Western Galapagos Islands
6 Days - Galaxy Yacht
This amazing 6 day cruise in the luxurious Galaxy yacht will provide you an unforgettable experience in the Galapagos. With its spacious outdoor area, you will be able to admire the beauty of the islands of Elizabeth Bay, Tagus Cove, Santiago and Santa Cruz in a comfortable place. With only a maximum of 16 passengers, you are guaranteed a very personal experience as you cruise along the islands.
from NZD $6224pp
Home » 6 Day Galaxy: Western Galapagos Islands (B)
Itinerary Highlights
- See the black sand beach of Egas Port in Santiago island.
- Tour in Espinoza Point where you will find big colonies of marine iguanas and other unique animals only seen in Fernandina Island.
- Find giant tortoises of the Galapagos in their natural habitat.
- Experience snorkelling on the coasts of different islands in the Galapagos.
Itinerary in Brief
- Day 1: Baltra Airport – Highlands
- Day 2: Moreno Point - Elizabeth Bay
- Day 3: Urbina Bay - Tagus Cove
- Day 4: Espinoza Point - Albermarle Point
- Day 5: Egas Port - Espumilla Beach/Buccaneer Cove
- Day 6: Santa Cruz: Dragon Hill
Day 1: Baltra Airport - Highlands
AM: BALTRA AIRPORT
Departure to the Galapagos Islands, arrival at Baltra airport, where our naturalist guide of the National Park will be waiting for you.
PM: HIGHLANDS
Either if you do this visit starting from Baltra or from Puerto Ayora, a bus will take you to the highlands stopping along the way at one of the reserves to visit the lush highland forests where you will look for Galapagos Giant tortoises in their natural environment. This is the
best place in the Galapagos to see these gentle giants (reaching over 300 kg / 600 pounds!) casually grazing and resting in freshwater ponds. This is also home for a great diversity of birds rarely found at the lowlands, including finches (tree, woodpecker and vegetarian
finches), flycatchers and several species of water birds. You will visit a lava tunnel (depend on the itinerary) and learn how these extraordinary formations where created by ancient volcanic eruptions.
Day 2: Moreno Point - Elizabeth Bay
AM: MORENO POINT
Moreno Point is a magical place with extensive lava fields which look lifeless at first sight. Once inland, scattered brackish lagoons form oasis of life where you can find flamingoes, gallinules, ducks and herons. Along the shore we will look for penguins, marine iguanas, flightless cormorants, bluefooted boobies, sea lions, oystercatchers and other shore birds.
PM: ELIZABETH BAY
Elizabeth Bay is a beautiful sheltered bay surrounded by large mangroves and barren lava fields. There is no trail here so you will take a dinghy tour to explore many channels, pools and coves teeming with life. This is one of the best locations in the islands to see Galapagos penguins, but don’t expect to see thousands of them, as the entire population of the islands is only about 3.000
of them. Flightless cormorants also nest in the area and blue-footed boobies and pelicans often fish in these shallow and rich waters. Rays and sea turtles are also very abundant.
Day 3: Urbina Bay - Tagus Cove
AM: URBINA BAY
This place is known for the dramatic uplifting that happened here during the 1950’s. A large portion of the coast was pushed up, exposing many hectares of previously submerged land. Look carefully along the trail and you will find small shells and corals, a proof that the area was underwater more than sixty years ago. The trail will give the opportunity to see land iguanas and, during certain seasons, giant tortoises. Galapagos hawks nest in the area and are often seen flying or perched on the trees.
*Urbina Bay land visit temporarily closed due to species conservation; only Kayaking, snorkeling and panga ride allowed.
PM: TAGUS COVE
Tagus cove is one of the places Charles Darwin visited during his exploration of the Galapagos islands. A trail will take you through a dry Palo Santo forests where you can see Darwin finches and mockingbirds. You will get great views of Darwin’s lake and the large volcanos of northern Isabela.A boat tour along the shore will give you chances to see penguins, cormorants, marine iguanas and a very unique species: the Galapagos martin, a small endemic bird which is one of the most endangered species on the island.
Day 4: Espinoza Point - Albermarle Point
AM: ESPINOZA POINT
Located at the base of an imposing volcano (the most active in the Galapagos islands) this site is one of the jewels of the Galapagos National Park. As soon as you disembark you will be surrounded by hundreds of marine iguanas, as this is the largest colony for the species. Sea lions bask in the beaches while their pups play in tide pools. Along the shore you will see flightless cormorants, which are restricted to the western areas of the archipelago. Surrounded by cold plankton-rich waters, Punta Espinosa is home for an array of species, including herons, pelicans, oystercatchers, sea turtles, shorebird and many more. Look up in the mangroves as Galapagos hawks often perch to look for their prey.
*Punta Espinoza land visit temporarily closed due to species conservation; only Kayaking, snorkeling and panga ride allowed.
PM: ALBEMARLE POINT
This place is great for wildlife as well as an historical site. During WWII, the Americans built a radar base in order to detect the presence of Japanese war ships approaching the Galapagos. You can still see a few remains of the radar. The area is barren and surrounded by endless lava fields, but along the coast you will find some of the largest marine iguanas in the islands, Galapagos penguins, flightless cormorants and shorebirds.
Day 5: Egas Port - Espumilla Beach/Buccaneer Cove
AM: EGAS PORT
Despite its name, there is no “port” at Puerto Egas, but you might see a few remains of the last attempts to colonize the island during the 60’s. The trail goes along the coastline which is rich in wildlife, with marine iguanas basking in the sun everywhere, Galapagos sea lions, herons, oystercatchers and many shorebirds. At the end of the trail an area called “the grottos” is home for a small colony of the endemic Galapagos fur seal, much more difficult to see at close range than its cousin. As recently as 2019, land iguanas where re-introduced to the area, so look around for these impressive reptiles which where extinct from Santiago for over a century.
PM: ESPUMILLA BEACH / BUCCANEER COVE
Espumilla is a beautiful 1km (0,6 mi) long beach with rusty-brown sand, located in the northern coast of Santiago. It is surrounded by large mangrove trees and a very interesting native dry forest, which is home to Galapagos hawks but also a great diversity of finches, mockingbirds and doves. Don’t forget to check the salt pan, as during the rainy season there could be flamingoes and ducks.
Day 6: Santa Cruz: Dragon Hill
AM: DRAGON HILL
Located in the northern coast of Santa Cruz, Dragon hill gets its name from the land iguanas that inhabit this area, the only location in the whole island of Santa Cruz where you can see this large species of reptiles. Thanks to a very successful breeding program, this population of land iguanas, which was in the brink of extinction during the 70’s and 80’s, has rapidly recovered. There is also a small salt water lagoon where we can often see flamingoes, ducks, stilts, sandpipers and other shorebirds.
Then, transfer to the airport to take your flight back to continental Ecuador.
Dates | Cabin | From | Special Offer |
---|---|---|---|
16 Oct 2024 - 21 Oct 2024 | NZD $6224pp | ||
Lower Deck Cabin | NZD $6224pp | Contact us | |
Main/ Upper Deck Cabin | NZD $6224pp | Contact us |
**Prices are per person based on twin / shared accommodation.
**Single supplements may apply
Cabin Details
Lower Deck Cabin
18m2, twin beds or double bed, private bathroom with cold/hot water, air-conditioning, hairdryer, telephone for internal communication, safe box and high speaker.
Main/ Upper Deck Cabin
13-15m2, twin beds or double bed, private bathroom with cold/hot water, air-conditioning, hairdryer, telephone for internal communication, safe box and high speaker.
Galaxy Yacht Deckplan
Specifications
- Length: 35 metres
- Beam: 7.60 metres
- Capacity: 16 passengers
- Crew: 8 members + 1 bilingual guide
- Cruising speed: 12 knots
- Engines: 2 Cumming Motors 350HP
- Electric power: 110V and 220V
Whats included?
- Airport assistance
- Transportation and fuel surcharge in the Marine reserve of Galapagos
- Accommodation in single, double or triple cabin according to your booking (except M/C Alya & M/C Galaxy Sirius)
- Bilingual naturalist guide (English-Spanish)
- Personalized crew service
- All meals during the cruise, from lunch on the first day to breakfast on the last day.
- One snack after each activity (except last day)
- Welcome cocktail
- Unlimited purified water, coffee and tea
- All visits, excursions & activities according to the itinerary
- Transportation Airport-Channel/ Channel-Airport (Lobitos Bus)
- Docks use and ferries.
- Snorkeling gear (Mask, tube, and fins)
- Use of kayaks and paddle boards in authorized places
- Wetsuits
- Shampoo, hair conditioner, and soap for daily use
- Beach towels
- Hair dryer in the cabins (not available onboard M/Y Bonita)
- Cloth/Towel dryer (only available onboard M/C Galaxy Sirius M/C EcoGalaxy and M/Y Galaxy)
What’s not included?
- International flights to/from Ecuador
- Galapagos Islands airfare from/to mainland (Quito or Guayaquil)
- Galapagos National Park fee US$100 per person until 31 July 2024
- Galapagos National Park fee US$200 per person from 1 August 2024
- Transit control card US$20 per person
- Alcoholic and soft drinks
- Tips and gratuities
- Personal expenses
- Travel insurance (Highly recommended)
- Additional services not indicated
Notes
*Urbina Bay and Punta Espinoza land visit temporarily closed due to species conservation; only Kayaking, snorkeling and panga ride allowed.