Galapagos Island Wonders aboard the ‘Seaman Journey’ Cruise

Through this formidable tour, real experiences will be obtained, by involving all five senses: Taste, Touch, Hear, Sight and Smell, but also adding the “Sixth Sense” that is “Love”. All the love that our Artisans put into the productive process of a variety of high quality products and delicacies, where our guests can participate in the process of manufacturing these products.

You start on San Juan Hill by visiting the Cobo family’s pastry shop; at this small bakery, you will learn the process of making the traditional Quesadilla, one of Quito’s favorite desserts. You will get a chance to taste this delicacy and other original treats.

Your second stop is a surprise visit to the ancient location of the temple of the moon; here you will experience “El Torno”, an exclusive attraction that takes us into the city’s past while affording expansive views of the amazing domes and rooftops that furnish the skyline.

Your route takes us through the street of the seven crosses; you will enjoy views of the facades of old colonial homes and churches on the way to the central plaza.

Your next experience will take you to the very origin of the golden seed “Cacao”, you will visit the workshop of the world’s best Chocolate Bar: “Pacari”! Chocolate boasts several gold medals at global competitions. Before you get a taste of this unique delicacy, you will be introduced to the process of making your truffles, you get a chance to be a chocolatier for a day and mix up exotic fruits, herbs, and spices with the famous “Arriba” cocoa beans. All this while learning the entire process from the bean to the bar.

As you continue through these historic streets, you get a chance to meet a local family that makes their living by creating traditional sweets called Colaciones!

You will walk deeper into the heart of Quito, passing by historic buildings made of volcanic stones; the stunning views of the sculpted Compania Church will leave you longing for a visit to its interiors. To learn more about this and other churches you will make your way to the workshops of the master craftsmen from “The Escuela Quiteña”, these artists keep the secrets of colonial art in Quito’s churches and museums, they are the people who have been in charge of restoring the altars and painting in these historic gems. They will share their secrets with you and allow you to try your artistic skills to create your very own crafts.

Your final experience is at the handmade hat workshop; you will get a briefing on the traditional hats from Quito’s historic timeline as well as the distinctive headwear from the different ethnic groups that make up Ecuador’s live culture. You take part in the hat-making process.

Lunch is not included.

On this day you will fly to the Galapagos Island. Due to the Galapagos Government, a fee of 20 USD must be paid for the migration control card (included). Once in San Cristobal, passengers must go through an inspection point at the airport to make sure that no foreign plants or animals are being introduced to the archipelago. Also, this inspection point is where passengers have to pay for the entrance to the Galapagos National Park (included). Later on, your guide will pick you up and will carry your luggage to the bus. Passengers will arrive at the Catamaran Seaman Journey on a motorized boat called Panga.

This is an interpretation center with exuberant gardens and stunning ocean views. Visitors at the interpretation center can learn a lot from the geological and human history of the islands, conservation facts, and natural history. This is the oldest museum of Natural History in the Galapagos Islands which attempts to preserve the archipelago. It is indeed inspiring and motivating to watch and learn all of their research and attempts.

A short visit will take place at the Galapaguera, a good place to observe Galapagos tortoises in their natural habitat. San Cristobal island has endemic species such as: the Mockingbird Nesomimus melanotis, lava lizard (Microlophus bivittatus), Chatham Leaf-toed Gecko (Phyllodactylus leei), and the tortoises. All of these species can be observed in this place, the beach is really big and it works as a nesting zone for marine tortoises. Between January and May, it is common to find the footprints of the female tortoises who have climbed to the dunes to deposit their eggs! This truly is a worthy experience to be a part of.

Cerro Brujo is a beautiful white coral beach where you can swim and watch birds and sea lions, plus you can snorkel. This is the first coast that Charles Darwin walked on, in 1835. In this marvelous lava landscape, you can watch seabirds like blue-footed boobies, Nazca boobies, herons, frigate birds and shore birds. The protected bay is well known for its young tortoises which like to swim around.

The pools with salty water behind the dunes were used by the fishermen as a salt mine to preserve food for the local population. Among the fauna you can observe the Chatham Mockingbird and the San Cristobal Lava Lizards, both species are endemic to the island and unique to the area. Furthermore, you will see the Galapagos turtles and with luck, the little bird known as the Pájaro Brujo in Spanish, an endemic species in San Cristobal Island. The vegetation covers all the route, where you can find species like the candelabrum cactus and carob trees. Located on the north coast of Isla San Cristobal it is a peaceful place with white sand and crystal water, a perfect combination for an incredible stay.

Located on the north-eastern coast of Hood, Gardner Bay offers an excellent beach to relax, swim, and even kayak, plus the opportunity to observe sea lions (Zalophus wollebaki), here we can also observe sharks in the crystal-clear ocean waters. At this place, you can see three species of Darwin finches: A subspecies of the large-billed cactus finch (Geospiza fuliginosa), which is similar to the large-billed terrestrial finch; The small-beaked ground finch (Geospiza fuliginosa and; The singing finch (Certhidea olivacea) which is another endemic subspecies. Both resident and migratory birds are observed.

This area is great for spotting blue-footed boobies, albatrosses, and Nazca boobies. A beautiful site on the oceanfront, the large waved albatrosses use the cliff as a launching pad. The famous attraction is the magnificent blowhole, spurting water high into the air at least 50 to 75 meters high. This site presents wonderful photography opportunities.

This site offers probably the best flamingo lagoon in the Galapagos; it is also one of the largest in the islands. It’s situated between two tuff lava cones that give the area a special atmosphere. There are various species of shorebirds to observe besides flamingos; the most frequent are common stilts, white-checked pintail ducks, and other migratory birds. It is very interesting to see the two distinct beaches: “The Green Beach” (due to its high percentage of olivine crystals in the sand) and the “Flour Sand Beach” which is made up of coral. After the interesting walk, the group is taken to Champion Islet, a great place to enjoy snorkeling and underwater wildlife. Some of the animals that can be seen are sea turtles, sea lions, and multiple fish thanks to the nearby coral reef.

Historically, this site is the location of a wooden barrel that was placed in the 18th century by the crew of a whaling ship. It has been used since this time by marines and tourists as a post office. The idea is to carry letters or postcards to their destination by hand. Besides, this site was the landing area for some of the first colonists. This day’s afternoon is thought to be a relaxing time for visitors to enjoy the beach and the beauty of the Galapagos.

Although the great majority of Galapagos visitors come here to observe and appreciate natural wonders, it is also interesting to learn how the protection and conservation of the islands are carried out. This path offers the possibility to learn aspects and feel synchronized with nature.