First class cruise aboard Solaris

Afternoon

San Cristóbal Island, Galapaguera, San Cristobal

We disembark back to San Cristobal and drive to Cerro Colorado, where a Tortoise breeding centre was established to manage the conservation efforts of this animal. During this visit you will be educated about the environmental concerns of the islands, observe breeding tortoises and follow an interpretive trail. Along this trail it is possible to see different species of native and endemic plants as well as birds including the San Cristobal Mockingbird, Yellow Warblers, and many species of finches and the Galapagos flycatcher. Return onboard for refreshment, dinner, and enjoyment of the amenities onboard.

Afternoon

Española Island, Punta Suarez, Española

This rocky area is home to the most impressive and diverse seabirds of the archipelago. Española, being the archipelago’s oldest island (4 million years), has seen its surface eroded by the oceanic winds, so its surface is mostly nude rock. In this environment, the Galapagos albatrosses form their very organized colonies from March to December. Their presence allows visitors to admire their mating dances, graceful flights and hunting. Nazca boobies also claim Española as their home and nursery. Along the southern coast, high cliffs allow spectacular views and there is a water geiser that offers a fantastic background for a meditative experience or a memorable photo.

Afternoon

Floreana Island, Post Office Bay, Floreana

While you were having lunch we navigated to Post Office Bay. This mailing station has been intermittently in use since the eighteenth century, when Galapagos was a resupplying port for Pacific pirates. You can join their tradition and send greeting cards to your beloved ones worldwide using the historical barrel (it works). The beach nearby is normally visited by sea lions, pacific green turtles, golden rays and even penguins. Next, you may climb the miniature basaltic cone of Baroness Lookout and take in the paradisiacal coastal views. This viewpoint was the favourite spot of one of Floreana’s first modern-era colonists, the eccentric self-proclaimed Baroness and ‘Empress of Galapagos’ Eloisa von Wagner Bosquet, who even built her house a few metres behind. She and one of her lovers were the first in a series of mysterious disappearances and deaths occurring in this island during the 1930s.

Afternoon

Santiago Island, Sullivan Bay, Santiago

The arrival in Sullivan Bay is like a moon landing. The desolate, sprawling fields seem to be out of this planet, therefore this island is very popular among photographers and geologists. The last eruption here occurred in 1897, and covered the bay with Pahoehoe lava flows, which are characterized by smooth, gently undulating, or broadly hummocky surfaces. The beach nearby has clear, shallow waters that invite to snorkel, and if you venture to deeper waters, generous marine life can be found (like some Galapagos penguins on the rocks!). Moreover, Pacific green turtles, whitetip reef sharks (careless about humans), Galapagos sea lions, and rays are likely to make an appearance.

Afternoon

Baltra Island Airport, Baltra