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Floreana Island

Floreana Island - Galapagos Travel Guide

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Floreana Island is the smallest of the four inhabited islands in the Galapagos, but also has one of the most fascinating human histories. Regarded as the birthplace of the first “Galapagueño” (the first person actually born in the archipelago), it hosts tales of pirates, whalers, and even a murder mystery. The tiny town of Puerto Velasco Ibarra is the only town on this island and has a meager population of around 100 people. Although there aren’t many lodging options here, Floreana’s visitor sites are definitely a fascinating part of any Galapagos vacation.
 

10 Best Galapagos Cruises & Tours Visiting Floreana Island for 2025-2026

10 Best Luxury Galapagos Cruises & Tours to Floreana Island for 2025-2026

Trip Name From Days Next Departure Summary
Southern Islands $6,195 4 May 26, 2025 Set sail on a 4-day Hermes Ultra Luxury Cruise to the Eastern Galapagos Islands. Explore San Cristóbal, and visit Tijeretas Hill. Enjoy Gardner Bay and Punta Suárez on Española, then discover unique beaches, flamingos, and marine life at Punta Cormorant on Floreana. Conclude your journey at the Charles Darwin Research Station and fly back home.
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North & Central Islands + Floreana $7,490 6 May 29, 2025 Delight your senses with all the natural beauty and breathtaking wildlife of the Galapagos Islands! Sail across some of the most emblematic destinations and visit Baltra, Bartholomew, Floreana, Santiago, North Seymour, Santa Cruz, Genovesa and more!
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Western Islands $7,867 7 Jun 06, 2025 Explore the red beaches of Rabida and visit the Charles Darwin Research Station aboard the La Pinta. Hike, snorkel, and relax on this 7-day tour of the Western Islands.
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Private Charter - Western Islands Aboard La Pinta $381,349 7 Jun 06, 2025 Experience the Galapagos Islands like never before during this 7-day Western Islands private cruise aboard La Pinta. Discover the volcanic landscapes of Punta Espinoza in Fernandina, the spectacular red beaches of Rabida on Santa Cruz Island, and snorkel or glass-bottom boat ride along the coast of Champion Islet in Floreana.
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Southern & Northern Islands $11,695 7 May 26, 2025 Join the 7-Day Hermes Ultra Luxury Cruise in the Eastern & Central Galapagos, beginning on San Cristóbal Island. Explore Tijeretas, Gardner Bay, Punta Suárez, and Floreana. Snorkel at Champion Islet, then visit Genovesa Island. Conclude at Black Turtle Cove, disembarking in Baltra, marking the end of your unforgettable journey.
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Private Charter - Beyond Darwin's Footsteps Aboard Grace $180,600 8 Jun 03, 2025 Close encounters with nature highlight this 8-day private Galapagos cruise onboard the Grace. The islands are teeming with animals that are eager to meet visitors. Explore Espanola, Floreana, Santa Cruz, and other nearby cities! Scuba diving, snorkeling, and kayaking are all popular pastimes in this area.
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Private Charter - Island Circumnavigation Aboard Galapagos Horizon $126,450 8 Jun 14, 2025 This 8-day private cruise offers incredible snorkeling, hiking, and kayaking adventures all around the Galapagos archipelago in style. Gourmet cuisine, the best guides, and spacious & stylish cabins guarantee a top-notch luxury cruising experience second to none.
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Galapagos Inner Loop $11,500 8 Jun 14, 2025 Embark the luxurious Silver Origin on an 8-day adventure from San Cristobal to San Cristobal. Acquaint yourselves with Kicker Rock island, Punta Cormorant, Tagus Cove and Elizabeth Bay to name a few.
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Beaches and Bays $10,250 8 Jun 01, 2025 Spend 8 days cruising the Southern Islands of the Galapagos and visiting a variety of islands such as San Cristobal, Española, Floreana, and Santa Cruz. Explore the unique and endemic flora and fauna of each island and enjoy family adventure activities such as kayaking, snorkeling, and hiking.
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Beyond Darwin's Footsteps $10,450 8 May 24, 2025 This 8-day adventure aboard Grace offers close encounters with wildlife. The islands are full of creatures that love to interact with visitors. Travel around Espanola, Floreana, Santa Cruz and more! Enjoy snorkeling, swimming and kayaking in the crystalline waters of this area.
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10 Best Cruise Ships to Floreana Island for 2025-2026

Trip Name From Days Next Departure Summary
Alya $4,200 May 26, 2025 Alya catamaran offers luxury cruises to the Galapagos Islands. Accommodating just 16 passengers, the Alya boasts 9 spacious cabins with private facilities and a private balcony in each. Inside are the library, lounge, and dining areas, and outside guests can enjoy an ample sun deck and Jacuzzi.
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Tip Top V $6,388 May 30, 2025 This boat lives up to its name, as a "tip top" way to explore the Galapagos Islands. Built in Ecuador especially for first class cruises in these magical islands, it has space for 16 guests in 10 fully carpeted cabins with private bathrooms & hot water. There's also a teak sundeck and courtesy kayaks and snorkeling equipment available.
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Galaxy Orion $1,650 May 24, 2025 The stunning Galaxy Orion is a fully-equipped liveaboard yacht that gives a unique experience for diving lovers. It is totally rebuilt in 2022 and provides leisurely excursions, optimal comfort, attentive guides, and redesigned cabins and social areas. With a capacity for just 14 passengers in 8 well-appointed cabins, this is an ideal vessel for your Galapagos cruise.
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Galaxy Sirius $5,350 May 24, 2025 Experience the luxurious grandeur of the Sirius Galaxy, an exquisite vessel skillfully designed to offer unmatched comfort and tranquility. With elegant decorations and top-of-the-line facilities, this exceptional ship guarantees a remarkable sailing adventure as you journey through the captivating Galapagos Islands.
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Solaris $4,050 May 30, 2025 The Solaris is a spacious 114.8 feet long yacht that will take you across one of the most stunning archipelagos on Earth! the 16 passenger ship was built to fulfill your expectations of comfort, safety and service, and her guests will enjoy it.
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Silver Origin $11,500 Jun 07, 2025 Silver Origin is the height of experiential travel in the Galapagos. This 100-passenger destination-specific ship offers an extraordinary voyage for extraordinary people sailing to Galapagos.
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EcoGalaxy $3,800 May 24, 2025 The beautiful EcoGalaxy is a new, eco-friendly Galapagos catamaran. Built in 2014, she provides leisurely excursions, optimal comfort, attentive guides, and upgraded, modern social areas. With capacity for just 16 passengers in 8 well-appointed cabins, this is an ideal vessel for your Galapagos cruise.
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Bonita $2,700 May 25, 2025 The Bonita is a 16-passenger motor yacht that cruises the Galapagos Islands. This yacht boasts beautiful woodwork, air conditioning and spacious cabins featuring exceptionally flexible cruises of 5, 7, 9, 11 and 15-day itineraries touring the best of Galapagos.
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Galapagos Sea Star $4,554 May 25, 2025 Combining luxury, privacy and comfort in the marvelous setting of the Galapagos Islands, the Galapagos Sea Star sails the Galapagos archipelago in style. Accommodating 16 passengers in spacious suite cabins, explore the Galapagos in comfort.
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Samba $5,140 May 27, 2025 Enjoy the Galapagos Islands aboard this charming motor sailer, offering its 14 guests the a unique experience. With safety and courtesy as the number one priority, a highly trained bilingual crew will lead you on navigations to all corners of this island paradise as passengers appreciate the spacious cabins and several social areas.
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Floreana Island Travel Guide

One of only four inhabited islands in the Galapagos, Floreana is the least populated. Most of the residents live in the town of Puerto Velasco Ibarra and nearly all of the island is protected by the Galapagos National Park.

The most famous spot on the island is the "Post Office", existing in a similar form as it has since pirates corresponded here. The descendents of some of the first, and most famous, residents of Floreana, the Wittmers, still reside here today.

There's one hotel on Floreana Island, the Floreana  Lava Lodge which can only be visited as part of a three day itinerary, as the National Park doesn't allow multi-day cruises to stop and leave people on the island. 

The other highlights of any trip to Floreana are the official National Park Visitor Spots below.

Floreana Island Facts and Highlights

  • Floreana Island is known for its mysterious past. Learn about the island's early settlers and the fascinating stories of its colorful characters, including pirates, whalers, and the infamous Baroness Eloisa von Wagner.
  • Floreana Island is home to a variety of endemic species, including the Galapagos mockingbird, lava lizards, and the Floreana giant tortoise. Observe these fascinating creatures up close and learn about their adaptations to life on the island.
  • Post Office Bay is the most emblematic visitor site on Floreana Island and a must-visit destination. It is home to a unique tradition where visitors leave postcards for others to pick up and hand-deliver to their intended recipients. 
  • Devil's Crown is a unique rock formation off the coast of Floreana Island, popular for snorkeling and diving. Its underwater cliffs and caves provide a habitat for a diverse array of marine life, including colorful fish, sea turtles, and rays.
  • Floreana Island is home to several stunning black sand beaches. The island's volcanic past creates a dramatic and striking landscape.
  • Floreana Island is one of the few inhabited islands in the archipelago. Its small population of residents provides visitors with an opportunity to experience the local way of life. 

Floreana Island Visitor Spots - Hiking & Snorkeling

Baroness Viewing Point – This scenic viewpoint is currently a popular lookout, but hosts an eerie tale of lovers who mysteriously vanished. Murder and mystery surround Baroness Eloise von Wagner, for whom this viewpoint is named. In the early 20th century, she and her two lovers disappeared, and ever since mystery has shrouded this otherwise gorgeous lookout. A nearby cave served as the home of the Wittmer family – Were they merely neighbors to the Baroness and her love triangle? Or were their intentions a bit more murderous? No one knows for sure.

Post Office Bay – Long before the Internet or even formal mail systems, the Galapagos Islands housed an informal post office of its own ­­–  what started off as a single wooden barrel where sailors left their addressed letters home in the hopes that a future sea-farer would find it and return it to its intended has slightly evolved into an amalgamation of something resembling mailboxes. Although this system has long since been replaced by more effective means of communication, the barrel still stands where it was originally placed and now eager travelers enjoy placing stamped and addressed post cards in it to see how long it will take before another passerby picks it up and delivers it home.

Asilo de la Paz – Before the Galapagos were a major tourist destination, they were a sanctuary for all manner of sailors navigating the Pacific. After spending months at sea, they would use the Islands to stock up on water and food. Asilo de la Paz is the only spot on Floreana that has a freshwater spring, which provides drinking water to the whole island. In the days of buccaneers and pioneers, a nearby cave provided sanctuary while they enjoyed the crisp water issuing from the spring.

Cormorant Point ­– This site features two distinct beaches. The first beach is peculiar for its green color, the result of a heavy concentration of volcanic olivine crystals in the sand. This contrasts with the other beach, which is composed of white coral. An easy hike inland takes one to saltwater lagoons, where flamingos, stilts, and pintails can be spotted. If you choose to snorkel, the soft, fine sand of the beach provides the ideal habitat for stingrays.

Devil’s Crown – Considered by many to be the best snorkeling site in the Galapagos, this ring of rocks from a partially submerged volcanic cone, has healthy coral and hosts a wealth of sharks, rays, and tropical fish in a vibrant underwater display of biodiversity. Its name refers to the jagged tip of an eroded volcanic caldera that peeks just barely out of the water, like a crown. Once you strap on your snorkel and fins and begin exploring the impressive underwater rock formations you will see why so many people think this offers the best Galapagos snorkeling.  

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