Quito and Galapagos Islands Cruise Inner Loop Itinerary
3 Day Pre-Tour – Day 1 – Quito, Ecuador
On the first day of your journey, you’ll be greeted at the airport by a Celebrity Cruises representative and transferred to your hotel. Enjoy free time to relax and settle in.
Day 2 – Quito, Ecuador
During a guided tour of the capital of Ecuador, situated at an altitude of 9,350 feet, you’ll stand on the equatorial line at the Half of the World Park and Museum, and marvel at the monasteries of San Francisco and Santo Domingo. Your tour director will escort you throughout your Quito stay and serve as your personal concierge. Lunch with a spectacular view of the city, and enjoy a welcome dinner at a local gourmet restaurant.
Day 3 – Quito to Baltra Embarkation
You will be transferred to the Quito, Ecuador airport to board the flight to Baltra, Galapagos, where naturalist guides will be waiting to transfer you to the ship. Daphne is a satellite volcanic cone located north of Santa Cruz Island. This island is famous for the scientific investigation led by Peter and Rosemary Grant on the finches’ population, one of the most important studies in the field that supports Charles Darwin’s Theory.
During World War II, Baltra served as a U.S. military base protecting the Panama Canal from enemy attack. Now the cactus-strewn landscapes of Baltra are home to the region’s main airport.
Day 4 – Gardner Bay (Espanola)
The beach at Gardner Bay, with its sparkling white sand, offers one of the best places to relax and swim in the Galapagos. It’s home to one of the most important colonies of sea lions in the archipelago, and is also a nesting site for sea turtles. Three species of Darwin’s finches and Española mockingbirds may also be seen here.
Day 4 – Punta Suarez
At Suarez Point, be greeted by a colony of sea lions upon arrival. This area is also home to nearly the entire world population of Waved Albatross—though they’re graceful in the air, their clumsy behavior on land is a sight to see. A cliffside hike leads to a natural lava fissure that spews water like a towering geyser.
Day 5 – Cormorant Point, Floreana Island
Floreana was the first capital of the Galapagos, and where Charles Darwin met the islands’ Governor. It’s small brackish lagoon is often home to flamingos, stilts, and white-cheeked pintail ducks, and one of its beaches is a highly used nesting site for sea turtles. Check out the green-hued sand where you land.
Day 5 – Post Office Bay, Floreana Island
Rich in history, this site is home to the post office barrel established in about 1793, where pirates, buccaneers, whalers, and others could leave their mail to be picked up by outbound ships. The tradition continues today, as visitors leave addressed postcards in the barrel and sort through left mail to deliver at home.
Day 6 – Moreno Point, Isabela Island
Along this beautiful rocky shore, a field of hardened black lava flows is pockmarked by shallow pools, which are home to shorebirds and flamingos. The mangrove-lined shore also provides a chance to see marine iguanas, sea turtles, stingrays, sharks, penguins, and the flightless cormorant.
Day 6 – Urvina Bay, Isabela Island
Composed of five coalesced volcanoes, Isabela is the largest island in the Galapagos and the most recently active, the latest eruption having occurred in 2015. Here we will see large land iguanas, finches, and if lucky, a giant tortoise or two. In 1954, the intrusion of magma below one of the island’s volcanoes caused part of the bay to be uplifted some 6 meters, and today we can walk through the remains of what was once a thriving underwater reef.
Day 7 – Espinoza Point, Fernandina Island
Fernandina is the youngest island in the Galapagos and, as Darwin wrote, it is “covered with immense deluges of black naked lava”. Along with its extraordinary black lava rocks, this point of land hosts the largest colony of marine iguanas in the Archipelago, along with sea lions and a nesting site for flightless cormorants.
Day 7 – Vicente Roca Point, Isabela Island
The half-collapsed remains of an ancient volcano make for a spectacular setting at this site. Awe-inspiring cliffs, blue waters, and wildlife create a zodiac ride to remember as we search for sea turtles, penguins, fur seals, the flightless cormorant, marine iguanas, marine mammals, and the oddly shaped form of the elusive sunfish.
Day 8 – South Plaza (Santa Cruz Island)
A small uplifted island just off the northeast coast of Santa Cruz. The island’s low-lying landscape is covered with colorful saltbush, scrub, and giant prickly pear cactus. A subspecies of land iguana is found on the island in plentiful abundance and sometimes can be seen munching on the cactus. The southern cliffs are steep and rocky, and home to numerous seabirds as well as a bachelor colony of sea lions. Looking down into the clear blue waters, schools of surgeonfish swim by as birds shoot in and out of the holes in the cliff. A short hike and Zodiac ride provide ample opportunity to observe the beauty and wildlife of the island.
Day 8 – Daphne Island
Daphne is a satellite volcanic cone located north of Santa Cruz Island. The crater floor is an important breeding site for blue-footed boobies. The cliff shore of the island is home for sea lions, pelicans, blue-footed boobies, and tropical birds which can be observed during the circumnavigation of the island.
Day 8 – Dragon Hill (Santa Cruz Island)
Dragon Hill, or “Cerro Dragon” is named after its population of land iguanas. The site offers a beautiful view of the landscape and two small brackish lagoons where flamingos and other shore birds occasionally feed. Along the trail, we’ll cross a beautiful “white forest” of Palo Santo (incense) trees and Galapagos cotton plants. Excursion options include a high-intensity hike with swimming/snorkeling at the beach, high-intensity snorkeling from a zodiac followed by a short walk and a low-intensity Zodiac ride along the coastline with optional dry landing for animal observation.
Day 9 – Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island
This is the main population center of the islands, and home to the National Park Service tortoise-breeding center and the Charles Darwin Research Station. You will be able to visit the tortoise-breeding center and walk through the Charles Darwin Research Station.
Day 10- Baltra
During World War II, Baltra served as a U.S. military base protecting the Panama Canal from enemy attack. Now the cactus-strewn landscapes of Baltra are home to the region’s main airport.
Your cruise may have ended, but the adventure continues. Take advantage of the fantastic activities in the area. If you’re flying out, please keep your departure flight time in mind and plan accordingly.
Day 11 – Baltra – Quito Disembarkation
You will be transferred to the airport in Baltra for your flight to Quito. Upon your arrival in Quito, a Celebrity Cruises® representative will escort you to the JW Marriott hotel. Dinner is served at the hotel.
Day 11 – Quito, Ecuador
Your Celebrity Cruises representative will once again escort you to the airport for your return. Breakfast is included.
