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Xepedition, Galapagos Northern Loop ex Baltra Return

Cruise Xepedition, Galapagos Northern Loop ex Baltra Return
Cruise Line Celebrity Cruises
Ship Celebrity Xpedition
Destination South America
Brief Description 7 Night Galapagos Northern Loop departing roundtrip from Baltra onboard Celebrity Xpedition.
Type of Cruise Expedition
Departure Date 04 Feb 2023
Cruise Description 7 Night Galapagos Northern Loop departing roundtrip from Baltra onboard Celebrity Xpedition.

Celebrity Xpedition is a ship that sails you back into history, through the fabled waters surrounding the Galapagos Islands. Cruise aboard Celebrity Xpedition and you'll experience a sense of intimacy that can only be achieved aboard a smaller ship. And yet, Celebrity Xpedition is filled with touches that are luxuriously familiar. Morning mimosas, daily massages and moonlit toasts are just a few of the spoils you'll enjoy as you embrace the timelessness of the Galapagos Islands - a land that time has seemingly forgotten.

Detailed Itinerary:

DAY 1 SATURDAY AM - BALTRA ISLAND - EMBARKATION
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. From the airport, it is just a short bus and Zodiac ride to the ship.

DAY 1 SATURDAY PM - BLACK TURTLE COVE, SANTA CRUZ ISLAND
A Zodiac ride into Black Turtle Cove, one of the most beautiful sites in the Galapagos, takes us through a complex maze of tranquil saltwater inlets surrounded by mangroves. Once inside the cove, we’ll quietly explore the area looking for sea turtles, several species of rays, and sharks. It is also a nesting site for brown pelicans, egrets, and herons. Excursion options: Zodiac.

DAY 2 SUNDAY AM - RABIDA ISLAND
A small island south of Santiago, Rabida is best known for its amazingly red sand and eroded volcanic landscape. A nesting colony of pelicans makes its home here, along with sea lions, finches, mockingbirds, Galapagos Hawks, and some seabirds. With good conditions, the snorkeling can be excellent. Excursion options: Zodiac, walk, swim, kayak and snorkel.

DAY 2 SUNDAY PM - EGAS PORT, SANTIAGO ISLAND
With its black sand beach, coastal tide pools, and blue-water grottos, this stop offers a wonderful taste of the Galapagos and the opportunity to see shore birds, Galapagos Hawks, sea lions, marine iguanas, and Galapagos fur seals. Sea lions, colorful tropical fish, and sea turtles are often seen while snorkeling here (conditions permitting). Excursion options: Walk, swimming, snorkel.

DAY 3 MONDAY AM - TAGUS COVE, ISABELA ISLAND
Historically an anchorage for pirates and whalers, this site offers a breathtaking view of Isabela, its volcanoes, and spectacular Darwin
Lake. Along the shore, seabirds, penguins, sea lions, sea turtles, and nesting flightless cormorants can often be found. Excursion options: Zodiac, walk, snorkeling and kayak.

DAY 3 MONDAY PM - ESPINOZA POINT, FERNANDINA ISLAND
Fernandina is the youngest island in the Galapagos and, as Darwin wrote, it is “covered with immense deluges of black naked lava.” Along
with its extraordinary black lava rocks, this point of land hosts the largest colony of marine iguanas in the Archipelago, along with sea lions and a nesting site for flightless cormorants. Excursion options: Walk, snorkel, hike.

DAY 4 TUESDAY AM - URVINA BAY, ISABELA ISLAND
Composed of five coalesced volcanoes, Isabela is the largest island in the Galapagos and the most recently active, the latest eruption having occurred in 2015. Here we will see large land iguanas, finches, and if lucky, a giant tortoise or two. In 1954, the intrusion of magma below one of the island’s volcanoes caused part of the bay to be uplifted some 6 meters, and today we can walk through the remains of what was once a thriving underwater reef. Excursion options: Walk, hike, snorkel, swim.

DAY 4 TUESDAY PM - VICENTE ROCA POINT, ISABELA ISLAND
The half-collapsed remains of an ancient volcano make for a spectacular setting at this site. Awe-inspiring cliffs, blue waters, and wildlife create a Zodiac ride to remember as we search for sea turtles, penguins, fur seals, the flightless cormorant, marine iguanas, marine mammals, and the oddly shaped form of the elusive sunfish. Excursion options: Zodiac, deep water snorkel.

DAY 5 WEDNESDAY AM - BARTOLOME ISLAND
Bartolomé Island hosts one of the region’s most often photographed views, and a spectacular geologic setting. Its barren moon-like volcanic landscapes, spatter cones, and pinnacle rock make for a unique stop. It is also home to the endemic Galapagos penguin and provides an excellent opportunity for snorkeling. Excursion options include a hike up some 368 stairs “To the Top” of the volcano, a Zodiac ride, and an optional beach swim or snorkel. Excursion options: Hike, swim, beach and snorkel.

DAY 5 WEDNESDAY PM - LAS BACHAS, SANTA CRUZ
Las Bachas Beach is located in the north of Santa Cruz Island. Its soft, white sand is derived from decomposed coral, making it a favorite nesting site for sea turtles. Behind the beach there is a small brackish lagoon, where it is possible to observe flamingos and other coastal birds, such as black-necked stilts and whimbrels. Excursion options: Walk and Swim.

DAY 5 WEDNESDAY PM - DAPHNE ISLAND
Daphne is a satellite volcanic cone located north of Santa Cruz Island. The crater floor is an important breeding site for blue-footed boobies. This Island is famous for the scientific investigation led by Peter and Rosemary Grant on the finches’ population, one of the most important studies on the field that supports Charles Darwin’s Theory. The cliff shore of the island is home for sea lions, pelicans, blue-footed boobies, and tropical birds which can be observed during the circumnavigation of the island.

DAY 6 THURSDAY AM - EL BARRANCO, GENOVESA ISLAND
El Barranco, also known as Prince Phillip’s Steps, named for Prince Philip who visited Galapagos in 1965 and again in 1981, is a steep stairway that leads up through a seabird colony full of Nazca and Red-footed Boobies. Once visitors reach the plateau, the trail continues inland and passes more nesting booby colonies in the thin Palo Santo forest. You will see Nazca boobies, Galapagos doves, mockingbirds and storm petrels. Lucky visitors with keen eyes may catch a glimpse of a Short-eared lava owl stalking petrel along the island’s eastern cliffs. Excursion options: Hike, zodiac, deep water snorkel.

DAY 6 THURSDAY PM - DARWIN BAY, GENOVESA ISLAND
Darwin Bay’s soft white sand is only the beginning of a spectacular excursion. A trail from the beach takes you into lush mangroves where red-footed boobies nest. Other local wildlife includes sea lions, swallow-tailed gulls, frigate birds, and more. Snorkeling is a must here, as the nutrient-rich water attracts all types of marine life, including sharks, sea lions, sea turtles, and the occasional manta ray. Excursion options: Walk, swim, snorkel and kayak.

DAY 7 FRIDAY AM/PM - PUERTO AYORA, SANTA CRUZ ISLAND
This is the main population center of the islands, and home to the National Park Service tortoise-breeding center and the Charles Darwin Research Station. Here you will have the opportunity to visit the tortoise-breeding center and walk through the Charles Darwin Research Station. In addition, you can also take a bus ride to the highlands to observe giant tortoises in the wild and walk through a lava tunnel.

Optional time for shopping will be available. Excursion options: Tortoise-breeding Center/Charles Darwin Center, Highlands.

DAY 8 SATURDAY AM - BALTRA DISEMBARKATION / AIRPORT TRANSFER FOR FLIGHT HOME
Baltra is home to the region’s main airport, and where
you will fly out. You will have a zodiac and bus ride to the airport.
Sailing Dates
29 Oct 2022
12 Nov 2022
10 Dec 2022
24 Dec 2022
26 Nov 2022
26 Nov 2022
26 Nov 2022
26 Nov 2022
07 Jan 2023
21 Jan 2023
21 Jan 2023
21 Jan 2023
04 Feb 2023
04 Feb 2023
18 Feb 2023
18 Feb 2023
18 Feb 2023
18 Feb 2023
04 Mar 2023
04 Mar 2023
04 Mar 2023
04 Mar 2023
18 Mar 2023
18 Mar 2023
18 Mar 2023
01 Apr 2023
15 Apr 2023
15 Apr 2023
15 Apr 2023
15 Apr 2023
29 Apr 2023
29 Apr 2023
29 Apr 2023
29 Apr 2023
13 May 2023
13 May 2023
27 May 2023
27 May 2023
27 May 2023
27 May 2023
10 Jun 2023
10 Jun 2023
10 Jun 2023
10 Jun 2023
24 Jun 2023
24 Jun 2023
24 Jun 2023
08 Jul 2023
22 Jul 2023
22 Jul 2023
22 Jul 2023
22 Jul 2023
05 Aug 2023
05 Aug 2023
05 Aug 2023
05 Aug 2023
19 Aug 2023
19 Aug 2023
19 Aug 2023
02 Sep 2023
16 Sep 2023
16 Sep 2023
16 Sep 2023
16 Sep 2023
30 Sep 2023
30 Sep 2023
30 Sep 2023
30 Sep 2023
14 Oct 2023
14 Oct 2023
28 Oct 2023
28 Oct 2023
28 Oct 2023
28 Oct 2023
11 Nov 2023
11 Nov 2023
11 Nov 2023
11 Nov 2023
25 Nov 2023
25 Nov 2023
25 Nov 2023
09 Dec 2023
23 Dec 2023
23 Dec 2023
23 Dec 2023
23 Dec 2023
Pricing
Please enquire for pricing
Cruise Itinerary
Date Port Arrive Depart
4 Feb 2023 Baltra, Galapagos Is 3:00 PM
4 Feb 2023 Black Turtle Cove, Galapagos Islands 4:00 PM 6:00 PM
5 Feb 2023 Rabida, Galapagos Islands 7:00 AM 11:00 AM
5 Feb 2023 Santiago Island (Puerto Egas), Galapagos Islands 3:00 PM 6:00 PM
6 Feb 2023 Puerto Villamil, Isabella, Galapagos Islands 7:00 AM 11:00 AM
6 Feb 2023 Punta Espinoza, Fernandina 2:00 PM 6:00 PM
7 Feb 2023 Urvina Bay (Isabela), Galapagos 7:00 AM 10:30 AM
7 Feb 2023 Isabela Island (Punta Vicente Roca), Galapagos Islands 2:30 PM 5:30 PM
8 Feb 2023 Bartolome Island, Santiago 7:00 AM 11:30 AM
8 Feb 2023 Las Bachas, Santa Cruz 2:30 PM 5:00 PM
8 Feb 2023 Daphne Island, Galapagos 6:00 PM 7:00 PM
9 Feb 2023 El Barranco, Genovesa 7:00 AM 11:45 AM
9 Feb 2023 Darwin Bay, Galapagos Islands 2:30 PM 6:00 PM
10 Feb 2023 Puerto Ayora, Galapagos Is 8:00 AM 6:00 PM
11 Feb 2023 Baltra, Galapagos Is 8:00 AM
All itineraries and ports of call at the discretion of the cruise line subject to local weather conditions and may change without notice.

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