GALAPAGOS ADVENTURE CRUISE

 

 

 

 

ITINERARY

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DAY 1 ~ SAT:  ARRIVE IN GUAYAQUIL/QUITO

Fly to Quito or Guayaquil.  Upon arrival you’ll be met and privately transferred to your hotel (see optional pre-cruise trip ideas below).  

 

DAY 2 ~ SUN: FLY TO SAN CRISTOBAL (GALAPAGOS)

This morning you’ll fly to San Cristobal Island (SCY), transfer by bus to the main dock and then by zodiac to the ERIC or LETTY anchored in the bay. After the welcome briefing and safety drill, a delicious buffet lunch is served on board.

 

In the afternoon, travel by bus to Cerro Tijeretas or “Frigatebird Hill” one of two sites where you can see nesting colonies of both species of frigate birds (Great and Magnificent), as well as lava lizards, the medium ground finch and Chatham mockingbird. Walk along the trail to Punta Carola for scenic views, then return to the yacht for a briefing followed by our Captain’s welcome cocktail party and dinner prepared by our culinary school-trained chefs.  

 

M/Y Eric or Letty (B, L, D)

 

DAY 3 ~ MON: CERRU BRUJO/PUNTA PITT

Spend the morning at Cerro Brujo, a breathtaking white coral beach, with expansive views and good bird-watching. Take a peaceful walk along the beach, or swim with sea lions from the beach. Take out the kayaks or stand up paddle boards for a different perspective of the marine life. Enjoy a scenic Zodiac ride that takes us through a cave called The Cathedral.

 

Return to the yacht for lunch.

 

Go ashore this afternoon at Punta Pitt, a tuff formation that serves as a nesting site for many sea birds including all three types of boobies – blue-footed, Nazca and red-footed boobies, both frigatebird species, swallow-tailed gulls, storm petrels, shearwaters, and brown pelicans. Punta Pitt is considered one of the best sites for birds in the archipelago, and is also home to a colony of sea lions. At Pitt Rock, we snorkel with sea lions and colorful fish such as the King Angel and Surgeon fish. Return to the yacht for a briefing followed by dinner.

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M/Y Eric or Letty (B, L, D)

 

DAY 4 ~ TUES: ESPANOLA

Disembark at Punta Suarez on ESPANOLA (Hood) Island, home to the greatest number of endemic species found in Galapagos. Sea lions bark noisily as we land on their beach. Curious Hood mockingbirds peck at our shoelaces. From April to December, the waved albatross, found only on Espanola, perform its wild mating ritual. Colonies of blue-footed boobies engage in “sky-pointing” to show off for potential mates. Easily spotted wildlife are the Nazca boobies busily caring for their young, stunning swallow-tailed gulls, the only nocturnal gulls in the world and red-billed tropicbirds take shelter under the cliffs. We also find Darwin’s Finches, Galapagos Doves and Galapagos Hawks, as well as a unique species of marine iguana identified with traces of red and green colorings. Follow the trail to the dramatic ocean blow hole, and watch for colorful sally light-foot crabs crawling along the shoreline.

 

Return to the yacht for lunch on board.

 

Disembark at Gardner Bay, where large colonies of sea lions dot the seemingly endless white sand beach. Take a leisurely stroll or relax on the beach, watching for the Galapagos Hawk, Darwin’s Finches or Espanola Mockingbird. Swim with playful sea lions right from the beach, explore the bay and islets by kayak or stand up paddle board. Take a Zodiac ride to explore the caves covered with invertebrates. Admire the colorful array of underwater life at this excellent snorkeling site near Tortuga Rock. Return to the yacht for a briefing followed by dinner.

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M/Y Eric or Letty (B, L, D)

 

DAY 5 ~ WED:  FLOREANA

Step ashore at Punta Cormorant on FLOREANA (Charles) Island, where the olive-sand beach is alive with the sounds of sea lions, lava herons, yellow-crowned night herons, blue-footed boobies, and penguins. Follow a trail to a brackish lagoon, home to Bahama ducks, common stilts, Galapagos flycatchers, yellow warblers and the greater flamingos. Wind your way past a rich variety of plants including the morning glory, cut leaf daisies, mangroves (black, red and white), paldo verde and scalesia. The trail leads to a beach where sea turtles lay their eggs in the powdery sand dunes and sting rays swim in the shallow water. After the walk, there is an opportunity to snorkel at Champion Islet, a shallow sunken crater colonized by a brilliant array of colorful fish and corral, white-tipped sharks, sea turtles, spotted eagle rays and sea stars.

 

Lunch is served back on board on the sundeck, weather permitting.

 

Floreana is one of the few populated islands in the Galapagos with a rich and intriguing human history. After lunch, visit on of the most famous sites in Galapagos, Post office Bay, where a post office barrel was erected in the late 18th Century to use by English whaling vessels. Visitors are invited invited to leave a post card and to pick up any mail destined for their home town. There is a chance to swim from the beach with sea lions. Late afternoon, take a Zodiac ride near Baroness Point to look for sea turtles and rays. Return to the yacht for a briefing followed by dinner.

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M/Y Eric or Letty (B, L, D)

 

DAY 6 ~ THU: SANTA CRUZ

Disembark at Puerto Ayora, SANTA CRUZ Island, the social heart of the Galapagos, with a population of 24,000. Travel by bus to the highlands, passing through all seven vegetation zones found in Galapagos. Visit Rancho El Manzanillo, a privately-owned hacienda where giant tortoises roam in their natural habitat. Stop at the lava tunnels, that are large enough to walk through, and visit Los Gemelos (The Twins), a pair of large craters.

 

Return to the yacht for lunch on board and a briefing.

 

This afternoon, visit Centro de Crianza Fausto Llerena (formerly Charles Darwin Research Station) and see the tortoise and land iguana corals and the breeding center with new hatchlings and miniature tortoises that will be repatriated when grown. A new exhibit recently opened honoring Lonesome George, a worldwide icon of conservation as the last surviving tortoise from Pinta Island that tragically died of natural causes. Stop at a chocolate shop to learn how high quality “Arriba cacao” is produced in Ecuador. Stroll through town to shop for souvenirs or stop in at a museum or internet café – or if you prefer an active afternoon, we can arrange for kayaking at Punta Estrada or to go on a bicycle ride (additional charges apply). Return to the yacht for dinner or as you wish, remain ashore for dinner on your own. Zodiac shuttles from the Eric and Letty to the main dock will be offered throughout the evening.

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M/Y Eric or Letty (B, L, D)

 

DAY 7 ~ FRI:  SANTA CRUZ/BARTOLOME

This morning guests onboard the ERIC visit Las Bachas, Spanish for “barges” on the northern side of Santa Cruz. Explore the long stretch of a soft white sand beach and interior lagoons populated by greater flamingos. There is also a chance to snorkel here from the beach. Guests on board the Letty will have a Zodiac ride at Caleta Tortuga Negra (Black Turtle Cove) through a series of coves and inlets surrounded by mangroves. See pairs of mating sea turtles (Sep to Feb), white-tipped reed sharks and golden cow-nosed rays.

 

Return to the yacht for lunch.

 

Disembark at BARTOLOME, a young Island that is inhospitable to most plants and animals. Climb the long wooden staircase to the summit of a dormant volcano, pausing along the way to marvel at lava bombs, spatter and cinder cones. It seems as if we are walking on the moon! The panoramic view from the top encompasses the entire island, including the distinctive eroded tuff cone known as Pinnacle Rock. The crystal clear water below beckons of snorkeling with schools of tropical fish, white-tipped reef sharks and Galapagos Penguins. Take a Zodiac ride along the rocky shoreline. Return to the yacht for the evening briefing followed by dinner.

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M/Y Eric or Letty (B, L, D)

 

DAY 8 ~ SAT: SOUTH PLAZA/NORTH & SOUTH SEYMOUR

Today’s visit is at SOUTH PLAZA, a small geological uplift with tall cliffs where swallow-tailed gulls, shearwaters and red-billed tropicbirds build their nests. The trail leads us through Opuntia (Prickly Pear) and Sesuvium, and land iguanas are seen here feeding on the cactus leaves. The island is home to a colony of bachelor sea lions, with dominant bulls in various stages of recovery from battles over prime beach territory.

 

Return to the yacht for lunch.

 

Later, snorkel between North and South Seymour in deeper water. Go ashore at North Seymour, a small geological uplift to observe swallow-tailed gulls, blue-footed boobies and endemic land iguanas. Visit the largest colony of Magnificent frigate birds in Galapagos, and watch for marine iguanas and sea lions body surfing the northern swells. Return to the ERIC or LETTY for the Captain’s farewell cocktail party and dinner, followed by a slide show presentation by your guides.

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M/Y Eric or Letty (B, L, D)

 

DAY 9 ~ SUN:  DISEMBARK

After breakfast, travel by bus to the Interpretation Center to gain a more complete understanding of the natural and human history of the Islands. Afterwards, spend time in port before heading to the airport for your flight back to the mainland.

 

END OF CRUISE

 

(Code: B – Breakfast, L – Lunch, D – Dinner)

 

 

CRUISE COST (with pre-night):  $5,100 per person

 

Approximate Internal air cost:  $500 per person

 

 

OPTIONAL PRE-CRUISE ADD-ONS:  Quito, Otavalo, Hacienda Zuletta or Hacienda Cusin, Ecuadorean Amazon (Please call to customize your adventure)

 

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Please note all rates are subject to change according to rate of exchange fluctuations.

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For a more detailed or customized itinerary, optional extensions and activities, please call or email us.