Itinerary

Journey to the Galapagos Islands March 2022
Date:
March 16, 2022 - March 29, 2022
Meeting point:
Palm Beach, FL (KPBI)
Length:
14 days / 13 nights
Mileage:
3,825 NM
Day 1 - Wednesday, March 16: West Palm Beach, Florida → Tikal, Guatemala (800nm)

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

Our flight today will take us directly into Tikal. Once clearing customs, we will transfer to our all-in-one hotel, museum, and spa, Las Lagunas. Located within a private reserve, we will find ourselves in the heart of Maya world.

The rest of the day is yours to relax and enjoy the exclusive experiences this private reserve offers. 

This evening we will gather for a welcome cocktail and dinner.

Hotel : Las Lagunas Boutique Hotel
Welcome cocktail and Dinner included
Day 2 - Thursday, March 17: Tikal, Guatemala

After breakfast we will head out for a day of discovery. Tikal translates to “City of Echoes”. It is one of the largest archaeological sites and urban centers of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization. Situated in the department of El Petén, the site is part of Guatemala’s Tikal National Park, which in 1979 was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Tikal is the best understood of any of the large lowland Maya cities, with a long list of dynasty rulers, the discovery of many of their tombs, monuments, temples, and palaces.

We will enjoy lunch together at the Jungle Lodge, a hotel located just minutes from the Tikal center plaza.

Once our time at the Tikal Ruins comes to an end, you are free to explore on your own or enjoy more of what our hotel has to offer. With five lagoons and Monkey Island located within one of those, there’s a lot to take in.

This evening before dinner we will meet for a pilot’s briefing for tomorrow’s flight.

 

Hotel : Las Lagunas Boutique Hotel
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included
Day 3 - Friday, March 18: Tikal, Guatemala → Liberia, Costa Rica (455 Nautical Miles)

Fly to Liberia, Costa Rica, once clearing customs, we will transfer to the Peninsula Papagayo for our stay at the magnificent Four Seasons.

Located on a hillside, it is perched overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The resort is a center point for endless adventures and a place where you will most certainly find your “Pura Vida”.

Hotel : Four Seasons Papagayo
Breakfast and Dinner included
Day 4 - Saturday, March 19: Liberia, Costa Rica

After breakfast we will board our private Catamaran to sail past and explore the beauty that surrounds this part of Costa Rica. There will be opportunities for swimming and snorkeling.

After lunch together, we will head back to our hillside-nestled paradise. The remainder of the day is yours to enjoy at your leisure.

 

Hotel : Four Seasons Papagayo
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included
Day 5 - Sunday, March 20: Liberia, Costa Rica

Today is at leisure to relax or explore on your own. Enjoy guided or unguided on-site activities like snorkeling, kayaking, stand up paddle boarding, hiking, bird watching, cycling and more.

Rejuvenate with morning meditation, sound healing and breathing workshops, four types of yoga, HIIT and Sculpt Barre classes at the Hotel.

We will gather this evening for our pilot’s briefing for tomorrow’s flight followed by dinner.

 

Hotel : Four Seasons Papagayo
Breakfast and Dinner included
Day 6 - Monday, March 21: Liberia, Costa Rica → Guayaquil, Ecuador (835 Nautical Miles)

Fly to Guayaquil, Ecuador – Gateway to the Galápagos Islands. Upon arrival, we will transfer to Hotel del Parque, located just 10 minutes from the airport.

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

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

 

Hotel : Hotel Del Parque
Breakfast and Dinner included
Day 7 - Tuesday, March 22: Guayaquil, Ecuador → Baltra, Galápagos (commercial flight)

Today we will fly via commercial airline (ticket not included) to Baltra in the Galapagos. Upon arrival, we will clear immigration and transfer from Baltra Airport and board the luxury catamaran M/C Ocean Spray, our home for the next few days as we explore the Galapagos Islands.

We sail on to Pinnacle Rock, a volcanic cone formed by magma expelled by an underwater volcano. This huge rock of many, many layers of basalt was formed by the many pieces formed together, as the sea cooled the hot lava and it exploded from contact.

The huge rock also houses a beach where a small population of green sea turtles will nest during breeding season. Galapagos penguins are known to gather here. We will have the opportunity to swim and snorkel and take in the beautiful sights of colorful schools of fish and curious sea lions.

Hotel : Ocean Spray Luxury Catamaran
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included
Day 8 - Wednesday, March 23: Galápagos Islands

In the morning, we will take an excursion to Darwin Bay which used to be a shield volcano. Now you can see where one of the sides of its caldera collapsed after hundreds of years of erosion.

The island is known for the wide variety of birds that can be observed. Over 20,000 red – footed boobies are estimated to call this island home within the trees and bushes of Genovesa Island. Snorkeling in this calm bay is part of our activity today!

In the afternoon, we will trail towards El Barranco. This site is also known as Prince Phillip’s Steps. It leads to a rocky path up a cliff that will reward you with an incredibly remarkable view.

This is also home to Palo Santo forest, a nesting place of sea birds such as red- footed boobies, Storm Petrels, and Nazca boobies. The panga ride along the cliffs will offer many nice spots to take pictures.

 

Hotel : Ocean Spray Luxury Catamaran
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included
Day 9 - Thursday, March 24: Galápagos Islands

This morning, we will sail to Buccaneer Cove in Espumilla Beach. As the second Island Charles Darwin discovered, it was originally named after King James of England.

A short walk on the beach will take us to Buccaneer Cove, once a refuge for passing sailors and pirates. As we take our short walk, keep an eye out for Marine iguanas and sally lightfoot crabs. This is an excellent opportunity for snorkeling. The underwater formations provide an amazing home for the many different tropical species of fish that can be found here.

In the afternoon, our excursion continues to Egas Port in Santiago. Egas Port is also known as James Bay, home to quick-footed Galapagos lava lizards, colonies of fur sea lions, oyster-catchers, and marine iguanas. This is also considered one of the best snorkeling sites in the Galapagos to be among sea turtles and a greater variety of tropical fish.

Hotel : Ocean Spray Luxury Catamaran
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included
Day 10 - Friday, March 25: Galápagos Islands

This morning we arrive in and explore North Seymour Island, named after English nobleman, Lord Hugh Seymour. The formation of this island is due to submarine lava rich in layers of sediment, uplifted by tectonic activity.

This island is characterized by its arid vegetation zone and is home to a huge colony of about 2,500 land iguanas and large populations of sea lions, blue-footed boobies, common noddies, and frigatebirds.

Along the coast, we will be able to see land and marine iguanas, as well as the biggest colony of Magnificent Frigatebirds.

After lunch, our journey continues to The Highlands of Santa Cruz. This site is very interesting due to the rich wildlife, fills, ferns, volcanoes, and lava tubes present. Exploring the lava tubes is a surreal and unique experience.

Here you can see all the different agricultural zones that are present in the Galapagos in one place. The sheer variety of birds, makes this a bird watchers delight!

 

Hotel : Ocean Spray Luxury Catamaran
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included
Day 11 - Saturday, March 26: Baltra, Galápagos → Guayaquil, Ecuador (commercial flight)

This morning we will cruise to Mosquera Islet, located between the islands of Baltra and North Seymour. It is a reef of rocks and coral, the result of an uprising, and a great white sand beach. At its most narrow width, it reaches about 160 meters and has an estimated length of 600 meters.

Throughout most of the perimeter there is a base of lava rocks, as evidence of the lava uprising, with the exception of the southwest side, where we land.

This island has one of the largest populations of sea lions. You can also observe several species of shorebirds. There have been occasional reports at this site of Orcas feeding on sea lions.

At the end of our tour, we will disembark and head to Baltra airport for our commercial flight to Guayaquil. Upon arrival to Guayaquil, we transfer to the Hotel Del Parque.

Hotel : Hotel Del Parque
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included
Day 12 - Sunday, March 27: Guayaquil, Ecuador → Panama City, Panama (665nm)

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 13 - Monday, March 28: 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).

We will 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.

This evening before dinner we will meet for a pilot’s briefing for tomorrow’s flight.

Hotel : Waldorf Astoria Panama
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included
Day 14 - Tuesday, March 29: Panama City, Panama → Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands → West Palm Beach, Florida → Home (625 + 445 + Nautical Miles)

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

Breakfast included