GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

Into the wild

GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

8 day sample itinerary

Get closer to local wildlife than you ever thought possible in the Galapagos Islands. One of the few locations in the world that does not have an indigenous population, these islands have been completely preserved from human development, offering unique adventures in pristine conditions.

An unofficial slogan of the Galapagos is ‘conserveremos lo nuestro’, translated as ‘let’s keep what is ours’.

Baltra

Santa Cruz

3nm

day 1

Baltra - Santa Cruz Island

GIANT TORTOISEs

Transfer from Baltra airport to your charter yacht on Santa Cruz Island. Take a trip into the Highlands, home of the iconic Galapagos giant tortoise, stopping en route to explore Los Gemelos, hardened lava sink holes. Later, visit the Charles Darwin Research Station and Galapagos National Park HQ to learn of the conservation, research and repatriation programmes that are saving tortoises and iguanas from extinction. Enjoy dinner onboard as the yacht sets off for Punta Cormorant.

Santa Cruz

Punta Cormorant, Floreana

30nm

day 2

Santa Cruz lsland - Punta Cormorant

FLAMINGOES AND SEA TURTLES

Mail your holiday postcards in the wooden barrel which has been the mariners' 'post office' since 1793. See the green beach, made so by the presence of olivine crystals, next to Flamingo Lagoon. Pintail ducks, large-billed flycatchers, and many other shorebirds can also be spotted here. Visit Flour Beach, where Green Sea Turtles nest, or snorkel with playful sea lions at Champion Island. You may also spot the nearly-extinct Floreana Mockingbird here. Stroll along Black Beach before dinner onboard. Overnight cruise.

Punta Cormorant

Punta Moreno, Isabela

100nm

day 3

Punta Cormorant - Punta Moreno, Isabela

CORMORANTS, PENGUINS AND PELICANS

Wake up at Moreno Point on Isla Isabela and walk through lava fields at the base of the Cero Azul volcano. This dramatic landscape is dotted with lagoons alive with flamingos, paint-billed crakes, white-cheeked pintails and common gallinules. After lunch onboard, float silently in a panga (a small, shallow skiff) through the narrow channels of Elizabeth Bay’s mangrove lagoon to see rays, cormorants, penguins, pelicans, lava herons, sea turtles, sea lions and blue-footed boobies.

Punta Moreno

Urbina Bay, Isabela

24nm

day 4

Punta Moreno - Urbina Bay, Isabela

ALCEDO TORTOISES and IGuanas

In 1954, volcanic activity lifted a 6km stretch of Urbina Bay’s coastline, exposing coral heads and other marine fossils. Today, visitors can wander the remains of the seabed through a skeletal coral garden, now home to lizards and mockingbirds, and encounter iguanas and Alcedo tortoises. Later, move on to Tagus Cove. A short, steep hike passes Darwin Lake, where tree finches, Galapagos hawks and yellow warblers gather. Kayak along the cliffs to spot penguins and look out for Urbina Bay's colourful land iguanas.

For animal lovers, there is no better yacht charter destination than the Galapagos Islands. Ruled by nature, this is the ultimate setting for outdoor adventures.

Urbina Bay

Punta Espinosa, Fernandina

6nm

day 5

Urbina Bay - Punta Espinosa, Fernandina

sealife, Volcanoes and sunsets

Fernandina, the most pristine island of the Galapagos, is highly volcanically active with frequent eruptions, the latest in September 2017. A young and uninhabited island of high ecological value, its ecosystems harbour unique species such as terrestrial and marine iguanas, snakes, flightless cormorants and penguins. Walk out onto the lava flow through an abundance of small, dark marine iguanas and brightly coloured Sally Lightfoot crabs and later, enjoy a stunning sunset from the decks of your yacht.

Punta Espinosa

Punta Vicente Roca

14nm

day 6

Punta Espinosa - Punta Vicente Roca

nesting birds, whales and dolphins

Back on Isla Isabela, Punta Vicente Roca can be seen only from the water. The geological formations provide a beautiful backdrop for numerous nesting birds, including blue-footed and Nazca boobies, gulls, storm petrels, and brown noddy terns. The water here is cold and it is common to observe “feeding frenzies”, with groups of whales, dolphins, sea lions, tunas, and marine birds feeding simultaneously. To the south of the cove, there is a small colony of fur seals. Overnight cruise.

Punta Vicente Roca

Puerto Egas, Santiago

62nm

day 7

Punta Vicente Roca - Puerto Egas, Santiago

fur seals and sharks

Wake up on Isla Santiago in Puerto Egas and follow a trail to see fur seal grottoes, American oystercatchers, marine iguanas and sea lions. Alternatively, take the route to the Salt Mine Volcano to watch the flamingos that gather here, and take in a panoramic view of the famous Pinnacle Rock on Bartolemé Island. Head to Espumilla, a red-sand beach and sea turtle nesting site, then snorkel Buccaneer Cove spotting sea lions, sea turtles, rays, sharks, pelagic fishes and rock formations. Enjoy a final sunset onboard.

Puerto Egas

North Seymour Island

41nm

day 8

Puerto Egas - North Seymour Island

Blue-footed boobies

Dock on North Seymour, where trails lead to the largest colony of magnificent frigate birds in Galapagos, with blue-footed boobies and occasional land iguanas. Head along the coast to observe sea lions and marine iguanas before transferring to Baltra for your trip home.

This is one of the most rewarding charter destinations, especially for families, combining intimate wildlife experiences with the beauty of mother nature.