Saturday, Arrival to Guayaquil or Quito 

Guayaquil is Ecuador’s largest city and the ideal gateway to Ecuador with frequent flights and a conveniently-located airport.  All flights to the Galapagos stop here, so our tour is designed to take advantage of this convenience.  Once you arrive, you are met by a ROW Adventures representative and transferred to your hotel.  If you arrive early in the day, enjoy your time exploring the waterfront area of Guayaquil, settling in and recovering from your flight. You will receive a welcome letter at the hotel which will let you know the time to meet your guide and the rest of your group the following morning for your flight to the islands.

Trapiche Visit – Garrapatero Beach

In the morning, we will drive through the town of Bellavista, before we reach the beautiful El Garrapatero Beach, there is a farm that specialized in the production of sugar and they do so the old fashioned way. They also produce sugar cane and coffee, unique throughout the region. One of the family members will demonstrate the farming process for coffee and sugar cane, and show us the process for the extraction of the sugar cane juice. We will learn about the distillation process that leads to the final product, the “Galapagos Moonshine”. In the process, we will be able to taste the fruit of the coffee plant in its natural state.

From here we will continue to El Garrapatero beach where we will have the opportunity to relax on the beach, swim in the ocean or kayak to explore the nearby mangroves. For a unique experience, today, we will have a special dinner with a local fisherman. He will provide us with deeper insights into the flavor and native lifestyle of Ecuador, as his family prepares a special dinner for us.

 Kayak Puerto Baquerizo Moreno – Manglecito

Rise and join breakfast as we prepare for our longest paddle yet.  We head north along the coast several miles, with low-lying hills and the central mountains of San Cristobal in our view.  As we paddle, we are likely to be sharing the waters with sea turtles as well as sea lions which observe us and may even follow along for a spell.   Birds circle overhead while fish swim underneath, and plummeting boobies that come up with fish in their beaks add to the natural show all around.

We paddle roughly 7.6 miles today passing Isla Lobos on the way.  By late afternoon we arrive at our lovely beach camp with time to settle in.  This is a magical place and camping in the Galapagos is a rare treat made possible by our special permits.  Before too long it’s time to take a short stroll to watch the sun set over the magnificent Pacific Ocean.  We dine in camp, watch the stars lighten the sky, and fall asleep to the sound of surf.

Kayak Further North to Next Beach Camp

As the sun rises the activity of birds and lapping waves are likely to wake you.  This is a highlight of actually camping on the Galapagos Islands that just isn’t the same when on a boat.  Truly it is a most magical way to wake and know you are truly immersed in the abundant beauty and life found only here.
A hearty breakfast is served, and then we pack up, don our lifejackets, pick up our paddles and ease ourselves into our kayaks.  Today is another superb paddling day along the coast!  The scenery changes as the island’s mountains come into better view.  As always, frigate birds, gulls, pelicans, and boobies provide entertainment and wonder as we paddle.  With luck we see more sea turtles who periscope up their heads to watch us.

After our exhilarating morning paddle, we arrive at our next camp.  We'll unpack a bit with everyone’s help camp will be set up quickly and then it’s time for lunch followed by a relaxed stroll on the beach.  We spend a fulfilling afternoon exploring the beach, snorkeling!  Our view to the west allows for an unobstructed view of an equatorial sunset.  Then it’s time for dinner and a restful night's sleep.

Overnight camp on the beach.