Monday, April 1, 2024

21 Best Galapagos Cruises, Tours & Trips for 2024-2025

galapagos cruise

Galapagos National Park tightly controls who comes in and where ships can explore. Book your Galapagos Cruise with GalapagosIslands.com for the best vacation cruises to the Galapagos. One of the most efficient and enjoyable ways to explore the Galapagos Islands is on a live-aboard cruise ship. Select from the following options to find the best cruise ships & yachts for your Galapagos Island vacation cruise.

An Epic Galápagos Cruise on the National Geographic Endeavour II [In-depth Review] - Upgraded Points

An Epic Galápagos Cruise on the National Geographic Endeavour II [In-depth Review].

Posted: Tue, 06 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Avoid mass tourism and hidden costs.

Some also offer the chance to tack on a pre- or post-cruise visit to the Choco Cloud Forest, about 3.5 hours from the center of Quito. For example, Galapagos sailings begin and end on either Baltra Island or, less frequently, San Cristobal, where you'll land after flying in from mainland Ecuador and before boarding your ship. Centrally located Santa Cruz Island, which is inhabited, tends to show up on several itineraries, as does Isabela Island, which is the largest in the group. The Galapagos — which comprises about 100 small islets and 19 larger islands, only four of which are inhabited — can be difficult to break into regions, particularly since itineraries vary by cruise line.

Will there be a certified nature guide on board?

The Cerro Colorado Tortoise Breeding Center, on the south part of the island, focuses on mitigating threats to the islands' giant tortoise population. It's another location where giant tortoises are bred in captivity and released into a monitored natural habitat to be protected and studied. San Cristobal Island, another of the Galapagos' inhabited islands, is home to a second airport that cruise passengers sometimes use to reach their ships. Punta Cormorant offers an easy trail that leads to a stunningly serene beach, where you're likely to see sea turtles bobbing in the water nearby.

Galapagos Islands Boats

Start the day with a leisurely breakfast, the perfect combination of coffee and fresh air. Get comfortably seated in your tender for your morning’s commute to your first island where you’ll find yourself surrounded by hundreds of marine iguanas, blue-footed boobies, and so much more. Relax at the beach, snorkel, or take in a guided hike as you get to know the incredible habitants of this island up close. About 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, the Galapagos Islands are a remarkable place to visit for wildlife sightings. You can see flightless Galapagos penguins, Galapagos sea lions, giant Galapagos tortoises, marine iguanas and hundreds of other species found nowhere else on earth.

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Charles Darwin Research Station - Located close to Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island airport, a visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station is usually at the start or the end of the trip. The station is an information center, library, museum, and breeding ground for tortoises that will be introduced into the wild. Located on the western edge of the Galapagos National Park, Isabela Island is the youngest and largest island in the region. With an area of 4,586 square kilometers, it is also larger than all the other islands in the archipelago combined.

Yes, this sounds obvious, especially when I see it in black and white. I anticipated strong sun and made sure to load up on SPF 50+ sunscreen for my family, but we still felt the effects of the straight-on rays that are a hallmark of the destination nearly 365 days a year. Cruising the Galapagos Islands is an experience everyone should get to have. It provided me with a greater respect of the effect people have on the environment and its creatures. The snorkeling was an incredible experience for the sheer amount of fish that can be observed.

A second vessel, National Geographic Islander II, began sailing for Lindblad in 2022 and accommodates 48 passengers in 26 staterooms. It features light, bright and modern decor with marble double-sink bathrooms with rain showers. It also offers a heated marina, indoor and outdoor dining and a 1-to-1 crew-to-passenger ratio.

Do you cruise between the islands during the day or at night?

Excited for first-time trip to the Galápagos - Washington Blade

Excited for first-time trip to the Galápagos.

Posted: Thu, 08 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

The Galapagos Islands are located in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, 600 miles (1000km) off the coast of Ecuador in South America. International flights will usually arrive at Quito or Guayaquil international airports on the Ecuadorian mainland. Direct flights from US cities are available, as well as from some European cities. A domestic flight from Quito or Guayaquil is required to get to the Galapagos Islands. These flights are usually not included in the advertised tour cost but can be arranged when booking with Liveaboard.com.

Itineraries range from seven to 12 days and include cultural experiences in addition to wildlife viewing and water sports. The Letty is one of the best full-service motor yachts in the Galápagos for value. This 20-passenger boat is a solid option with great service and comfortable accommodations.

On average, short cruises of 5 days or less cost from $2,500 pp, and longer cruises of 8 days or longer from $5,000 pp based on double occupancy. Animal sightings on Bartolome might include Galapagos penguins, herons and elusive Galapagos hawks. Should you choose to snorkel at the nearby beach, you're likely to see sharks, rays, sea lions and red-lipped batfish. Here's a rough breakdown of which islands you might visit in each region.

In fact, the Galapagos Islands are one of the only places in the world where that’s an everyday reality. Read up on these web-footed wonders, whom you’ll most likely run into when you sail on a Galapagos cruise aboard the Aqua Mare. What sets the Galapagos truly apart is its remarkable levels of endemic wildlife and plant life, more than anywhere else in the world. Nearly 80 percent of land birds and mammals, over 90 percent of reptiles, more than 30 percent of plants and around 20 percent of marine life are native to the Galapagos Islands. Take a virtual tour of our newest expedition ship, the National Geographic Islander II. From the vessel's Zodiac landing platform, all the way to its upper deck pool, get to know our luxurious new home in the Galápagos Islands.

However, if you are planning a trip to Galápagos as your sole destination, then we really recommend choosing an 8 to 15 day itinerary for your cruise. Because of the longer time you'll have in the islands, a cruise of this length will typically allow you to visit up to three times as many islands and visitor sites as a shorter trip. Choosing the right trip - As mentioned earlier, yachts are restricted from returning to the same visitor site within 14 days.

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