Embarkation Today we will fly commercial airline (ticket not included) to Baltra in the Galapagos. Upon arrival, we will transfer to the Itabaca Channel. A small ferry will take us across the Channel to the north shore of Santa Cruz Island. We board our bus to the highlands of Santa Cruz Island, where guests will learn about the unique montane ecosystems and biodiversity. Lunch will be at a local restaurant.
Afternoon: El Chato (Santa Cruz Island) After lunch, we will travel by bus to El Chato Reserve, one of the best places in the archipelago to see giant tortoises in their natural habitat. The tortoises are easy to spot, lumbering around, eating grass and leaves and wallowing in the small pools that are common in the reserve. You may also spot some highland birds, like cattle egrets, mockingbirds, finches or flycatchers. There are several lava tunnels in the reserve, a great place to spot the barn owl. There is also a small lagoon covered in red algae where gallinules and Galápagos pintails can be found. We will take a bus ride to Puerto Ayora to board Yacht La Pinta. Yacht La Pinta is a 48-guest luxury yacht offering superb service, expert crew, the most knowledgeable multilingual naturalist/guides and menus that feature the very best international cuisine and celebrated Ecuadorian dishes. There will be a welcome introductory briefing on board, including the expedition plan for Tuesday. The staff will give a boat drill, among other activities.
Share the joy of adventure flying with members of your Association. Air Journey has created Association Journeys for several plane associations allowing pilots to fly to remote destinations with fellow members. If you do not see your Association and would like to create a Journey for your members, please call Air Journey at (561) 841-1551.
