Have you ever pictured yourself as an explorer? An intrepid, adventurer, reckless perhaps, navigating through uncharted waters with the guidance of binoculars and a compass. Galapagos is such a place to let your imagination run wild.
All who venture there can assure they didn´t return the same. The source of inspiration of Charles Darwin, the islands are the storytellers of time, of the development of species, the hourglass that separates the beginning and the end of the world.
Galapagos: mystical, tempting, a source of magic. It’s one of those places where legends are made of, where you get to be the main character and simply let it take you throughout the rest of the chapters.
The best way to immerse yourself in this experience can be found aboard one-of-a-kind transportation. They’re the galleons, caravels, and ships from past centuries modernized and made perfect for your comfort and enjoyment.
These are the Galapagos cruises
There are two points where you can reach Galapagos by air: San Cristóbal and Baltra Islands. From those checkpoints, you can connect by land transportation to the embarking piers on the islands.
These two locations, plus Puerto Ayora, are the starting points of cruises. Upon arrival, Galapagos enjoys playing hide and seek, revealing more of its secrets bit by bit as you keep on exploring deeper. It never ceases to astonish.
With your itinerary and cruise booked, you’ll be ready to head out. You have three types of expedition cruises with accommodation to choose from: large, medium or small within four types of categories: luxury, first-class, tourist superior and tourist. Whichever you pick, it’ll depend on the level of comfort and service you desire.
Bigger cruises host larger crowds from ninety to a hundred, a medium between forty to fifty guests, and small cruises have between sixteen to twenty passengers.
Your cruise journey and list of activities will act according to the number of days you would be staying, from 3 nights, up to 14 nights.
Although, if you wish to absorb Galapagos to its fullest, a full two weeks is necessary. In addition, only-diving cruises are available.
Cruises are ideal for visiting furthest islands and iconic spots than other regular tours cannot reach. You get the opportunity to sail waters where pirates and buccaneers roamed once, a checkpoint for safekeeping the treasures they stole from Spanish ships.
Through your journey
You’ll be able to appreciate the diversity of each island up close, recapitulate the formation and development they went through centuries ago. Whereas, you’ll see a contrast between islands like Santa Cruz, which is highly vegetative, with Santiago island, which holds a variety of dark colors evidencing its volcanic formation, and islands like Rabida, which has a reddish color: an entire world inside our planet.
Another challenge we want you to achieve, is to make a list of the most iconic species you want to see, such as the albatross, the blue-footed, Nazca booby, and the red-footed booby, the finches, the frigate birds, the Galapagos flightless cormorant, the marine iguanas, the endemic Galapagos penguin, the sea lion, and the iconic Galapagos Giant tortoise.
Each one of them could reside in different locations that you’ll visit throughout your journey, dare to create your own Galapagos species scavenger hunt!
Waking up with the sound of the Pacific every day in a different site, pelicans flying close to see if there is any food they can steal and the first breezes of the day. Your tour guide will give you an itinerary of activities the night before.
Things to do
Your list of activities can range from exploring islands with hikes, dingy rides, beach time and aquatic experiences that generally include snorkeling, although some tours also offer paddle-boarding or kayaking.
Galapagos’ hikes and walkabouts are not necessarily complicated, although it is recommended for people who are capable of long walks and are physically active. The terrain will depend on the island and on the season you visit.
Wet season (from January to May) will have a mixture of warm weather and rain, whereas dry season (from June to December) will provide colder hikes but usually dry terrains.
Appropriate walking shoes, comfortable clothes, and sunblock should be a priority. You’ll be able to visit spots like Bartholomew, a volcanic island with breathtaking landscapes and the famous Pinnacle Rock.
Visiting Galapagos tortoises in Charles Darwin station, black-sand beaches in Santiago island, or a birds haven on Genovesa island, only to name a few.
For aquatic activities, you might want to have a waterproof camera! The underwater party Galapagos offers is one that cannot be seen anywhere in the world, a Disney-like fantasy comes true.
Meet your fellow animal companions, who are rarely frightened of human presence, as if they knew they were the island masters and us humans’, mere visitors. Where on earth will you be able to swim alongside sea turtles, sea lions, marine iguanas, rays and a variety of fish and sea creatures, all at one place?
All cruises are equipped with snorkeling gear and wet suits and some of them are included within the package price. Dive through mazes of underwater lava tunnels, explore caves and all kinds of underwater habitats.
Play alongside sea lions, the most curious and sociable of all species, catch close glimpses of this marine reserve that very few are lucky enough to witness and take your snorkeling experience to a whole new level. Nothing better than a natural spectacle waiting for you one trip away.
Dare to make your trip to the Enchanted Islands an unforgettable one. Soak it in the best possible way and make sure your experience will be one for the books. Set sail on one-of-a-kind cruise ships designed according to all of your needs and expectations. You’ll find that everything you dreamt of how the Galapagos would be will be more than you could ever imagine.
Make sure to book your trip with anticipation. Contact us for specifics and any questions you need to be answered.