Grand Majestic – Central & West Galapagos Islands

• San Cristobal Airport - Breeding Centre

  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: David Rodriguez Breeding Center “La Galapaguera”:
  Breeding Center David Rodriguez - “La Galapaguera”, in Cerro Colorado, is a new visitor site in the southeast part of San Cristobal Island and can now be reached in roughly one hour by road from Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. On the trees and shrubs surrounding the site, you may see land birds like warblers, finches and mockingbirds. Giant tortoises can be observed on the trails. They live there wild but in a protected area to ensure their survival by sealing them off from introduced predators like pigs and goats.

  Possible Activities: Short hike (0,6 mi / 1 Km)

  Difficulty: Easy/Moderate

  Type of Landing: Dry Landing

  Highlights & Animals: Giant tortoises, finches, warblers, mockingbirds

• North Seymour - Santa Cruz Island

  AM: North Seymour:
  Galapagos sea lions, blue-footed boobies and magnificent frigatebirds are abundant on North Seymour Island. The island was formed by a series of submarine lava containing layers of sediment that were uplifted by tectonic activity. The island is characterized by its arid vegetation zone.

  Activities: Dinghy ride & hiking (1.5 miles / 2.5 km)

  Difficulty: Moderate / Difficult

  Type of Landing: Dry landing

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

  PM: Black Turtle Cove:
  Black Turtle Cove is situated in the northern part of Santa Cruz. This inlet is surrounded by mangroves and is only accessible by dinghy. The shallow cove is a safe haven for young marine life. Black-tip and white-tip reef sharks, sea turtles, and a variety of rays are often spotted here.

  Activities: Dinghy ride
  Difficulty: Easy
  Type of Landing: No landing
  Highlights & Animals: Baby hammerhead shark, rays, sea turtles, sea birds

• Bartolome Island - Santiago Island

  AM: Pinnacle Rock:
  You will head to Bartholomew Island where the famous Pinnacle Rock is found. 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 and swim with Galapagos penguins.

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

  Difficulty: Moderate / Difficult

  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.

  PM: Egas Port:
  Egas Port, also known as James Bay, on Santiago Island is home to the curious Galapagos hawks and quick-footed Galapagos lava lizards. The trail leads to the coastline with gorgeous tide pools and grottos full of fauna. Here the Galapagos furseals bathe in the sun. This is also a great snorkeling site.

  Possible Activities: Snorkeling, hiking (1.2 miles/2 km)

  Difficulty: Easy / Moderate

  Type of Landing: Wet Landing

  Highlights & Animals: Furseals, Galapagos sea lions, tidal pools and grottos, Galapagos hawks, oyster catchers, marine iguanas, finches; snorkeling: reef sharks, turtles, rays, nice underwater formations.

• Isabela Island

  AM: Tagus Cove:
  In the morning, you will visit Tagus Cove on Isabela Island which is located across from Fernandina Island, near the Bolivar Channel dividing the two islands. This spot has been frequented by ships since the 1800s, using the area as an anchorage site. Trails winding by Lake Darwin up to a ridge display wonderful views.

  Possible Activities: Long hike, snorkeling, panga ride, kayaking (depending on weather conditions and time availability).

  Difficulty: Moderate / Difficult

  Type of Landing: Dry Landing

  Highlights & Animals: Penguins, flightless cormorants, Darwin Volcano & Lake

  PM: Urbina Bay:
  Urbina Bay is located at the base of Alcedo Volcano on the west coast between Tagus Cove and Elizabeth Bay. This area experienced a major uplift in 1954 causing the land to rise over 16 feet. The coast expanded half a mile out leaving marine life stranded on the new shore. This area is also a great place for snorkeling.

  Possible Activities: Snorkeling, dinghy ride & hike, 2 trails: short (0.6mi/1 km), long (1.9mi/3km)

  Difficulty: Easy / Moderate

  Type of Landing: Wet Landing

  Highlights & Animals: Land iguanas (the biggest in the Galapagos), hawks, coral reef, giant tortoises; snorkeling: turtles, rays, tropical fish

• Fernandina - Isabela Island

  AM: Espinoza Point:
  Crossing the Bolivar Channel that divides Isabela and Fernandina Islands, you will land at Espinoza Point, and after walking past a colony of marine iguanas and a group of sea lions, you will reach the island’s highlight: the flightless cormorant nesting site. This area also provides a great opportunity to see the Galapagos hawk.

  Possible Activities: Hike (approximately 1.2 miles / 2 km)

  Difficulty: Moderate

  Type of Landing: Dry Landing

  Highlights & Animals: Flightless cormorant, marine iguanas, sea lions, penguins, active volcano “La Cumbre”.

  PM: Vicente Roca Point:
  Comprised of two separate coves, Vicente Roca Point is a large bay with spectacular sea life. Keep an eye out for seahorses, sea turtles, and the strange yet fascinating Mola mola (or sun fish) while you snorkel.

  Possible Activities: Snorkeling & dinghy ride

  Difficulty: Easy / Moderate

  Type of Landing: No Landing

  Highlights & Animals: Penguins, blue-footed boobies, terns, Nazca boobies, two types of sea lions. Sea turtles, rays and puffer fish.

• Rabida

  AM: Espumilla Beach:
  In Espumilla Beach marine iguanas lounge and the Sally Lightfoot crabs attract the hunting herons performing the dance of predator and prey right before your eyes. Snorkeling is highly recommended as you could come face to face with an octopus, moray eel, shark and a variety of other species of tropical fish.

  Possible Activities: Snorkeling and swimming

  Difficulty: Easy

  Type of Landing: Wet Landing

  Highlights & Animals: Snorkeling

  PM: Sullivan Bay:
  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

• Santa Cruz Island

  AM: Bachas Beach:
  Bachas Beach is located on the north shore of Santa Cruz and is a beach for swimming. One of the few remnants of the U.S. World War II presence in the Galapagos, a floating pier, can be seen here. You may see flamingos, Sally Lightfoot crabs, hermit crabs, black-necked stilts, and whimbrels. Sea turtles also nest on the beach.

  Possible Activities: Hiking

  Difficulty: Easy

  Type of Landing: Wet Landing

  Highlights & Animals: World War II remnants. Sally Lightfoot crabs, hermit crabs, black necked stilts, whimbrels, sea turtles.

  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

• San Cristobal Island

  AM: 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 snorkeling allow visitors to spot a variety of marine life.

  Possible Activities: Snorkeling and dinghy ride

  Difficulty: Difficult

  Type of Landing: No Landing

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

  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.