Deluxe Northern Island Cruise Large Ship Journey

Departure from Quito/Guayaquil to Baltra island (2 1/2 hours flight). Our natural guides pick up passengers at the airport and take them to the bus stop to board the M/V Galapagos Legend.

Santa Cruz: Highlands

We will be visiting the Santa Cruz highlands in the afternoon. You can see many different species of birds in the Galapagos mountains, including vermillion flycatchers and yellow warblers. You can see the many ecosystems on the island from the road to the reserve. It is a great way to experience the diversity. From the coast, the road winds through the agricultural zone to reach dense and humid forests. You may also see Galapagos giant tortoises wandering in the paddocks and the pastures. This is an ideal spot for bird watchers as almost all land birds on the island live or migrate here.

El Barranco

It is amazing to see the diversity of sea life that shelters in the crevices on the lava rock cliffs. A small group of fur seals can be found close to the landing area. Red-billed tropicbirds are seen flying overhead, switching between their nests in the bay and their nests. At the foot of a path that passes through a seabird colony, you will find a steep staircase that runs up to the top of rocks. The trail then continues inland, allowing you to view more nesting colonies of boobies in the Palo Santo forest. Wedge-romped Storm-Petrels are visible flying in all directions from the trail's end, just above a rocky lava plateau. You may be able to see a short-eared Owl if you're lucky.

You will find a small coral and sand beach. The trail leads west along the tidal lagoon, then up a steep rocky hill to reach a viewpoint overlooking Darwin Bay and the cliffs. Visitors will find pairs of swallow-tailed and lava gulls along the trail close to the tidal lake. You will continue on the trail through Palo Santo trees and Opuntia cedars, as well as Saltbushes, which are home to red-footed bobies and Great Frigate birds. Visitors can see red-footed bobies in this area. Genovesa's trees and bushes are home to more than 100,000 red-footed bobies.