange-breasted Fruiteater, Chocó Vireo, Moss-backed Tanager, Black Solitaire, and Indigo Flowerpiercer; a few, like Long-wattled Umbrellabird, require a little luck. Feeders on-site also offer great photo opportunities for hummingbirds and tanagers.

Depart early for the one hour drive to Rio Silanche, another reserve owned and managed by the Mindo Cloudforest Foundation. At an altitudinal range of 985 to 1,150 feet, the reserve sits firmly in the western lowlands, a region of Ecuador that has experienced considerable change from logging, agriculture, and other pressures. Famous for its large mixed flocks, a stroll on the preserve's trails is rewarded with specialties that include Dusky Pigeon, Purple chested Hummingbird, Orange fronted Barbet, Stub tailed Antbird, Black tipped Cotinga, Slate throated Gnatcatcher, Scarlet breasted Dacnis, Gray and gold, Scarlet and white, and Blue whiskered Tanagers, and many more. Continue to Mirador Río Blanco for lunch and to check out the feeders. Regular visitors include Green Thorntail, Crowned Woodnymph, Ecuadorian Thrush, and several euphonias and tanagers. Return to the lodge in the late afternoon.

Start early with a visit to Refugio Paz de las Aves near Nanegalito (13 miles northeast of Mindo, at 4,590 feet). Ángel Paz is the proprietor of this private reserve, and his story is an excellent example of community conservation. Ángel was formerly a local logger who transformed his property into a haven for antpittas and Andean Cocks-of-the-rock more than a decade ago. His early fame came quickly when he learned how to coax the rare and elusive Giant Antpitta into the open with earthworms. He now has six different species of antpittas staked out on his property: Giant, Yellow-breasted, Ochre-breasted, Chestnut-crowned, Moustached, and Scaled. Other incredible birds on the property include Lyre-tailed Nightjar, Rufous-bellied Nighthawk, Olivaceous Piha, Dark-backed Wood-Quail, Crested and Golden-headed Quetzals, and a fantastic mix of hummingbirds. Continue to visit El Pahuma Orchid Reserve in the afternoon. Have lunch in Mindo before departing for Puembo. En route, enjoy a brief stop at the Middle of the World Monument in the Equator. In the evening, attend an informational talk by an ornithologist.

Fly from mainland Ecuador to Baltra Island. Transfer to the dock and board M/C Tip Top II, attend your first orientation, and have a light snack. Navigate by panga boat to Santa Cruz Island and prepare for a wet landing. Then proceed on foot to the flamingo lagoons located behind Playa Las Bachas, a beach that was used by the U.S. Army during World War II. (The name "Bachas" refers to two U.S. barges that were left here.) Before returning to the yacht, enjoy some free time to swim or snorkel from the beach. Attend an evening presentation on the origin and evolution of the Galápagos Islands, and enjoy a welcome cocktail with the entire crew, followed by dinner. Each day there will be a briefing about the next day's activities, and daily opportunities for swimming, snorkeling, and/or kayaking.
*Cruise itineraries are subject to change without prior notice for various factors including, but not limited to: safety, weather, mechanical breakdown, unforeseen emergencies, and the discretion of the Captain, Guide, and the Galapagos National Park.

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, disembark at a dock on South Plaza Island, which is characterized by unique and colorful vegetation. Sesuvium is a bright red succulent plant that carpets the rocks here, and creates vivid photo opportunities against the deep blue of the Pacific Ocean. The taller Opuntia cacti provide food and shade for the numerous land iguanas that dig nesting burrows all over the island. Continue walking toward the sea cliffs to view many sea birds such as Red-billed Tropicbirds, Galápagos Shearwaters, Swallow-tailed Gulls, and Nazca and Blue-footed Boobies. Return to the yacht for lunch, and then sail to Santa Fé Island for the chance to see a different species of land iguana, endemic only to this island and recognizable by its paler yellow coloration. After landing on a small beach, walk by scenic cliffs and a forest of Santa Fé opuntia cactus to observe Santa Fé land iguanas, Galápagos Hawks, Darwin's finches, Galápagos Mockingbird, Galápagos racer snakes, and more. Before going back to the boat, spend time at the beach swimming and snorkeling among sea lions.

After breakfast, disembark at a pier at Puerto Ayora and take a bus to the misty highlands of Santa Cruz Island for a visit to the lush, green Scalesia forests surrounding Los Gemelos (The Twins) pit craters. Visit a local farm to have lunch and search for giant tortoises in the wild. Galápagos tortoises are one of the animals that contributed to Charles Darwin's understanding of natural history, and the archipelago was referred to in Spanish as the Islands of the Tortoises on early maps. Next, return to the town of Puerto Ayora and visit the Charles Darwin Research Station and Fausto Llerena Breeding Center. Learn about the station's important conservation and education work, and see some of the tortoises that are being raised for reintroduction into the wild. Return to the yacht for a naturalist presentation.

Today, explore Floreana Island, one of the few inhabited islands of the Galápagos, with a rich history of human settlement and hardship. Disembark on the beach at Post Office Bay and follow a short trail to its historic mail barrel site. In the 18th century, British whalers placed a wooden barrel here to use as an informal post office, and today, visitors continue the tradition by leaving their own postcards in the barrel. Continue to Baroness Viewpoint, named after the Baroness Eloise von Wagner, who once lived here. Enjoy the beautiful landscape and observe the ruins of her house. Return to the yacht for lunch. In the afternoon, go snorkeling at Champion Islet, considered one of the best snorkeling sites in the islands, and look for tropical fish, moray eels, starfish, sharks, sea turtles, and sea lions. Next, make a wet landing on the green beach at Floreana's Cormorant Point, then 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 turtles. At the start of the year, pregnant 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 sea. Head back to the green beach to enjoy swimming and snorkeling among reef fish and sea lions.

After breakfast, visit Punta Suárez on Española Island to hike along lava beds and scenic cliffs to observe green-and-red marine iguanas, sea lions, lava lizards, and unique colonies of marine birds. From mid-March to December, this is one of the best places in the world to see the Waved Albatross, which nests primarily on this island. These large and graceful flyers start to perform intricate courtship rituals in April, and by May begin nesting. Española is the oldest island in the archipelago, geologically speaking, and is also rich in plant life, with an interesting mix of flora representative of littoral, arid, and transitional zones. After lunch aboard the yacht, disembark at Gardner Bay for a walk on the beach to observe sunbathing sea lions, which inhabit the beach in great quantities during the breeding season. While exploring the beach, keep an eye out for the endemic Española Mockingbird (a carnivorous species) and Darwin's finches. Then, take a scenic panga ride around Osborn Islet and the islets of Gardner to search for more wildlife and enjoy some swimming or snorkeling before heading back to the boat.

Have breakfast onboard, then prepare for a wet landing at Cerro Brujo, the only site in the Galápagos where it is possible to witness all three booby species nesting together. Walk along the beautiful white-sand beach to observe sea lions, pelicans, gulls, finches, mockingbirds, and boobies. Afterwards, sail around iconic Kicker Rock (León Dormido) and its narrow channel in search of sea birds. The enormous rock formation is the remainder of a vertical tuff cone that has since become a favorite nesting place for Nazca and Blue-footed Boobies and frigatebirds. Marine life is plentiful in the waters surrounding the cliffs, so be on the lookout for sea lions, sharks, turtles, and rays. After lunch on board explore Isla Lobos, where we can enjoy of blue footed boobies, frigates, sea birds, rays, and sea lions. Optional: time for those who would like to snorkel or panga ride. Return to the yacht for dinner and a nightly orientation.

Take one last boat ride this morning around Black Turtle Cove, a series of coves and islets surrounded by mangroves, where you can observe white-tipped reef sharks, sea turtles, spotted eagle rays, and yellow cow-nosed rays. Return to the boat and disembark at the pier to take the bus directly to the airport in Baltra for your flight to Quito. Lunch is on your own at the airport; food options will be available for purchase after passing security. Once in Quito, 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.

Today, travel to the airport for your flight home. Check-out by 12:00 PM.