Compare Galapagos Kayaking Expedition by Adventure Unbound vs Galapagos Islands Retreat by Tours of Distinction
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| Trip |
5 | Excellent
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5 | Excellent
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| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Price From | $ 4,150 | $ 4,000 |
| Price Per Day | $ 519 | $ 500 |
| Highlights |
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| Trip Style | Group tour | Small group tour |
| Lodging Level | Standard | Premium |
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| Travel Themes |
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| Countries Visited | ||
| Cities and Attractions |
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| Flights & Transport | Ground transport included | Airfare included |
| Activities |
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| Meals Included | N/A |
6 Breakfasts | 3 Lunches | 5 Dinners |
| Description |
Sea Kayaking Island Adventure. Galapagos Guarantee Special. Not only are we offering $200 off per person, we are also guaranteeing you'll see all of the Galapagos Big 5. This exclusive Galapagos kayak tour is perfect for people passionate about kayaking and want an adventure filled with miles of paddling and nights spent camping under the stars. This is the only expedition-style kayak tour in the Galapagos Islands that combines 3 nights of camping with kayaking along the shores of two distinct islands - Santa Cruz and San Cristóbal. |
Be inspired by the serenity of yoga on this wellness tour of the Galapagos Islands where wildlife frolics unfettered and free on this wildlife and wellness vacation. The journey begins in Quito, Ecuador, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and then visits four Galapagos Islands where you can walk in the footsteps of Darwin. Imagine the thrill of spotting penguins, flamingos, and giant tortoises, watching the dance of marine iguanas and seeing a parade of blue-footed boobies as frigate birds soar overhead. |
Day 1: Arrival to Guayaquil (2018 trips start and end in Quito)
Accommodation: Wyndham Hotel Guayaquil
Guayaquil is Ecuador’s largest city and the ideal gateway to Ecuador with frequent flights and a conveniently-located airport. All flights to the Galapagos stop here, so our tour is designed to take advantage of this convenience. Once you arrive, you are met by a ROW Adventures representative and transferred to your hotel. If you arrive early in the day, enjoy your time exploring the waterfront area of Guayaquil, settling in and recovering from your flight. You will receive a welcome letter at the hotel which will let you know the time to meet your guide and the rest of your group the following morning for your flight to the islands.
Day 2: Flight to Santa Cruz, Visit Giant Tortoise Farm, Kayak - Beach Camp
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel Mainao
A representative will meet you and the rest of the group in the lobby of the hotel to transfer you to the airport for your two-hour flight to the islands. Upon arrival on the island of Baltra we will meet our tour leader and have a short orientation to answer any last minute questions and from there we will take a short bus transfer, then a 10-minute ferry ride across the Itabaca canal. We continue by bus to the highlands on Santa Cruz Island to a private farm to see the giant Galapagos tortoise. Perhaps no animal creates a more iconic image of the Galapagos than these fascinating animals. You get an intimate view of these lumbering, peaceful-looking creatures, sure to be a highlight of your visit. While on the farm we also have a delicious lunch of local specialties, then continue on to see one of the more intriguing geological features of the island, the “lava tunnels.” Created as flowing magma cooled down, these bigger-than-a-subway tunnels are accessed via a stairway and their fascinating formation is explained by your guide.
We will then check-in at our hotel and get ready for our kayak experience. Academy Bay in Puerto Ayora is the perfect point of departure for an exciting sea kayaking expedition. Blue-footed boobies and marine iguanas can be observed resting as we paddle from the beach at Finch Bay to reach our final destination: Punta Estrada. Punta Estrada is a calm and beautiful bay where you can kayak close to magnificent mangroves, home to golden cow rays, sally light foot crabs, and lava herons. The kayak trip will take you down a tranquil canal with prickly pear opuntia cactus sprawling from solid rock and common noddy birds nesting nearby. We continue our travels on Santa Cruz Island, one of the 13 main islands of the 61 islands and islets that comprise the Galapagos. By late-afternoon, we check in to our hotel and enjoy a peaceful dinner.
Day 3: Trapiche Visit – Garrapatero Beach
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel Mainao
In the morning, we will drive through the town of Bellavista, before we reach the beautiful El Garrapatero Beach, there is a farm that specialized in the production of sugar and they do so the old fashioned way. They also produce sugar cane and coffee, unique throughout the region. One of the family members will demonstrate the farming process for coffee and sugar cane, and show us the process for the extraction of the sugar cane juice. We will learn about the distillation process that leads to the final product, the “Galapagos Moonshine”. In the process, we will be able to taste the fruit of the coffee plant in its natural state. From here we will continue to El Garrapatero beach where we will have the opportunity to relax on the beach, swim in the ocean or kayak to explore the nearby mangroves. For a unique experience, today, we will have a special dinner with a local fisherman. He will provide us with deeper insights into the flavor and native lifestyle of Ecuador, as his family prepares a special dinner for us.
Day 4: Puerto Ayora, Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, Darwin Bay
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Blue Marlin Hotel
One thing you will quickly notice about being on the equator is that day and night each last 12 hours. We rise early and after breakfast we catch the 7am boat to the island of San Cristobal and the town of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno where we check into our hotel and have lunch in a local restaurant. After lunch we choose from a couple of options based on the weather and sea conditions. We may walk to Cerro Tijeretas where those who desire may swim and snorkel. Or we may go to La Loberia which is a sea lion colony, to observe the sea lions and swim in the water with them. Either way, we observe various birds and wildlife, including frigate birds and their antics. Frigates are deservedly known as ʻpirates of the seaʼ because of their behavior of stealing food from unassuming boobies.
After a full and wonderful day, we return to our hotel to freshen up and then enjoy dinner in town.
Day 5: Kayak Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, Manglecito
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Manglecito Beach Camp
Rise and join breakfast as we prepare for our longest paddle yet. We head north along the coast several miles, with low-lying hills and the central mountains of San Cristobal in our view. As we paddle, we are likely to be sharing the waters with sea turtles as well as sea lions which observe us and may even follow along for a spell. Birds circle overhead while fish swim underneath, and plummeting boobies that come up with fish in their beaks add to the natural show all around.
We paddle roughly 7.6 miles today passing Isla Lobos on the way. By late afternoon we arrive at our lovely beach camp with time to settle in. This is a magical place and camping in the Galapagos is a rare treat made possible by our special permits. Before too long it’s time to take a short stroll to watch the sun set over the magnificent Pacific Ocean. We dine in camp, watch the stars lighten the sky, and fall asleep to the sound of surf.
Day 6: Snorkeling Kicker Rock
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Manglecito Beach Camp
Immersed in all of the uniqueness of nature in the Galapagos Islands, today is a day to get better acquainted with the underwater marvels. We board a comfortable motorboat that is the perfect platform for our explorations. We start with a roughly one-hour cruise to Leon Dormido, or Sleeping Lion, a rock formation named by early sailors for its resemblance to that far-off jungle cat.
Locally it is referred to as "Kicker Rock".
By any name, this dramatic geologic formation that soars out of the sea to the sky, is a superb place for snorkeling. Descending from our boat, we snorkel between two cliffs of rock in waters teeming with fish. Sea stars cling to the walls, and it’s not uncommon to have harmless Galapagos sharks join us. We return to our beach camp with more time to stretch our legs, revel in another long-lasting sunset and sit down for dinner to share the memories of the day.
Day 7: Kayak North to Next Beach Camp
Meals Included: B,L,D
Accommodation: Puerto Grande Beach Camp
As the sun rises the activity of birds and lapping waves are likely to wake you. This is a highlight of actually camping on the Galapagos Islands that just isn’t the same when on a boat. Truly it is a most magical way to wake and know you are truly immersed in the abundant beauty and life found only here.
A hearty breakfast is served, and then we pack up, don our lifejackets, pick up our paddles and ease ourselves into our kayaks. Today is another superb paddling day along the coast! The scenery changes as the island’s mountains come into better view. As always, frigate birds, gulls, pelicans, and boobies provide entertainment and wonder as we paddle. With luck we see more sea turtles who periscope up their heads to watch us.
After our exhilarating morning paddle, we arrive at our next camp, here we say goodbye to our kayaks. We'll unpack a bit with everyone’s help camp will be set up quickly and then it’s time for lunch followed by a relaxed stroll on the beach. We spend a fulfilling afternoon exploring the beach, snorkeling! Our view to the west allows for an unobstructed view of an equatorial sunset. Then it’s time for dinner and a restful night's sleep.
Day 8: San Cristobal to Guayaquil
Meals Included: B
Accommodation: Wyndham Hotel
This is our last morning in the islands. After packing your things, we board our boat to return to town. No time for breakfast this morning but we will have coffee and cookies available on the boat. Once we get to town we will have breakfast before heading to the airport for the late-morning flight back to the mainland of Ecuador. There’s some time to explore the city before dinner with the group or on your own.
Day 9: Final goodbye or extend your trip!
Meals Included : B
Transfer to airport provided by the hotel. Fly home or to points beyond for other exploration.
Note: many people add extensions to visit mainland Ecuador, the Amazon or Peru.
Day 1 - Home - Quito, Ecuador
Today, transfer to the airport for the flight to Quito, Ecuador. Upon arrival in Quito, we transfer to our hotel.
Day 2 - Quito, Ecuador
Following breakfast, we head out to explore Quito. Our city tour of Quito includes: the Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Basilica del Voto Nacional, La Compañia Church, San Francisco Square, Plaza Grande and the Panecillo which is a statue of the virgin of Quito that overlooks and protects the city.
Then, we travel to the middle-of-the-world, Mitad-del-Mundo. At 0 degrees latitude, you can stand with both feet in each hemisphere and learn the gravitational forces at work along this imaginary line. We have some free time this afternoon before our included dinner this evening at the hotel. (B,D)
Day 3 - Quito - Galapagos Islands
This morning after breakfast, we transfer to the Quito airport for our flight to the Galápagos Islands. We arrive on the island of Baltra and transfer to our hotel in Santa Cruz. After check-in, we visit the Charles Darwin Research Station for an introduction to the Island’s unique wildlife and history. The Charles Darwin Research Station works to preserve the unique and balanced ecosystem. Here, we have a thorough introduction to the flora and fauna that make these islands so special.
Later, we travel to Rancho Chato, in the highlands of Santa Cruz, and get up-close and personal with the giant Galápagos tortoise. The area also has volcanic lava tubes we can explore underground. We top off our time in these spectacular natural surroundings with a local, traditional lunch. (B,L,D)
Day 4 - Galapagos Islands
Today, we hop-over by speed boat and visit South Plazas, one of the smallest islands in the Galápagos. Though one of the smallest islands in the Galapagos, it has the island chain’s largest population of land iguanas. Birdlife is also abundant. Look out for red-billed tropicbirds and indigenous swallow-tailed gulls and sea lions frolicking the water as we tour the area. Our time on South Plaza includes lunch before we return to Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz island. (B,L,D)
Day 5 - Galapagos Islands
We begin our day with a yoga lesson in Tortuga Bay. Tortuga bay is one of the most beautiful stretches of white sandy beach and turquoise waters in the Galapagos Islands.
This morning, we depart for San Cristobal to witness amazing wildlife watching and interesting geological formations. Each island in the Galapagos is truly a different experience and San Cristobal is one of the most unique. Upon arrival, we transfer to our hotel. In the afternoon, we head into the highlands of San Cristobal and have a yoga lesson in the typical highlands of the San Cristobal.
San Cristobal is the fifth largest and easternmost island in the Galapagos. It consists of a few fused volcanoes and is the island where Darwin first went ashore in 1835. (B,D)
Day 6 - Galapagos Islands
Today, we take a small boat to Isla Lobos. We have a guided tour and will learn about frigate birds, blue footed boobies and sea lions that inhabit the island from our Naturalist Guide. Afterwards, we have time to snorkel and swim with playful sea lions and observe rays and turtles. We continue to a local restaurant for lunch before ending our Lobos excursion on Playa Ochoa ~ a white coral beach. Here, we have a yoga lesson surrounded by views of the Pacific Ocean.
After, we transfer back to our hotel and have dinner. (B,L,D)
Day 7 - Galapagos Islands - Quito
Today, after our last yoga session, we have some free time for some last minute shopping or sightseeing around San Cristobal. Some great sites to explore include:
Jacinto Gordillo Breeding Center
A giant tortoise breeding center where you can view various species of these incredible creatures that can to be over 100 years old!
Early this afternoon, we transfer to the airport for the flight to Quito. Upon arrival in Quito, we will check-in for our overnight flight home to Bradley International Airport. (B)
Day 8 - Arrive USA
Arrive back in the USA this morning and transfer home rested and relaxed with incredible memories.
*Yoga lessons and snorkeling are included activities. They are not mandatory to participate in.
