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(Santiago)

Islands Circumnavigation I

Example 15 Day Cruise aboard Cachalote Explorer
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Enjoy an extensive adventure into the unique world of the Galapagos on this incredible journey. This 15-day voyage offers the traveler an opportunity to really become immersed in the unique splendor of these islands. Wildlife viewing opportunities will abound as you traverse the islands, snorkel in the crystal clear waters, or take a relaxing swim off the pristine shores. Get to know this fascinating and unique world inside and out with the abundant opportunities to snorkel, swim, and wander through the islands of this archipelago.
Galapagos Green Sea Turtle off the shores of Santa Fe Islandsnorkeling at Pt. Comorant in the clear blue watersTidal pool on SantiagoView of Isabela From Fernandina(Santiago)
Highlights
  • Take a boat ride along the mangrove-lined shore in Dragon Hill
  • Visit the blowhole, a lava tube that sprays water in the air like a geyser
  • Hike up the wooden steps on Bartolome Island
  • Learn about the conservation and research programs for Galapagos tortoises
Activities
Activity Level: Relaxed
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
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Full Itinerary

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Day 1: Baltra | Embark | Highlands | Charles Darwin Station, Santa Cruz

Arrive at Baltra airport. Galapagos giant tortoises can be seen in the wild in the Highlands of Santa Cruz. 

Visit the Charles Darwin Station a research facility and National Park Information Center. The Charles Darwin Station has a giant tortoise and land iguana breeding program and interpretation center.
Activities: Walking

Day 2: Chinese Hat | Rábida

Chinese Hat or Sombrero Chino is a small volcanic island just off the southeast tip of Santiago. The name of the island describes the shape of the island. Fauna includes Sea lions, marine iguanas, and the Galapagos penguin.
Activities: Walking, Kayaking, Panga ride, Snorkeling

Rábida Island is a small island with a dark red coral sand beach. Highlights include the lagoon with flamingoes, a pelican nesting site, a sea lion bachelor colony, and a snorkeling site at the end of the beach.
Activities: Walking, Kayaking, Panga ride, Snorkeling

Day 3: Isabela Island

Isabela Island (Albemarle) is the largest of the Galapagos Islands formed by five active volcanoes fused together. Wolf Volcano is the highest point in the entire Galapagos at 1707m.

Volcan Sierra Negra has a caldera with a diameter of 10km. View recent lava flows, moist highland vegetation, and parasitic cones.
Activities: Walking

Puerto Villamil is a charming small town on a white sand beach. Highlights include the Tortoise Breeding Station and the flamingo lagoon. Other visits (depending on conditions) are the Tintoreras or Los Humedales.
Activities: Walking

Day 4: Isabela

Punta Moreno is located on the central southwestern coast of Isabela Island. The site has spectacular views of volcanoes Alcedo, Sierra Negra, and Cerro Azul. Some highlights include impressive lava flows, desolate and pristine landscapes, and varied and unusual arid zone vegetation.
Activities: Walking, Panga ride, Snorkeling

Elizabeth Bay is only accessible by dinghy. It is possible to see penguins on the small islets in the bay. The end of the bay is long and narrow surrounded by three species of mangroves. Galapagos Sea Turtles and rays can usually be seen in the water.
Activities: Panga ride

Day 5: Isabela

Urbina Bay is located on the central-west coast of Isabela Island at the foothills of the Alcedo and Darwin volcanoes. Highlights include the colorful land iguanas, Galapagos Giant tortoises, and the coral uplifting from 1954.
Activities: Walking, Snorkeling

Tagus Cove is a natural harbor where centuries ago whalers and pirates left their ship’s names painted or carved on the rocks. A walk uphill to Darwin’s Crater salt-water lake will provide an excellent view.
Activities: Walking, Kayaking, Panga ride, Snorkeling

Day 6: Fernandina | Isabela

Fernandina is the youngest volcanic island and is still active.

Punta Espinoza is a place famous for its large colonies of marine iguanas and as the habitat of unique species like the flightless cormorant, Galapagos penguin, Galapagos hawk, and Galapagos snake, among others.
Activities: Walking, Snorkeling

Punta Vicente Roca is visited by dinghy rides along the cliffs or the partially sunken cave at the water’s edge. Nasca boobies, blue-footed boobies and flightless cormorants inhabit the shoreline.
Activities: Panga ride, Snorkeling

Day 7: Santiago | Bartolomé

James (Santiago) Island is located between Isabela and Santa Cruz Islands. This Island offers a wide variety of seabirds, marine iguanas, and fur seals.

Puerto Egas is a walk along the rocky coastline that will you show you a view of some of the Galapagos’ best tide pools. Some highlights include: Sugar loaf volcano, fur seals, oystercatchers, a marine iguana colony, and an old salt mine
Activities: Walking, Snorkeling
 
On Bartolome Island, a hike will take you to the highest point on Bartolome for a spectacular view. Sea lions and penguins can be seen around Pinnacle Rock. There is a sandy beach with great swimming and snorkeling.
Activities: Walking, Panga ride, Snorkeling

Day 8: North Seymour | Santa Cruz Island

North Seymour Island is a flat piece of land that originated after an uplifting event thousands of years ago. The island is home to endemic Palo Santo trees, colonies of blue-footed boobies, swallow-tailed gulls, and magnificent frigate birds.
Activities: Walking, Panga ride

Galapagos giant tortoises can be seen in the wild in the highlands of Santa Cruz. 
Activities: Walking

Day 9: South Plaza Island | Santa Fe

South Plaza Island or Plazas consists of two very small islands that were uplifted from the sea, separated by a channel. Only South Plazas has a visitor site. The highlights include tall Opuntia cactus, land and marine iguanas, a rocky cliff that looks out towards the open ocean which is also a nesting site for red-billed tropic birds and gulls, and a seal lion bachelor colony.
Activities: Walking 

Santa Fe Island is a smaller island of 24 km2. The visitor site Santa Fe is located on the northeast end of the island. Highlights include Santa Fe land iguanas, pelican nesting site, sea lion colony, mockingbird, and Palo Santo trees.
Activities: Walking, Kayaking, Panga ride, Snorkeling

Day 10: San Cristobal Island

San Cristóbal Island (Chatham) is the easternmost island of the Galapagos and also one of the oldest.

Witch Hill (Cerro Brujo) is a volcanic cone that looks over a beautiful white sandy beach that has plenty of sea lions, pelicans, blue-footed boobies, waders, and marine iguanas.
​Activities: Walking, Kayaking, Panga ride, Snorkeling

El Junco Lagoon is the only freshwater reservoir in Galapagos and has great views from its altitude of 700m in the highlands of San Cristóbal. Rainwater has been collected in the caldera for hundreds of years and formed this lagoon.
Activities: Walking

Galapaguera is a good area to see tortoises in their natural environment.
Activities: Walking

Day 11: Española (Hood) Island

Hood Island (Española) is the oldest of the Southern Islands and is the southernmost in the archipelago. Because of its remote location, a unique range of endemic species evolved here.

Gardner Bay is located on the northeast of the island, the site has a long and beautiful white sand beach inhabited by sea lion colonies. 
​Activities: Walking, Kayaking, Panga ride, Snorkeling

Islote Garnder and Islote Osborn islets are snorkeling sites where visitors will see an abundance of tropical fish, reef sharks,  and turtles.

The wildlife at Punta Suarez is plentiful and varied. Along the cliff, visitors can enjoy the blowhole where seawater is forced about 20m into the air. The highlights are the Waved albatross (April-Dec) that are only found on Hood, Galapagos Hawks, blue-footed boobies, Ñasca boobies, and Española lava lizards.
Activities: Walking

Day 12: Floreana Island

Floreana Island is best known for its colorful history of buccaneers, whalers, convicts, and early colonists.

Punta Cormorant has two contrasting beaches and a large inland lagoon where pink flamingoes can be seen.
​Activities: Walking, Kayaking, Panga ride, Snorkeling

Devil’s Crown is a snorkeling site located just off Punta Cormorant. The site is a completely submerged volcano that has eroded to create the appearance of a jagged crown.
​Activities: Snorkeling

Post Office Bay is one of the few sites visited in its human history. Visit the wooden mail barrel where letters are dropped off and picked up as remains of the Norwegian fishing village.
​Activities: Walking, Snorkeling

Day 13: Santa Cruz | James Island (Santiago)

Dragon Hill or Cerro Dragon has hypersalinic small lagoon behind the beach, often frequented by flamingoes
​​Activities: Walking, Snorkeling

James Island (Santiago) is located between Isabela and Santa Cruz Islands. This Island offers a wide variety of seabirds, marine iguanas, and fur seals.
Sullivan Bay is of great geological interest. Highlights: 100-hundred-year-old lava flow field, pahoehoe formations, and lava bubbles.
​​Activities: Walking, Snorkeling

Day 14: Genovesa (Tower) Island

Tower Island (Genovesa) is an eroded flat volcanic island, with a natural harbor, which is actually the submerged caldera of this volcanic island.

Darwin Bay's steep cliffs of this area dominate the island. This area is home to thousands of frigate birds, red-footed boobies, Noddy terns, lava gulls, tropicbirds, doves, storm petrels, and Darwin’s finches.
​Activities: Walking, Kayaking, Panga ride, Snorkeling

In El Barranco, a good possibility of seeing the unique “Short-eared owl” at this site. During the dinghy rides along the cliffs fur seals and several species of seabirds can be spotted.
​Activities: Walking, Kayaking, Panga ride, Snorkeling

Day 15: Turtle Cove, Santa Cruz | Disembark | Baltra

  • 1 Breakfast
Caleta Tortuga (Turtle Cove) is a red mangrove lagoon on Santa Cruz and a perfect example of how mangroves alter the marine environment to create a rich and unique habitat.
​Activities: Panga ride

Return flight from Baltra to Quito.

Ship/Hotel

Cachalote Explorer

Cachalote Explorer
Cachalote Explorer
Cachalote Explorer

Dates & Prices

My Preferred Start Date

Per person starting at
$7,500 2-3 travelers
Cachalote Explorer
Cabin 1-2
Comfortable rooms featuring a matrimonial bed with individual climate controls and private bathrooms with hot and cold water.
Cachalote Explorer
Cabin 3-7
Comfortable rooms featuring a matrimonial bed with individual climate controls and private bathrooms with hot and cold water.
Cachalote Explorer
Cabin 8
Comfortable room featuring a matrimonial bed with individual climate controls and private bathrooms with hot and cold water.

Child Discount

50% discount for children under age 12 at time of Galapagos cruise. Child discounts are conditional and may not apply on certain departures. Please contact us for more information.

Children under 12 may receive discounts on Galapagos flight fares and entrance fees. Contact us for details.
Included
  • 14 Breakfasts, 14 Lunches, 14 Dinners
  • 14 Nights Accommodations
  • Accommodations as listed
  • Ground transportation as listed
  • Activities as listed
  • Meals as listed
  • Access to a 24-7 Emergency line while traveling
  • Bilingual Naturalist Guide 
  • Adventure Life Pre-departure Services and In-Country Assistance (Quito Representative)
  • Shore Excursions, Swimming and Snorkeling 
  • Transfers and Baggage Handling in the Galapagos
  • Snorkeling and kayaking equipment is included in the cruise cost and available for your use on board.
Excluded
  • Gratuities
  • Travel Insurance
  • Personal Expenses
  • Flight costs (please request a quote)
  • Additional excursions during free time
  • Galapagos Park Entrance Fee: $200 per adult, $100 per child under 12. Payable upon arrival to the Galapagos, only in cash dollars. Subject to increase by Galapagos Park Service.
  • Internal Flights: Mainland Ecuador - Galapagos - Mainland Ecuador: $475-675
  • Wetsuits are not included but are available to rent on board - $30/week per person.
  • Fuel Surcharge - to be invoiced separately

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The trip might have been the absolute best of our lifetime (thus far). We particularly want to commend our guide Peter in the Guilin area-he was so incredibly attentive, energetic, enthusiastic-and absolutely dedicated to ensuring that our meals were 100% vegetarian.
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