Just as there is no other archipelago like the Galapagos Islands, so there is no other travel opportunity like Island-2-Island Hopping from Metropolitan Touring.
One of Ecuador’s leading travel company’s and a pioneer of expeditions to the Galapagos Islands is offering a unique touring concept for experiencing the natural wonders that inspired Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, with Finch Bay Eco Hotel on Santa Cruz Island and Scalesia Lodge on Isabela Island welcoming travelers with award-winning service, top-notch comfort, and two-destination convenience that is perfect for those who prefer a land-based journey but still want to experience the best of the archipelago.
An alternative to cruise-based Galapagos Island touring, the 7-night-long Island-2-Island Hopping program wraps guests in the finest accommodations on each island, with easy exploration of local sites, including the active Sierra Negra Volcano from Scalesia Lodge, and the Galapagos National Park and Marine Reserve, accessible through daytrips on board the Finch Bay Eco Hotel’s Sea Lion yacht. Exclusive flights, providing guests with spectacular aerial views, between Santa Cruz and Isabela are also part of the package.
Island-2-Island Hopping guests have myriad options for exploration, adventure and discovery. Enjoy snorkeling, kayaking, surfing, hiking and biking. Explore Tortuga Bay, Las Grietas, and Playa del Amor. Go beachcombing at Puerto Villamil and step right up to iconic giant tortoises in the Highlands of Santa Cruz. Tour the Charles Darwin Research Station, the biological research station and breeding center of the Charles Darwin Foundation, and the Wall of Tears visitor site. And keep your checklist handy to tick off endemic vegetation from cactus to mangroves and “Galapagos Big15” wildlife including land iguanas, Galapagos penguins, blue-footed boobies, Galapagos fur seals, American flamingos, frigatebirds (great and magnificent), and so much more.
The only beachfront hotel in all Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island, the Finch Bay Eco Hotel delights with seclusion, beautiful natural surroundings, a sun-splashed swimming pool, and fine dining prepared from the freshest ingredients by a Le Cordon Bleu-qualified chef. Scalesia Lodge, meanwhile, is an experience all its own, with
accommodation in luxurious safari-style tents set on the slopes of a volcano in midst of a magical forest in the highlands of Isabela Island, with spectacular coastal views.
The Galapagos “island-hopping” experience is offered from Metropolitan Touring. Available year-round, from $3,999 per person/double occupancy, $5,199 per person single.
Metropolitan Touring, 888-572-0166, www.metropolitan-touring.com