Galapagos yacht charter itinerary

Embark on your Galapagos yacht charter at Santa Cruz, having flown into Baltra. Before boarding, spend the day hiking in the arid zone and through the highlands to see the wild giant tortoises and explore the hardened lava sink holes. The Charles Darwin Research Station is a great place to get up to speed with an educational briefing on the local ecosystems.

Start your journey of discovery by getting up close to the local sea life on the beaches of Española including sea lions sleeping in the sun and nesting sea turtles. At Punta Suarez you can watch the juvenile sea lions surf the waves, then head ashore to walk along the trails lined by Nazca boobies and basking marine iguanas basking.

Take a hike through the San Cristóbal highlands, where you will find yourself among the open pastures, avocado groves and giant bamboo trees. Find yourself in the archipelago’s only freshwater lake, where bird spotters will be rewarded by seven species of Darwin’s finches. If you fancy trying out the local waters, a snorkel at Leon Dormido – aka Kicker Rock – will put you in the very centre of flocks of soaring rays, octopus and hammerhead and Galapagos sharks.

Visit the land iguanas among the prickly pear cacti of Santa Fé, a small land mass made by hardened submarine lava from 4 million years ago. After lunch on board, head out to South Plazas island, where you will be met at the dock by an abundance of lazy male sea lions taking in the sun’s heat as a relief from the chilly waters. Inland you will find more land iguanas, red-billed tropicbirds and swallow-tailed gulls.

A day of birdwatching awaits at the protected anchorage of Darwin Bay on Genovesa, which is the remnant of a giant sunken volcano crater. The beach is home to red-footed boobies, frigate birds, yellow-crowned night herons and lava gulls. After lunch, head into the water to snorkel along the base of the bay’s cliffs, or explore the area by kayak, and then lace your boots up for a climb of Prince Phillip’s Steps, a rock fall forming a natural staircase though the cliffs where many nesting birds live. Known as the ‘Stairway to Seabird Heaven’, waterproof jackets are recommended!

The recently hardened, century-old lava flows of Sullivan Bay on Santiago feel like you are walking on giant ripples of a pond. Snorkels at the ready for Bartolomé, where you can swim with the playful sea lions and see the penguins slip through the water as if they are flying. Once dried off, you can head ashore in the tender and, walking past nesting sea turtles, carry on up to hike the island’s peak for a stunning sunset vista.

On the last day of your Galapagos yacht charter, discover the terracotta-red beach of Rábida. From here you can watch the young brown pelicans diving into the water for a fresh catch of fish, while blue footed boobies assemble on the rocks. The odd pink flamingo may make an appearance if you are lucky. On your final stop, see the lava tubes and flows of Sombrero Chino and bid farewell to the penguins of the island before you return home with memories of a lifetime to share from your Galapagos yacht charter.