In this 2023 diary, expedition leader Martin Berg takes you on a journey to some of the world's most fascinating places. The adventure begins in historic Quito, Ecuador, and continues to the fabled Galapagos Islands, known for their unique wildlife and scenery. Enjoy encounters with giant tortoises, sea lions and iguanas, experience stunning beaches and glimpse the natural beauty of the Antisana and Cajas National Parks.
Day 1, October 27: QUITO
We land at Quito airport where our local guide Juan Carlos meets us. We quickly grab our luggage and get on the bus for a tour of Quito. We visit the equator and a fantastic viewpoint overlooking the city. Then we head to Café Cultura Manor where we enjoy a lovely dinner before going to bed.
Day 2, October 28: ANTISANA NATIONAL PARK AND QUITO
Juan Carlos meets us at the hotel at 07:30. By bus, we travel to Antisana National Park. Despite the fog, we finally see a condor circling above us. After a good lunch, we return to Quito where we spend the afternoon.
Day 3, October 29: QUITO – GALAPAGOS
We wake up early to go to the airport. Check-in goes smoothly, and we board the plane taking us to Baltra via Guayaquil. The plane is on time, and when we arrive in Galapagos, we are greeted by our guides Pedro and Monica. We take the bus down to the port and board our two rubber boats that take us to our home for the next week, Coral II. After a delicious lunch, we head out to our first destination, North Seymour, a fantastic island with lots of sea lions, frigate birds, blue-footed boobies, and much more. The evening light is perfect, and we return on board just at sunset to have dinner.
Day 4, October 30: SANTA CRUZ ISLAND & MOSQUERA ISLET
Today we visit Santa Cruz where in the morning we visit a breeding center for Galapagos giant tortoises. Then we stroll around the town of Puerto Ayora before returning to our ship for lunch. In the afternoon, we visit the fantastic sand island Mosquera Islet.
Day 5, October 31: SANTA FE AND PLAZAS
We wake up to a beautiful morning and make a landing at Plazas where we walk among seabirds and our first land iguanas. In the afternoon, we snorkel for an hour before landing on the amazing Santa Fe. Our goal is to see the Santa Fe iguana, which only exists on this island in the whole world. After a few hours of searching, we find the iguana before wading out to the beach to return to the ship and have dinner. The highlight of the day is, however, the native Galapagos Rice Rat.
Day 6, November 1: SAN CRISTOBAL ISLAND
After a night's journey east, we have reached San Cristobal Island. We land on the small island of Isla Lobos just off the main island, where we peacefully admire marine iguanas, sea lions, and blue-footed boobies. Later in the morning, we land at Puerto Baquerzo and snorkel in the afternoon.
Day 7, November 2: SAN CRISTOBAL ISLAND
We wake up before sunrise for the ship to circulate around the giant rock formation Kicker Rock, which some say resembles a giant lion. In the morning, we land at Cerro Brujo and in the afternoon, another sandy beach. Of course, we manage to squeeze in a snorkeling session today as well.
Day 8, November 3: ESPAÑOLA ISLAND
Another early morning to reach the amazing Punta Suarez with its Galapagos albatrosses. In the morning, we take the rubber boat around the point to see these birds up close. Then we have a fantastic snorkeling session where we see marine iguanas and sea lions, among others. In the afternoon, we snorkel again before landing at Gardner Bay.
Day 9, November 4: PUNTA CORMORAN
In the morning, we land at Punta Cormoran where we manage to see flamingos in a saltwater lagoon. After lunch, we snorkel around the same island before landing in the afternoon to mail postcards in the local mailbox and visit a fascinating cave.
Day 10, November 5: SANTA CRUZ HIGHLANDS AND BALTRA
Another early morning to visit the highlands of Santa Cruz. In the morning, we finally meet the Galapagos giant tortoises, this time in the wild. On the way to the airport, we make a short visit to the amazing cloud forest at the top of Santa Cruz. Around 11, we are driven to the Baltra airport, where we fly to Guayaquil and later take a bus to Cuenca.
Day 11, November 6: CUENCA
We spend the day in the fantastic city of Cuenca. In the morning, we walk around the city with our local guide Carlos Lara. We have some free time in the afternoon. In the evening, we have our farewell drink while Martin shows the demo version of the slideshow.
Day 12, November 7: CAJAS NATIONAL PARK
Early start from Cuenca to explore the amazing Cajas National Park. After a hike downhill, we take a break to have lunch, consisting of trout. Shortly after lunch, we head down to Guayaquil. Before reaching the airport, we stop at a local chocolate factory. At the airport, we bid farewell to Ecuador and return to our respective destinations.
