Adventure cruise in the South and Central Galapagos Islands 8 days

To ensure that no foreign plants or animals are brought into the islands, travelers passing through Baltra Airport must undergo an inspection and pay a park entrance fee of $100. A guide will meet and assist travelers with their luggage, and escort them on a short bus ride to the port of Seymour, where they will board the Yacht Darwin and be welcomed by the captain and crew.

Mosquera Islet

Mosquera Islet is a reef formed by rocks and coral, with a wide white sand beach that is around 160 meters at its narrowest point and an estimated length of 600 meters. This island has a large population of sea lions and is a great spot to observe various species of shorebirds. There have been occasional sightings of Orcas feeding on sea lions in the area.

South Plaza Island

Plaza Sur Island, one of two islands known as Islas Plazas, can be found east of Santa Cruz Island. The landing spot is on the north coast of the island, in a channel that separates it from Plaza Norte Island. Plaza Sur is 13 hectares in size and has a height of 25m. The succulent plant, Sesuvium edmonstonei and Portulaca oleracea, are commonly found on the island and are the preferred food of the land iguanas. The land iguanas on Plaza Sur are smaller than those found on other sites and nest during the hot season. There are several hybrid iguanas found throughout the island, which are the result of a male marine iguana and a female land iguana mating. These hybrid iguanas are unique in appearance, recognizable by their black or gray color, with a land iguana’s crest, but face and tail of the marine iguana. The iguana population may decrease during consecutive dry years due to a lack of food and water. The allowed tour is a group tour with a naturalist guide, which includes guided walks.

Santa Fe Island

Santa Fe Island's visitor site is located on the northeast part of the island. Of the two species of land iguanas found in the Galapagos, the Conolophus subcristatus inhabits Plaza Sur, Santa Cruz, North Seymour/Baltra, Isabela, and Fernandina, while the Conolophus pallidus species only lives in Santa Fe. This species is mainly distinguished by its larger and paler color. According to Geist D.J, Santa Fe could be the oldest Galapagos volcano, with sub-aerial rocks dating back 3.9 million years. The island of Santa Fe has a mix of underwater lava pushed to the surface by uprising and lava that were deposited subsequently to the uprising. Another attraction of Santa Fe Island is the presence of giant tunas with a wider trunk than any other island.