← Back to Ecuador Experiences
Baltra · Galapagos · Ecuador
Motor Catamarans Archipel I: 8D/7N (Route A)
Starting From
From $5,618.93 per person
Current Project Expedition rate
Experience inventory, live availability and secure booking provided by
Project Expedition
The Experience
What your day looks like
Motor Catamarans Archipel I cruise around the great outdoors of the breathtaking Galapagos Archipelago, where you will keep discovering one surprise after another! Every day we anchor at two selected visitor’s sites and organize at least two excursions. You will observe nature from different perspectives with our balanced excursion program, or even during your spare time. Type, Class & Capacity Category: Tourist Superior Type: Motor catamaran Length: 27m / 88ft Beam: 11m / 36ft Capacity: 16 passengers Main Deck: 2 cabins with double beds, 6 cabins with twin beds Social areas & Amenities: Dining room, bar and conference area with television, DVD player, chart games, a library of books and DVDs
At a Glance
The experience, in brief
- Stay fit & refreshed and fully enjoy all activities (included in cruise price!)
- Have a more intimate nature experience
- An expert naturalist guide who brings nature even more to life
- Personal attention from our welcoming staff
Your Itinerary
Your day, step by step
Day 1
Baltra
Boating at San Cristobal Island (Galapagos). Day 1 - Monday AM - Arrival at San Cristobal airport Upon arrival at San Cristobal airport, you will pass through an airport inspection point to insure that no foreign plants or animals are introduced to the islands, as well as to pay the park entrance fee of $200 (unless it has been prepaid). A guide will meet you, help you collect your luggage, and escort you on a short bus ride to the harbour.
Continued
Baltra
Wildlife & Eco Tourism at San Cristobal Island (Galapagos). PM - Interpretation Centre and Frigatebird Hill (San Cristobal) The Interpretation Centre, just outside the provincial capital city of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, gives a perfect explanation of this unique archipelago. Its attractive exhibition is quite complete and helps you to get a clear overview and learn what makes this archipelago so unique. Information panels (in English and Spanish), pictures, documents, maquettes, and true-to-life dioramas tell various background and conservation stories about the islands in a different way.
Continued
Baltra
Accommodation
Day 2
Santa Fe Island
Eco Tour at Santa Fe (Island). Day 2 - Tuesday AM - Santa Fe Located in the southeastern part of the Galapagos, this island was formed from an uplift instead of a volcanic origin, which is why it is mostly flat. Some theories assure this could be the oldest island in the archipelago. Santa Fe is the home of several endemic species like the Galapagos hawk, Galapagos snake, Galapagos mockingbird, rice rats and one of the two species of land iguanas of the islands. After disembarking in the beautiful and clear waters, you will be in contact with one of the many sea lion colonies. Along the trail, many salt bushes can be seen as well as giant prickly pear cactus, gigantism is a characteristic of oceanic islands.
Continued
South Plaza Island
Eco Tour at South Plaza (Island). PM - South Plaza South Plaza is located to the east of Santa Cruz Island, and forms part of a pair of islands known as “Islas Plazas”. Despite its small size, some of the most interesting and outstanding species of the Galapagos are found here. The Plazas land iguanas are smaller than their relatives found on other islands. There are several hybrid iguanas throughout the island; a result of crossing a marine iguana with a land iguana. They are unique and recognizable at first glance by their black/grey colour, with a land iguana’s crest, but the face and tail of the marine iguana. The big population of iguanas is due to the presence of prickly pears, their favourite food. Swallow-tailed gulls nesting in the rugged cliffs are seen along with other sea birds as Audubon shearwaters, red-billed tropicbirds, frigate birds and brown pelicans.
Continued
Baltra
Accommodation
Day 3
North Seymour Island
Eco Tour at North Seymour (Island). Day 3 - Wednesday AM - North Seymour Seymour is an uplifted (as opposed to volcanic) island and therefore is generally flat and strewn with boulders. There are good nesting sites here for a large population of magnificent frigate birds. Blue-footed boobies perform their courtship dance in the more open areas and swallow-tailed gulls perch on the cliff edges. Despite the tremendous surf that can pound the outer shore, sea lions haul out onto the beach and can be found bodysurfing.
Continued
Baltra
Eco Tour at Chinese Hat Island Galapagos. PM - Chinese Hat Chinese Hat is a 52 m/170 ft high volcanic cone, forming another islet right off the rocky coast of Santiago, where a small colony of Galapagos penguins have settled. Approaching Chinese Hat from the north, you will understand the meaning of the name. This is an excellent place to learn more about volcanoes, lava bombs and lava tunnels.
Continued
Baltra
Accommodation
Day 4
Baltra
Eco Tour at Santa Cruz Island (Galapagos). Day 4 - Thursday AM - Twin Craters and El Chato Reserve (Santa Cruz) The native scalesia forest of El Chato Tortoise Reserve is the best place to search for Galapagos giant tortoises in their most authentic setting! Despite the interesting breeding centres – where you are guaranteed to find tortoises in their corrals – there is nothing better than to observe them in their wild environment. Though it can be quite moist and muddy, your visit may turn into an adventurous quest when they have left their favorite pond silently.
Continued
Baltra
Eco Tour at Santa Cruz Island (Galapagos). PM - Fausto Llerena Breeding Centre (Santa Cruz) At this site, you can observe tortoises that come from various islands of the archipelago. They comply with the captive breeding programme and then return to repopulate the areas where their population has been affected. The land iguanas of Santa Cruz, Isabela and North Seymour are also in a captive breeding programme, as the populations in these areas suffered from feral dogs.
Continued
Baltra
Accommodation
Day 5
Baltra
Eco Tour at Isabela Island (Galapagos). Day 5 - Friday AM - Moreno Point (Isabela) Moreno Point is located on the north coast of Isabela Island, between the volcanos Sierra Negra and Cerro Azul. The trail runs along a solidified pahoehoe lava flow into a complex of coastal lagoons. Its main attractions are several species of birds, which are found around the lakes and mangroves.
Continued
Baltra
Eco Tour at Isabela Island (Galapagos). PM - Urbina Bay (Isabela) Urbina Bay is located along the west coast of Isabela, between Elizabeth Bay and Tagus Cove. It is close to the base of the Alcedo Volcano. The coastline has undergone a major uplift in 1954, which caused the shore to expand three quar ters of a mile out. Here you will be able to find corals, shells, and many other calcareous organisms exposed above water. Urbina Bay is home to large and colorful land iguanas and giant tor toises of the Alcedo Volcano population. A lot of Darwin finches can be seen as well.
Continued
Baltra
Accommodation
Day 6
Baltra
Eco Tour at Fernandina Island. Day 6 - Saturday AM - Espinoza Point (Fernandina) Fernandina is the third-largest island in the archipelago and has a single visitor site: Punta Espinoza, located at the northeastern tip of the island. Marine iguanas conglomerate in larger groups than on any other island. They bask around in the sand, swim near the shore and sometimes block the way at the landing dock. Among the unique species found here, is the flightless cormorant. This bird had to adjust its way of survival and perfection its skills of finding food in the ocean. Their wings, tails and feet progressively adapted for swimming. To see these birds is to witness evolution happening right in front of you.
Continued
Baltra
Sightseeing at Isabela Island (Galapagos). PM - Vicente Roca Point (Isabela) Whilst having lunch we will cross the Bolivar Channel for the last time to Vicente Roca Point, just at the mouth of Isabela’s seahorse-shape. While entering a dark cave below a spectacular arch, roaring echoes of the waves will accompany you. Just around the corner the collapsed amphitheatre of Volcan Ecuador offers another impressive view. The calmer waters of the coves are well-protected against the ocean swell and are a fairly cold, but great place for snorkelling amongst various species of shark, penguins, puffer fish and even seahorses!
Continued
Baltra
Accommodation
Day 7
Baltra
Eco Tour at Santiago Island (Galápagos). Day 7 - Sunday AM - Egas Port (Santiago) Puerto Egas is a black beach located on the west side of Santiago Island. Volcanic tuff deposits have favoured the formation of this special black sand beach and this is the main attraction of the Island. This site is called Puerto Egas because there was an attempt of Hector Egas to start the exploitation of salt, which failed. After all, the price of salt on the continent was very cheap and did not justify its exploitation in the Galapagos. The project was abandoned and they left their infrastructure.
Continued
Baltra
Eco Tour at Galapagos Islands. PM - Rábida Rábida Island is unique because of the red colour of the rocks and sand. The volcanic material in this island is very porous and external factors such as rain, saltwater and sea breeze have acted as an oxidizing agent. A short walk along a trail will lead you to a coastal lagoon behind the beach that allows for the observation of land birds as finches, doves, yellow warblers and mockingbirds. There is also a colony of flamingos at the lagoon.
Continued
Baltra
Accommodation..
Day 8
Baltra
Eco Tour at Santa Cruz Island (Galapagos). Day 8 - Monday AM - Black Turtle Cove (Santa Cruz) After breakfast, you will check out and disembark the cruise for the last time at 08:30 am. Your last adventure is brief but enchanting, and will take place enroute to the airport. You will explore onboard the dinghy the green landscape of Black Turtle Cove, which is mostly composed of mangrove trees that host innumerable aerial and aquatic species. Observe how the quiet emerald lagoon and surrounding shallow bays enables the easy observation of sea turtles and as well as groups of sharks. The visit ends and you will disembark at 09:00 at Baltra island, ultimately reaching Baltra airport at 09:30, where its the official end of your cruise adventure. It has been a pleasure accompanying you on this unique trip and we hope to see you again very soon!
Before You Go
What to know before booking
Included
Lodging on board in a cabin with private facilities All excursions as mentioned in the itinerary (itinerary subject to change) with English speaking naturalist guide Shared shuttle transfer to Quito or Guayaquil airport *only departure transfer (included only if the Galapagos flight has been booked through us on our scheduled departure cruise dates) All transfers in Galapagos (airport-yacht-airport transfers are only guaranteed if the flight has been booked through us) Snorkeling gear (masks, flippers, and snorkel) and use of kayaks at designated sites
Not Included
Roundtrip flight to Galapagos Islands Galapagos National Park entrance fee (USD 200 pp, subject to change) Transit Control Card (USD 20 pp, subject to change) Airport transfers in Galapagos (only included if the Galapagos flight has been booked through us on the scheduled cruise dates. * If your arrival/departure is different than our scheduled cruise flights, the shuttle service is not included) Wetsuit rental Soft and alcoholic drinks Tips Travel insurance
Meeting & Pickup
Pickup from San Cristobal Airport.
Planning Notes
Hotel pickup offered: No Confirmation: Manual By Business
Featured Travel