On arrival at Quito's Mariscal Sucre International Airport you are met and transferred to your hotel. The remainder of the day is at your leisure. There is a pre-departure meeting in the evening at 6pm when you meet others travelling on your cruise to the Galapagos Islands. Note: Quito is located at 2850 metres above sea level. At this altitude you may experience some of the milder effects of altitude sickness, such as dizziness, insomnia and a shortness of breath. If so, we recommend you avoid any strenuous activity.

This morning we are transferred to the airport for our flight to the Galapagos Islands. Lunch is normally served on the flight. On arrival at Baltra Airport in the Galapagos you must pay the US$100 arrival tax for entry to Galapagos National Park. This is best done using cash, as using credit cards can be a time consuming process. We are met in the arrival hall of the airport by our National Park Guide, and transferred to the 'San Jose'.

Once settled on board, our cruise departs for the small sandy island of Mosquera, it’s a relaxing, picturesque stop. Along the rocks and in the tide pool, sally lightfoot crabs (red lava crabs) scamper back and forth, skipping across small pools of water in search of food. These crabs with their bright red shell tops and blue under shells are stunning against the black lava.

Ever aware of movement around them, the sally lightfoot is quick to escape from any approaching movement, a natural defencse that helps protecting them from their natural predators, herons, moray eels and hawkfish. This quick escape technique seems in stark contrast to the unabashed way the crabs climb over the sedentary marine iguanas.

The archipelago’s northeast outpost, it takes an overnight sail to reach Genovesa, but it’s undeniably worth the voyage. Dolphins are often spotted in the waters around Genovesa, while the island itself is one of abundant beauty, with varying landscapes and wonderful wildlife. It’s also a twitcher’s paradise, with all three kinds of boobies – including the rare red-footed booby – and numerous other species, such as tropic birds and frigatebirds. Walking the steep path known as Prince Philip’s Steps gets us into the heart of the seabird rookeries, with birds overhead and nesting among the cliffs. On the island’s rocky plains, we look out for storm petrels – Genovesa is the only place in the world where they can be seen on the wing during daytime.

Elsewhere, Darwin Bay is another superb site – with large breeding colonies of seabirds and frigates, while the island’s magnificent marine life makes for spectacular snorkelling – the chance of encountering manta rays and sharks, turtles and moray eels, along with many fish make Genovesa one of the archipelago’s most exciting spots to take the plunge.

A small island, Plaza Sur is nonetheless a place of great beauty, where we get close to sea lions and onto trails past one of the Galapagos’ largest land iguana populations, resting amid cacti and volcanic landscapes coloured bright red and green by sesuvium. The island’s rugged southern cliffs are an excellent place to spot tropicbirds and swallow-tailed gulls, as well as ‘the gentlemen’s club’, a gathering of male sea lions either too young or too old to be ‘beachmasters’!

Santa Fe is home to more sea lions, and these ones are very eager for swimming partners! It’s a lovely place to take a dip, and the landscape on the inland trails is also beautiful, with cacti forests home to a unique sub-species of land iguanas.Hiking towards the cliffs on Santa Fe leads us to a forest of prickly pear cactus. A member of the cactus family, their name comes from the pear shaped fruit the plant produces. Santa Fe is home to endemic land iguanas. Once back at the beach we have free time to snorkel back in the lagoon. Playful sea lions pups and florescent fish make for fascinating company.

This morning we pass through Leon Dormido (Kicker Rock), which is a magnificent rock in the middle of the sea, the shape resembles a sleeping lion. The rock rises 150 metres above the surface and is divided into two parts by a narrow channel. We also visit Cerro Brujo, where there is a chance to go hiking, swimming and snorkelling. The sandy beach is home to Sally Lightfoot crabs, brown pelicans and blue-footed boobies.

This is our final excursion before we return to the airport in Baltra for our flight back to Quito. As you will be leaving the boat this morning, please remember that if you have enjoyed the services provided by your guide and crew, a tip would be very much appreciated by them. As a guideline we recommend each passenger consider US$15 per day for the crew and US$10 per day for your guide. You can leave tips in envelopes that are placed in your cabin on this last day of your journey.

After lunch we travel into the interior of the island to visit the highlands site of ‘Galapaguera of Cerro Colorado’ (Red Hill) where the national park has established a breeding program and information centre  for the Tortoises . Here, we will be able to see Giant Tortoises in their natural habitat and learn all about their origin, evolution and their threatened future.

This evening we spend the night in the town of San Cristobal.

Today we are transferred to San Cristobal Airport where we board our flight back to Quito. Upon arrival in Quito Airport you are transferred back to our hotel for an overnight stay.

Your 'Galapagos Encounter' adventure comes to an end today after breakfast.