Santa Fe Island is one of the oldest islands in the Archipelago of Galapagos, only about 24 square kilometres in size. The only visitor site on the island is Barrington Bay where you will find two hiking trails which lead across the island. A longer one leads to a cliff top view-site and the other through a forest of pear cacti where you will see iguanas waiting for the cactus fruit to drop. The island is home to a number of land, sea and air animals including some eponymous creatures like Doves, Hawks, Lava Herons, Petrels, Lava Lizards, Land Iguanas, Sea Lions, Sting Rays and Green Turtles. The lagoon in the bay is ideal for swimming, kayaking and diving.
One of the larger islands in the archipelago, it is named after the patron saint of seafarers, St Christopher. San Cristobal is inhabited and has its own airport and hotels. There is an abundance of local wildlife including famous giant Galapagos tortoises. Experiencing the wildlife is the main reason for visiting the Galapagos and no one will be disappointed here. Other activities on the island include hiking, diving, 4WD tours, eco and air tours. The island has the largest fresh water lake in the archipelago, Laguna El Junca which is a short uphill walk from the coast and is home to a large population of birdlife. On the island a large variety of food types is available including seafood, Ecuadorian, other South American, French, Italian, Middle eastern and many others.
Catch sight of all the three major boobies along with honking sea lions and scenic viewpoints at Pitt Point and Witch Hill. Pitt Point you will find on the eastern shores of San Cristobel with its evocative beach landing ensuring you are met by the curious and friendly colony of sea lions who live there. Take a hike up the cliffside path to find the breeding site of the blue-footed booby, the red-footed booby, and the Nazca boobies too. Utterly unique, this is the only spot in the whole Galapagos where all three kinds of birds nest side by side. You also have the chance to see the mighty frigatebirds and views out across the wild and wonderful island. Witch Hill is on the northern coast of the island and is considered one of the most incredible landscapes in the Galapagos thanks to its long bleached-white beach and its inky black cliffs rising like a witches hat. This coral beach is impressive not only in sight but also in the wealth of wildlife wonders too - expect to see turtles, birds, seals and more making their home around this volcanic tuff cone.
These famed spots on the even more famous Floreana Island are known for their sublime unique features and wealth of wildlife. This island is found on the southernmost tip of the archipelago and boasts lavas that are over 1.5 million years old. For millennia, these lands have been sculpted and shaped by the winds and fires of time and it shows. Majestic mangroves and a medley of lakes meet seas and green sands setting the scene for a fascinating stay. Cormorant Point sees green olivine sands on one side, white floury sands on the other, and a lake blessed with a flamboyance of flamingos in the middle. You can also see palo santo trees spilling their fragrance out into the sweet salt air and a whole host of other rare feathered friends too. Post Office Bay may not be the prettiest spot on the island but it's definitely interesting. As one of the oldest post office systems, it still works today. You can slip your letters into an old barrel and passing ships will carry it to its destination.
The Galapagos continues to enchant and inspire as one of the most biologically diverse places on earth. For charter guests who can’t get enough of the natural world, a visit to Gardner Bay and Suarez Point is sure to delight. A pocket of the Galapagos filled with blowholes, blue-footed boobies, and barking sea lions. At Suarez Point you can take a hike that carries you around the dramatic cliffs for a couple of miles - the perfect chance to spot the rare Waved Albatross, the Nazca Booby, and other impressive birds that make the Galapagos an ornithologist's dream. Gardner Bay is another must-see spot - lauded for its wonderful white sands and home to a colony of sunbathing sea lions, it's the perfect chance to watch these salty sea dogs in their own environment. You can also see the famed Galapagos Mockingbirds here and the Green Sea Turtle swimming in the colourful corals.
The largest of the Galapagos Islands, Isabela is still volcanically active. The island is home to a huge variety of air, land and sea creatures including boobies, Darwin’s finches, tortoises, marine iguanas and penguins. At the right time of year you may also encounter whales and dolphins. Diving from Isabela will be an unforgettable experience and you may encounter some beautiful animals like mola mola (sunfish), hammerhead sharks, manta rays, turtles and others. Other activities include beaches, hiking, volcano tours, nature tours, air tours by balloon or helicopter, a trip to the Wall of Tears and many others. The restaurants on the island provide a good variety of food including South American, European, barbecue, seafood, Mediterranean and gastropub.
Fernandina Island, the Galapagos archipelago's youngest and most westerly island, is home to a spectacular reef and a diverse array of bird and marine life including the flightless cormorant and the marine iguana. Punta Espinosa is the only accessible visitor site and, although there is not much vegetation, there is a mangrove forest along the shoreline which is home to shore birds and small fish. Because the island is volcanically active, access is fairly limited. There is a mild current which makes the island ideal for more advanced divers. Here you can snorkel with Galapagos penguins which are the only penguins living in the tropics. Snorkelers will see Marine iguanas, Galapagos sea lions, Green sea turtles, rays, sharks, sea horses and colourful reef fish. In the second half of the year, Fernandina is the best spot in the archipelago for whale watching.
One of the youngest islands to rise out of the geological land and seascape that makes the Galapagos so famous, Isla Bartolome packs a punch. Sitting at just over 1.2 square kilometers, this island is home to some of the most scenic landscapes in the archipelago. Cratered mountains rise and fall in russet shades, the sea sparkles in visions of blue and green, and wildlife wonders punctuate every nook and cranny. Isla Bartolome is a popular spot to see penguins, reef sharks, turtles, lava lizards and more. The sea is full of spangled starfish and exotic shoals and the skies brim with hawks, herons, and finches too. Snap photos of the pioneer plant, hike the nature paths, and snorkel around the rising spire of Pinnacle rock.
With its red beach and single visitor site, complete with welcoming party of sealions, the uninhabited Rabida Island is perfect for photography. Activities include a mild hike or trek to the cliff, snorkelling, good views and the opportunity to photograph beautiful flamingos and other birdlife.
From blue-footed boobies to barking seals, North Seymour invites charter guests to see the full flush of wildlife finery that the Galapagos has to offer. Smaller in size than the grandiose Isabela, North Seymour enchants in a different way. Completely unpopulated and home only to scores of Frigate birds, sea lion colonies, land iguanas and seas stuffed full of turtles, reef sharks, and fluorescent fish, North Seymour isn’t short on life or action. The island itself is flat and arid - created by a tectonic uplift that pushed a part of the seabed above the surface. Snorkel in the nutrient rich waters, birdwatch to your heart's content, hike around the circular trail, and fall hard for this unforgettable island.
As the island with the largest population in the group, Santa Cruz is an excellent base from which to explore the other Galapagos islands. This island will probably need more time than some of the others as it is a destination in its own right, particularly if you are a nature lover. There are beaches where you can dive with rays, sharks, colourful fish and sea turtles; see tortoises in the highlands; visit the Charles Darwin Research Centre to see and learn about tortoises; visit the lava Tunnels and marvel at nature; walk around Nymph Lagoon; and take a trip to the iguana colonies on the island. As well as these there is hiking, snorkelling, kayaking and swimming to keep you occupied. It is well worth going to the Fisherman’s Wharf market if only to see the pelicans, frigates and sea lions queuing up for bits of fish and leftovers. As you would expect, the seafood and South American food are the main cuisines on the island but European and some Asian are also available.