Galapagos Outer Loop

During World War II, Baltra served as a U.S. military base protecting the Panama Canal from enemy attack. Now the cactus-strewn landscapes of Baltra are home to the region’s main airport and where you will meet the ship. After just a short bus and zodiac ride you will be aboard. Your luggage will be delivered straight to your stateroom, giving you the opportunity to explore the Celebrity Xpedition, a 296-foot mega-yacht and your home for the week.

Gardner Bay on Espanola’s northern side hosts one of the longest beaches in the Galapagos, and a beautiful way to start the day. During a morning walk along a soft white sand beach, you’ll visit a sea lion colony, look for pups playing in shallow water pools, and search for the startlingly red Sally Lightfoot crabs, shorebirds, and marine iguanas. Afterwards, go for a swim, snorkel or just relax on the sparkling white sand.

Floreana was the first capital of the Galapagos and where Charles Darwin met the islands’ Governor. Its small brackish lagoon is often home to flamingos, stilts, and white-cheeked pintail ducks, and one of its beaches is a highly used nesting site for sea turtles. Check out the green-hued sand where you land! Excursion options include a relatively short walk to the lagoon and sea turtle-nesting beach, and optional snorkeling and swimming at the landing beach. In addition, for experienced snorkelers only we offer a deepwater snorkel at nearby Champion Island.

Bahia Post Office, Floreana

Punta Moreno is one of the least visited sites on Isabela due to its remote location and difficult access. Stark black volcanic rocks cover the landscape and when juxtaposed with the brilliant green of lush plant growth around ponds, it makes for a spectacular sight. Add a mix of coastal wildlife and it’s a visitor’s delight. Here, you can go on an extended Zodiac ride to view blue-footed boobies, pelicans, and the flightless cormorant while searching in the water for fast swimming penguins, rays, and maybe even a shark or two. Another option is a hike over the black lava rock to observe coastal ponds where sea turtles and sharks often reside and then head inland to what seems like an oasis—an interior lake where flamingos are often found.

Due to currents and upwelling, the water here is noticeably colder than in other parts of the Galapagos and in 1954, part of this area along Isabela’s coast was uplifted 12–15 feet just prior to an eruption. The remains of a coral reef raised during the uplift can still be found at Urvina Bay. On a long hike, you can ramble through the now high-and-dry corals of this once thriving reef or stick to a shorter version of the same hike and look for land iguanas, finches, and if luck holds, giant tortoises. Afterwards, if conditions allow, the black sand beach of Urvina Bay offers a chance for swimming and snorkeling. While in the water, you may see sea turtles and diving cormorants.

Here on Isla Fernandina, guests may walk on recent lava flows from La Cumbre volcano and also observe the flightless cormorant, one of the islands’ best examples of evolution.

One of the most dramatic of landscapes in the Galapagos. At the foot of Isabela’s Ecuador Volcano, this is an opportunity to see first-hand the remains of a caldera and the abundant wildlife now residing in the area. Here, a Zodiac ride provides an excellent viewing platform and if conditions allow, you can jump in for a snorkel. Cruising along shore, a volcanic dike, where lava once shot up through a vertical crack is clearly evident and the steep cliffs make for drama while on the search for Galapagos fur seals and other wildlife. In the water, sea turtles and penguins are everyone’s favorite.

A small uplifted island just off the northeast coast of Santa Cruz. The island’s low-lying landscape is covered with colorful saltbush, scrub, and giant prickly pear cactus. A subspecies of land iguana is found on the island in plentiful abundance and sometimes can be seen munching on the cactus. The southern cliffs are steep and rocky, and home to numerous seabirds as well as a bachelor colony of sea lions. Looking down into the clear blue waters, schools of surgeonfish swim by as birds shoot in and out of the holes in the cliff. A short hike and Zodiac ride provide ample opportunity to observe the beauty and wildlife of the island.

The cliff shore of the island is home for sea lions, pelicans, blue footed boobies and tropic bird. In addition, large schools of fish can be observed from the zodiac rides.

Dragon Hill, or “Cerro Dragon,” is named after its population of land iguanas. The site offers a beautiful view of the landscape and two small brackish lagoons where flamingos and other shore birds occasionally feed. Along the trail, we’ll cross a beautiful “white forest” of Palo Santo (incense) trees and Galapagos cotton plants. Excursion options include a high-intensity hike with swimming/snorkeling at the beach, high intensity snorkeling from a zodiac followed by a short walk and a low-intensity Zodiac ride along the coastline with optional dry landing for animal observation.

Santa Cruz is the second-largest island in the Galapagos and home to Puerto Ayora (the largest town in the islands). In 1959, the Ecuadorian government declared all the islands, except areas already colonized, as a national park. In the same year, the Charles Darwin Foundation was founded to promote scientific research and ensure the conservation of the Galapagos. In 1992, the waters surrounding the Galapagos were declared a marine reserve. Here, you have the opportunity to visit a giant tortoise reserve in the lushly vegetated highlands, where the animals roam free in their natural habitat. On another excursion, a short drive through town brings you to the Galapagos Park Service giant tortoise breeding station and the Charles Darwin Research Station. Afterwards there is time to wander through the lovely streets of Puerto Ayora for some shopping.

During World War II, Baltra served as a U.S. military base protecting the Panama Canal from enemy attack. Now the cactus-strewn landscapes of Baltra are home to the region’s main airport and where you will meet the ship. After just a short bus and zodiac ride you will be aboard. Your luggage will be delivered straight to your stateroom, giving you the opportunity to explore the Celebrity Xpedition, a 296-foot mega-yacht and your home for the week.