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Sea lion coming in from a swim

Luxury Eastern Galapagos Islands Cruise

Example 8 Day Cruise aboard Cormorant II
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Board the Cormorant II for an 8-day exploration of the eastern islands of the Galapagos archipelago. This active itinerary allows you to experience all aspects of this unique region. Swim around Bachas Beach, venture up 375 wooden stairs to the summit of Bartolome Island, view a large sea lion colony, snorkel alongside sea turtles are just a few of the adventures you have to look forward to! Don't miss this unforgettable Galapagos cruise! 
Explore the GalapagosLava tubes on Santa Cruz Island, GalapagosGroup of travelers exploring the Galapagos.A view of Kicker Rock.Sea lion coming in from a swim
Highlights
  • Venture up a trail of 375 wooden stairs to the summit of Bartolome Island
  • View a large sea lion colony on South Plaza Island
  • Snorkel alongside sea turtles, rays, and various fish species
  • Kayak around Kicker Rock to view marine life
Places Visited
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 | Bachas Beach

  • Ship
  • 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Morning flight from Quito or Guayaquil to Baltra, Galapagos Islands. You will arrive at Baltra Island in the morning. After passing through immigration and baggage claim, you will be met by a Cormorant II staff member and transferred to the yacht. You will be shown to your cabin where you will have some time to settle in
before lunch and a welcome briefing.

Bachas Beach is located on the north shore of Santa Cruz and is a beach for swimming. One of the few remnants of the U.S. World War II presence in the Galapagos, a floating pier, can be seen here. You may see flamingos, Sally Lightfoot crabs, hermit crabs, black-necked stilts, and whimbrels. Sea turtles also nest on the beach.
Possible Activities: Hiking
Difficulty: Easy
Type of Landing: Wet Landing
Highlights & Animals: World War II remnants. Sally Lightfoot crabs, hermit crabs, black necked stilts, whimbrels, sea turtles.

Day 2: El Barranco | Darwin Bay

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
El Barranco, also known as Prince Phillip’s Steps, is a steep, rocky path that leads up a high cliff rock face. A marvelous view can be appreciated from here. This site is also home to Palo Santo vegetation as well as red-footed boobies, short-eared owls, Galapagos storm petrels, and Galapagos doves.
Possible Activities: Hiking (0.9 miles / 2 Km)
Difficulty: Moderate
Type of Landing: Dry Landing
Highlights & Animals: Red-footed boobies, short-eared owls, storm-petrels, Galapagos doves

Visit the white-sand coral beach of Darwin Bay which includes a half mile trail (0.75km) that winds through mangroves filled with land birds. Nazca boobies, red-footed boobies, and swallow-tailed gulls, which can easily be spotted here. Further down the path we’ll find tidal pools where sea lions swim playfully. At the end is a spectacular view of a cliff.
Possible Activities: Hiking (0.9 miles / 1.5 Km), snorkeling, kayaking, and dinghy ride
Difficulty: Easy Type of Landing: Wet Landing
Highlights & Animals: Nazca boobies, red-footed boobies, swallow-tail gulls, mangroves, coral pebble beach, snorkeling: rays, colorful reef fish, and hammerhead sharks occasionally

Day 3: South Plaza Island | Santa Fe

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
This small island with steep cliffs was formed by rising lava and is now covered by Opuntia cacti. It is also home to one of the largest sea lion colonies as well as colorful yellow and red land iguanas. The most characteristic plant is the Sesuvium. During the rainy season its color is a greenish to yellowish tone and in the dry season (end of June through January) a bright red.
Possible Activities: Hike (1.5 miles / 2 ½ km)
Difficulty: Moderate
Type of Landing: Dry Landing
Highlights & Animals: Land iguanas, sea lion colony, Audubon’s shearwaters, swallow-tailed gulls, Nazca boobies, amazing landscape with cliffs

Santa Fe Island (Barrington) is home to the small picturesque bay and anchorage on the island’s northeast coast. The bay has two visitor trails: one leading to a scenic viewpoint atop a cliff, and the other spanning from a small beach to a tall prickly pear cactus forest.
Possible Activities: Hiking (5 miles / 8 km)
Difficulty: Moderate
Type of Landing: Dry Landing
Highlights & Animals: Land iguanas, giant Opuntia cacti

Day 4: Pitt Point | Witch Hill

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Pitt Point, situated on the north-eastern tip of the San Cristobal island, hosts frigate birds, storm petrels, and all three types of booby birds: the Nazca, blue-footed and red-footed boobies. A steep trail goes up a cliff and through a ravine leading visitors to an area with an abundance of birds.
Possible Activities: Dinghy ride, snorkeling, kayaking & hike (1.5 miles / 2.5 km)
Difficulty: Moderate/Difficult
Type of Landing: Wet Landing
Highlights & Animals: Frigate birds, storm petrels, Nazca boobies, blue and red-footed boobies

Located on the northern coast, this eroded hill and its surroundings present one of the most picturesque beaches in the Galapagos with its white powdery sand and the abundance of animals. Wildlife includes sea turtles, rays, and various types of booby birds. The clear water provides an excellent opportunity for enjoying swimming and snorkeling.
Possible Activities: Hike, dinghy ride, snorkeling & kayaking
Difficulty: Easy
Type of Landing: Wet Landing
Highlights & Animals: Beautiful rock formations, sea lions, shore birds, finches and mockingbirds; Snorkeling: nice tropical fish, anemones, sponges, coral

Day 5: David Rodriguez Breeding Center | Lobos | Kicker Rock

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Breeding Center David Rodriguez - “La Galapaguera”, in Cerro Colorado, is a new visitor site in the southeast part of San Cristobal Island and can now be reached in roughly one hour by road from Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. On the trees and shrubs surrounding the site, you may see land birds like warblers, finches and mockingbirds. Giant tortoises can be observed on the trails. They live there wild but in a protected area to ensure their survival by sealing them off from introduced predators like pigs and goats. 
Possible Activities: Short hike (0.6 mi / 1 Km)
Difficulty: Easy/Moderate
Type of Landing: Dry Landing
Highlights & Animals: Giant tortoises, finches, warblers, mockingbirds

You will take an excursion to Lobos Island which means “Sea Lion Island.” This appropriately named island is ripe with noisy, playful, jolly sea lions who will welcome you to their home with open, well, fins. This island also offers great snorkeling opportunities as well as the chance to see blue-footed and Nazca boobies.
Possible Activities: Short hike (less that 0.6 miles / 1 km), dinghy ride
Difficulty: Easy/Moderate
Type of Landing: Dry Landing
Highlights & Animals: Sea lions, frigate birds, blue-footed boobies

This striking rock formation is located a couple hours off the western shore of San Cristobal. Jutting out of the water, the rocks stand vertically at hundreds of feet above the ocean divided by a small channel. Although there are no landing areas, circumnavigation and dinghy rides allow visitors to spot a variety of marine life.
Possible Activities: Dinghy ride
Difficulty: Easy
Type of Landing: No Landing
Highlights & Animals: Sharks, tropical fish, turtles, manta rays (occ.), hammerhead sharks, spectacular rock formations; sea birds: blue-footed boobies, Nazca boobies & frigate birds.

Day 6: Suarez Point | Gardner Bay, Gardner Islet & Osborn Islet

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
On the trail to Suarez Point you will have the chance to spot blue-footed boobies, albatrosses, and Nazca boobies. This island is the breeding site of nearly all of the world’s 12,000 pairs of waved albatrosses. You will also visit a beautiful site on the ocean front where there is a cliff that the large albatrosses use as a launching pad! You will have the chance to see the famous blowhole that spurts sea water into the air. The landscape is great for photography.
Possible Activities: Hike (1.9 miles / 3 km)
Difficulty: Difficult
Type of Landing: Dry Landing
Highlights & Animals: Hood mockingbirds, Nazca boobies, waved albatrosses (approximately from the last week of April until the last week of January), red-billed tropicbirds, lava lizards, Galapagos hawks, blowhole, amazing landscape and maybe blue-footed boobies.

This excursion takes you to the spectacular Gardner Bay. After landing, you can walk across a lovely white-sand beach amongst a busy sea lion colony or dive into the water to swim with sea lion pups. You may also see curious mockingbirds on the beach. 
Possible Activities: Snorkeling, panga ride, short hike (0.6 miles / 1km) and Kayaking
Difficulty: Easy
Type of Landing: Wet Landing
Highlights & Animals: White sandy beach, sea lions, mockingbirds; snorkeling: colorful fish, sea lion nursery

Day 7: Post Office Bay | Baroness Viewing Point | Champion Islet

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
You will land on a beach and head to a spot where 18th-century whalers placed a wooden barrel used as an unofficial mail box. The custom continues to this day with Galapagos visitors. So, don’t forget your postcards, and don’t be surprised if the postcard arrives to its destination before you even get home!
Possible Activities: Short hike (less than 0.6 miles / 1km) & snorkeling
Difficulty: Easy Type of Landing: Wet Landing
Highlights & Animals: Post office barrel, nice sandy beach

Baroness Viewing Point is a fantastic place to absorb the environment of the Galapagos. Once inhabited by an indulgent baroness and her three lovers, the history of this island is intriguing. The legends about this baroness are associated with a fascinating murder mystery. There are easy trails in this area for exploring the flora and fauna of Floreana.
Baroness Viewing Point, Floreana Island
Possible Activities: Short hike (0.6 miles/1 km), snorkeling, kayak, panga ride
Difficulty: Easy Type of Landing: Dry Landing
Highlights & Animals: Great view, sea turtles, mysterious story about the first inhabitants of the islands

Champion Islet, named after the whaler Andrew Champion, is a small island located just offshore Floreana Island in the southern part of the Archipelago. Considered as one of the most beautiful places on Galapagos for all snorkeling and diving fans and an excellent opportunity for dolphin watching.
Possible Activities: Snorkeling and dinghy ride
Difficulty: Moderate/Difficult
Type of Landing: Wet Landing
Highlights & Animals: See lions, reef fish and Nazca boobies

Day 8: Twin Craters, Santa Cruz Island | Disembark

  • 1 Breakfast
You will visit the Twin Craters located opposite to each other on both sides of the road leading from Puerto Ayora to Baltra. The name is only figurative; not real craters, these formations were created by the collapse of surface material in underground fissures and chambers. The view is breathtaking.
Possible Activities: Walking and scape viewing
Difficulty: Easy
Type of Landing: Dry Landing
Highlights & Animals: Pit craters, Scalesia Forest

After this final visit, you will be transferred to the Baltra airport in time for your flight back to the mainland.

Ship/Hotel

Cormorant II

Al Fresco dining
Sun deck

Dates & Prices

My Preferred Start Date

Per person starting at
$10,745
Main deck suite
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Suite
4 Interconnected Suites on the main deck (two of 527ft²/ 46m² and two of 474ft²/ 44m²) and 3 Suites (371ft²/ 35m²) on the upper deck feature a private balcony, binoculars, a safety box, a hair dryer, bathrobes, and a TV. Suites 1 & 2 include a minibar and a coffee maker
Upper deck Premium suite
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Premium Suites
2 Premium Suites (667ft²/ 62m²) on the upper deck with a private balcony, binoculars, safety box, hair dryer, bathrobes, TV, minibar, coffee maker, and a private Jacuzzi

Child Discount

10% discount for children under 12 years at time of Galapagos cruise traveling with two adults. 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
  • 7 Breakfasts, 7 Lunches, 7 Dinners
  • 7 Nights Accommodations
  • Accommodations as listed
  • Ground transportation as listed
  • Activities as listed
  • Meals as listed
  • Access to a 24-7 Emergency line while traveling
  • Snorkeling equipment, wetsuits, kayaks, and paddleboards are all included in the cruise cost and are available for your use onboard.
  • 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
  • Walking Sticks
  • Soft drinks
  • Onboard internet service
  • Galapagos National Park Entrance Fee and Transit Control Card (conditions apply)
  • Underwater cameras
Excluded
  • Gratuities
  • Travel Insurance
  • Personal Expenses
  • Flight costs (please request a quote)
  • Additional excursions during free time
  • Fuel and transportation surcharges (when applicable)
  • Alcoholic Drinks
  • Internal Flights: Mainland Ecuador - Galapagos - Mainland Ecuador: $475-675

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This was our first trip to South America and we were a little nervous. But Adventure Life made things so easy! All our questions were answered before we left, and our guide, Vidal, was amazing! He gave us enough space to explore without rushing us along. He also knew where the best picture taking opportunities were, which was great.
Lindsay Gompf
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