This schedule is subject to minor changes depending on current conditions.

Date Activities

Your  guides will be waiting for you at the Quito airport with a private bus, and will travel with you to your hotel. There will be a brief orientation and planning meeting after check-in. Rest well!

Early breakfast, then departure for airport. Please keep in mind you'll only have brief access to your checked-in luggage before it is sent on to your lodging, so be sure to pack whatever you need for the beach in your carry-on. We'll pick up snorkeling gear before we eat lunch, then head out for our introductory hike and swim in La Lobería. Transportation to highlands. Evening discussion of formation of the islands.

Morning of reforestation and conservation activities followed by an afternoon hike through various ecosystems of the San Cristóbal Biological Station. Evening discussion of island biogeography.

Day of volunteer work in the community of El Progreso. Activities may include construction, painting, sustainable agriculture and a variety of other tasks in collaboration with the local people. Evening discussion of local cultures.

Trip down to the port town and our hotel. Snorkeling in Tijeretas cove and a visit to the island's Interpretation Center. Evening presentation by students regarding history and future of the Galapagos.

Boat trips to Cerro Brujo, Puerto Grande, León Dormido and Isla Lobos. These are wonderful sites for snorkeling, swimming and observation of sharks, seaturtles, sea lions, sea birds and more.

All-day boat trip to Floreana and Isabela islands. Floreana, once a haven for pirates, has been home to a small population of about 120 people for decades. We'll have the opportunity to do some fantastic snorkeling on the way there, and travel to its first homesteads in the highlands once we arrive. The second half of our journey will take us to Isabela, the Galapagos' largest island, and one of its youngest.

A morning of snorkeling in nearby coves, to be followed by some well-deserved time for relaxation and recuperation in tranquil Puerto Villamil. Evening discussion: The Galápagos and Tourism.

Today we'll see two volcanoes: Sierra Negra, with the world's second largest crater, and Volcan Chico with its myriad colors due to the different chemical composition of the lavas that formed it. We'll also visit the infamous Wall of Tears, relic of a dark era in Isabela.

Departure for home. Remember there exists a $42 USD exit tax to be paid at airport. Your course leaders will accompany you to the airport and wait for a short time to handle any possible last-minute needs.