Natural Paradise – Central Galapagos Islands

Duration

5 days

Destination

Galapagos Islands

Group Size

Departures

Overview

The 5 Days Yacht Natural Paradise Central Galapagos Islands small ship cruise visits San Cristobal, North Seymour, Santa Fe, Santa Cruz, Bartolome, Santiago and South Plaza Islands. Embark in San Cristobal and disembark in Baltra. Snorkel amongst sharks, tropical fish, manta rays and turtles near Kicker Rock then meander between blue-footed boobies, frigatebirds, sea lions and prickly pear cacti on North Seymour Island. See where toroises are bred on Santa Cruz Island, witness some of the most interesting geology and lava flows on Santiago, then summit a volcano on Bartolome for one of the best views of Pinnacle Rock.

Itinerary in brief

Day 1: San Cristobal Island
Day 2: North Seymour & South Plaza Islands
Day 3: Rabida & Bartholome Islands
Day 4: Santiago & Santa Cruz Islands
Day 5: Santa Cruz Island – Baltra Airport

NOTE: Long itineraries are the combination of short ones; please let us know if you would like to book a long cruise.

Itinerary

AM: Arrive Baltra:
You will arrive at San Cristobal Island in the morning. After passing through immigration and baggage claim, you will be met by the Natural Paradise staff 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.

PM: Kicker Rock:
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, kayaking and scuba diving allow visitors to spot a variety of marine life.

Activities: Snorkeling and dinghy ride

Difficulty: Easy

Type of Landing: No landing

Highlights and Animals: Great snorkeling: sharks, tropical fish, turtles, manta rays (occ.), hammerhead sharks, spectacular rock formations; sea birds: blue- footed boobies, Nazca boobies & frigate birds.

AM: North Seymour:
In North Seymour you will be able to see Galapagos sea lions, blue-footed boobies, and magnificent frigatebirds which are abundant on this island. North Seymour was formed by a series of submarine lava flows containing layers of sediment that were uplifted by tectonic activity. The island is characterized by its arid vegetation zone.

Possible Activities: Dinghy ride & hiking (1.5 miles / 2.41 km)

Difficulty: Moderate / Difficult

Type of Landing: Dry landing

Highlights and Animals: Land & marine iguanas, frigatebirds, blue-footed boobies, sea lions; snorkeling: rays, reef sharks, fish, garden eels.

PM: South Plaza Island:
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 colourful yellow and red land iguanas. The most characteristic plant is the Sesuvium. During the rainy season its colour is a greenish to yellowish tone and in the dry season (end of June through January) a bright red.

Possible Activities: Hiking

Difficulty: Moderate

Type of Landing: Dry landing

Highlights & Animals: Land iguanas

AM: Rabida Island:
Which is one of the most colourful and volcanically varied islands in the archipelago, as well as a great snorkeling site. We will start on Rabida’s famous maroon sandy beach, and after an easy hike, you will arrive to a stunning lookout to enjoy the amazing landscapes. The island is a birdwatcher’s delight. Some of the rarest species are in abundance such as nine varieties of finches, large-billed flycatchers, Galapagos hawks and brown pelicans.

Possible Activities: Snorkeling, panga ride & short hike (0,6 miles / 1km)

Difficulty: Easy / Moderate

Type of Landing: Wet landing

Highlights & Animals: Snorkeling: white-cheeked pintail ducks, colourful fish, sea lions, brackish water lagoon, penguins, Galapagos hawk.

PM: Bartholomew Island:
Home of the famous Pinnacle Rock. Bartholomew consists of an extinct volcano with a variety of red, orange, black and even green volcanic formations. We will take a trail of stairs to the summit of the volcano (about 30 or 40 minutes) where you will enjoy one of the best views of the islands! You will also visit a small, beautiful beach surrounded by the only vegetation found on this barren island. The beach is perfect for snorkeling where you may even see Galapagos penguins.

Possible Activities: Dinghy ride, snorkeling & hiking (1.2 miles/ 2 km)

Difficulty: Moderate / Difficult.

Walk up to the top of volcano 374 feet (114 meters), 375 wooden steps

Type of Landing: Dry & wet landings

Highlights & Animals: Pinnacle Rock, panoramic view, moonlike landscape, penguins, pioneer plants, lava cactus; snorkeling: penguins, reef sharks, rays, and great colorful fish.

AM: Sullivan Bay:
In the morning, you will visit Sullivan Bay located on the southeast part of Santiago. This place is interesting for its geology because the area is covered by lava flows. This place has elevations in the form of small volcanoes formed by the lava flows.

Possible Activities: Hiking

Difficulty: Easy / Moderate

Type of Landing: Dry landing

Highlights & Animals: Lava flows, small volcanoes

PM: Dragon Hill:
Is one of the newest visitor sites accessible to tourists in the Galapagos Islands. One of the lengthier Galapagos walking trails will lead visitors along a beach and up a trail to the lagoon lookout where bright flamingos, pintail ducks, and land iguanas can be spotted.

Possible Activities: Walking and hiking

Type of Landing: Dry landing

Difficulty: Easy / Moderate: the trail may get muddy at times, and there is uneven rocky terrain

Highlights: Land iguana nesting spot, Galapagos flamingos, common stilts, palo santo trees and cacti forest.

AM: Twin Craters:
Located opposite 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: Short hiking

Type of Landing: Dry landing

Difficulty: Moderate

Highlights: Pit craters, Scalesia forest

PM: Transfer to Baltra Airport:
Your cruise has officially come to an end. We hope you enjoyed your Galapagos Cruise! We will now transfer you to your scheduled departure from Baltra Airport to mainland Ecuador. Safe travels!

Itinerary Map

Inclusions

WHAT’S INCLUDED

  • All meals and excursions
  • Transfers in the islands
  • Bilingual National Park Guide
  • Use of snorkeling equipment & Wetsuit
  • Use of underwater camera

WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED

  • Roundtrip Airfare to / from Galapagos
  • Alcoholic drinks
  • Galapagos National Park fee
  • Transit Control Card
  • Travel / medical insurance
  • Tips
  • Personal Expenses

You might also like

Delve into the heart of the Galápagos Islands on a 8 Day expedition aboard the luxury ship Silver Origin, a vessel purpose built for exploring this unique archipelago…

8 days

Our 4 days route cruises along 3 of the 4 inhabited islands of the archipelago, featuring their intriguing colonization history: San Cristobal, Santa Fe, South Plaza and Santa Cruz…

4 days

The 4 Days Yacht Natural Paradise North Galapagos Islands small ship cruise visits Santa Cruz, Genovesa, Santiago and Baltra…

8 days

Five days aboard M/Y Aqua will in no doubt provide you with the BEST memories!..

5 days

During this journey, the Galapagos Seaman Journey Cruise will sail the center and southwestern part of the archipelago starting at Santa Cruz and continuing to Isabela, Fernandina, Santiago and Rabida…

8 days

Our adventurous 4 days route runs around the largest island of Isabela. Explore the untouched western end of Galapagos, which has just been born out of fire and the lush..

5 days

Book with Confidence

We have been creating lifetime trips for Australian travelers since 2014. We are an Australian registered company (ACN: 169920576) and proud members of the Australia Federation of Travel Agents (Accreditation Number 12675) and ATAS (Accreditation Number 12406). Our ATAS accreditation ensures we meet high standards of business discipline, training, and compliance, giving you peace of mind when booking with us. For more details, visit ATAS

We are LATAM Airlines wholesalers and members of CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association). Additionally, we are covered by Gow-Gates Insurance

For testimonials about our service quality, please visit our testimonials page.