0%
0%
The new luxury Catamaran Athala II was specifically designed and built to cruise the Galapagos Islands in style. The elegant design provides more comfort, superior speed, excellent stability and meets all the latest safety standards.
The Athala II is unrivalled in offering the generous comfortable accommodation and amenities of a larger boat while still preserving the relaxed exclusivity of a smaller vessel. You are sure to find the layout, furnishings, food and crew to be at an excellent standard.
All cabins on board are deluxe, with well-appointed private bathroom, water, air conditioning, wall to wall carpeting. All have ocean views with large portrait windows (not portholes). All cabins are a minimum 175 square feet and the main deck rooms have the additional luxury of a private balcony.
The main deck also boasts the dining area and a separate comfortable lounge area complete with plasma TVs, lap tops (No internet service), DVD player, stereo and library.
The upper deck has a well-stocked bar, Jacuzzi and a beautiful open teak deck area for relaxation, alfresco dining and barbeques.
The huge sundeck is great for whale and dolphin watching or to simply relax and soak up the sun between island excursions. In the evenings there is no better place for star gazing.
You have a crew of 10 + 1 naturalist guide. The crew is friendly, full time, experienced and highly professional. Your guide is guaranteed to be bilingual (minimum fluent English and Spanish) and of the highest standard.
| DAY | PLACES |
| SAT | AM: Baltra Airport PM: Chinese Hat Island |
| SUN |
AM: Santa Cruz: Dragon Hill |
| MON | AM: Isabela: Villamil Port PM: Isabela:Wall of Tears |
| TUE |
AM: Floreana: Post Office Bay - Baroness " Viewing" |
| WED | AM: San Cristobal: Brujo Hill - Kicker Rock PM: San Cristobal: Lobos Island |
| THU | AM: Santa Cruz: Charles Darwin Station PM: Santa Cruz: Higlands |
| FRI |
AM: Española: Suarez Point |
| SAT |
AM: Daphne: Daphne Island |
Morning flight from Quito or Guayaquil to Baltra (Galapagos).
Assistance will be provided for when you arrive at the airport by one of our representatives after you have landed. You arrive at Baltra Island in the morning. After passing through immigration and baggage claim you will be greeted by the staff of Yacht Athala II Catamaran and transfer to the yacht. You will be shown your cabin, where you will have a time for lunch, before a welcome conference.
In the afternoon we will take a walk to "Chinese hat", a small islet near the southeast coast of Santiago Island. Its name translated into English means Sombrero Chino, no doubt derived from its unique form. There are several interesting geological formations that make this island a great visit for scenic photos. It is also home to several marine species such as the colorful "Aally lightfoot" crabs and sea lions.
Stay tuned out to see the different species of Darwin finches as well. After touring the islet, you will return to the ship to enjoy a welcome cocktail and a delicious dinner
SANTA CRUZ: DRAGON HILL AND RABIDA
In the morning you will visit the "Dragon Hill ". The name (Cerro Dragon) stems from the fact that it was one of the few places on Santa Cruz Island where a healthy population of land iguanas were found in 1975. After landing on a pier, a walk takes you to a Saltwater lagoon Behind the beach, frequented by common piles, ducks tail and occasionally flamingos. A short walk up the hill takes you to a land iguana nesting site, with breathtaking views of the bay. You will have the opportunity to go swimming from the beach after the hike.
In the afternoon in "Rabida", you will visit a small island with red volcanic rocks surrounding a beautiful red sand beach, where there is a colony of sea lions and a nesting site for pelicans. The trail leads to a salt water lagoon where shore birds can be seen. Rábida is considered one of the best snorkeling sites in the Galapagos Islands, and will also have the opportunity to practice kayaking.
ISABELA: PORT VILLAMIL AND WALL OF TEARS
In the morning you will head to " Villamil Port " located on Isabela Island, the largest island in the archipelago. This picturesque and welcoming port city is your home during a diverse and exciting day where the options of adventure and relaxation abound. Several options of activities such as excursion to the wetlands, snorkeling, kayak, entreo other
A visit to the turtle breeding center was created to protect the animals in their early years from the threats of foreign species such as pigs and donkeys, as well as to educate visitors and locals about the importance of the turtle Giant of Galapagos and all species of Galapagos
Also visit "Wall of Tears" or commonly called wall of tears. The Wall of Tears is a place where there was a penal colony between 1945 and 1959. The prisoners were forced to build this wall, stone by stone, in isolation, only to ask to be knocked down again and start again. This now historic site that soars at 65 feet took the lives of thousands during its construction and remains as a living reminder of the past.
FLOREANA. POST OFICE BAY AND CORMORANT POINT
In the morning we will have an excursion to the island of Floreana, one of the most famous or, say, "infamous" islands of the Galapagos because of many strange stories about the past settlers. There are many wonderful and diverse places to visit.
For example you can visit "The Baroness Observation Point" is the perfect place to enjoy the special environment that defines Floreana and a great place to talk and reflect on the intriguing history of the Baroness and her three lovers. The next visit is to the famous "Post Bay". In the 18th century the whalers who passed through the islands placed a wooden cannon on the island of Floreana for use as an unofficial mail box; Tradition continues today as visitors leave postcards addressed in the barrel and sort through the left mail to deliver at home.
After lunch, you will visit "Cormorant Point" and the " Champion Islet " for snorkeling. You will have the opportunity to observe a large number of birds. Cormorant Point has a large lagoon where you can observe everything from flamingos to ducks and duck-tail ducks. The nearby beach is also quite special and known as the "Green Beach", so named because of its green color, which comes from a high percentage of olivine crystals in the sand.
SAN CRISTOBAL: BRUJO HILL AND LOBOS ISLAND
Located on the north coast of San Cristobal Island, this erosive, rugged cone offers fantastic scenery as well as wonderful swimming and snorkeling experiences. The beautiful beach of " Brujo Hill " is also home to many sea lions and is also the first coast where Charles Darwin first floor in the archipelago!
In the afternoon you will go to " Lobos Island ", name of its great colony of sea lions (also called wolves, or wolves in Spanish), passing by the islet "Kicker Rock". Usually, visitors can have close encounters with sea lions, especially while diving. However, this small islet offers much more, including blue-footed boobies, frigates and even a glimpse of the second type of sea lion species found in the Galapagos: the sea lion fur.
SANTA CRUZ: CHARLES DARWIN STATION AND HIGLANDS
We will visit "Puerto Ayora" in the morning on the island of Santa Cruz to visit the "Charles Darwin Research Station". You will get an idea of the tremendous efforts being made by scientists, guides, park rangers and park managers to preserve this UNESCO World Heritage Site, and see the famous Galapagos tortoises that are named after the islands. Then you will visit by bus to the " Green highlands " of Santa Cruz, where you will visit a turtle reserve to observe giant tortoises in their natural surroundings.
ESPAÑOLA: SUÁREZ POINT AND GARDNER BAY
"Suárez Point" is one of the most popular and attractive sites in Galapagos. Due to its isolation from other islands, it has a high proportion of endemic fauna. A few steps from the interior of the landing site, you can observe groups of marine iguanas that enjoy sunbathing. More inland, we will see birds like the Nazca and blue-footed boobies nesting near the place, Galapagos doves peck around unconscious of visitors and finches go about their day-to-day business. The path continues to a vent, which is a fissure in the lava where the water gushes in the air like a geyser. The cracks in the cliffs are home to swallow-tailed gulls and red-billed tropicbirds. Further up on the cliff in an area of low-lying trees are albatrosses. The 15,000 to 17,000 pairs of albatrosses in Hispaniola represent almost the entire population of this species on the planet.
After lunch, we will see "Gardner Bay" which offers the opportunity to enjoy a wonderful white sand beach. It is home to one of the most important colonies of sea lions, and is also a nesting place for sea turtles. During the morning there are opportunities for swimming, snorkeling and kayaking.
DAPHNE MAJOR
In the morning we will enjoy a circumnavigation in "Daphne Major", located between the islands Santa Cruz and Santiago. A select handful of scientists have long studied the life of birds on these islands, especially Darwin's finches. Your guide will point out the life of the birds as well as explain some of the important research done on the islands from the viewpoint of the yacht deck, as visitors are not allowed to walk on these islands because of their very fragile nature .
In the afternoon you will be transferred from the boat to Baltra airport for your flight to Guayaquil or Quito.
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.
| Year of construction | 2007 |
| Length | 98 feet / 30 meters |
| Beam | 37 feet / 11 meters |
| Draft | 4.6 feet / 1.40 meters |
| Cruising speed | 12 knots |
| Generators | 110 volts AC / 60 Hz |
| Tripulation | 10 + 1 Naturalist Guide |
| Accommodation |
|
| Safety |
All equipment meets / exceeds the international SOLAS standard: 2x 20-man life craft, Navnex, 2 GPS, sonar, 2 naval radars, fire detection and prevention systems etc etc. |
Write us!! 
English
Español
