Five-Day/Four-Night Finch Bay program:

Wednesday - Quito or Guayaquil to Baltra, Galapagos Islands
Upon disembarking from the airplane, you will go immediately to the Galapagos immigration area.  Here you will need to present your passport and pay your $100 Galapagos National Park fee. This payment must be made in cash.  The National Park Service does not accept Traveler’s Checks or credit cards. Once the Park officials have completed the check-in, your carry-on luggage will be inspected to ensure that you have not inadvertently carried in prohibited plant and animal products (see the Galapagos National Park rules).   As you exit the immigration area, you will be met by a Finch Bay representative.    This representative will collect your luggage claim tickets and you will proceed to one of the buses.  A baggage handler from the Finch Bay will ensure that your luggage is transported to the Hotel.    Please retain the documents provided by the local authorities.  These may be required during your excursions.

The bus ride from the airport to the Itabaca Channel takes about 15 minutes.  As you make your way down the big hill to the channel, enjoy the view of Santa Cruz Island across the turquoise water of the Channel.  You will disembark the bus and make your way to the ferry for a 10 minute crossing of the Channel.    Your guide will take care of the cost of the ferry.   Along the short ride, be on the lookout for schools of golden rays and playful sea lions around the dock.  Please ensure that you have your hand luggage as you exit the bus and the ferry.

As you exit the ferry, you will be arriving at Santa Cruz Island.  Here a bus will be waiting to take you to the south side of the island.  Along the way there will be a visit to Los Gemelos, a pair of collapsed magma chambers. In this area, on either side of the road, is one of the few remaining scalesia zones.  The Scalesia Pedunculata is in the same family as the sunflower.  However, the Galapagos is the only area in the world where this particular species can be found.  Watch for small and large tree finches which are abundant in this area.

THen continue on to Puerto Ayora's public dock where a Finch Bay boat awaits to take you across the bay to the Hotel dock.   The ride takes about 5 minutes.

From the Hotel dock, you have a short walk (about 300 yards).  Along the way look for nesting brown pelicans in the mangroves, large colonies of marine iguanas, common stilts, white cheeked pintails, lava gulls and, of course, the finches.

The Hotel staff will be waiting poolside to greet you with a cool beverage.  The receptionists will escort you to your room.  Please be sure to give your airline ticket to the receptionist during check-in.  Your tickets will be given to the representative who takes you back to the airport on the day of departure.   Finch Bay will reconfirm all flights prior to your departure.  Once you have checked into your room and rested for a few minutes, you are welcome to proceed to the dining room for lunch. 

In the afternoon, visit the Charles Darwin Research Station in Puerto Ayora.  Here you will learn about the giant tortoise and land iguana breeding programs. And you may have a chance for kayaking in FInch Bay.

Dinner will be served in the Hotel dining room beginning at 7:30pm. There will be 3 main course Chef selections (a vegetarian option, a seafood selection and either a beef, a chicken or a pork selection).  Soft drinks are included.

Thursday - Santa Fe Island
Departure from the hotel is 7:45 am. The boat will leave from the Puerto Ayora harbor. The navigation is approximately 18 miles. Lunch will be provided on board. You will arrive to a sandy beach covered with California sea lions. A major attraction in Santa Fe is the endemic Santa Fe land iguana. Occasionally you can spot the Galapagos hawk. THe walk will take you through one of the most spectacular Opuntia Cacti forest in the Galapagos. These cacti have the thickest trunks of any others in the Galapagos.

Prepare for a wet landing.  The bay area of Santa Fe is a perfect area to snorkel.  Here you might be able to swim with sea lions and green sea turtles.  You will also see a large variety of colorful fish.  You will return to the Hotel between 4pm and 5pm.

Friday – South Plazas Island and Punta Carrion
Departure from the Hotel is at 7:45.  The boat will leave from the Puerto Ayora harbor.  The total navigation is approximately 26 miles.  Lunch will be provided on board.    South Plazas is one of the uplifted islands approximately 16 miles from Puerto Ayora.  The landing dock is often covered with sea lions.  The shoreline also has one of the densest populations of sea lions in the Galapagos.  Here you will see the second species of Galapagos land iguanas.    Nesting cliff birds such as the swallow-tailed gulls abound on the cliff faces of South Plazas.  There is also a colony of bachelor sea lions situated at the far end of the trail.  The entire island is covered with reddish sesuvium plants.   During the cool, dry season (June through November), the sesuvium turns deep red and presents a dramatic landscape.  Prepare for a dry landing on South Plazas.    Other fauna that might be seen are:  Galapagos land iguana, California sea lions, swallow-tailed gulls, cactus finches, Audubon’s shearwater bird, common noddies, and the beautiful red-billed tropic birds. On the way to Punta Carrion the boat will circumnavigate Gordon Rocks to visit sea lions, fur seals, nasca boobies and a variety of other sea birds.  At Punta Carrion you can snorkel from the boat to see a variety of fish, rays and possibly the harmless white tip reef sharks.   From Punta Carrion the short navigation is through the beautiful Itabaca Channel.  From here you will travel back to Puerto Ayora by bus.  You will arrive back at the Hotel between 4pm and 5pm.

Saturday –   North Seymour Island and Las Bachas Beach (Santa Cruz Island)
Departure from the Hotel is at 7:45.  A bus will be waiting at the public dock to take you approximately 26 miles to the Itabaca Channel to board the boat. The navigation is approximately 6 miles.  Lunch will be served on board.  North Seymour is a small island north of Baltra.  It is part of a complex of uplifted islands which includes Baltra and Mosquera.  The major vegetation is shrubby and includes an endemic form of the Palo Santo tree.  The largest colony of magnificent frigate birds nests on this island.  Blue-footed boobies also nest on the visitor trails.  The beach area is a perfect location for observing California sea lions and shore birds.  Occasionally, you can watch the sea lions surf the waves on this beach.  Prepare for a dry landing.  The water is often slightly choppy here so, be sure you have a good hand grip with your guide when embarking and disembarking.  The trail is about 1.6km with frequent stops for wildlife observation.

At Las Bachas Beach you will visit a major nesting area for sea turtles.  They breed and feed in the nearby Black Turtle Cove.  Flamingos and lagoon birds can occasionally be found in a brackish lagoon behind the beach.  There is a small outlying island where great blue herons commonly nest.  This beach was used by US troops stationed in Baltra as a recreational beach during WWII.  

Prepare for a wet landing on the white sand beach of Bachas.  This visit provides an opportunity to enjoy a beautiful open beach.  Bring along your snorkeling gear.

You will return the same way as the outbound journey and arrive back at the hotel between 4pm and 5pm.

Sunday - Puerto Ayora - Baltra - mainland Ecuador
The night before your departure, please stop by the reception area to collect tags for the luggage you wish to check and to verify the time your luggage needs to be out on the patio the next morning.  Once your luggage is out on the patio with the Finch Bay luggage tags attached, please come by the reception area to check-out.  Here you will need to pay for any items charged to your room (phone calls, alcoholic beverages, boutique items, etc).  The Hotel accepts Mastercard and Visa for purchases over $25.   As usual, the breakfast buffet will be ready at 6:30am.   You are welcome to re-enter your room between breakfast and your departure if necessary.  Please double check that you have all of your belongings before you leave.  Also, please do not forget to return you key before departing.   A Hotel representative will gather everyone for the trip to Puerto Ayora where you will board the bus back to the Itabaca Channel.   Again you will cross the channel and bid farewell to Santa Cruz Island.   Upon arrival at the airport, your guide will assist you in reclaiming your luggage for the exit inspection.  Please be sure you have your luggage unlocked as you approach the inspection area.  Your hand luggage will also be inspected here for normal airline security and to insure you did not inadvertently collect items not allowed to be removed from the islands (see the Galapagos National Park rules).  Following inspection the Hotel representative will stay with your luggage through the check-in process.  Here your boarding pass will be presented along with your luggage tags.  Your luggage will be weighed.  Luggage weighing more than 20kg will be assessed an excess weight fee.  The Hotel representative will assist you with the payment of this fee, if applicable, and will return your airline tickets, boarding pass and luggage claim tickets to you.

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Four-Day/Three-Night Finch Bay program:

Sunday - Quito or Guayaquil to Baltra, Galapagos Islands
Upon disembarking from the airplane, you will go immediately to the Galapagos immigration area.  Here you will need to present your passport and pay your $100 Galapagos National Park fee. This payment must be made in cash.  The National Park Service does not accept Traveler’s Checks or credit cards. Once the Park officials have completed the check-in, your carry-on luggage will be inspected to ensure that you have not inadvertently carried in prohibited plant and animal products (see the Galapagos National Park rules).   As you exit the immigration area, you will be met by a Finch Bay representative.    This representative will collect your luggage claim tickets and you will proceed to one of the buses.  A baggage handler from the Finch Bay will ensure that your luggage is transported to the Hotel.    Please retain the documents provided by the local authorities.  These may be required during your excursions.

The bus ride from the airport to the Itabaca Channel takes about 15 minutes.  As you make your way down the big hill to the channel, enjoy the view of Santa Cruz Island across the turquoise water of the Channel.  You will disembark the bus and make your way to the ferry for a 10 minute crossing of the Channel.    Your guide will take care of the cost of the ferry.   Along the short ride, be on the lookout for schools of golden rays and playful sea lions around the dock.  Please ensure that you have your hand luggage as you exit the bus and the ferry.

As you exit the ferry, you will be arriving at Santa Cruz Island.  Here a bus will be waiting to take you to the south side of the island.  Along the way there will be a visit to Los Gemelos, a pair of collapsed magma chambers. In this area, on either side of the road, is one of the few remaining scalesia zones.  The Scalesia Pedunculata is in the same family as the sunflower.  However, the Galapagos is the only area in the world where this particular species can be found.  Watch for small and large tree finches which are abundant in this area.

THen continue on to Puerto Ayora's public dock where a Finch Bay boat awaits to take you across the bay to the Hotel dock.   The ride takes about 5 minutes.

From the Hotel dock, you have a short walk (about 300 yards).  Along the way look for nesting brown pelicans in the mangroves, large colonies of marine iguanas, common stilts, white cheeked pintails, lava gulls and, of course, the finches.

The Hotel staff will be waiting poolside to greet you with a cool beverage.  The receptionists will escort you to your room.  Please be sure to give your airline ticket to the receptionist during check-in.  Your tickets will be given to the representative who takes you back to the airport on the day of departure.   Finch Bay will reconfirm all flights prior to your departure.  Once you have checked into your room and rested for a few minutes, you are welcome to proceed to the dining room for lunch. 

In the afternoon, visit the Charles Darwin Research Station in Puerto Ayora.  Here you will learn about the giant tortoise and land iguana breeding programs. And you may have a chance for kayaking in FInch Bay.

Dinner will be served in the Hotel dining room beginning at 7:30pm. There will be 3 main course Chef selections (a vegetarian option, a seafood selection and either a beef, a chicken or a pork selection).  Soft drinks are included.

Monday – Bartolome Island
Departure from the Hotel is at 5:15am.  A bus will be waiting at the public dock to take you to the Itabaca Channel to board the excursion boat.  The navigation is approximately 20 miles.  Breakfast and lunch will be served on board.  Bartolome is one of the most scenic areas in the Islands.  Much of the attraction here is geological in nature.  The famous “Pinnacle Rock” is found here.  From the top of the island where the visitor trail ends is a spectacular view of much of the archipelago. 

The trail is a fairly steep climb on 365 well maintained wooden steps.  A handrail is available for a little extra support.  

There is a beautiful golden sand beach which provides a great opportunity for snorkeling.  The small and playful Galapagos penguins are often seen around the island.  Guests will navigate to Itabaca Channel where the bus is waiting for the journey to Puerto Ayora.  You will arrive back at the Hotel between 5pm and 6pm.

Tuesday – South Plazas Island and Punta Carrion
Departure from the Hotel is at 7:45.  The boat will leave from the Puerto Ayora harbor.  The total navigation is approximately 26 miles.  Lunch will be provided on board.    South Plazas is one of the uplifted islands approximately 16 miles from Puerto Ayora.  The landing dock is often covered with sea lions.  The shoreline also has one of the densest populations of sea lions in the Galapagos.  Here you will see the second species of Galapagos land iguanas.    Nesting cliff birds such as the swallow-tailed gulls abound on the cliff faces of South Plazas.  There is also a colony of bachelor sea lions situated at the far end of the trail.  The entire island is covered with reddish sesuvium plants.   During the cool, dry season (June through November), the sesuvium turns deep red and presents a dramatic landscape.  Prepare for a dry landing on South Plazas.    Other fauna that might be seen are:  Galapagos land iguana, California sea lions, swallow-tailed gulls, cactus finches, Audubon’s shearwater bird, common noddies, and the beautiful red-billed tropic birds. On the way to Punta Carrion the boat will circumnavigate Gordon Rocks to visit sea lions, fur seals, nasca boobies and a variety of other sea birds.  At Punta Carrion you can snorkel from the boat to see a variety of fish, rays and possibly the harmless white tip reef sharks.   From Punta Carrion the short navigation is through the beautiful Itabaca Channel.  From here you will travel back to Puerto Ayora by bus.   You will arrive back at the Hotel between 4pm and 5pm.

Wednesday - Puerto Ayora - Baltra - mainland Ecuador
The night before your departure, please stop by the reception area to collect tags for the luggage you wish to check and to verify the time your luggage needs to be out on the patio the next morning.  Once your luggage is out on the patio with the Finch Bay luggage tags attached, please come by the reception area to check-out.  Here you will need to pay for any items charged to your room (phone calls, alcoholic beverages, boutique items, etc).  The Hotel accepts Mastercard and Visa for purchases over $25.   As usual, the breakfast buffet will be ready at 6:30am.   You are welcome to re-enter your room between breakfast and your departure if necessary.  Please double check that you have all of your belongings before you leave.  Also, please do not forget to return you key before departing.   A Hotel representative will gather everyone for the trip to Puerto Ayora where you will board the bus back to the Itabaca Channel.   Again you will cross the channel and bid farewell to Santa Cruz Island.   Upon arrival at the airport, your guide will assist you in reclaiming your luggage for the exit inspection.  Please be sure you have your luggage unlocked as you approach the inspection area.  Your hand luggage will also be inspected here for normal airline security and to insure you did not inadvertently collect items not allowed to be removed from the islands (see the Galapagos National Park rules).  Following inspection the Hotel representative will stay with your luggage through the check-in process.  Here your boarding pass will be presented along with your luggage tags.  Your luggage will be weighed.  Luggage weighing more than 20kg will be assessed an excess weight fee.  The Hotel representative will assist you with the payment of this fee, if applicable, and will return your airline tickets, boarding pass and luggage claim tickets to you.

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Other Activity Options
The Hotel has a menu of other activity options available.  If guests decide not to take one of the island excursions they are welcome to participate in other activities.  Some of these activities are self-guided and there is no additional charge.  Other activities are guided or staff supported.  Guests wishing to choose a guided or supported activity will be charged the full price of the activity.  Other activities include:

SNORKELING AND DIVING

Galapagos is considered a world premier destination for scuba diving and snorkeling.  The protected waters of its Marine Reserve have been well preserved, nearly untouched by external sources.   Here the crossroads of marine currents has resulted in a unique marine ecosystem. The Hotel Finch Bay provides snorkeling gear for free, and Scuba diving programs are available for a fee. Click here for more information on diving in the Galapagos.

 

SEA KAYAKING
Right behind the Finch Bay Hotel is Devine Bay, an excellent location to explore by single kayak. Here you get an up close look at sharks, sea turtles, rays, fish, and a variety of marine birds.  Beginners can practice kayaking at the hotel’s secluded beach before heading out to sea.
 

HIKE TO TORTUGA BAY

A 30-minute hike to a white-sand beach, considered the nicest of the archipelago, a peaceful spot for the nature lover. Tortuga Bay’s name comes from the sea turtles that go there to lay their eggs. Other species found here are pelicans, Darwin’s finches, Galapagos mockingbirds, doves, and marine iguanas. Excellent bird watching can be found along the way.  Right at the shoreline is great chance to observe migrant shore birds.

 

Tortuga Bay is a wonderful place for meditating, connecting, writing, reading, sunbathing or just relaxing and taking a long nap. You can spend hours watching birds flying across the beach, crabs moving along the shore and iguanas basking in the sun.  The trail gate opens at 5:30 AM for jogging enthusiasts and early birders.

  

BIKING

Mountain bikes and helmets are available  for a fee for Finch Bay Hotel guests. To begin your adventure, private transportation will take bikes and guests to the highlands of Santa Cruz.  There are two main routes:

Route 1:  Paradise Downhill Road (14 kilometers/8 miles), altitude of 250 meters (820 ft.) above sea level towards El Garrapatero, is a newly opened visitor site in the Galapagos for recreational use (guests need not be accompanied by a guide) with a gorgeous coral-lined beach.  Most of the ride is downhill on moderate terrain (gravel and small rocks).  Right behind the beach there is an amazing brackish water pond where pintail ducks, common stilts, and even flamingos can be observed.  Previous mountain biking experience is recommended. Guests return to Puerto Ayora by private transportation.

Route 2:  Bike Quest for Giant Tortoises.  From the highlands of Santa Cruz ride about 14 kilometers (8 miles) on paved and dirt roads of medium difficulty.  Arrive at the El Chato Tortoise Reserve and then take a 45-minute hike within the reserve.   In addition to the giant tortoises, look for flycatchers, gallinules, rails, and Darwin’s finches. Previous biking experience is suggested. Return to Puerto Ayora by private transportation.

 

GIANT TORTOISE RESERVE

Hiking or biking from Puerto Ayora to the Reserve takes about two hours through dense and low growing vegetation. Here you can observe the Galapagos giant tortoises (in season) in their natural habitat.  Also, once in the highlands, you can visit Los Gemelos Pit Craters, just off the road towards the Baltra airport. 

LAS GRIETAS

To the back of the Finch Bay Hotel is a trail leading to beautiful, deep ponds formed by the filtering of underground sea water through lava crevices and half-submerged cliffs.  This is a popular place for swimming and snorkeling.

THE LAVA TUBES OF BELLAVISTA
These intriguing natural lava caves are located in the Highlands of Santa Cruz Island. This visit is a great introduction to the geology of the Galapagos and its volcanic origins. Learn how stalactites and stalagmites form, and understand the violent and fierce volcanic past of the islands.

HORSEBACK RIDING
Enjoy horseback riding along paths on the hillsides of Santa Cruz with their spectacular scenery and unique wildlife all around. One of the least known regions of the Galapagos, the Highlands offer a new and different world for curious visitors.