Overview
Independent Galapagos at the Finch Bay Resort with Ecuador’s Amazon
How deep is your love of adventure? Is it deep enough to follow the course of Charles Darwin to discover your own love affair with the wildlife paradise of the Galápagos Islands? If so, this Globus Independent tour in Ecuador is pointing you in the right direction. Ignite your independent spirit on a canoe trip downriver from Coca to the comfort of your Amazon Rainforest lodge, where you’re in good hands with a Naturalist guide to explore the jungle from its rainforest canopy to the forest floor. Be awestruck by the wealth of wildlife that thrives in this tropical wilderness. Explore the historic heart of Quito and depart for parts unknown where blue-footed boobies, giant tortoises, and diving iguanas of the Galápagos Islands give new meaning to mind-blowing discoveries. You’ll stay at the award-winning Finch Bay Eco Hotel on Santa Cruz Island in the Galápagos, offering a private, seaside location to kayak, snorkel, bike, and take boat excursions to the various Galápagos Islands with expert Naturalists. Sail upon pristine waters to discover the perfectly evolved creatures who thrive on this volcanic archipelago. Stroll the sand where sea lions bask and albatross brace against the updrafts above the cliffs. Sail, snorkel, and simply stay in a state of astonishment through the sanctuaries of spectacular species on North Seymour, South Plaza Island, and Santa Cruz Islands. Visit the Charles Darwin Research Station where conservationists work to protect the gentle giants for which the islands are named. Treat yourself to a tour that is exclusively yours with free time, me time, and optional adventures that speak to your independent spirit!
Highlights of Independent Galapagos at the Finch Bay Resort with Ecuador’s Amazon
City Highlights
Related Tours
Transportation
Notes
•Transportation is as outlined in the day-by-day itinerary and includes private airport transfers to/from intra-vacation flights. Internal flights to/from the Galápagos and the Ecuadorian Amazon are included. Local Guide service is provided in Quito. A Naturalist in the Galápagos & the Amazon are also provided. •For the Amazon adventure, guests should be prepared for eco-lodging due to their remote nature in the rainforest. The itinerary in the Amazon is subject to favorable weather conditions and water levels. When conditions are unfavorable, alternative accommodations and excursions will be provided. Further, guests should be prepared for sustained walking, possibly muddy conditions, and be able to get into/out of small watercrafts such as canoes and small fishing boats.•On the Galapagos Islands, we use a small vessel (20 guests) that has 3 crew members, emergency washrooms and a snack bar. The excursions are day cruises with landings on the islands, some of which are wet landings. Departure times vary depending on what islands we visit. At times we may visit one island, but we land on different parts of it. These sailings are subject to change and weather related depending on what island we are visiting. Sailings are approximately 5 to 6 hours per day, which includes the landings and sightseeing. •Maximum elevation on tour is 9,350 ft.
Travelers Notes
Special features included in this tour:
- 3-night Amazon eco-lodge experience with activities
- Private guided sightseeing of Quito’s colonial landmarks, including Independence Square and the Basilica
- Island excursion to North Seymour to see blue-footed boobies, sea lions, and frigatebirds
- Visit to the highlands of Santa Cruz for the Giant Tortoise Reserve and local coffee, sugar cane, and cocoa farm for lunch
- Snorkeling opportunity at Punta Carrión and guided walk on South Plaza Island
- Excursion to Divine Bay with kayaking or boating to view sea turtles, rays, and reef sharks
- Visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station for insights into tortoise conservation
- Roundtrip internal flights to Coca and between mainland Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands
Product Group
Independent Galapagos at the Finch Bay Resort
UNESCO Sites
City of Quito|Galapagos Islands
Price Details US
This vacation includes the following Intra-Vacation Air segments in the vacation price: Quito/Coca; Coca/Quito; Quito/Galápagos; Galápagos/Guayaquil. Galápagos package includes Galápagos National Park entrance fee and transit card.
Meals
Buffet breakfast daily; 7 lunches; 7 three-course dinners
Itineraries
Day 1
ARRIVE IN QUITO, ECUADOR Welcome to Quito, where your hotel is available for mid-afternoon check-in.
Day 2
QUITO–COCA–AMAZON LODGE • Transfer to the airport and fly to Coca where you will be met by your Naturalist. • Travel by motorboat down the Napo River with opportunities to spot birds like herons, kingfishers, and others. • Next, transfer to a canoe and float through narrow channels looking for monkeys as well as large birds like toucans, parrots, or even macaws.• Arrive at your Amazon lodge located on Añangu Lake surrounded by pristine rainforest. • Tonight, enjoy a welcome drink, briefing, and dinner. (B,L,D)Please note: the itinerary in the Amazon is subject to favorable weather conditions and water levels. When conditions are unfavorable, alternative accommodations and excursions will be provided.
Day 3
AMAZON LODGE • After an early breakfast, journey to a parrot clay lick where 11 different species of parrots, parakeets, and macaws can be seen on a daily basis. • Later, walk to a local community where you are invited to join families of the Anangu indigenous community on their daily activities, such as harvesting bananas, coco, and manioc. • Take a Naturalist-guided walk through the jungle in search of interesting plants and vibrant or well-camouflaged insects.(B,L,D)
Day 4
AMAZON LODGE • This morning, ascend a canopy tower over 100 feet above the forest floor at the top of a Ceiba tree. From here, you can view spider monkeys, aracaris, toucans, blue and gold macaws, numerous species of tanagers, and the red-rumped cacique. • After lunch at the lodge, explore lakes and creeks on a dugout canoe in search of river otters, potoos, kingfishers, hoatzins, jacamars, hawks, and monkeys. (B,L,D)
Day 5
AMAZON LODGE–COCA–QUITO • Depart your Amazon lodge and fly from Coca to Quito today. • The remainder of your afternoon is at leisure. (B)
Day 6
QUITO • Your included private city tour showcases the rich legacy left by the Incas and the Spaniards. See Independence Square, dominated by its formidable cathedral, San Francisco Plaza Church, and the Basilica with its marvelous stained-glass windows. (B)
Day 7
QUITO–BALTRA–NORTH SEYMOUR–SANTA CRUZ • Transfer to the airport and fly to Baltra in the Galápagos. • Upon arrival, aboard a yacht bound for North Seymour, an island teeming with life. You might have to give way to a passing sea lion, marine iguana, or blue-footed boobies that nest here. As you walk along the shore, see large flocks of pelicans in a dive-bomb feeding-frenzy, and one of the Galápagos’ largest nesting sites of the magnificent frigatebird. In the bushes you can see the males up close with their puffed-up scarlet throat sacs. • Return to the yacht and continue to the Finch Bay Hotel. (B,L,D)
Day 8
SANTA CRUZ. EXCURSION TO THE HIGHLANDS • Transfer to the lush highlands of Santa Cruz to a farming area called El Manzanillo on the edge of the Giant Tortoise Reserve. Here, tortoises can be seen grazing year-round, along with woodpecker finches, mockingbirds, and flycatchers. • After lunch, visit a local farm, where coffee, sugar cane, and cocoa beans are grown, harvested, and prepared. • Return to the hotel and perhaps spend time on the beach.(B,L,D)
Day 9
SANTA CRUZ. EXCURSION TO PUNTA CARRION & SOUTH PLAZA ISLAND • This morning, travel to Punta Carrion on Santa Cruz Island for some time to snorkel. The shallow reefs and mangroves make this an ideal site to snorkel with plenty of reef fish as well as occasional sea lions and sharks. • Next, sail to South Plaza Island, a small island full of fascinating wildlife, both along its shore and along its dramatic, wind-swept cliffs. Here you will see large, yellow land iguanas, swallow-tailed gulls, masked and blue-footed boobies, sea lions, and much more during your guided walk. • Return to the hotel this afternoon.(B,L,D)
Day 10
SANTA CRUZ. EXCURSION TO DIVINE BAY • Today’s adventure takes you to wildlife-rich Divine Bay on Santa Cruz Island. Marine iguanas, herons, noddy terns, blue-footed boobies, and tropicbirds are commonly seen here. You may explore on foot or, if you’re feeling adventurous, you can take to the sea by kayak. Keep an eye out for sea turtles, rays, and reef sharks as you cruise the tranquil waters. • Return to the hotel for lunch, followed by an afternoon visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station, established to help conserve the Galápagos’ natural habitats and protect the area’s famous giant tortoises.(B,L,D)
Day 11
SANTA CRUZ–BALTRA–GUAYAQUIL • Depart the hotel this morning for the airport in Baltra. Then, fly to Guayaquil on Ecuador’s Pacific coast and transfer to the hotel for your final night in Ecuador. (B)
Day 12
GUAYAQUIL Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (B)
Departures
Hotels
| # | Name | Description | City | Address | Rating |
| 1 | Hilton Colon Quito - MET | The Hilton Colon Quito hotel is 10 minute walk from the colonial Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This modern hotel enjoys spectacular views of the city. Amenities include a fitness center, spa, outdoor heated pool, 5 restaurants/lounges, laundry service, concierge, florist, barber shop, and gift shop. | Quito | Ave Amazonas N 1914 Y Patria Avenida 1 | Superior First-Class |
| 2 | Sacha Lodge | The lodging at Sacha was carefully designed to offer comfort to the traveler yet preserve the environment and rainforest ambience. Amenities include a restaurant, bar, canopy walk, canopy tower, butterfly house, and laundry services. | Coca | Amazon Rainforest | National Park |
| 3 | Finch Bay Eco Hotel - Finch Bay Room | The Finch Bay Hotel offers a seaside location surrounded by mangroves. Amenities include a bar, lounge, restaurant, outdoor pool, and beachfront access. All rooms offer twin beds, private facilities, and air-conditioning. | Galápagos Islands | Barrio Punta Estrada S/N | First-Class |
| 4 | Hilton Colon Guayaquil - Metro | Guayaquil | Av Francisco de Orellana Mz 111 |
