Itinerary

Journey to the Galapagos Islands 2021
Date:
May 15, 2021 - May 25, 2021
Meeting point:
Palm Beach, FL (KPBI)
Length:
11 days / 10 nights
Mileage:
3,410 NM
Day 1 - Saturday, May 15: West Palm Beach, Florida → Boscobel, Jamaica → Cartagena, Colombia (525 + 485 Nautical Miles)

Air Journey, along with your Journey Director, will greet you at Signature Flight Support FBO of Palm Beach Int. Airport (KPBI)  for a briefing about the forthcoming flight.

Our flight today will bring us over Cuba before landing in Boscobel, Jamaica to refuel. We will continue on to Colombia – one of the most ethnically diverse nations in South America, for our visit to Cartagena.

Undeniably one of Latin America’s most beautiful cities, Cartagena is lost somewhere in time between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries, with the Caribbean Sea as a sparkling backdrop.

Sir Francis Drake laid siege to the city but the fortress walls and cannons remain, making the area within the old walled city a living museum.

There will be time to relax before we gather for a welcome cocktail and dinner.

Hotel : Sofitel Santa Clara
Welcome cocktail and Dinner included
Day 2 - Sunday, May 16: Cartagena, Colombia

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Cartagena is a city with a wealth of character and well-preserved colonial architecture. With restored mansions, horse-drawn carriages and Old World-style plazas, it is a perfect walking city.

With our local guide, we will enjoy a walking tour of the historic walled old town as we discover the hidden history of this colonial city. See Puerta Del Reloj (Clock tower entrance), a symbol of Cartagena, the Plaza San Pedro Claver with its stunning church, and Plaza Bolivar.

After lunch our tour continues with a drive to visit the impressive Castillo San Felipe. Built in the 17th century to protect the city from marauding invaders, it is the largest Spanish fortification in the Americas. Next, see the 17th century Convent of La Popa, a beautiful convent building that sits atop the highest point in the city, commanding spectacular views of the bay, old town, and Caribbean Sea beyond.

Hotel : Sofitel Santa Clara
Breakfast and Dinner included
Day 3 - Monday, May 17: Cartagena, Colombia → Guayaquil, Ecuador (795 Nautical Miles)

Fly to Guayaquil, Ecuador – Gateway to the Galápagos Islands. Guayaquil is Ecuador’s largest city and an important trade center. Upon arrival, we will transfer to Hotel de Parque, located just 10 minutes from the airport.

The hotel provides easy access to area attractions such as the colorful Las Penas neighborhood, Catedral Metropolitana de Guayaquil, Isla Santay, and the Museo Antropologico y de Arte Contemporaneo.

After we are settled in, we will go for a short city tour exploring these nearby places. 

Hotel : Hotel Del Parque
Breakfast and Dinner included
Day 4 - Tuesday, May 18: Guayaquil, Ecuador → Baltra, Galápagos (commercial flight)

Today we will fly via commercial airline (ticket not included but will be organized by Air Journey) to Baltra in the Galapagos Islands.

Upon arrival, we will clear immigration and transfer to the Highlands of Santa Cruz. Here you will have the opportunity to walk into the island and experience the dominant vegetation in the highlands, deep green in color, the forest of Scalesia trees creates the lush green color. The lava tubes, over half a mile long, are underground and walking through them is quite a unique experience.

On our way, we will find lava tunnels, finches and wild tortoises nesting. After a short trek (1.5 miles), an amazing view awaits us up on the hilltop. 

At the end of the tour, we will board the luxury catamaran Cormorant I, our home for the next few days as we explore the Galapagos Islands.

 

Hotel : Cormorant I Catamaran
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included
Day 5 - Wednesday, May 19: Galápagos Islands

This morning, we will set out on an excursion to Lobos Island, which translates to "Sea Lion Island". Here, you will find playful, jolly, and noisy sea lions who will welcome you to their home with open fins. The island also offers a small population of the blue-footed boobies, frigates, marine iguanas, and great frigate birds, that can be observed. Snorkeling with sea lions in this calm bay is part of our activity today!

In the afternoon, we will sail towards Kicker Rock, this striking rock formation is located a couple hours off the western shore of San Cristobal, and is an impressive geological formation due to erosion. This is a nesting place of sea birds such as the blue-footed boobies, Nazca boobies, frigate birds, and provides a nice spot to take pictures while the vessel circumnavigates around the rock.

 

Hotel : Cormorant I Catamaran
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included
Day 6 - Thursday, May 20: Galápagos Islands

This morning, we will trail to Suarez Point, an area with an outstanding variety of wildlife. The walking trail will take you past nesting sites of Nazca and blue-footed boobies, whilst Galapagos doves, mockingbirds and finches can be seen foraging nearby. 

Espanola Island is the breeding site of nearly all of the world's 12,000 pairs of waved albatrosses. You will also pass a geyser which can spray water up to 25m into the air; a spectacular feat of nature. 

We continue this afternoon with an excursion to Gardner Bay, a pristine white sandy beach (one of the longest in the Galapagos), that is home to colonies of sea lions and inquisitive mockingbirds. As well as another location, on island, for the waved albatross' breeding site.

A short dinghy ride will take us to the Osborn and Gardner Islets, which are superb locations for snorkeling with young sea lions and a greater variety of tropical fish and corals. 

 

Hotel : Cormorant I Catamaran
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included
Day 7 - Friday, May 21: Galápagos Islands

Today we land on Floreana Island! Our morning excursion takes us to a nice sandy beach in Post Office Bay. On our way, we will spot an 18th century mail-box that whalers placed years ago, a wooden barrel that is used, still today, as an unofficial mailbox. A hit among Galapagos visitors, don't forget your postcards! 
We will continue to Baroness Viewing Point, a fantastic place to absorb the environment of the Galapagos. Once inhabited by an indulgent baroness and her three lovers, the history of the island is intriguing. The legends about this baroness are associated with a fascinating murder mystery. There are easy trails in this area for exploring the flora and fauna of Floreana. 
After lunch on board, our journey continues to Cormorant Point, that hosts a large flamingo lagoon where other birds, such as common stilts and white-cheeked pintails can also be seen. The beaches on the island are distinct; the Green Beach is named due to its green color, which comes from a high percentage of olivine crystals in the sand, and the Four Sand Beach is composed of white coral. 

Hotel : Cormorant I Catamaran
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included
Day 8 - Saturday, May 22: Sal Cristobal, Galápagos → Guayaquil, Ecuador (commercial flight)

Our final morning on ship, we will cruise to North Seymour, an island formed by a series of submarine lava flows containing layers of sediment that were uplifted by tectonic activity. The island is characterized by its arid vegetation zone. At the end of the tour, we will disembark and head to the airport for our commercial flight back to Guayaquil. 

 

Hotel : Hotel Del Parque
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included
Day 9 - Sunday, May 23: Guayaquil, Ecuador → Panama City, Panama (665 Nautical Miles)

We will retrieve our planes and fly to Panama. Enjoy a scenic approach to Panama City including a beautiful view of the Panama Canal.

Hotel : Waldorf Astoria Panama
Breakfast and Dinner included
Day 10 - Monday, May 24: Panama City, Panama

After breakfast we will depart for our full-day sightseeing tour including a one-hour tour on the Panama Canal with the pleasure to enjoy the vegetation and wildlife (monkeys).

Continue to the Miraflores Lock where you will be able to watch ships entering the lock and discover the new museum where you will have the opportunity to enter the Lock on a simulator. A buffet lunch will be served at the Miraflores Restaurant offering a great view of the canal.

In the afternoon, we will continue our tour including the Old City with the most important sites.

Hotel : Waldorf Astoria Panama
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included
Day 11 - Tuesday, May 25: Panama City, Panama → Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands → Key West, Florida → Home (625 + 315 Nautical Miles)

We will transfer to the airport and fly to Key West to clear US Customs. There will be an optional technical stop in Grand Cayman to refuel.

 

Breakfast included