ABERCROMBIE & KENT post-cruise EXTENSION
FROM - TO
GUAYAQUIL - ECUADOR
QUITO - ECUADORDURATION
10 DAYS
PRICE
FROM $13,900 *
Travel from Guayaquil's lively streets to the tranquil Galapágos archipelago. This expert-led tour offers a snapshot of urban Ecuador and an in-depth view of the islands, the living natural laboratory that inspired Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. A dinner in Quito with Andean music and dance concludes this unforgettable experience.*
Highlights
- Take an insider's tour of Guayaquil
- Go island-hopping cruise around the Galapágos
- Watch a performance of Andean music and dance in Quito
DAY
1
MEET THE LOCALS – INCLUDING IGUANAS – IN GUAYAQUIL
GUAYAQUIL, ECUADOR
Disembark the ship in Guayaquil and join your guide for an insider’s tour. Discover how the intertwining of a strong traditional culture and contemporary life creates the distinct atmosphere of Ecuador’s second city. Enjoy a scenic drive along the main avenue, with its eyecatching Spanish-colonial and modern architecture, mingle with the locals on the bustling Malecon 2000 by the Rio Guayas, and visit a city park where hundreds of iguanas run free. You will also wander around the colorful, historic neighborhood of Las Peñas, home to galleries, museums, and some of the best restaurants in the city, and learn about delectable Ecuadorian chocolate at the Cacao Museum. After checking in to Hotel del Parque, there will be time to refresh before dinner at nearby Casa Julian.
DAY
2
THE GLORIOUS WORLD OF THE GALAPÁGOS
SAN CRISTOBAL ISLAND
After breakfast, you will transfer to the airport for your flight to San Cristóbal Island in the Galapágos. On arrival, you will be escorted to the port and then transferred in a Zodiac boat to your home for the next seven nights, a luxurious Relais & Chateaux yacht, where you will be shown to your stateroom and have time to relax and enjoy a buffet lunch. As the yacht departs the harbor, you will have time to relax in the comfort of your surroundings. By late afternoon, you will approach León Dormido, or Kicker Rock, a dramatic tuff cone that rises 150 meters (500 feet) from the sea. Shaped by erosion into two towering walls, it creates a striking channel and a spectacular backdrop for photographs, especially at sunset. As you circumnavigate the formation, you will observe blue-footed boobies, Nazca boobies and frigatebirds perched on the cliffs.The evening will unfold with a cocktail reception hosted by the Captain and crew, followed by a briefing on the next day’s activities. A multi-course dinner, prepared by the yacht’s chefs, will complete the first day of your Galápagos journey in refined style.
DAY
3
IN SEARCH OF THE BLUE-FOOTED BOOBY
CERRO BRUJO, SAN CRISTÓBAL, ECUADOR
The beach where Charles Darwin took his first steps in the Galapágos in 1835 is your destination after breakfast. Pack your binoculars for the chance to spot blue-footed boobies, herons, and frigatebirds, as well as sea lions and lava lizards. After lunch back on board, you will follow the rocky trail up from a green-sand beach to Punta Pitt, a pair of eroded tuff cones, for spectacular views of the shoreline and the surrounding nature. Snorkeling and swimming are also possible during the day. After returning to the yacht to relax and hear the daily briefing about tomorrow’s activities, all that’s left to do is enjoy another superb fine-dining experience.
DAY
4
SUN-BATHING SEA LIONS
GARDNER BAY, ESPAÑOLA, ECUADOR
Today you will explore Española Island, a place so remote that it has many endemic plants. See sea lions and marine iguanas basking in the sun and look out for Nazca boobies on the wing, as well as the swallow-tailed gulls and red-billed tropicbirds that live in cracks in the cliffs. Higher up, dwell the world’s largest colony of waved albatross. The landscape is equally entrancing and surprising – look out for the blowhole that shoots water 75 feet into the air. After lunch on the yacht, you will head to the shoreline at Gardner Bay to look for sea turtles, as well as more birdlife, including Hood mockingbirds and American oystercatchers. Don your snorkel and peer beneath the waves, too, for King angelfish, manta rays, and whitetip reef sharks. In the evening, back on board, the daily briefing will be followed by another gourmet dinner.
DAY
5
THE GREEN SANDS OF FLOREANA
PUNTA CORMORANT (FLOREANA), ECUADOR
Floreana Island is the yacht’s next destination. After a good breakfast, you will set off along Green Beach, so named because of the unusual color of its sand, which is scattered with olivine crystals. This morning’s hike will take you from black mangrove beds to a brackish lagoon where one of the islands’ largest flocks of flamingo live, as well as stilts, sandpipers, and pintail ducks. Spot endemic plants along the way, including Galapágos daisies and Palo Santo, meaning the holy stick. There’s time to snorkel, too, at Devil’s Crown or Champion Islet, fantastic places to see a kaleidoscope of fish in clear blue water – you might even catch sight of dolphins. Lunch is served on board and there is free time to relax before you explore Post Office Bay, where a historic barrel has served as a post office for more than two centuries. It’s a chance to hear the islands’ human story, including tales of the pirates and whalers who have called by. Ride a panga (fishing boat) along the maze of channels on the north shore of Floreana to see sea lions, marine turtles, and even penguins. A walk up to the observation tower at Baroness Cove provides the perfect punctuation for the afternoon’s activities. Back on board there will be time to relax before the daily briefing and another delicious dinner.
DAY
6
TAKE POSITIVE ACTION, PLANT A TREE
SANTA CRUZ, LAS BACHAS, ECUADOR
The next stop is Santa Cruz Island, where you will head for the highlands northwest of Puerto Ayora. Our trek begins at Bellavista, passing through farmland into wilderness. If the weather allows, you will enjoy views of hills and extinct volcanic cones, and spot giant tortoises in their natural habitat, snacking on grass and wallowing in small pools. Look out for vermillion flycatchers, too, and in the highlands’ lava tunnels it might be possible to spy a barn owl. You will also see Los Gemelos, a pair of gigantic volcanic craters that reveal the island’s deep geological history. Take the opportunity to leave a positive legacy by participating in a reforestation project and planting a tree courtesy of our sister brand, the premier travel company Ecoventura. Discover, too, the vital role native plants play in nurturing local ecosystems. After lunch on board, we will visit the Charles Darwin Research Station to gain an insight into the work of scientists and conservationists, as well as the staff of the National Park, to preserve this UNESCO World Heritage Site. You will also visit the Fausto Llerena tortoise breeding center to find out about their care and reintroduction to their natural environment. Return to the yacht for free time, the daily briefing, and another splendid dinner.
DAY
7
A NURSERY FOR SEA TURTLES AND SHARKS
SANTA CRUZ ISLAND, CA, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Bartolomé Island is today’s stop. After breakfast, you’ll set out across this moonscape scattered with volcanic formations in the shape of lava tubes and cinder cones. A short steep hike will reward you with the sight of pioneer plants, lava cacti, and iguanas, as well as a spectacular view of the golden sands and turquoise waters below. Return through dunes and mangroves to the north shore to see penguins and to snorkel amid bold and bright schools of fish.As the afternoon wanes, you will visit Playa Las Bachas on the northern coast of Santa Cruz, a long white-sand beach bordered by lagoons where flamingos feed in the shallows. After exploring the area, you will have the chance to snorkel in calm waters alive with reef fish and marine life.Back on board, you will gather on the sundeck for gourmet snacks and an Ecuadorian cocktail during the evening briefing. Dinner will be followed by an optional pirate-themed party hosted by the crew, offering a lighthearted close to the day.
DAY
8
INTO THE CACTI FOREST
SOUTH PLAZA, ECUADOR
Prepare yourself for another active day with a good breakfast. On reaching South Plaza Island you will take a walk in a cacti forest, surrounded by colorful yellow and red land and marine iguanas – this is also the home of the islands’ only hybrid of the species. Be vigilant for the sight of tropicbirds and sea lions, too. In the dry season, this landscape turns red as the succulent sesuvium edmonstonei, also known as the Galapágos Carpet Weed, reveals vivid new blooms. After lunch on board, you will have a chance to snorkel before landing on North Seymour, site of the islands’ largest colony of magnificent frigatebirds. Sea lions, marine iguanas, and blue-footed boobies might also be seen. A relaxing evening culminates in a final gourmet dinner on board.
DAY
9
THE RHYTHMS OF THE ANDES
CENTRO DE INTERPRETATION, ECUADOR
After breakfast it's time to check out of your stateroom and head for the airport. Before your flight, there’s a last chance to learn even more about the conservation of this precious archipelago at the Interpretation Center on San Cristóbal, with exhibits touching on the human and natural history of the destination and how tourism is controlled. Your flight will then depart for Quito, where you will transfer to La Palma Polo Hotel. Time to relax now before a special farewell dinner, at which you will watch a captivating performance of Andean music and dance, a powerful expression of Ecuador’s rich cultural heritage.
DAY
10
DEPART QUITO
QUITO, ECUADOR
After breakfast you will be transferred to the airport for your onward international flight.
THIS ITINERARY IS AVAILABLE FOR THESE VOYAGES
* Prices are per person, double occupancy for the itinerary as published, and subject to availability. Supplements may apply during high season and holiday periods, festivals, special events and due to high demand. Internal and international air excluded.
