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Join us on our world-renowned ship, the Darwin Yacht, as we navigate the waters of one of the most beautiful places our world has to offer, "The Galapagos Islands".
The Motor Yacht Darwin was built in 1995 in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos. Eight big double cabins with air conditioning, private bathroom and hot/cold water.Comfortable dining room, living room, bar and sundeck. Bilingual guide (English-Spanish). Transfer in Galápagos airport. Meals breakfast, lunch and dinner). Tours to the islands.
|
DAY |
ISLAND | PLACES |
| THU | Mosquera |
AM: Baltra Airport PM: Mosquera Islet |
| FRI |
South Plaza Santa Fe |
AM: South Plaza Island PM: Santa Fe Island |
| SAT |
Española |
AM: Gardner Bay - Gardner Islet PM: Osborn Islet - Suares Point |
| SUN | Floreana |
AM: Post Office Bay PM: Cormorant Point - Devil´s Crown |
| MON |
Santa Cruz |
AM: Charles Darwin Station PM: Twin Craters |
| TUE |
Santiago |
AM: Egas Port PM: Espumilla Beach - Buccaneer Cove |
| WED |
Bartolome Santiago |
AM: Bartolome Island PM: Sullivan Bay |
| THU |
North Seymour |
AM: North Seymour Island Baltra Airport |
ITINERARY DAY BY DAY:
You will arrive at Baltra in the morning. After going through immigration and baggage claim, you will be met by a Darwin Yacht staff member 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.
After a light lunch we will sail for 45 minutes to Mosquera. Imagine a beach rising from the ocean floor in the middle of nowhere. Imagine sand grains as soft as sugar. Now imagine a sea lion colony and a fabulous sunset. You are here! Mosquera Islet is by far the best beginning of a Galápagos journey. This volcanic uplift that dates from 100 thousand years ago, a geological treasure for an admirable start. On the shore is easy to encounter Galápagos sea lions, sally light foot crabs and shore birds. Visitors are welcome to swim or snorkel from the beach.
SOUTH PLAZA ISLAND
In the afternoon, you will head to 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 colorful yellow and red land iguanas. The most characteristic plant is Sesuvium. During the rainy season, its color is a greenish to yellowish tone and in the dry season (end of June through January) a bright red.
Your morning visit is to Santa Fe Island (Barrington) which is home to the small picturesque bay and anchorage on the island’s northeast coast. The bay has two visitor trails: one leading to a scenic viewpoint atop a cliff, and the other spanning from a small beach to a tall prickly pear cactus forest.
Located on the north coast of Española Gardner Bay has tranquil white sand beach. The fine grains of sand make perfect terrain for a soft walk and a relaxing late in the afternoon. Don’t get me wrong, you won’t be alone, sea lions and Hood mocking birds will keep company.
Depending on weather conditions, either at the end of the morning or early in the afternoon, we will snorkel or kayak around Gardner Islet. Its calm waters and attractive landscape give you a great experience above and below water.
OSBORN ISLET
Osborn Islet is located to the southeast of Gardner Bay, near Española Island. Since landing is not allowed on this site, the visit consists of a tranquil panga ride that will allow us to enjoy the panoramic views and the many species that inhabit the place. The islet was named after Henry Fairfield Osborn, a true lover of nature and animal species. William Beebe worked for him and named the islet after traveling to discover Galapagos. There are many different schools of fish and other animal species, such as parrotfish, sea lions, butterfly fish, corals, green pencil urchins and many other colorful fish. This site is also great for snorkeling and swimming around the abundant marine life, as its waters are very calm.
SUAREZ POINT
The morning trip will start with Suarez Point and a trail where you will have the chance to see blue-footed boobies, albatrosses and Nazca boobies. It 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! The landscape is great for photography and you will also have the chance to see the famous blowhole.
There are two visiting sites on Floreana Island . In the morning you will visit the famous Post Office Bay. You will land on the beach and head to a spot where 18th century whalers placed a wooden barrel for use as an unofficial mail box. The custom continues to this day with Galapagos visitors. So do not forget your postcards, and do not be surprised if the post card arrives to its destination before you even get home!
Following a four-hour navigation from Puerto Ayora we will do a wet landing on a volcanic olivine beach. Punta Cormorant lays on the northern shore of Floreana and is the house of greater flamingos and sea turtles. On one side, the point is partially flooded with a brackish lagoon where flamingos nest and feed. Whimbrels, herons and stilts are other common shore and migratory birds of the wetlands. On the other side sea turtles use every corner of a white sand beach to deliver their eggs. You often see stingrays and reef sharks from the shore and if you are lucky turtles ending basking.
DEVIL´S CROWN
You will also get to swim in the crystal clear waters of the Devil’s Crown. This extinct volcano peaks out of the waters just off of Floreana’s coast and offers a magnificent snorkeling experience.
Although Santa Cruz was the last island to be colonized in 1926, it is now home to almost half of the Galapagos residents and is the central population of the Archipelago. There is the Charles Darwin Research Station, which annually receives a hundred scientists from around the world who work in programs of nature conservation and environmental education, playing an important role. Therefore, the visit to the Information Center and the outdoor area, where the turtle and iguana pens are located, is a mandatory point of visit in the Galapagos.
TWIN CRATERS
The afternoon visit is to a site called Los Gemelos (Twin Craters). Los Gemelos wait for you at the end of a short hike. These sinkholes are often referred to as craters, though the term is only descriptive, not literal. They were created by the collapse of surface material in underground fissures and chambers. The endemic Scalesia forest surrounds the site where you may see vermillion flycatchers, short-eared owls, and finches.
EGAS PORT (SANTIAGO)
Also known as Egas Port, has magical shorelines that combine tuff cone, lava flows and organic sand. A rocky coast with a very gentle slope is used by a great number of shore birds and reptiles. Oystercatchers, whimbrels, sanderlings, turnstones, tattlers and other waders are mixed with marine iguanas and bright painted crabs to feed by the rich littoral zone. As grand finally, large lava tunnels, that are partially collapsed, are the houses of the Galapagos fur sea lions. The snorkel can be one of the best in the archipelago. Sea turtles feeding, parrot fishes, damsel fishes, white tipped reef sharks and many more…
Your morning visit is to Espumilla Beach where 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 find yourself face to face with an octopus, moray eel, shark and a variety of other species of tropical fish.
In the afternoon you will head for Bartolome Island, home of the famous Pinnacle Rock. Bartolome consists of an extinct volcano with a variety of red, orange, black and even green volcanic formations. You 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 the Galapagos penguins.
The morning visit heads to Santiago Island – 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 form of small volcanoes, formed by the lava flows.
Here you will be able to see Galapagos sea lions, blue-footed boobies, and magnificent frigate birds which 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.
After the breakfast transfer to Baltra airport to catch the flight back to Quito or Guayaquil.
Important: Itineraries and activities subject to change without prior notice. Depending on weather conditions and water currents, some wildlife described above may not be visible.
| Yacht Name | Darwin Yacht |
| Category | Tourist Superior Class |
| Capacity | 16 Passengers |
| Year Build | Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island (1995) |
| Lenght | 60 ft |
| Beam | 18 ft |
| Speed | 9 knots |
| Crew | 6 people plus 1 English speaking nature guide - level II |
| Cabins |
Eight double cabins with air conditioning, private bathroom and hot/cold water. CABINS # 1 – 2: Double cabins with berth, private bathroom, hot/cold water and air conditioning. The rooms are located on the UPPER DECK. CABINS # 3 – 4: Double cabins with berth, private bathroom, hot/cold water and air conditioning. The rooms are located on the MAIN DECK. CABINS # 5 – 8: Double cabins with berth, private bathroom, hot/cold water and air conditioning. The rooms are located on the LOWER DECK. |
| Facilities | Comfortable dining room, living room, bar and sundeck, navigation, communication and safety equipment. |
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