The Santa Cruz experience

Day 1:
AM
You will be greeted by our staff who will accompany you on a very short bus ride to than catch the Ferry to cross to Santa Cruz Island (aprox. 10 minutes). Depending on your flight schedule, we will be in Santa Cruz at around 11:30, to board our private transportation for a final 30 minute ride to Aventura Lodge, to check in and rest or relax in the facilities. Once you are accommodated in your room, lunch will be served.
PM
You will head to the emerald waters of Tortuga Bay for some snorkel with Sea Lions, Sting Rays and Baby Reef Sharks. Here, there is also the possibility to witness the nesting site of the famous Marine Iguanas.
After this you will try on the SCUBA equipment and watch a 45 minute video as an introduction to the world of underwater exploration. At the lodge, before serving dinner, there will be a welcoming cocktail and a briefing for the next day´s activities.

Day 2:
AM
You will enjoy a good breakfast at the Lodge before departing to the day´s diving adventure, in the vicinity of Santa Cruz and where you will have the opportunity to see Eagle Rays, Manta Rays, Hammerheads, White-Tipped Reef Sharks, Galapagos Shark, Stingrays, Marbled Rays, Tiger Snake Eels, Moray Eels, Garden Eels, Sea Stars, Sea Turtles, Jacks, Blue and Gold Snappers, Flag Cabrilla, Creolefish, King Angelfish, Barracuda, Heiroglyphic Hawkfish, Frogfish, Yellowtail Surgeonfish, Spotfin Burrfish, Scorpionfish, Cardinalfish, Nudibranch and more!
PM
This afternoon is free for you to discover Puerto Ayora or relax in the lodge´s facilities. When the day ends, you will enjoy dinner and hear the briefing for the next day at the lodge.

Day 3:
AM
After breakfast, you will enjoy another morning of diving in Santa Cruz, with opportunities to see Eagle Rays, Manta Rays, Hammerheads, White-Tipped Reef Sharks, Galapagos Shark, Stingrays, Marbled Rays, Tiger Snake Eels, Moray Eels, Garden Eels, Sea Stars, Sea Turtles, Jacks, Blue and Gold Snappers, Flag Cabrilla, Creolefish, King Angelfish, Barracuda, Heiroglyphic Hawkfish, Frogfish, Yellowtail Surgeonfish, Spotfin Burrfish, Scorpionfish, Cardinalfish, Nudibranch among other species.
PM
Another afternoon free to explore downtown Puerto Ayora or take pleasure in a well earned rest. Dinner will be served at the lodge, after which the usual briefing will take place.

Day 4:
AM
After a delicious breakfast at the Lodge, we will start our adventure with a trip to "Los Gemelos" (The Twins), two enormous collapsed lava chambers-a breathtaking visual reminder of the power of nature. The short, easy hike to each of the twins is swarming with endemic flora and fauna, including the remaining Scalesia Forest, draped in liverwort, with large and small tree finches, the beautiful vermillion flycatcher, and much more. It's a wonderful introduction to the majestic power of the forces of nature and the great biodiversity of the Santa Cruz Highlands.
We will also visit a 600-acre private reserve where the giant Galapagos tortoises freely roam, graze, and sleep in their natural habitat. As prehistoric as these creatures look, wait until you hear what they sound like! After visiting the tortoises, we'll take a 5-minute ride to the entrance of a 450-meter (1350 feet) illuminated lava tunnel. Stalagmites, stalactites, sulfur, mineral-colored walls, and the rippled floor formed from lava can all be experienced in this unique Galapagos stroll.
PM
After Lunch, you will visit the fascinating Charles Darwin Research Station, the best place to learn about the whole Galapagos Islands.
Founded in 1964 with the purpose of studying and preserving the natural wonder that is Galapagos, the station is supported by over 100 scientists and researchers from around the world, instrumental in the conservation efforts of the islands. Here you will also get to meet the most famous giant tortoise: Lonesome George. He was discovered in 1971 on Pinta Island and is the very last of his kind.

Day 5:
AM After a hearty breakfast at the lodge, our guide will accompany you to the airport in Baltra to catch your flight back to the mainland.