Santa Cruz Island Diving Adventure 7D/6N

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~~$2349~~

$2237

Santa Cruz Island Diving Adventure 7D/6N

7 Days Starting and ending in Quito, Ecuador

Visiting: Quito, Santa Cruz

Tour operator:

Bamba Travel

Tour code:

56664

Guide Type:

Partially Guided

Physical rating:

Mildly Challenging

Tour operated in:

English

Interests:

Wildlife Tours

Activities:

Canoeing-Kayaking, Cycling, Scuba Diving, Snorkeling, Walking

From: $2349 $2237 Travel Club discount: -$112

NB: Prices correct on 21-Nov-2024 but subject to change.

Tour Overview

Embark on a thrilling 7-day, 6-night Santa Cruz Island Diving Adventure in the Galapagos, Ecuador. Dive into the revolutionary Theory of Evolution at the Charles Darwin Research Station, and explore the waters of the islands through swimming, snorkeling, and kayaking. Marvel at the impressive giant tortoises of Galapagos and discover the unique flora and fauna of Santa Cruz Island. Enjoy cultural and natural expeditions, including visits to the Highlands, Rancho El Chato, Cerro Mesa, Garrapatero Beach, and El Trapiche Ecológico. With professional English-speaking guides for certain activities, this adventure includes accommodation, meals, and transport, ensuring a seamless and unforgettable experience.

Highlights

Learn about the revolutionary Theory of Evolution at the Charles Darwin Research Station
Swim, snorkel and kayak to explore the waters of the islands
Marvel at the impressive giant tortoises of Galapagos
Explore Garrapatero Beach with its stunning contrasts of mangroves, black lava, white sand, and turquoise water
Visit El Trapiche Ecológico, a working farm producing sugar cane liqueur and Galapagos coffee
Discover the largest crater on Santa Cruz Island at Cerro Mesa Reserve
Ride your bike and explore Tortuga Bay, an isolated white-sanded beach on the Southern coast of Santa Cruz
Visit the impressive underground lava tubes on Santa Cruz Island

Itinerary

tourhub | Bamba Travel | Santa Cruz Island Diving Adventure 7D/6N | 56664 | Route Map

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Day 1: Quito, Ecuador

Location: Quito

Accommodation Name: hotel

Arrival in Quito

Today you will arrive in Quito, where you will be picked up from the airport to the hotel. After your check in, you will receive a briefing of the program with recommendations, advises and more information of the itinerary. Any doubt that you have of the schedule can be asked during this meeting.

Day 2: Quito - Santa Cruz (Galapagos), Ecuador

Location: Santa Cruz

Accommodation Name: hotel

Meals Included: Lunch

Galapagos Adventure (L)
Today you will be picked up early in the morning to be taken to the airport for your Galapagos adventure!
Like many visitors, you will most likely start your journey in the Galápagos at Santa Cruz Island. After landing at Baltra Island airport, you will have to take the bus and afterwards pass the Itabaca Channel by ferry and reach, through the highlands, Puerto Ayora, the capital of the island. Santa Cruz is the second-largest island of the archipelago, but it is the real economical heart of the tourism industry here. Puerto Ayora is where you will find many restaurants, hotels, souvenir shops and nice little hangouts. Please, do not forget to bring comfortable walking shoes, sun protection, water, and a towel.
Visit a family ranch, where you will have time to walk between the trees and search for the giant tortoises that prefer to stay close to the small lagoons.
Afterwards, you will also visit the lava tubes. These impressive underground tunnels were formed when the outside skin of a molten-lava flow solidified. When the lava flow ceased, the molten lava inside the flow kept going like a river, emptying out of the solidified skin and thus leaving tunnels.
Spend some time seeing the giant tortoises of Galapagos, which are among the most famous of the unique fauna of the Islands.

Day 3: Santa Cruz (Galapagos), Ecuador

Location: Santa Cruz

Accommodation Name: hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Discover Santa Cruz Island (B/L)
A morning drive takes you to the eastern part of the island. At 490m above sea level, Cerro Mesa Reserve offers spectacular views of the largest crater on Santa Cruz Island, exotic plants, and seven unique subspecies of finch and the elusive vermilion flycatcher. Afterwards, explore Garrapatero Beach, with stunning contrasts of mangroves, black lava, white sand, and turquoise water including a flamingo lagoon.
Visit El Trapiche Ecológico, a working farm in the highlands that produces sugar cane liqueur and Galapagos coffee. Learn about the different methods used to refine sugar cane, including the use of a mule-driven press. There is also a demonstration of how artisan coffee is produced, from picking the berries to roasting the bean.

Day 4: Santa Cruz (Galapagos), Ecuador

Location: Santa Cruz

Accommodation Name: hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Charles Darwin Research Station and Tortuga Bay by bike (B/L)

Today, you will visit the Charles Darwin Research Station (CDRS) which is located in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island and is the operative branch of the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF). These facilities include offices and labs for marine and terrestrial investigation, a conference hall and natural history collections. Areas open to the public include an exhibition hall, native gardens and public library. In addition to being a tourist destination, the Research Station is essential to provide scientific knowledge and technical advice to the Government of Ecuador to ensure the conservation of Galapagos.
Afterwards, ride your bike and explore Tortuga Bay, which is an isolated white-sanded beach located on the Southern coast of Santa Cruz. The beach exists of two separate beaches, the first one is for surfing which has very strong currents, and the second beach is for swimming and some snorkelling. Reef and pelagic fishes can be observed, and with some luck sea turtles and sally light foot crabs. You can also rent a kayak on the spot to explore the waters of Tortuga Bay. On the beach, the main attraction is to relax in the sun or under the trees.

Day 5: Santa Cruz (Galapagos), Ecuador

Location: Santa Cruz

Accommodation Name: hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast

Free Day in Galapagos (B)

Today after breakfast you will have the opportunity to discover Santa Cruz on your own.

Day 6: Santa Cruz (Galapagos) - Quito, Ecuador

Location: Quito

Accommodation Name: hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast

Quick stop at Los Gemelos and Return to Mainland (B)

Today you will be transferred to the Baltra Airport to take a flight to Quito. Before arriving at the airport, you will make a stop at Los Gemelos (the Twins) are two overgrown, lava tunnels that formed massive sinkholes when they collapsed. The largest of the twins is 2,300 feet deep and almost 1,300 feet wide!

Once you arrive to Quito Airport, where you will be picked up from the airport to the hotel.

Day 7: Quito, Ecuador

Location: Quito

Meals Included: Breakfast

Airport drop-off (B)

After breakfast, you will be transferred to the Quito Airport for your flight back home. Hope you have enjoyed your time in our beautiful country. Have a great flight!

What's Included

Accommodation

6N accommodation in budget or comfort category
2N in Quito
2N in Santa Cruz
Transport

Airport pick-up and drop-off in Galapagos Islands
Ferry ticket to Itabaca Channel
Airport transfers and ferry
Airport pick-up and drop-off in Quito
Meals

5B/3L
Activities

Cultural and Natural Expeditions
Visit to Highlands and Rancho El Chato (lunch included, visit to Lava Tunnel and Giant Tortoises)
Excursion to Cerro Mesa, Garrapatero and El Trapiche (bike, snorkel equipment, kayak and box lunch included)
Excursion to Charles Darwin Station and Tortuga Bay (bike, snorkel equipment and lunch included)
Guides

Professional English-speaking guide for certain activities

What's Not Included

Domestic flights from/to Quito-Galapagos Islands
International flights
Personal expenses
Other activities
Meals not specified in the itinerary
Entrance fee to Galapagos National Park ($100.00 p/p)
INGALA migration card ($20.00 p/p)

Mode of Transport

Includes airport pick-up and drop-off in Galapagos Islands and Quito, ferry ticket to Itabaca Channel, and all necessary airport transfers and ferry rides.

Accommodation

Enjoy 6 nights of accommodation in budget or comfort category, with 2 nights in Quito and 2 nights in Santa Cruz.

Check out our Q&As

What kind of activities are included in the Santa Cruz Island Diving Adventure?

The tour includes cultural and natural expeditions, a visit to the Highlands and Rancho El Chato, an excursion to Cerro Mesa, Garrapatero, and El Trapiche, and a visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station and Tortuga Bay. Activities such as biking, snorkeling, and kayaking are also included.
What should I bring for the Galapagos adventure?

You should bring comfortable walking shoes, sun protection, water, and a towel for the Galapagos adventure.
What can I expect to see at the Charles Darwin Research Station?

At the Charles Darwin Research Station, you can expect to see offices and labs for marine and terrestrial investigation, a conference hall, natural history collections, an exhibition hall, native gardens, and a public library. The station provides scientific knowledge and technical advice to ensure the conservation of the Galapagos.
What is special about Tortuga Bay?

Tortuga Bay is an isolated white-sanded beach on the southern coast of Santa Cruz. It has two separate beaches: one for surfing with strong currents and another for swimming and snorkeling. You can observe reef and pelagic fishes, sea turtles, and sally lightfoot crabs. Kayaks are available for rent to explore the waters.
What will I see at Los Gemelos?

Los Gemelos, also known as the Twins, are two overgrown lava tunnels that formed massive sinkholes when they collapsed. The largest of the twins is 2,300 feet deep and almost 1,300 feet wide.

What kind of meals are included in the tour?

The tour includes 5 breakfasts and 3 lunches.
Is there an age limit?

No! Most of our bamba travellers fall between the ages of 18 - 35, but everyone is young at heart and welcome to come experience the world with us! If you are between the ages of 18 and 118, we invite you to travel with bamba and have the time of your life! Minors must be accompanied by an adult.
Who will be my travelling companions on the tour?

Most of our trips cater to the adventurous independent traveller. In fact, many of our travellers arrive on their own and quickly find that they easily meet like-minded people along the way at their hostels, on transportation, or during activities.
Do I need travel insurance?

We highly recommend purchasing travel insurance for your trip, especially when travelling in developing countries. Bamba does not include travel insurance of any type.Your current medical insurance may cover part of your trip, so it is important for you to become familiar with your current coverage. We recommend purchasing additional travel insurance that provides coverage for medical emergencies, emergency evacuation and repatriation, lost or stolen items and unforeseen cancellations. If you plan to participate in activities such as white-water rafting, trekking, sand-buggy rides, etc please make sure they are included in your policy.

Reviews of this operator

Jonas Nesset(Norway)

The company is exceptional. When...

Dec 10 2019

The company is exceptional. When I had questions, I always got prompt and professional answers. The excursions that Bamba organized were fantastic! Thank you once again for everything!

Shane Alce(United Kingdom)

For true explorers....

Aug 12 2019

For true explorers.

Marian Reder(Germany)

To this day, this is...

Oct 2 2019

To this day, this is the best tour we've ever done together as a couple! The fun activities, great hotels and nice guides worth the money! We were always taken care of and they made sure that we had a good time. This tour is definitely worth taking.

Tanja Ottosen(Denmark)

The Bamba Team really made...

Jan 9 2020

The Bamba Team really made my journey one of the most memorable experiences of my life! Still so nice and supportive! They handled everything and responded to each question within a few minutes. I wholeheartedly recommend it to everyone. Especially if you want to do a lot of activities and travel to a lot of different places without feeling rushed. They've also helped me with specific issues that weren't covered by the tour, as well as answering general questions. Thank you so much for making my journey so enjoyable!

Braiden Rowe(United States)

The tour was fantastic; I...

Feb 12 2020

The tour was fantastic; I was able to visit some of Japan's most beautiful locations, and the accommodations were excellent, with convenient access to the city's best attractions. Also, our tour guide was fantastic. I will pick bamba again and recommend the tour to anyone who wants to see Japan while having a good time!!

Aaron Davies(Australia)

I only have good words...

Oct 23 2019

I only have good words about our trip to Kenya. The entire experience was totally magical and I struggle to say how fantastic it was. We were fortunate enough to have a brilliant vehicle for ourselves, but we had great luck with David for our guide too. He was very knowledgeable, courteous and nice. Thank you for helping to create this fantastic safari experience. I Highly recommend this company.

Matteo Hoffmeister(Germany)

Bamba Experience has been the...

Jun 5 2019

Bamba Experience has been the best tour guide I've ever had. Every tour has been a thrilling experience. There are so many things to choose from. Bamba has been extremely helpful in providing us with all of the necessary information for our departures and activities! Bamba has made this a simple and enjoyable experience. I'll certainly tell my friends and family about it! Thank you very much, Bamba!!

Melanie Liu Chang(Australia)

We organized a trip through...

Feb 20 2020

We organized a trip through Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia on the hop-on, hop-off bus. It made the trip so much simpler for us as first-time travelers because we just had to send an email to arrange the bus, which avoided the hassle of looking for the best price and so on! We also had a number of tours included, they were all amazing and saved us the trouble of trying to find the best offers on our own; it also meant we got to see a lot of stuff we wouldn't have seen otherwise. Overall, it was a fantastic experience that I will strongly suggest and use again!

Marius Halvorson(Norway)

Our Bamba tour of Vietnam...

Jun 25 2019

Our Bamba tour of Vietnam was fantastic. We had a lot of new experiences and all of the help we needed to make this a stress-free vacation. The well-organized accomodation and transportation were excellent. We will certainly use Bamba in the future.

Alexis Helman(Australia)

I had booked our Uyuni...

Jun 25 2019

I had booked our Uyuni Salt Flats & Desert Adventure 3D/2N (Uyuni to Atacama) tour via an Australian travel agency, but they had made an error and refused to assist us or take responsibility. This was very difficult for us because we wanted to have a stress-free honeymoon. I contacted Bamba and I asked if we could talk on the phone so they made the improvements to our tour reservation that our travel agent declined to make. The quality of service was exceptional and they generously offered to us a complimentary gift because it was our honeymoon. I can't say enough good things about Bamba.

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~~$2349~~ $2237