In the Footsteps of Darwin - Galapagos Adventure Cruise - 5 days / 4 nights
We're so delighted we're able to offer another trip of a lifetime! On this occasion, you can follow in the footsteps of Charles Darwin and visit the Galapagos Islands - one of the greatest destinations on the planet for nature and wildlife. This trip starts in Quito where you will then take a chartered flight to Baltra Airport, before a short drive and ferry to Santa Cruz island. The Charles Darwin Reseach Station and the giant tortoise breeding centre offer a an incredible insight to the wildlife in Galapagos, before embarking on the vessel. The journey also covers Bartolome Island, Santiago Island, Fernandina Island and Isabela Island before finishing on Baltra Island where we transfer to the airport and take a flight back to the mainland.
Highlights:
- Enjoy the comfort of the luxury yacht, delcious cuisines, faultless service, a hot tub and fitness room, bar and outside deck for al fresco meals, drinks and sunbathing
- A small, exclusive feel with 20 cabins on board and groups of no more than 8 per naturalist guide
- Swim at one of the white sandy beaches whilst admiring the volcanic nature of the Islands
- Snorkel around the iconic Pinnacle Rock where you will be treated to an impressive natural world of penguins, marine turtles, white-tipped reef sharks and other marine creatures, many of which are found nowhere else on Earth
- Take numerous hikes that offer spectacular views, close encounters with the wildlife and a chance to keep fit on your travels
- Visit the Charles Darwin Research Station and the Giant Tortoise Breeding Center, the islands’ headquarters for scientific research and conservation.
Itinerary and Specifics
Included
- Shared transfers from main hotels in Quito and Guayaquil
- Flights to Galapagos from the mainland of Ecuador and back
- Entry fees to national parks/preserves
- From-the-vessel adventure activities and equipment
- Exclusive activities and shore visits
- All meals aboard the vessel
- Non-alcoholic beverages
- Wellness amenities
- Onboard expedition/heritage guides and guest experts
- Luggage handling
- Snorkelling gear
- Internet
- Taxes
Not Included
- Airfare to and from your home city
- Discretionary gratuities to vessel’s crew
- Travel protection
Full Itinerary
Day 1 - Puerto Ayora
After landing at Baltra Airport, we drive to the Itabaca Channel to take a ferry across to Santa Cruz Island. A 30-minute bus ride takes us to a restaurant in the fascinating, more humid Highlands of the island to enjoy lunch, and then continue south down to Puerto Ayora on thecoast.
At the eastern end of Puerto Ayora, the largest town in the archipelago, we will visit the Charles Darwin Research Station and the giant tortoise breeding center, the research and
conservation centers of the archipelago. Later, during the afternoon, we will walk through the main street of Puerto Ayora before embarking.
Expert Tips:
Please dress in comfortable shoes and clothes, bring a small backpack with any medications you may currently be taking. We recommend bringing sunblock, insect repellent, and anything else you need.Day 2 - Bartolome Island, Santiago Island
During this morning, Bartolomé (an icon of the Galapagos Islands) awaits us. We will start the day in a great way ascending a steep wooden staircase. The panoramic view from above will make all the effort worth it! After the hike, we'll enjoy a panga ride around the colossal pinnacle of rock in search of Galapagos penguins and other wildlife.
After lunch, we'll board the pangas and disembark at Sullivan Bay, on the east coast of Santiago Island, a white sand beach ideal for swimming. The trail goes through a lava field that flowed in this area 100 years ago. This is the perfect place to see and understand the volcanic nature of the Galapagos Islands.
Day 3 - Santa Cruz Island, Santiago Island
The north coast of Santa Cruz hosts the fascinating landscapes of Dragon Hill. After disembarking, the first part of our walk passes a brackish-water lagoon frequented by shorebirds, ducks, and American flamingos, while further inland, the trail offers a beautiful view of the bay and the western islands of the archipelago, as well as the chance of observing land iguanas (for which the visitor site is named, following a concerted effort to conserve them by the Galapagos National Park).
Puerto Egas (James Bay)
Following a wet landing on the black, sandy beach, our trail takes us to enjoy close-up encounters with recently-reintroduced land iguanas, plus land and marine birds amid a landscape of tuff-stone layers, craggy rocks, and lava flows. At low tide, marine iguanas graze upon the algae beds and we can also observe a colony of fur seals, usually dozing in the shade of some rocks.Day 4 - Isabela Island, Fernandina Island
Punta Vicente Roca
Since there is no landing site at this location, we explore the captivating coast by dinghy, seeking out abundant wildlife including colonies of Galapagos fur seals, the nesting sites of
Nazca boobies, not to mention flightless cormorants, penguins, and marine iguanas. Depending on the conditions of the ocean, we’ll be able to snorkel along the cliffs, hopefully in the company of green sea turtles. Back on board, we navigate along the Bolivar Channel, where nutrient-rich upwellings provide fertile fishing grounds for cetaceans.Espinoza Point
We end our journey on a high note, by visiting the island of Fernandina, the youngest island of the archipelago and arguably one of the most pristine ecosystems on the planet. The visitor site of Punta Espinoza boasts an amazing combination of apparently barren landscapesand abundant wildlife, all dominated by the lofty volcano at the heart of the island. Highlights to spot include hawks, penguins, huge numbers of marine iguanas, and the famous flightless cormorant, with its beguiling blue eyes.Day 5 - End of Itinerary
Our journey ends at Baltra Island where we transfer to the airport to take the flight back to
the mainland.