Cruise through the eastern islands of the Galapagos on this 10-day adventure cruise. Spend your days exploring volcanic hot spots, traversing island trails and snorkeling along pristine beaches. Throughout your Galapagos trip, encounter fascinating, fearless native species including sea lions, tortoises, frigate birds, marine iguanas, and everything in between!
Highlights
Hike El Barranco, the southern plateau of Darwin Bay
Observe frigate birds and blue-footed boobies on North Seymour Island
Visit Punta Cormorant on Floreana Island to see the flamingo lagoon
Visit Chinese Hat and learn about the geologic features of the islands
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 the San Cristobal Airport and transfer to the Galapagos Odyssey.
Spend the afternoon visiting Cerro Colorado Tortoises Protection and Growing Center. The Center provides insight into tortoise protection efforts across the archipelago, and orients travelers with other endemic island species as well.
In the morning, visit Gardner Bay, a pristine beach on Española Island. The crystalline waters of Gardner Bay make it a prime spot for swimming, snorkeling, and kayaking.
Venture to Punta Suarez, a rocky area which is home to the most multifarious colonies of sea birds in the Galapagos. Enjoy watching these fascinating bird species swoop and dive along the spectacular seaside cliffs and crashing surf.
Visit Punta Cormorant, which features on of the best flamingo lagoon in the Galapagos. Located on Floreana Island, the lagoon is uniquely situated between two tuff lava cones and is also home to common stilts, white-checked pintail ducks, and many others. The area features two distinct beaches: "The Green Beach," made up of olivine crystals, and "The Flour Sand Beach," formed by particles of coral.
In the afternoon, pay a visit to historical Post Office Bay. In the 18th century, whalers placed a barrel at this site to serve as a post office for mariners and inhabitants of the island, and it's been in use ever since. Ascend to nearby Baroness Lookout along the north slope of Floreana. Enjoy the breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape.
Santa Fe, a southeastern island, has a unique history in relation to the rest of the Galapagos. Formed by and uplift rather than a volcano, the island is considerably flatter and more distinctive than its neighbors. Explore Santa Fe's trails, spot sea lions, and snorkel along the crystal clear shore.
After lunch, head to South Plaza Island. Although small, South Plaza is home to some of the archipelago's most unique and interesting wildlife species. Notable among these are the marine, land, and hybrid iguanas.
Day 5: North Seymour - Bachas Beach - Santa Cruz Island
Disembark on North Seymour, a beautiful, uplifted island strewn with boulders and rich in birdlife. Observe the famous blue-footed boobies and magnificent frigate birds as they perform their fascinating courtship rituals and attend to their nests.
From North Seymour, journey to Bachas Beach. This stunning beach is located on Santa Cruz Island, just west of Turtle Cove. The white sand of Bachas, the result of decomposed coral, is a favorite nesting site for sea turtles.
Travel to Mosquera, an islet located between Baltra and North Seymour. Meander along Mosquera's rocky coast, snorkel above its coral reef, and enjoy its entertaining wildlife.
Journey on to Dragon Hill. Located on northwestern Santa Cruz Island, the area features a hyper-saline lagoon, frequented by a variety of bird species. The walk up the hill culminates in a beautiful view of the bay below.
In the morning, cruise to Rabida Island, known for its unique coloration. Volcanic red rocks and sand create a stunning backdrop for wildlife viewing. Take the trail to a coastal lagoon and observe a myriad of native birds.
In the afternoon set off for a small islet just off the southeastern tip of Santiago Island, called Chinese Hat. Named for its distinctly conical shape, this island is an excellent place to view and learn about volcanic and other geological features.
Sail for Darwin Bay, which had its genesis when Genovesa Island's crater collapsed below sea level, leaving a pristine white coral sand beach in its stead. A favorite bird-watching destination, Darwin Bay provides habitat for red-footed and masked boobies, wandering tattlers, lava gulls, whimbrels, and yellow and black-crowned herons.
In the afternoon, climb up the southern plateau of Darwin Bay, known as El Barranco. Encounter large populations of masked and red-footed boobies, storm petrels, and short-eared owls, attracted to the area because of its ideal nesting habitat.
Cruise over to Bartolomé to take in one of the most scenic areas in the Galapagos. Set at an altitude of 114 meters, enjoy the view from Bartolomé of the volcanic features of the surrounding islands. Spot cones, craters, lava fields, and famous Toba pinnacle. Sparse in vegetation but rich in beaches, Bartolomé is home to sea turtles and a small colony of Galapagos penguins.
Travel to Santiago Island in the afternoon. Santiago is still an active volcano and is great for getting up close to young lava flows. The flows are also visible from Darwin's summit, and, more impressively, outer space!
Day 10: Santa Cruz Island - Highlands - Baltra
1 Breakfast
Spend the morning at the Santa Cruz Highlands. Take a trail leading through the various unique zones of the highlands, and marvel at the beautiful scenes of rolling hills and volcanic formations that surround you.
Transfer back to San Cristobal for your departing flight.
This itinerary is no longer available. For other trip ideas, please visit Galapagos Cruises & Tours.
Apologies for the inconvenience. Prices for not yet published. Below per person rate based on previous season. Contact us to confirm upcoming season pricing.
Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
Lower Deck
One cabin on the Lower Deck with a queen size bed, which can be used for single occupancy. Private bath facilities, individual A/C, mini-bar, desk, closet & phone.
Main Deck
2 convertible twin cabins and 2 matrimonial cabins on the main deck and 2 convertible twin cabins on the upper deck. Private bath facilities, individual A/C, mini-bar, desk, closet & phone.
Upper Deck
2 convertible twin cabins and 2 suite cabins on the Upper Deck. Private bath facilities, individual A/C, mini-bar, desk, closet & phone.
Child Discount
20% discount for children under age 12 at the 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.
Initial deposit is 35% ($400 minimum), 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
Wetsuits are not included but are available for rent on board- $30 for 5-day tours, $36 for 6-day tours, $60 for 10-day tours, $66 for 11-day tours, and $90 for 15-day tours.
I could not be happier with my Adventure Life experience, from beginning to end. I travel a lot, and I think your company and personnel do an outstanding job. I truly appreciate your professionalism, attentiveness, and flexibility. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend your company and would be happy to serve as a reference.
I just returned from a 10 day trip to Ecuador and The Galapagos Island. From the very first conversation with Adventure Life until my return, everything went smoothly. It was a great trip! Adventure Life excels at communication and organization. Every detail was considered, which made the preparation for my trip really easy. In country, my guides were outstanding...friendly, knowledgeable, on time, professional. I really can't say enough good things about how well I was taken care of during my trip. When flying to a new country it's comforting to be met by a friendly face at the airport who knows where you're going! All of my hotels were well-located and thoughtfully selected for comfort and historic interest. The yacht I sailed on through the islands exceeded my expectations in every way. My cabin was very comfortable, the food we were served was excellent and the crew was first-class. Our Park Guide found the perfect balance between fun and education. His passion for the Galápagos Islands was evident in every activity on every island. I look forward to planning my next trip with Adventure Life, and thank their entire team for making this adventure wonderful!
Tracy Heuermann
1 month ago
Kevin had first hand experience of Ecuador and The Galapagos which helped us plan time before and after our visit to the Galapagos by water. We always plan our travel independently, but since we needed a guide in the galapagos, this was a perfect blend of self plan and assistance.
Lori
1 month ago
Adventure Life helped guide us toward just the right trip for us and then made all the planning super easy. We absolutely loved our time at Hacienda Jimenita in Quito and on the Anahi in the Galapagos and would recommend both to anyone. Everything went so smoothly from start to finish because Adventure Life took care of all the arrangements.
Marla Zucker
1 month ago
Jane went out of her way to help accommodate my what's and needs.
Walt LIGHTFOOT
2 months ago
Adventure Life (with partner Adventure Journey) got us the real experience that we were hoping for. The food was definitely above what we expected, as were the accomodations. Gabriel S. (our Galapagos guide) was so very personable and tuned in that we felt we had the premium of experiences (food, activities, people to meet and interact with). Our experience in the Cloud Forest was an impressive "birding" experience with great accomodations and wonderful food.
