8 Days A Southern & Central Cruise - Cormorant II Catamaran - Galapagos

8 Days A Southern & Central Cruise - Cormorant II Catamaran | Cormorant II | Galapagos Tours 8 Days A Southern & Central Cruise - Cormorant II Catamaran | Cormorant II | Galapagos Tours

This 8-day cruise visits 8 islands in the Galapagos, including Santa Cruz, Isabela, Fernandina, Santiago, Genovesa, and North Seymour. Highlights include snorkeling with penguins, sea turtles, and sharks; hiking to see giant tortoises, land iguanas, and birds; and visiting lava fields, mangroves, and tide pools. This is a great itinerary for those who want to see a variety of wildlife and landscapes in the Galapagos.

8 Day Galapagos Itinerary

Day 1: Baltra Island & Santa Cruz Island: Bachas Beach

Bachas Beach

Located on the north shore of Santa Cruz, Las Bachas is a swimming beach. One of the few remnants of the U.S. World War II presence in the Galapagos, a floating pier, can be seen here. You may see flamingos, Sally Lightfoot crabs, hermit crabs, black necked stilts, and whimbrels. Sea turtles also nest off the beach.

Day 2: Bartolome Island & Santiago Island: Sullivan Bay

Bartolome Island

Home of the famous Pinnacle Rock, Bartholomew consists of an extinct volcano with a variety of red, orange, black and even green volcanic formations. A trail of stairs leads to the summit of the volcano, boasting one of the best views of the islands. The beach is perfect for snorkeling and possible sightings of the Galapagos penguin.

Santiago Island: Sullivan Bay

A coral beach landing leads you towards a lava field as far as the eye can see. Hunt and peck over the two distinguished types of lava, pahoehoe and ‘a’a, for signs of plant life that have managed to emerge over the past 100 years since the most recent volcanic explosion. A truly amazing volcanic experience…up close and personal!

Day 3: Isabela Island: Punta Moreno & Elizabeth Bay

Moreno Point

Moreno Point is located near Elizabeth Bay on the west coast of Isabela Island. The plethora of birds seen during a dinghy ride along the striking rocky shores or a hike along path through lava rock leading to tide pools and mangroves create a birdwatcher’s delight. In the tide pools, green sea turtles or white-tip sharks can be spotted.

Elizabeth Bay

Elizabeth Bay is located on the east coast of Isabela Island. The bay contains many islets which can be visited by dinghy. Penguins and blue-footed boobies can be spotted on the rocky islets. With an abundance of marine life and clear water, the area is perfect for snorkeling and viewing schools of colorful fish, sea lions, and perhaps even sharks.

Day 4: Fernandina Island & Isabela Island: Mangle Point & Urbina Bay

Isabela Island: Mangle Point

A visit to Mangle Point allows visitors to witness the amazing views and wildlife on the Coast of Fernandina Island. This is a small inlet on Fernandina’s coast where you can snorkel to your hearts delight and watch playful sea lions, curious penguins, and also catch a glimpse of where flight less cormorants reside.

Isabela Island: Urbina Bay

Located on the northwestern coast of the island and comprised of two separate coves, this site is a large bay with spectacular sea life. Seahorses, sea turtles, and the strange yet fascinating Mola mola (sunfish) may be spotted here. This bay is great for diving and snorkeling.

Day 5: Fernandina Island & Isabela Island: Espinosa Point & Vicente Roca Point

Isabela Island: Espinosa Point

This is a new visitor site in the northeast part of San Cristobal Island and can now be reached in roughly one hour by road from Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. In the Breeding Center, you will be able to admire the hatchling turtles from their birth until the are 120 days old when the grown turtles are taken to their natural habit.

Isabela Island: Vicente Roca Point

Located on the northwestern coast of the island and comprised of two separate coves, this site is a large bay with spectacular sea life. Seahorses, sea turtles, and the strange yet fascinating Mola mola (sunfish) may be spotted here. This bay is great for diving and snorkeling.

Day 6: Santiago Island: Egas Port, Espumilla Beach & Buccaneer Cove

Egas Port

Also known as James Bay, Egas Port is home to the curious Galapagos hawks and quick-footed Galapagos lava lizards. The trail leads to a coastline with gorgeous tide pools and grottos full of fauna. Here the Galapagos fur sea lions bathe in the sun. This is also a great snorkeling site.

Espumilla Beach & Buccaneer Cove

Espumilla Beach is a popular place for marine iguanas and Sally Lightfoot crabs. The crabs attract the hunting herons performing the dance of predator and prey. With an abundance of marine life including octopi, moray eels, and sharks, snorkeling is highly recommended.

Buccaneer Cove is a testament to the fact that Santiago Island was once a refuge for British buccaneers. These pirates would anchor in the protected bay to make repairs and stock up on tortoise meat among other things. The steep cliffs, where hundreds of seabirds perch in front of the dark red sand beach, are a magnificent site.

Day 7: Genovesa Island: El Barranco & Darwin Bay

El Barranco

Also known as Prince Phillip’s Steps, El Barranco’s steep, rocky paths leads up to a high cliff-face. A marvelous view can be appreciated from here. This site is also home to palo santo vegetation as well as red-footed boobies, short-eared lava owls, Galapagos swallows, and Galapagos doves.

Darwin Bay

This white sand coral beach heads a half mile trail (0.75km) that winds through mangroves filled with land birds. Nazca boobies, red-footed boobies, and swallow-tailed gulls can be spotted here. Further down the path are tidal pools where sea lions swim playfully. At the end is a spectacular view off a cliff.

Day 8: North Seymour Island & Transfer out

Galapagos sea lions, blue-footed boobies and magnificent frigatebirds 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.

Itinerary Map

Click on the map to navigate the itinerary
8 Days A Southern & Central Cruise - Cormorant II Catamaran | Galapagos Map

8 Day Galapagos Itinerary Includes

  • All excursions
  • All transfers in the islands
  • All meals throughout cruise
  • Onboard internet service
  • Bilingual National Park Guide
  • Wetsuits, Snorkeling, Kayaks & Standup paddle board
  • Soft drinks
  • Non-premium alcoholic drinks
  • Safety Box, hair dryer
  • Underwater camera
  • Binoculars (Premium Suites only)

8 Day Galapagos Itinerary Does not Include

  • Mainland-Galapagos-Mainland airfare
  • Premium alcoholic drinks
  • Travel / medical insurance
  • Tips
  • Personal Expenses

8 Day Galapagos Itinerary Highlights

  • Sally Lightfoot crabs, hermit crabs, black necked stilts, whimbrels, sea turtles.
  • Variety of lava formations and landscapes, pahoehoe lava which is found primarily in Hawai’i and the Galapagos islands, ‘a’a lava, and pristine coral sand beach.
  • Land iguanas, sea lion colony, Audubon’s shearwaters, swallow-tailed gulls, Nazca boobies, amazing landscape with cliffs.
  • Beautiful rock formations, sea lions, shore birds, finches and mockingbirds; snorkeling: nice tropical fish, anemones, sponge coral.
  • Giant tortoises in captivity, snorkeling with sea lions, land and sea birds, blue-footed boobies, hatchling turles.

Meals Included

  • Breakfast Served Daily
  • 7 Dinners
  • 8 Lunches
Bahía Sullivan | Marine iguana | Galapagos Islands
Monte Crocker | Vermillion flycatcher | Galapagos Islands
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El Barranco | Red footed booby | Galapagos Islands

More information about the Galapagos Islands you visit in this 8 day itinerary:

8 Days A Southern & Central Cruise - Cormorant II Catamaran
8 Days (A)
From $10,745.00 per person


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