Galapagos Cruise on board Bonita | 7 days

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

Explore the Western side of the Galapagos islands on this comprehensive cruise. Sailing to Isabela, Fernandina and Santa Cruise Islands you will visit quiet coves and places for optimum wildlife viewing. Your journey will start at Dragon Hill, one of the only places where a healthy population of land iguanas can be found. Your cruise ship will then make its way around the top of Isabella Island. Heading south along the western side of the island you will stop at famous landing spots including Vicente Roca Point for incredible sea life including sea turtles and Moreno Point a birdwatchers paradise. On your journey, you will spot a plethora of wildlife including the Galapagos penguins, white-tipped sharks, marine iguanas and sea lions. The last port of call is the Charles Darwin Station to meet the resident giant tortoises. 

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.

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Tour Itinerary

Day 1
Baltra Airport Cerro Dragon (Dragon Hill)

CERRO DRAGON: After lunch our first visit is to Dragon Hill which is located in the northwestern area of Santa Cruz Island. It consists of a 1,600 m long trail running through 3 different environments. In 1975, it was one of the only places on Santa Cruz Island where healthy land iguanas (Conolophus Subcristatus) could be found. That same year, the Galapagos National Park and the Charles Darwin Foundation initiated a program to conserve land iguanas. In the lagoons found here, there are shrimp (Artemia salina), the food of the flamingos. At certain times of the year, the shrimp are more abundant and the flamingo population increases. Dinner.

Day 2
Bucanero Puerto Egas

ESPUMILLA BEACH & BUCCANEER COVE: The main attractions include Palo Santo Wood, the beach, and the stunning landscape; the beach is a very important site for tortoises because they use this place for nesting. Once time, the pigs were the main predatory of tortoise’s eggs; pigs were eradicated with the creation of Isabela Project. Lunch

EGAS PORT: Here we find a beautiful black sand beach; to the south of the beach is the Pan de Azucar Volcano, whose volcanic deposits have contributed to the formation of the black sand beach. The crater of this volcano contains a saltwater lake that dries up during hot weather. Between 1928 and 1930, explorations to develop a salt mine were carried out, but it was decided that a mine was not feasible. The workers’ use of endemic woods also damaged the environment and the development was scrapped. Descent to the salt mine is not allowed. Dinner.

Day 3
Isabela Island Fernandina Island

ISABELA ISLAND: VICENTE ROCA POINT is comprised of two separate coves, this site is a large bay with spectacular sea life. Keep an eye out for seahorses, sea turtles, and the strange yet fascinating Mola-mola (sunfish). Lunch.

FERNANDINA ISLAND – ESPINOZA POINT: Fernandina is the third biggest island in the Galapagos and has only one visiting site: Espinoza Point, famous for the large colonies of marine iguanas and the home of the flightless cormorant, the Galapagos penguin, snakes, and more. From Espinoza Point, we can admire the beauty of Fernandina Island and its volcano which last erupted in May of 2005. Fernandina is the only island that doesn’t have mammals and the open areas are extremely fragile. From January to June, the nesting period of the marine iguana, we take great care when walking. Dinner.

Day 4
Isabela Island

URBINA BAY: this place is located at the base of Alcedo Volcano between Elizabeth Bay and Tagus Cove. Wet landing. Trail length is around 3.20 Km; during this walk, we can observe land iguanas, hawks, and tortoises. It is also possible to see red and blue lobsters. Lunch.

TAGUS COVE: It is located to the west of Darwin Volcano on Isabela Island. While walking, we will find several inscriptions (names of pirates) dating back to the 1800s. From here, we can see Darwin Lake, a saltwater lake with a depth of approximately 9 m. It contains no fish. It is very common to see a variety of bird species. Dinner.

Day 5
Isabela Island

MORENO POINT. We will disembark at Moreno Point which 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 a 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. Lunch.

ELIZABETH BAY: After lunch, this is one of the island’s breeding sites for penguins. Located on the west coast of Isabela, Elizabeth Point is a marine visitor site. Visit Red Mangrove Cove: Brown pelicans, flightless cormorants, spotted eagle rays, golden rays and sea lions are often seen. Dinner.

Day 6
Isabela island

TINTORERAS: Located in the bay of Puerto Villamil, this small island, surrounded by calm, turquoise waters have an easy trail with great landscapes and very interesting fauna. Along the trail, we will see large numbers of Marine Iguanas basking in the sun, lava lizards, herons, gulls and sea lions. In the coves, it is easy to find Sea Turtles, rays and even penguins. Among the many inlets and channels on the coast, we sometimes see White-tipped Reef Sharks (in Spanish “Tintoreras”). Following the excursion, we will return to the boat for breakfast and sail to our next destination. Lunch.

HUMEDALES: Los Humedales is one of the Isabela Hidden Gems. “Humedales” translates to Wet Lands and this area is characterized by sandy beaches, rocky shores, and mangroves, which have an extremely important role in the Galapagos as they provide a nursery for young marine animals as well as a nesting site for birds. Following the various paths, you will find a fabulous destination for bird lovers, pink flamingos and migratory birds including black-bellied and semipalmated plovers, whimbrel, osprey, greater and lesser yellowlegs, wilson’s phalarope, short-billed dowitcher, common tern, blue-winged teal, to name a few. You can also observe young giant tortoises from the Isabela Breeding Center. Dinner

Day 7
Santa Cruz Island - Charles Darwin Baltra Airport

After breakfast, we will visit Charles Darwin Station which is located in the main port on Santa Cruz Island; we will take a private bus to the entrance of the breeding center where we will see tortoises and land iguanas in captivity. This center is the main breeding site on the islands. Animals that were in danger of extinction on the various islands are maintained in captivity. Thanks to the dedicated work of several institutions, some species are being saved. Here lived Lonesome George, the famous last survivor of the giant tortoise species found on Pinta Island. 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 Paddleboarding
  • Included Kayaking
Click here for dates & prices
Duration

7 days

Price from

$3,690 USD

Per person, sharing

Departs Sundays