How long is the Bonita's western itinerary?

Seven days, which is the middle ground between the shorter and longer Galápagos cruises. Keep in mind that the arrival and departure days are partly travel days, so you’ll have closer to five and a half full days for sailing and excursions.

What does the cruise cost, and what's on top of it?

The Bonita's 7-day western itinerary starts from USD 4,350 per person. You’ll also need to budget for the mainland-to-islands flight (around US$400–$500 per person), the US$200 park entrance fee, and the US$20 Transit Control Card. That’s about US$220 in mandatory fees, paid in cash.

Which islands does this itinerary visit?

Baltra, Santa Cruz, Santiago, Isabela, and Fernandina, including a full loop of Isabela, the largest island, and the wildlife-rich western sites around Fernandina.

What class of yacht is the Bonita?

The Bonita is a First Class yacht, refurbished in 2019. It works well for families, groups of friends, and private charters.

What's the snorkeling like?

Snorkeling is a highlight of this route. At Vicente Roca Point, you may see sea turtles, seahorses, and the occasional Mola-mola (sunfish). You’ll also have chances to swim with penguins and rays. Snorkeling gear and wetsuits are included, along with kayaks and paddle boards.

What wildlife can I expect?

Across the week, you may see land iguanas and flamingos at Dragon Hill; marine iguanas, flightless cormorants, and penguins at Fernandina's Espinoza Point; hawks, tortoises, and lobsters at Urbina Bay; white-tip reef sharks, rays, and sea lions at Tintoreras; migratory shorebirds at Los Humedales; and giant tortoises at the Charles Darwin Station, where Lonesome George once lived.

What's included in the fare?

The fare includes airport assistance, transfers in the Galápagos, a double cabin, all meals aboard, a bilingual naturalist guide, listed excursions, snorkeling gear, wetsuits, kayaks and paddle boards, and unlimited purified water, coffee, and tea. It does not include the mainland flight, park entrance fee, Transit Control Card, alcoholic drinks, tips, local taxes, travel insurance, or anything not listed.

How do I check available dates and book?

Departure dates and cabin availability change throughout the season. Use the Enquire Now button and an advisor can confirm current dates and help hold a cabin for you. Galápagos yachts can sell out quickly, so it’s worth planning early.

7-Day Galapagos Itinerary | Wildlife & Conservation Adventure

Seven days is the sweet spot for exploring the western Galápagos. You’ll have time to travel around Isabela, the largest island in the archipelago, and reach Fernandina, the youngest and most volcanically active island. This is where you can find the largest marine iguana colonies, flightless cormorants, and penguins living on the equator. The cold waters also make for some of the best snorkeling in the islands.

The Bonita is a First Class yacht, refurbished in 2019. It’s a good option for families, friends traveling together, or private charters. Below, you’ll find the full day-by-day itinerary, what’s included, and the price, so you can compare it with the other yachts you’re considering.

From USD 4,350 per person. Enquire Now for current departure dates and cabin availability.

What This Itinerary Actually Gets You

Choose the western route if wildlife and snorkeling matter more to you than ticking off islands. Over seven days, you’ll get:

A full loop around Isabela: the largest island in the Galápagos, from Vicente Roca Point to Tintoreras.
Fernandina’s Espinoza Point: home to large marine iguana colonies, flightless cormorants, and penguins; it is the only island in the archipelago with no introduced mammals
Snorkeling: Vicente Roca Point is known for sea turtles, seahorses, and the occasional Mola-mola (sunfish).
Be immersed in tortoise conservation stories: Dragon Hill’s land iguanas, the Isabela Breeding Center, and the Charles Darwin Station, where Lonesome George lived.

The Real Cost of Getting There

The fare isn’t the whole picture. Budget for the other costs up front. On top of the yacht price, plan for the round-trip mainland flight, which usually costs around US$400–500 per person and varies by season. You’ll also pay the US$200 Galápagos National Park entrance fee per foreign adult in cash when you arrive, plus the US$20 Transit Control Card at the Quito or Guayaquil airport before you fly.

That’s roughly US$220 in mandatory fees before you even board the yacht. Have cash ready, as both fees are paid in cash only.

Is the Western Route Right for You?

The western route is more about wildlife and snorkeling than checking islands off your list. If Fernandina, marine iguanas, penguins, and cold-water snorkeling with turtles are high on your list, this is the route to choose. If you’d rather see more islands or focus on the central and southern sites, another route may suit you better. Tell us what you want to see, and we’ll help you choose.

The western crossings can be rough, and no small yacht is completely free from movement. If you’re prone to seasickness, come prepared. You can also ask us how this route compares with the calmer central itineraries before booking.

Want to compare the Bonita with other yachts on this route? Browse our Galápagos cruises and filter by length, format, and price. Or ask an advisor for a shortlist based on your dates.

If five days feels too short and eight feels too long, seven days is a good middle ground for the western Galápagos. This route circles Isabela and reaches Fernandina, giving you plenty of time for snorkeling aboard the Bonita

7 Day Galapagos Itinerary

Day 1: Baltra Airport & Santa Cruz Island: Dragon Hill

After lunch, your first visit is Dragon Hill on the northwestern coast of Santa Cruz Island. The 1,600-meter trail passes through three different environments. In 1975, this was one of the few places on Santa Cruz where healthy land iguanas (Conolophus subcristatus) could still be found. That same year, the Galápagos National Park and Charles Darwin Foundation began a program to protect the species. The lagoons here contain brine shrimp (Artemia salina), which are an important food source for flamingos. When the shrimp are abundant, more flamingos tend to gather here.

Dinner is served on board.

Meals included: Lunch / Dinner

Meals Included: Lunch / Dinner

Day 2: Santiago Island: Buccaneer Cove, Playa Espumilla & Puerto Egas

Espumilla Beach & Buccaneer Cove: The area is known for its Palo Santo woodland and beach. Espumilla is also an important nesting site for tortoises. Pigs were once a major threat to tortoise eggs, but they were later eradicated as part of the Isabela Project. Lunch is served aboard.

Puerto Egas: This black-sand beach was formed by volcanic deposits from Pan de Azúcar Volcano to the south. The volcano’s crater contains a saltwater lake that can dry up during hot weather. Between 1928 and 1930, explorers investigated the area for a possible salt mine, but the project was eventually abandoned. The workers’ use of native wood also caused environmental damage. The old salt mine area is not open to visitors.

Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Meals Included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Day 3: Isabela Island & Fernandina Island

Vicente Roca Point (Isabela): These are two separate coves that form a large bay with plenty of marine life. Keep an eye out for seahorses, sea turtles, and the unusual Mola-mola (sunfish). Lunch is served aboard.

Espinoza Point (Fernandina): Fernandina is the third-largest island in the Galápagos and has just one visitor site, which is Espinoza Point. It’s known for its large marine iguana colonies and is also home to flightless cormorants, Galápagos penguins, snakes, and other wildlife. From the point, you can see the island and its volcano, which last erupted in May 2005.

Fernandina is the only island in the Galápagos without mammals. Its open areas are also extremely fragile, so during the marine iguana nesting season from January to June, visitors need to take extra care when walking.

Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Meals Included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Day 4: Isabela Island: Urbina Bay & Tagus Cove

Urbina Bay (Isabela): Located at the base of Alcedo Volcano, between Elizabeth Bay and Tagus Cove. You’ll make a wet landing before following a trail of about 3.2 km. Along the way, you can see land iguanas, hawks, and tortoises, and you may even spot red and blue lobsters. Lunch is served aboard.

Tagus Cove (Isabela): Located west of Darwin Volcano. Along the trail, you’ll see markings left by pirates and sailors dating back to the 1800s.

From here, you can see Darwin Lake, a saltwater lake about 9 meters deep. It has no fish, but you’ll often see a variety of bird species around the lake.

Dinner is served aboard.

Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Meals Included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Day 5: Isabela Island: Moreno Point & Elizabeth Bay

Moreno Point (Isabela): You’ll disembark near Elizabeth Bay on Isabela’s west coast. Explore the rocky shoreline by dinghy or walk across the lava fields to reach tide pools and mangroves, which is a great area for birdwatching. In the tide pools, you may see green sea turtles and white-tip sharks. Lunch is served aboard.

Elizabeth Bay (Isabela): After lunch, visit one of Isabela’s penguin breeding sites. At Red Mangrove Cove, look for brown pelicans, flightless cormorants, spotted eagle rays, golden rays, and sea lions.

Dinner is served aboard.

Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Meals Included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Day 6: Isabela Island: Tintoreras & Wetlands

Tintoreras (Isabela): Tintoreras is a small islet in the bay of Puerto Villamil, surrounded by calm, turquoise water. An easy trail takes you through the area, where you can see large groups of marine iguanas, lava lizards, herons, gulls, and sea lions. In the coves, look for sea turtles, rays, and sometimes penguins. You may also spot white-tip reef sharks resting in the channels, which is where the islet gets its name (tintoreras in Spanish). After the visit, return to the boat for breakfast before sailing on. Lunch is served aboard.

Los Humedales (Isabela): “Humedales” means wetlands, and this quiet area is made up of sandy beaches, rocky shores, and mangroves, providing shelter for young marine animals and nesting sites for birds. Birdwatchers may spot pink flamingos and migratory species such as black-bellied and semipalmated plovers, whimbrels, ospreys, yellowlegs, terns, and teal, among others. You may also see young giant tortoises from the Isabela Breeding Center.

Dinner is served aboard.

Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Meals Included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Day 7: Santa Cruz Island: Charles Darwin Station

After breakfast, visit the Charles Darwin Station in the main port on Santa Cruz. A private bus takes you to the breeding center, where giant tortoises and land iguanas are kept as part of the islands’ main breeding program. Species that were once close to extinction on various islands are cared for here, and conservation work has helped bring some of them back.

This is also where Lonesome George lived, the famous last survivor of the giant tortoise species from Pinta Island. After the visit, transfer to the airport.

Meals included: Breakfast

Meals Included: Breakfast

7 Day Galapagos Itinerary Includes