Galapagos Yacht Charter

Start your Galápagos adventure by visiting the highlands of Santa Cruz. The lush vegetation on the island attracts a host of exciting birds and provides visitors with a rare opportunity to see giant Galápagos tortoises in their natural habitat. In the afternoon, you can visit the Charles Darwin Research Station and Galápagos National Park headquarters. After a day of roaming Santa Cruz, it’s time to meet your yacht and enjoy a lovely dinner on board.

After cruising overnight, you will awake in the morning off
Española Island. It is one of the oldest islands, thought to be about four million years old, and is renowned for the variety
and quantity of its wildlife. The island has a number of endemic species, including the Española mockingbird, lava lizard and waved albatross. In the afternoon, visit Punta Suarez, famed for its albatross breeding colony. The birds, which mate for life, can be observed between mid-April and November, performing an intriguing mating dance that can last for several days.

You’ll awake off San Cristóbal, the island where Darwin first went ashore. Head for Punta Pitt, which is the only place where you can see all three species of boobies: blue-footed, red-footed and Nazca. In the afternoon, take a short ride in the tender out to Kicker Rock, which offers fantastic snorkeling and is one of the best places in the world to swim with sharks. Watch the stunning sunset against the orange rock formation.

Arrive at Santa Fe Island, also known as Barrington Island after the British admiral, Samuel Barrington. Its white sand beaches are normally covered with sea lions, and the island is also famous for its land iguanas. Go kayaking or snorkeling in the turquoise waters, which are packed with a variety of fish, including eels and rays, as well as urchins. In the afternoon, visit the small island of South Plaza, which has one of the biggest sea lion colonies in the archipelago.

The next morning your yacht will arrive at the horseshoe-shaped Genovesa Island. Disembark at Darwin Bay on to a small sand and coral beach and follow a short
trail along a tidal lagoon for truly wonderful views. In the afternoon, visit Prince Philip’s Steps, a natural stairway in the rocks named after the British royal who visited in 1965 and again in 1981.

The penultimate day will be spent taking in the islands of Santiago and Bartolomé. Santiago is thought to be the second island visited by Darwin and is now one of the most popular tourist sites. You can start your day at Sullivan Bay, which will allow you to walk across recent lava flow. In the afternoon, visit Pinnacle Rock, which juts out from Bartolomé’s northern bay. Then either climb the trail to the top of the island to take in the stunning views or you can snorkel in the bay, enjoying a rare opportunity to swim with penguins.

On the final day of your adventure you can visit the islands of Rábida and Sombrero Chino. You will land at Red Beach, which is famous for its wading birds and ghost crabs. Behind the beach there is a saltwater lagoon that, at certain times of the year, will allow you to spot feeding and breeding flamingos. After lunch, visit the tiny Sombrero Chino island. On shore you can land at a small white sand beach before walking along a trail that allows you to see several kinds of lava. Then head back on board for one more dinner before disembarking at Baltra Island the next morning.