White Tipped Reef Shark Canal & Sierra Negra Volcano

We will take a boat ride to a small islet formed by volcanic uplift, watching for blue-footed boobies, pelicans, herons and Galapagos penguins along the way. After a dry landing we follow a loop trail past marine iguanas, lava lizards and sea lions to a narrow channel, locally called Tintoreras, where white-tipped reef sharks rest on the bottom.

Afterwards we head to the slopes of Sierra Negra, one of the largest and shallowest volcanic calderas in Galapagos. We land at Puerto Villamil and travel by bus to the highlands for a hike with sweeping views over the caldera. Good hiking shoes and a light rain jacket are highly recommended.

Punta Moreno

We make a wet landing on a vast field of black lava for a long walk over striking volcanic formations. The trail crosses both smooth, ropy pahoehoe lava and rough, broken aa lava, with views of the surrounding volcanoes. Coastal lagoons along the way attract flamingos, herons and other water birds.

Punta Espinoza

Fernandina is the youngest and most pristine island of the Galapagos, free of introduced species. At Punta Espinoza we walk over recent lava flows among large colonies of marine iguanas, Galapagos sea lions, flightless cormorants and Galapagos penguins.

Espumilla Beach

Espumilla Beach lies at the northern end of James Bay on Santiago Island. This golden-sand beach is an important nesting site for green sea turtles, and the nearby mangrove forest is home to Galapagos hawks and finches. There is an optional snorkeling activity here.

Isla Lobos

We make an early visit to this little island near Port Baquerizo Moreno, named after its large colony of Galapagos sea lions. A short trail passes nesting blue-footed boobies and frigatebirds before we transfer to San Cristobal airport for the flight back to the mainland.