Thursday San Cristobal – Loberia Also Known as Chatam, this island of 558 sq km is the fifth largest in the archipelago and has the second largest population. The provincial capital of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno is found on the south west point of the island. PM: Arrival in San Cristobal Airport and greeting by our naturalist guide. Transfer to the Monserrat Yacht (approx 10 mins). Check in and Lunch on board. On the afternoon, we visit Lobería where you can see a big sea lion colony and marine iguanas.
Friday Española Island This Island, often called by its English name of Hood, is the most southerly in the archipelago. It is a medium sized island of 61sq km and there are two visitors sites.Punta Suarez, lies at the western end of the island. Gardner Bay is a beautiful white sand beach at the east end of Española. An islet rock, a short distance away, provides with good snorkeling. You can often see white – tipped reef sharks around it.
Saturday Santa Fe – Plazas Santa Fe is a 24sq km island lies about 20km southeast of Santa Cruz and is very popular for day trips. Attractions include a sea lion colony, excellent snorkeling, marine iguanas and of course birds. Plazas: These two small islands are just off the east coast of Santa Cruz. After returning on board, we cruise for Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island where you will have the chance to disembark on the evening after dinner.
Sunday Santa Cruz Island In the morning we visit Charles Darwin Research Station Transfer out to Baltra Airport for passengers returning to mainland Ecuador and transfer in for passengers arriving from mainland Ecuador. Return to the Monserrat for Lunch On the afternoon we will board a coach to visit the highlands of Santa Cruz. If there is the chance, we will also visit the Gemelos, two collapsed craters that remind us of the volcanic origins of the archipelago.
Monday Sullivan Bay and Bartolome This morning we visit Sullivan Bay lava field where we can set foot on Santiago’s last volcanic eruption, nearly 100 years ago. This thin-skinned lava's molten material cools down after an eruption causing the surface materials to buckle creating a rope like appearance. Lunch. After resting on board the Monserrat, we visit Bartolome Island with an area of 1.2 sq km. There are two visitor sites and footpaths.
Tuesday Tower Island (Genovesa) This 14 sq km island is known more often by its English name of Tower. It is the best place to see a red footed booby colony, as well as giving the opportunity to visit colonies of masked boobies, great frigate birds, red billed tropicbirds, swallow- tailed gulls, and many thousand of the petrels. In the morning we will visit Prince Philip’s Steppes where we will follow a pathway along to visit the different bird colonies. And after lunch, we will visit the coral beach at the head of Darwin bay to do some more exploration as well as snorkeling and relaxation.
Wednesday Bachas Beach and North Seymour Bachas Beach is a white coral beach, favorite by sea turtles for a nesting site. On the afternoon we will visit North Seymour Island. Here we will visit a circular trail leading through some of the largest and most active seabirds breeding colonies in the islands. Magnificent frigate birds and blue footed boobies are the main attractions.
Thursday Sleeping Lion / Interpretation center Early this morning we visit Sleeping Lion, a little rocky island which because of a fanciful resemblance to a sleeping lion, is named Leon Dormido. After our arrival to San Cristobal, we visit its Interpretation Center where we can walk through the Galapagos Islands’ volcanic origins, its first human settlements and the great challenges we face ahead.
Recently refurbished in 2007, the MONSERRAT is named for its elegant accommodation, excellent cuisine and for the great space of its social areas. The Yacht is amongst the fastest power vessels in the Galapagos, making for a more comfortable experience to its passengers.
The graceful accommodation on board the MONSERRAT includes carpeting, wood paneled interiors and original paintings. It also boasts elegant granite surfaces and glass curtain doors in the bathrooms. Its social areas include a lounge with flat screen TV, bar, dinning room, small boutique and 3 solariums.
LENGHT: 28 M-91 Feet BEAM: 6.6 M – 22 Feet CAPACITY: 16 passengers SPEED: 12 Knots CREW: 8 plus 1 naturalist guide GUEST CABINS: 4 double upper deck cabins, 2 double lower deck cabins and 2 matrimonial lower deck cabins, all air conditioned. EQUIPMENT: 2 Detroit Diesel Engines, 2 Perkins Generators, Furuno VHF/DSC, ICOM HF/DSC, Furuno GPS, Furuno Radar and Furuno Sonar. VOLTAGE: 110 AC.
Our signature fleet of three identical Superior first-class 20-passenger motor yachts, M/Y Eric, Flamingo I, and Letty, were custom-designed for Galapagos excursions. These sister yachts offer tremendous value and superior comfort in spacious accommodations for small groups.
Built in 1991 and refurbished every year, each yacht features ten double outside facing cabins located on three decks with polished teak wood interiors, window view or portholes. They are fully air conditioned throughout, have private bath facilities with fresh, hot-and-cold-water showers, hair dryer, toiletries, roomy closet and drawers.
Overhead storage is also provided, as are separate climate controls, ionizer (iguana and booby deck only), intercom system, life vests, bottled water and fresh towels.
A seasoned Captain, eight dedicated crewmembers, and two experienced English speaking naturalist guides attend to the details of your Galapagos cruise.
Each naturalist takes a group of no more than 10 passengers on all shore excursions and shares extensive insights into the Islands ' diverse wildlife. Small wooden boats, locally called pangas, ferry passengers to shore for Island visit
