Beaches and Bay Southern & Central Route - Evolve Yacht - Galapagos Cruise

Upon arrival at Puerto Baquerizo Moreno (SCY) on San Cristóbal Island, our guides will be ready to accompany you to your designated vessel. After a brief bus ride and a Zodiac transfer to the anchored yacht in the bay, you'll be assigned your cabin and treated to a delightful buffet lunch. Following a short safety drill, you'll select your snorkel equipment. As the yacht sets sail, you can browse through a selection of guidebooks or fiction in the library, or climb to the sundeck for a circumnavigation around "Kicker Rock" (Leon Dormido = Sleeping Lion), an ancient volcanic rock sculpted by erosion over millennia, rising from the open ocean.

Later, join your guide on deck to explore the Southern skies, weather permitting. If you're on the Evolve, your journey begins with a delicious buffet lunch followed by a visit to San Cristóbal's Breeding Center. Here, you'll learn about the National Park's giant tortoise breeding program aimed at conserving these endangered species. The visitor center provides insight into tortoise evolution and conservation challenges, highlighting threats from invasive species and habitat loss. Along the trail, you may encounter endemic species like the San Cristóbal mockingbird and Calandrinia plant, unique to this island.

Upon returning to the yacht, join the captain and crew for a cocktail reception and briefing on the next day’s activities. With a small number of passengers, you'll have the opportunity to dine with the captain later in the week. Tonight, mingle with fellow passengers and enjoy a multi-course dinner prepared by our kitchen staff, complemented with fine wine.

Today's exploration begins with a Zodiac excursion to Cerro Brujo (Wizard Hill) in search of wildlife. Your guide will point out a diverse array of birds, including brown pelicans, brown noddy terns, and blue-footed boobies diving for fish. Learn to identify birds by their age-related color patterns, such as the white neck of a mature brown pelican. Colorful Sally light-foot crabs scuttle across the rocks, transitioning from black in youth to vibrant hues as adults. Your guides will also highlight unique geological features like the Cathedral, humorously dubbed "Darwin’s Pants". After the Zodiac tour, unwind on the picturesque coral sand beach. Take a leisurely beach walk, swim with sea lions, or try paddleboarding or kayaking, suitable for beginners. This is an ideal opportunity to get comfortable with snorkeling gear before venturing into deeper waters. Guides will share insights into the fish species encountered, offering assistance with identifying fish captured in photographs.

Return to the yacht for a BBQ lunch on the sun deck (weather permitting), then disembark at Punta Pitt for a hike. The trail, though rocky with some climbs, offers exceptional bird-watching opportunities, showcasing all three booby species: blue-footed, red-footed, and Nazca. Observe baby blue-footed boobies, fluffy and white until their feathers fully develop within months. Guides will also point out frigatebirds, swallow-tailed gulls, storm petrels, and brown pelicans. At Pitt Rock, snorkel with sea lions and colorful marine life like King Angel and Surgeon fish. A Zodiac ride returns you to the yacht for a briefing and dinner. Later, relax with guidebooks or fiction from the library, or head to the top deck for a distant view of "Sleeping Lion". Weather permitting, join your guide for stargazing and exploration of the Southern skies.

This morning, you'll arrive at Punta Suarez on Española (Hood) Island, known for its abundance of endemic species, including the waved albatross. These magnificent birds spend their early years at sea before returning to land for mating, a spectacle best witnessed between April and December. As you trek, watch out for marine iguanas basking on the dark rocks, which turn vivid red and green during mating season due to their algae diet. Follow the trail to an impressive ocean blowhole and spot colorful Sally light-foot crabs along the shoreline. Encounter Darwin’s Finches, Hood mockingbirds, Galapagos Doves, red-billed tropicbirds, Galápagos Hawks, Nazca boobies, and swallow-tailed gulls, the world's only nocturnal gull. 

Enjoy a BBQ lunch served on deck (weather permitting) with a cooking demonstration on making Ecuadorian ceviche. Afterwards, snorkel at Tortuga Rock, exploring caves teeming with invertebrates. Disembark at Gardner Bay, home to a stunning white-sand beach adorned with sea lion colonies. Dominant males protect their harems here. Choose to snorkel, kayak, paddle-board, sunbathe, or observe Darwin Finches, Espanola mockingbirds, and Galápagos hawks. Return to the yacht for a briefing and dinner after a day of exciting activities.

Arrive at Punta Cormorant’s olive-sand beach on Floreana (Charles) Island, greeted by the calls of sea lions, lava herons, yellow-crowned night herons, and blue-footed boobies. The green hue of the beach stems from iron and manganese in the basaltic lava, resembling formations found in Hawaii. Walk to a brackish lagoon teeming with Bahama ducks, common stilts, Galápagos flycatchers, and vibrant pink flamingos. Guides highlight diverse plant life like morning glories, cut-leaf daisies, mangroves (black, red, and white), palo verde, and Scalesia. Continue to a beach where sea turtles nest amid powdery sand dunes while stingrays glide in shallow waters. Snorkel at Devil’s Crown or Champion Islet, a sunken crater thriving with colorful fish, coral, white-tipped sharks, sea turtles, spotted eagle rays, and sea stars.

Return to the yacht for lunch and a brief history of Galápagos' human legacy, including why Floreana is known as the Island of Mysteries. In the afternoon, engage in a Galápagos tradition at Post Office Bay, where English whalers established a post barrel in the late 18th century. Leave a postcard in the barrel without postage—future visitors may hand-deliver it if it's near their home. Participate in a Zodiac excursion at Baroness Point to spot sea turtles and rays, capturing colorful fish and sea stars with an underwater camera. Back on the yacht, enjoy a briefing followed by dinner and an optional pirate-themed party for lively entertainment.

This morning, wake up to a bustling harbor scene at Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island, with a population of 24,000. Travel by bus to higher altitudes to explore beautiful geological formations, including the lava tunnels at El Mirador and Los Gemelos (The Twins), massive craters formed by volcanic activity. Experience the highlight of the morning with a visit to a privately-owned ranch where giant tortoises roam freely, reaching weights of over 500 pounds! Lunch will be served onboard the yacht.

In the afternoon, delve into Galapagos history and conservation efforts at the Centro de Crianza Fausto Llerena and Charles Darwin Research Station. Explore exhibits honoring Lonesome George, the last Pinta Island tortoise whose species became extinct upon his death, and celebrate Diego, a tortoise from the San Diego Zoo who revitalized his species by fathering hundreds of offspring. Enjoy free time to explore Puerto Ayora as you walk back to the main dock, approximately a mile away. Pick up souvenirs at artisan shops like the chocolate truffle store with dozens of flavors or visit an art gallery for unique paintings or ceramics. Along the way, stop at cafes for coffee, ice cream, and internet access. Choose to stay ashore for dinner with Zodiac transfers provided, or return to the yacht for a delightful multi-course dinner. Today's daily briefing will be held in the afternoon to allow for extra evening leisure time.

When you wake up this morning, you’ll be in solitude once again, with no other boats in sight. You’ll have two options for a morning activity. Today’s hike is a challenge, with about 400 wooden steps winding around Bartolomé island, ending in a gorgeous panoramic view of Pinnacle Rock. Your guide will stop along the way to describe the geology of the landscape - mini lava cones and bombs formed by flowing magma from past volcanic eruptions. If you’d rather skip the hike, enjoy a Zodiac ride around the island and look for penguins. You’ll see these adorable animals - the second smallest type of penguin - swimming and diving playfully or grooming themselves on rocks. Crystal clear water beckons you to wade in from the beach. Snorkel with schools of tropical fish, white-tipped reef sharks and Galapagos Penguins. Return to the vessel for a BBQ lunch served on the sundeck (weather permitting). The itinerary for the remainder of your day will vary depending on your yacht, but all visitors will enjoy lovely views and some of the Galápagos’ renowned wildlife. Guests on the Evolve go ashore at Sombrero Chino (Chinese Hat), a small island off the southern tip of Santiago that owes its name to its shape. Sea lions await on the beach, and as you explore, you’ll see marine iguanas and oystercatchers. Along the trail, you’ll see remnants of the island’s geological history, with volcanic rubble and cracked lava formations. Guests on Evolce visit Playa Las Bachas, (Spanish for barges) on the northern side of Santa Cruz. You’ll also have a wonderful opportunity for snorkeling after exploring interior lagoons with vivid flamingos. Guests on the Evolve have a Zodiac excursion at Caleta Tortuga Negra (Black Turtle Cove) through a series of coves and inlets surrounded by mangroves. You’ll navigate slowly along the shoreline, listening for the telltale deep inhale of a sea turtle and watching for the wings of a school of golden rays. Your guide will offer an enrichment lecture tonight after dinner.

This morning, your day begins at South Plazas, a small islet boasting tall cliffs and a trail teeming with diverse plants and wildlife. Young Opuntia cacti are protected by nets due to invasive species. Spot nests of various birds like swallow-tailed gulls and red-billed tropicbirds. Witness bachelor sea lions and learn about land iguanas. After lunch, sail to North Seymour Island to witness spectacular frigate birds seeking mates with inflated red sacs. Enjoy a final snorkeling opportunity with sharks, sea lions, and tropical fish. The evening features a champagne toast with the captain and crew, a farewell party, and a presentation from your guides as your memorable week in paradise draws to a close.

This morning, you'll leave the yacht after breakfast for a visit to the Interpretation Center on San Cristobal (1). Explore the human history of the Galapagos Islands along a paved trail before heading to town. Enjoy some free time for last-minute photos before your airport transfer. Although the flight back to the mainland is short, the memories you'll take home will last a lifetime!