Galapagos Cruise Bonita | Southern Route 5 days

From Santa Cruz Island to Baltra Island
  • Ecuador
  • Galapagos Islands
  • Small Ship Cruising
  • Wildlife and Nature
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Tour Description

Visit four islands on this Galapagos cruise. Hike with land iguanas and stroll up to incredible viewing spots to see seabirds nesting. Take dinghy rides to small, hidden coves surrounded by mangroves to spot a variety of rays, sharks and marine turtles. If you would prefer to relax and take it easy, short walks and swimming with sea lions is the perfect experience at Darwin Bay. At Bartolome Island, you will have the opportunity to walk up to 114m where unique plants grow and to see unique rock formations created by lava flow. 

On this Galapagos cruise, you will learn about the interesting history of the Archipelago and the unusual wildlife from the onboard naturalist. Your cruise ship, the Bonita, was totally renovated in September 2019 and has some beautiful features including broad ocean views from the dining room, huge sun deck with 360 degrees panoramic views and tasteful interior design. The physical capacity of the cruise is 16 passengers with space to accommodate single passengers and tour leaders, creating a very personalized onboard experience. The Bonita provides snorkelling gear for free with access to paddleboards and Kayaks.

 

Viva's Best Bits...

Encounter blue-footed boobies and other unique animals in their natural habitat.

Cruise with a nearly imperceptible ecological footprint.

Go snorkelling and swim with sea lions, sea turtles, a diversity of tropical fish.

Tour Itinerary

Day 1
Santa Cruz Island

SANTA CRUZ HIGHLANDS: After your arrival and lunch on board, we will visit the interesting highlands of Santa Cruz, where we will hike and encounter giant tortoises in their natural habitat, a natural wonder. For this visit, we recommend using sport shoes, long pants, raincoat, hat and sunblock. Dinner.

Day 2
Floreana Island

FLOREANA - CORMORANT POINT: Wet landing, snorkeling and short trekking. This point is located at west of Floreana Island and it is famous for its dark green beach (due to the great quantity of olivine crystals). You can see many marine invertebrates, as well as sea lions, sea iguanas, the frigates and pelicans.

DEVIL´S CROWN: Activities in this place: panga ride and optional swimming. Enjoy a panga ride around a small island, a satellite islet of Floreana Island. Here, we will find a group of rocks that resemble a Crown due to the constant erosion caused by the sea. It is one of the better places to snorkel (shallow diving) in the interior and around the crown. Excellent visibility allows guests to admire a great variety of fish and sea animals. Lunch

FLOREANA – POST OFFICE: (Mail Bay): Wet landing. Activities: short walk, swimming, snorkeling, explanation of the mail system. Description: Mail Bay is located on the north side of Floreana Island. Captain James Colnett installed an empty barrel to be used as a post office for the whaling fleets that stopped at the Galapagos Islands. You can leave postcards to your friends and relatives here and/or pick up mail to deliver. Back at the ship, Delicious snacks and beverages are waiting for you. Dinner.

Day 3
Espanola Island

SUAREZ POINT: Dry landing. Activities: Walking, sight-seeing. We recommend sports shoes, hat or cap, and sunscreen. There is no color more amazing and outstanding in this tropical desert island, than that of the blue-foot boobies. These birds have an impressive form of “greeting” and it is a real thrill to see their mating dance. The blue-footed booby can be seen on several of the islands as nesting grounds and feed are located in several coastal locations. The albatross, an aristocratic bird weighing up to four kilograms, can be observed here. One of the largest birds of the islands, approximately 12,000 couples nest on Espanola Island and a smaller number nest on Silver Island, near mainland Ecuador. This species is considered endemic to this island; during our walk, we will observe these fantastic birds while taking in the beautiful landscapes offered by this island. It is important to note that albatrosses will not be seen between January and March (non-breeding) season. We will also see colonies of marine iguanas, zayapas, masked boobies, finches, Espanola cucuves, and seagulls unique to the islands. Our walk will be on lava rock where we will be able to see lava tubes. Red mangroves are found here. Delicious snacks and fresh beverages are waiting for you on the ship. Lunch

GARDNER BAY: wet landing, activities for this visit: short walk, swimming, snorkeling, and observation of seal colony. The sea lion is one of the animals in Galapagos which gets the total attention of the visitors in the Galapagos: they are curious and playful, but at times aggressive; they are nice and loving, but also lazy. In Gardner Bay, we are going to find many of them relaxing on the beach enjoying the sun. In addition to observing these fascinating animals, while snorkeling, we will be able to swim with sea lions, sea turtles, a diversity of tropical fish, marine iguanas, etc. Dinner.

Day 4
San Christobal Island

SAN CRISTOBAL – INTERPRETATION CENTER: Dry landing. This center is location in the main port. After breakfast, our first visit is to the Interpretation Center of San Cristobal. This modern and sophisticated architectural space was designed for the natural interpretation of the Galapagos. You will learn about the volcanic formation of the islands, the evolution of the species, the history of human settlement, and complex systems and management models. Lunch

LOBOS ISLANDS: Panga Riding, swimming and snorkeling. Here, we can walk, swim and snorkel among the seals, frigates, marine iguanas, lava lizards, and the small endemic Galapagos snake. Here, we can swim and snorkeling in the same place it. Dinner.

Day 5
Daphne

DAPHNE: Daphne Major is a rather large tuff cone somewhat eroded by the sea. Nazca boobies, red-billed tropicbirds, and blue-footed boobies can be found nesting here. Nearly all of the finches on the island are banded. At Daphne Major, we can also observe sea lions, sea turtles, Eagle Rays, various species of sharks, and other pelagic species.
Or
BACHAS: This beautiful sandy white-coral beach is located in the north of Santa Cruz Island; the beach is one km long. The site was named during WWII (World War II) when the American army left two barges on the beach. The early colonists couldn’t pronounce barges correctly, so they called the area “Bachas”. It is considered as one of the nesting sites for sea turtles. We can also observe, flamingos, seabirds and white-cheeked pintail ducks. Transfer to the airport

** This itinerary is subject to change without notice; due to seasonal changes, weather conditions or Galapagos National Park regulations. **

What’s Included

Accommodation
  • Included Copy 20 Cabin on board
Food
  • Included Copy 20 All meals throughout the cruise
  • Included Copy 20 Coffee, tea and water
Fees & Services
  • Included Copy 20 All visits and excursions according to the itinerary
  • Included Copy 20 Airport assistance
  • Included Copy 20 Transfers in Galapagos
  • Included Copy 20 Naturalist Bilingual Guide
  • Included Copy 20 Snorkel Gear (mask, tube and fins)
  • Included Copy 20 paddle boarding kayaking and wetsuit rental
  • Included Copy 7 Galapagos Islands National Park Entrance Fee USD$100 and Transit Control Card ($20)
  • Included Copy 31 Return flights Quito or Guayaquil to / Galapagos Islands
Transportation

Bonita | Galapagos Cruise Ship

16 Passengers

Activities

  • Included Snorkeling
  • Included Hiking
  • Included Wildlife observation
  • Included Panga ride
  • Included Kayaking
  • Included Paddle Boarding
Click here for dates & prices
Duration

5 days

Price from

$2,460 USD

Per person, sharing

Departs Saturdays