Best of Ecuador & Galapagos Wildlife

Today, fly to Coca - the gateway to the Ecuadorian Amazon.

From here, board a motorised canoe and travel down the river to your jungle lodge, home for the next three nights.

Getting there is certainly part of the adventure and, upon arrival, enjoy lunch and settle in before your first excursion.

Why not begin the day paddling dugout canoes along tannin-rich black-water creeks and lakes? Here, luxuriant lianas, orchids, bromeliads and palm trees thrive alongside wildlife, from the tiny pygmy marmoset to the sleek ocelot or puma.

Then, you could take a motorised canoe along Napo River to visit a local community. Learn about their jungle way of life and test out their cooking techniques, stopping to watch the parrot disco of the clay lick along the way.

Return to the lodge in the late morning, in time for lunch. An afternoon excursion might see you trekking through pristine Terra Firme forest, where 150-foot kapok trees tower above, and various bird territories and howler monkeys reside.

Days at the lodge don't end with the fading of light. Night walks and canoe trips, with the aid of flashlights, often reveal creatures seldom seen during daylight. Caimans and giant insects rule the jungle after sunset.

Return to Quito today by air from Coca.

Spend a night here relaxing before heading off to the Galapagos tomorrow!

This morning, transfer to the airport for a flight to the Galapagos via Guayaquil.

Once on San Cristobal Island, you'll be taken to your floating home for the next seven nights.

In the afternoon, visit El Junco Lagoon. Located in the highlands, 19km from Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, El Junco is situated in the caldera of an extinct volcano. The highlight here is the beautiful lagoon that fills the crater of the extinct volcano, fed by rainwater. Frigate birds can be spotted.

In the morning, visit Witch Hill. Otherwise known as 'Cerro Brujo', this eroded hill and its surroundings present one of the most picturesque beaches in the Galapagos. Wildlife includes sea turtles, rays, and various types of booby birds. The clear water provides an excellent opportunity for enjoying swimming and snorkelling.

In the afternoon, visit Punta Pitt - a tuff formation that serves as a nesting site for many sea birds, including all three types of boobies (blue-footed, red-footed and Nazca), both frigatebird species, swallow-tailed gulls, storm petrels, shearwaters and brown pelicans. Punta Pitt is also home to a colony of sea lions.

This morning, visit Suarez Point. On the trail, you can see blue-footed boobies, albatrosses and Nazca boobies. Española Island is the breeding site of nearly all of the world’s 12,000 pairs of waved albatrosses. Between April and December, they perform their elaborate courtship displays.

You'll also visit a beautiful site on the oceanfront where there's a cliff that the large albatrosses use as a launching pad! Marvel at the famous blowhole that spurts sea water into the air.

This afternoon takes you to the spectacular Gardner Bay. Walk across a lovely white-sand beach among a busy sea lion colony or dive into the water to swim with sea lion pups. You may also see curious mockingbirds on the beach.

This morning, head to Floreana Island’s northernmost point – Punta Cormorant, which is named after the British naval vessel HMS Cormorant dating back to the late 19th Century. From the landing beach, a short track leads to a shallow lagoon famous for its flamingos. The brilliantly pink birds skim the salty waters for shrimp and tend to chicks on the nest.

The trail then scales a low hillside through scattered Palo Santo trees to reveal an idyllic white-sand beach on the other side of the point. Standing at the edge of the lapping waves, look out for mammoth female sea turtles hauling themselves out of the sea to lay eggs in the sugar sand dunes that lay high above the tide line.

In the afternoon, visit the famous Post Office Bay. You'll land on a beach and head to a spot where 18th Century whalers placed a wooden barrel used as an unofficial mail box. The custom continues to this day with Galapagos visitors. So, don’t forget your postcards and don’t be surprised if it arrives to its destination before you get home!

This morning, head into the highlands of Santa Cruz Island. Accessible by bus from Puerto Ayora, the highlands of Santa Cruz are a deep green which contrast beautifully with the dry, lower part of the islands. The lava tunnels, over half a mile long, are underground and walking through them is a unique, surreal experience.

In the afternoon, stop at Los Gemelos. Spanish for “the twins” and true to their shared name, Los Gemelos are twin sinkholes, one on either side of the road running from Puerto Ayora to the north side of the island.

Walk along the craters’ edges before stopping at Rancho El Manzanillo to see giant Santa Cruz tortoises. On the ranch, swap walking shoes for knee-high rubber boots and wade out into the green fields to see majestic giant tortoises.

Afterwards, stop at the Fausto Llerena Giant Tortoises Breeding Centre in Puerto Ayora, where giant tortoises are bred in captivity; this is home to tortoises ranging from three inches (new hatchlings) to four-feet-long adults.

On the northern shore of Santa Cruz, this morning’s stop is at the beautiful Las Bachas beaches. A short track leads you inland towards a shallow pond with the opportunity to spot flamingos and scavenging shorebirds.

The island of Bartolome offers a volcanic moonscape. Passing through the arid volcanic landscape provides a chance to watch for lava lizards, Galapagos hawks and blue-footed boobies. However, the ultimate reward is one of the most beautiful panoramas in the Galapagos – Pinnacle Rock with black, volcanic cones of Baltra, Daphne Major and Daphne Minor.

On the way down, watch how the sunlight catches the green of pioneering plants in stark contrast against dark volcanic rock. Look forward to time swimming and snorkelling from the golden beach at Bahia Dorada. Galapagos penguins are known to frequent the waters.

Visit South Plaza Island this morning. This small island with steep cliffs was formed by rising lava and is now covered by Opuntia cacti. It's also home to one of the largest sea lion colonies as well as colourful yellow and red land iguanas.

In North Seymour this afternoon, you may see Galapagos sea lions, blue-footed boobies and magnificent frigate birds which are abundant. The island was formed by a series of submarine lava flows containing layers of sediment uplifted by tectonic activity.

This morning, stop at the Interpretation Centre. The tour explores the natural history of the islands, including human interaction and conservation efforts. The Museum of Natural History explains the volcanic origin of the archipelago, ocean currents, climate and arrival of endemic species.

After, fly to Guayaquil in Ecuador for your final night.