AM: This morning you will check-in at the Quito or Guayaquil international airport. (NOTE: The flight time from Quito to Guayaquil is 40 minutes, plus a 40-minute layover in Guayaquil, while the flight time from the Guayaquil airport to the Galapagos Islands is 1hour and 40 minutes. Arriving in the Galapagos archipelago at the Baltra Island airport, you will have VIP access into the lounge there. A Pikaia representative will meet you in the lounge and accompany you first to the Itabaca Channel for a seven-minute ferry crossing to Santa Cruz Island. From there, you will take a scenic 50-minute trip in private transportation to the Pikaia Lodge. After checking in, you will have lunch in the lodge’s Evolution Restaurant or on the Pool Terrace. The rest of the afternoon, you will have a chance to relax and familiarize themselves with the lodge’s environment and facilities. We recommend walking, jogging or cycling the 3.5 km of trails on the lodge’s grounds, or you can take a swim in the pool. This afternoon is also a good chance of encountering resident tortoises on the lodge’s grounds. Later — with a complimentary welcome cocktail offered at the DNA Bar — a tour briefing will be held to review the week's activities and special features about Pikaia Lodge and Galápagos. Additionally, after dinner, a 3-D HD documentary on the Galapagos Islands, filmed by Sir David Attenborough, will be shown in the Pikaia's Explorers Lounge for those interested in additional information about this unique archipelago.

AM: Like every morning, today's day’s activities will be planned using satellite weather imagery and tide charts. Most likely, we will go on a land tour on Santa Cruz Island (maximum group size: 16 people). A possible visit will be to the long and sandy Las Bachas Beach, one of the most important nesting beaches for sea turtles. Here you can also find flamingos, Black-winged stilts, sea lions, herons, marine iguanas, and — with a little bit of luck — tiny Galapagos penguins. In addition, this beach is one of the main nesting sites of sea turtles in the Galapagos. A female can lay eggs 3 or 4 times with an average of 70 eggs each, but they then spend 3 to 5 years without breeding. At this paradisiacal site, we will also find the remains of barges that sank long ago; these were once the property of the United States Navy when they operated an airbase on Baltra Island during World War II. In fact, the beach got its name because the English word “barges” was hard to pronounce for the local people – hence “Bachas” Beach. You will also have the opportunity to swim on this soft white sand beach or explore the fascinating underwater by snorkeling. PM: In addition, we can later head to one of the most visited spots in the islands: the Charles Darwin Research Station, which is primarily an international scientific research station situated on the outskirts of Puerto Ayora. You will be taken to its visitor center to learn about the geology, climate, natural history and the conservation of the Galapagos Islands. However, the highlight of your visit here will undoubtedly be the research facility’s Fausto Llerena Tortoise Breeding Center, which breeds giant tortoises. These enormous and slow-moving reptiles can live up to 150- 200 years and weigh between 250 and 300 kg. Approaching them in their humid and forested spaces is always an inspiring adventure. For decades, the Fausto Center was home to “Lonesome George,” who finally died in 2012 as the last of his particular species. The tortoises you will see here are accustomed to humans, so it’s an excellent spot for visitors to take photographs with them. Remember that looking at the animals is allowed, but touching is not, and it’s absolutely forbidden to jump over the walls or open the pen doors at any time. Alternatively, guests are free to relax and enjoy their day at the lodge independently, spending the day at your leisure. Mountain bikes, helmets, snorkeling equipment and wetsuits are available without charge at the front desk or onboard the lodge’s yacht. (It is recommended to pre-book to take advantage of any optional third-party activities not included in the package. All extra activities might have an extra cost [e.g. taxis, equipment, guides].

AM: Today we will go on a full-day yacht cruise on board the lodge’s Pikaia I yacht. Private cabins are assigned and guests have the option of having breakfast onboard Pikaia I. We will sail first to South Plaza Island, located just east of Santa Cruz Island. After a dry landing on the northern part of this life-filled islet, you will encounter colonies of sea lions and land iguanas. While on the steep banks, you can see numbers of birds – like nesting Tropicbirds and Fork-tailed seagulls – but most of all, you will either enjoy the beautiful views from atop the steep banks or while strolling along the base of the cliff. Opuntia cactuses grow on this island and the vegetation changes color throughout the year. Upon arrival on South Plaza Island, the morning offers hiking or snorkeling activities until midday.

AM: Concluding these amazing experiences in the Galapagos Islands, you will be driven to the Baltra Island airport and assisted with checking in for your return flight to the Ecuadorian mainland. Enjoy your last look back at the “enchanted islands,” a unique paradise with inspiring natural wonders. From Baltra, you will fly back to mainland Ecuador for your connecting flight home or onward.