Grand Majestic – Central & East Galapagos Islands

• San Cristobal Airport - El Junco Lagoon

  AM: Arrive San Cristobal:
  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: El Junco Lagoon
  Located in the highlands 19 kilometers from Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, El Junco is located in the caldera of an extinct volcano. Rainwater feeds the lagoon. There are many farms and ranches in this area of San Cristobal Island, and sometime cows can be found near the lagoon.

  Possible Activities: Hike around the lagoon

  Difficulty: Easy / Moderate

  Type of Landing: Dry Landing

  Highlights & Animals: Beautiful lagoon filling the crater of the extinct volcano. Frigates and occasionally some species of local water birds

• Floreana: Post Office Bay - Floreana: Cormorant Point, Devil's Crown

  AM: Post Office Bay
  You will land on a beach and head to a spot where 18th century whalers placed a wooden barrel used as an unofficial mail box. The custom continues to this day with Galapagos visitors. So, don’t forget your postcards, and don’t be surprised if the post card arrives to its destination before you even get home!

  Possible Activities: Short hike (less than 0.6 miles / 1km) & snorkeling

  Difficulty: Easy

  Type of Landing: Wet Landing

  Highlights & Animals: Post office barrel, nice sandy beach

  PM: Cormorant Point
  Cormorant Point hosts a large flamingo lagoon where other birds such as common stilts and white-cheeked pintails can also be seen. The beaches on this island are distinct: The Green Beach is named so due to its green color, which comes from a high percentage of olivine crystals in the sand, and the Four Sand Beach is composed of white coral.

  Possible Activities: Dinghy ride & hike (1.25 mi /2 km)

  Difficulty: Easy

  Type of Landing: Wet Landing

  Highlights & Animals: Flamingoes, green-colored beach

  PM: Devil’s Crown
  You will have a chance to snorkel around Devil’s Crown which is the rocky remains of an offshore volcano sticking out of the water. This is a great location to spot a wide range of marine creatures.

  Possible Activities: Snorkeling, panga ride

  Difficulty: Moderate / Difficult

  Type of Landing: No Landing

  Highlights & Animals: Large array or marine species

• Espanola: Suarez Point - Espanola: Gardner Bay

  AM: Suarez Point
  On the trail to Suarez Point you will have the chance to spot blue-footed boobies, albatrosses, and Nazca boobies. This island is the breeding site of nearly all of the world’s 12,000 pairs of waved albatrosses. You will also visit a beautiful site on the ocean front where there is a cliff that the large albatrosses use as a launching pad! You will have the chance to see the famous blowhole that spurts sea water into the air. The landscape is great for photography.

  Possible Activities: Hike (1,9 miles / 3 km)

  Difficulty: Difficult

  Type of Landing: Dry Landing

  Highlights & Animals: Hood mockingbirds, Nazca boobies, waved albatrosses (approximately from the last week of April until the last week of January), red-billed tropicbirds, lava lizards, Galapagos hawks, blowhole, amazing landscape and maybe blue- footed boobies.

  PM: Gardner Bay, Gardner Islet & Osborn Islet
  This excursion takes you to the spectacular Gardner Bay. After landing, you can walk across a lovely white-sand beach amongst a busy sea lion colony or dive into the water to swim with sea lion pups. You may also see curious mockingbirds on the beach.

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

  Difficulty: Easy

  Type of Landing: Wet Landing

  Highlights & Animals: White sandy beach, sea lions, mockingbirds

  snorkeling: colorful fish, sea lion nursery

• Santa Cruz: Twin Craters - Santa Cruz: Giant Land Tortoises Breeding Centre

  AM: Twin Craters
  You will visit the Twin Craters located opposite to 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: Walking and scape viewing

  Difficulty: Easy

  Type of Landing: Dry Landing

  Highlights & Animals: Pit craters, Scalesia Forest

  PM: Fausto Llerena Breeding Center
  You will visit “Fausto Llerena” Giant Tortoises Creeding Center in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island, where giant tortoises are bred in captivity; this is home to tortoises ranging from 3-inches (new hatchlings) to 4-feet long adults. Subspecies of the giant tortoises interact with one another, and many of the older tortoises are accustomed to humans stretching out their heads for a photo opportunity. The babies are kept until they are about four years-old and strong enough to survive on their own.

  Possible Activities: Walking

  Difficulty: Easy

  Type of Landing: Dry Landing

  Highlights & Animals: Giant tortoises, finches, Galapagos rails

• Genovesa: El Barranco - Genovesa: Darwin Bay

  AM: El Barranco
  El Barranco, also known as Prince Phillip’s Steps, is a steep, rocky path that leads up a high cliff rock face. A marvelous view can be appreciated from here. This site is also home to Palo Santo vegetation as well as red-footed boobies, short-eared owls, Galapagos storm petrels, and Galapagos doves.

  Possible Activities: Hiking (0,9 miles / 2 Km)

  Difficulty: Moderate

  Type of Landing: Dry Landing

  Highlights & Animals: Red-footed boobies, short-eared owls, storm-petrels, Galapagos doves

  PM: Darwin Bay
  Visit the white-sand coral beach of Darwin Bay which includes a half mile trail (0,75km) that winds through mangroves filled with land birds. Nazca boobies, red-footed boobies, and swallow-tailed gulls, which can easily be spotted here. Further down the path we’ll find tidal pools where sea lions swim playfully. At the end is a spectacular view of a cliff.

  Possible Activities: Hiking (0,9 miles / 1,5 Km), snorkeling, kayaking, and dinghy ride

  Difficulty: Easy

  Type of Landing: Wet Landing

  Highlights & Animals: Nazca boobies, red-footed boobies, swallow-tail gulls, mangroves, coral pebble beach, snorkeling: rays, colorful reef fish, and hammerhead sharks occasionally

• Rabida Island - Chinese Hat Islet

  AM: Rabida
  You will visit Rabida Island (or Jervis) which is one of the most colorful and volcanically varied islands in the archipelago as well as a great snorkeling site. We will start on Rabida’s famous maroon/red sand 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 species are abundant such as a few varieties of finches, Galapagos vermilion 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, pelicans

  PM: Chinese Hat Islet
  This small islet is located near the southeast coast of Santiago Island. Its name comes from the distinct shape of the islet’s summit. This small islet is a great location to view many geological formations such as lava tunnels and lava flows. Some of the lava flows were formed underwater and subsequently raised above sea level. The presence of coral heads on the lava flow indicates this phenomenon.

  Possible Activities: Hike (1,9 miles / 3 km)

  Difficulty: Easy

  Type of Landing: Wet Landing

  Highlights & Animals: Lava formations, great site for snorkeling with an abundance of marine species such as sea lions, sharks, rays and penguins.

• San Cristobal: Witch Hill - San Cristobal: Lobos Island

  AM: Witch Hill
  Located on the northern coast, this eroded hill and its surroundings present one of the most picturesque beaches in the Galapagos with its white powdery sand and the abundance of animals. Wildlife includes sea turtles, rays, and various types of booby birds. The clear water provides an excellent opportunity for enjoying swimming and snorkeling.

  Possible Activities: Hike, dinghy ride, snorkeling & kayaking

  Difficulty: Easy

  Type of Landing: Wet Landing

  Highlights & Animals: Beautiful rock formations, sea lions, shore birds, finches and mockingbirds; Snorkeling: nice tropical fish, anemones, sponges, coral

  PM: Lobos Island
  You will take an excursion to Lobos Island which means “Sea Lion Island.” This appropriately named island is ripe with noisy, playful, jolly sea lions who will welcome you to their home with open, well, fins. This island also offers great snorkeling opportunities as well as the chance to see blue-footed and Nazca boobies.

  Possible Activities: Short hike (less that 0,6 miles / 1 km), dinhy ride

  Difficulty: Easy / Moderate

  Type of Landing: Dry Landing

  Highlights & Animals: Sea lions, frigate birds, blue-footed boobies

• San Cristobal: Interpretation Centre - Transfer to San Cristobal Airport

  AM: Gianni Arismendy Interpretation Center
  This site is part of an environment project. The tour of this center will explore the natural history of the islands including human interaction and conservation efforts. The Museum of Natural History explains the volcanic origin of the archipelago, ocean currents, climate, and the arrival of endemic species. The Human History exhibit chronologically describes significant events such as discovery and colonization of the islands.

  Possible Activities: Museum visit

  Difficulty: Easy

  Type of Landing: Dry Landing

  Highlights & Animals: Great exhibits about the archipelago’s natural history

  PM: Transfer to San Cristobal 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 San Cristobal Airport to mainland Ecuador. Safe travels!

Master Suite

38m², located on the main deck, one king bed, hot water, air conditioning, panoramic window, his and her bathrooms & private bathtub.

Layout: 2 Decks / 8 Cabins
Lower deck: Cabin 1,2,3,5 & 6 = Twin or Double staterooms
Lower deck: Cabin 4 = Twin or Double stateroom
Main deck: Cabin 7 = Twin or Double stateroom
Main deck: Cabin 8 = Master suite stateroom
Beds layout: Convertible Twins or doubles
Rooming: Private cabins
Sharing: Not applicable

WHAT’S INCLUDED

• All meals and excursions
• Transfers in the islands
• Bilingual National Park Guide
• Use of snorkeling equipment & Wetsuit
• Use of underwater camera
• Free airport Assistance*
• Hotel night in Quito or Guayaquil (the day before the cruise)*
• 1 Free Transfer Out for the Galapagos Flight (applicable on regular cruise departure day only)*

*Applies when purcharsing airfare from South America Tours 

WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED

• Roundtrip Airfare to / from Galapagos
• Alcoholic drinks
• USD $100 Galapagos National Park fee
• USD $20 Transit Control Card
• Travel / medical insurance
• Tips
• Personal Expenses

IMPORTANT NOTES: 

• Discount for groups from 6 to 14 passengers 10% 
• Discount for children under 12 years 20%

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