Embark on an 8-day cruise through the Eastern Galapagos Islands aboard the M/Y Passion. The adventure starts at Baltra, leading to Santa Cruz, home to Puerto Ayora and tourist attractions. Turtle Cove on Santa Cruz showcases mangroves and abundant marine life. Genovesa Island offers Darwin Bay with diverse bird species, including frigate birds and boobies. Bartolome presents panoramic hikes and encounters with sea lions and penguins. Other stops feature unique landscapes and wildlife, from Sombrero Chino's sea lions and penguins to Rábida's flamingoes and sea lions. The journey includes the Charles Darwin Station and highlights the archipelago's conservation efforts. The voyage ends with a return flight to Quito or Guayaquil.
Highlights
Witness the vibrant ecosystem of Caleta Tortuga's mangrove lagoon
Encounter Galapagos giant tortoises in the Santa Cruz highlands
Observe frigate birds, red-footed boobies, and more wildlife in Darwin Bay
Discover Genovesa Island's unique submerged caldera and wildlife
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
Arrive at Baltra airport. Visit the largest of the central islands, Santa Cruz, home to many tourist visitor sights and the largest human settlement, Puerto Ayora.
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. You will have the opportunity to see sea turtles, rays, sharks, and sea birds.
Genovesa Island (Tower) is an eroded flat volcanic island, with a natural harbor, which is the submerged caldera of this volcanic island.
In Darwin Bay, the 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.
There is a good possibility of seeing the unique "Short-eared owl” at El Barranco. During the dinghy rides along the cliffs fur seals and several species of seabirds can be spotted.
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.
Sombrero Chino (Chinese Hat) 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.
Rábida 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.
Dragon Hill is located on the northwestern side of Santa Cruz Island. Some highlights include small lagoons with flamingos, Palo Santo trees, and Opuntia cactus.
Day 5: Santa Cruz Highlands | Charles Darwin Station
Galapagos giant tortoises can be seen in the wild in the highlands of Santa Cruz.
Visit the Charles Darwin Station which is a research facility and the National Park Information Center. The Charles Darwin Station has a giant tortoise and land iguana breeding program and interpretation center.
Española Island (Hood) 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.
Islote Garnder and Islote Osborn 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, Nazca boobies, and Española lava lizards.
Santa Fe 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.
South Plaza Island 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.
Day 8: Twin Craters (Los Gemelos) | Disembark | Baltra
1 Breakfast
Surrounded by the endemic Scalecia trees, these two sunken craters are known as the twins. They are naturally beautiful and home to yellow warblers and finches.
This itinerary is no longer available. For other trip ideas, please visit Galapagos Cruises & Tours.
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Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
Stateroom
Standard staterooms feature air-conditioning and private bathrooms with bathtubs and showers.
Initial deposit is 20%, and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card.
Final payment is due 70 (10 weeks) prior to departure by bank transfer, check or credit card. All final payments by credit card may be subject to a surcharge and maximum of $20,000 charge
For full cancellation policy details, please contact us for a quote.
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
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
Tea, coffee, water, and natural juices.
Snorkel gear (mask, snorkel, and fins), Short wet suits (shorties), kayak equipment.
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.
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
TrustScore 4.9 | 306 reviews
TrustScore 4.9 of 5
Based on 306 reviews on
4 weeks ago
Jess was very responsive and quick to address questions. She was patient when we wanted to make changes. We did check the BBB and found good reviews. We look forward to a fabulous Machu Picchu and Galapagos trip and hope to book many other trips with Adventure Life. Thank you.
Mary Westphal
1 month ago
Adventure life made it so easy to plan my trip. They were very professional and answered all of my question promptly and completely. They were also flexible in accommodating my changes to the trip.
J Rugg
1 month ago
Excellent information by company . Easy to book trip.
Jay Cohen
1 month ago
Excellent travel advice and service
This is my second experience working with Adventure Life. I’m sold. Jess Heuermann is an experienced traveler and provides a lot of useful information when planning a trip. These are the questions I like to ask at the outset - What’s it like to go here, there, what would you suggest, what do people report, can we add any additional side trips? Jess took the time to answer my questions and seek additional information to share with me. Petchie Colina is outstanding in helping with travel logistics and final preparations. Adventure Life has excellent guides and offers private guides and small group adventures. We enjoyed the opportunity to talk with the guides and drivers to learn more about their countries, cultures and histories. A highlight was having the guides pick local restaurants where we could share meals together. Highly recommend.
Claire Cordon
1 month ago
Jess was very easy going and answered all our questions. It’s not easy dealing with 6 people at once but she did an outstanding job!
