East Galapagos Expedition Cruise : Baltra Island – Santa Cruz Island (Aqua Expeditions)

Once you arrive at Baltra airport, you will be met by our team and escorted on a short cross island transfer to the jetty. Receive a warm welcome aboard Aqua Mare, the Galapagos Islands’ first 50m luxury superyacht where you will be treated with the utmost attention courtesy of our 1:1 crew to guest ratio. After a delicious lunch, pick out your snorkeling kit complete with mask, fins, snorkel, and an optional wetsuit for your personal use during the week. You will also receive a special waterproof bag and an Aqua Expeditions water bottle as a welcome gift. The afternoon will see you head out for your first excursion to the beautiful white beach of Bahia Borrero on the northern part of Santa Cruz. You might be able to spot Darwin’s finches, Cactus finches, and Small Ground finches nestled in the coastal vegetation. For those who prefer to snorkel, you will encounter sea turtles at the beach — one of their primary nesting sites. Afterwards, head back to the yacht and indulge in a sumptuous Nikkei-inspired dinner curated by Aqua Expeditions’ world-renowned consultant chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino. Share stories of your excursion with other guests, marking the perfect start to your Galapagos Islands adventure.

This morning, you’ll wake up on the other side of the equator and head over to Bahia Darwin’s coralline beach for hiking and snorkeling. Following a sumptuous lunch, explore Genovesa Island with a tender ride along the volcanic rocks of El Barranco. You’ll be able to view fur seals resting inside rock crevices. A 1.5 km hike inland will then take us to the lava fields to view red-footed boobies as well as great frigatebirds and Galapagos storm petrels. Make it a family affair after dinner at the lower deck Beach Club by enjoying a private movie screening. We recommend watching the Planet Earth documentary on the Galapagos Islands, the swashbuckling box office Master and Commander, or simply enjoy the starlit skies from the sun deck.

Start the morning early with a workout or a guided meditation on our sun deck followed by a refreshing breakfast. Our first excursion of the day will take us to Santiago Island with a dry landing at Bahía Sullivan to discover recent Pahoehoe lava flows. After a sumptuous lunch and lecture from one of our expert naturalist guides onboard Aqua Mare, we leave for Sombrero Chino Island, so named after the small crater that forms the islet. In the surrounding crystal-clear waters, you might have the opportunity to observe sea lions and penguins from above. There will be time for snorkeling, stand-up paddle boarding, and kayaking. After working up an appetite, return to the yacht for evening sundowners and a signature dining experience serving macambo rice and fish maito. * Morning rendezvous diving option available

With an early morning anchor at Bartolomé Island, you will embark upon a mild climb up to the summit of a spatter cone for a spectacular view of the island’s iconic Pinnacle Rock. Cool down afterwards with a snorkel where you may encounter sea turtles and Galapagos penguins, before heading back to the yacht for lunch as we sail towards Santa Cruz Island. Our afternoon excursion takes us to Cerro Dragón or Dragon Hill, so named because in 1975 it was one of the only places in the Santa Cruz Island where scientists could still find a healthy population of land iguanas (Conolophus subcristatus). Back onboard, swap tales of your magnificent excursion while enjoying the best of the region’s flavors through seafood specialties like pan seared scallops and grilled squid. * Morning rendezvous diving option available

This morning you will explore a Giant Tortoise Reserve to see these wild Galapagos Islands creatures up close in their natural habitat. The area is also a great place to observe Darwin’s finches, yellow warblers, flycatchers, cattle egrets, and if lucky Galapagos Rails. After a delicious lunch, you will visit Darwin Station and National Park headquarters to observe tortoises in captivity at the Fausto Llerena Breeding Center, as well as the different age hatchlings categorized by islands. There will be free time to enjoy the town of Puerto Ayora before returning to the ship. Refreshing superfruit juices await at our Beach Club, which is located at water level at the aft of the ship or enjoy the scenic sunset views from the upper deck. For divers, there is the option of a full day of diving instead of joining the day excursions. * Morning rendezvous diving option available

Rise and shine to a guided meditation on our upper deck before disembarking in Punta Suárez for this morning’s excursion. This visitor site is one of the most interesting landing sites in Galapagos Islands, due to the high percentage of unique endemism in its fauna such as Española mockingbirds, lava lizards, marine iguanas, and the unique waved albatross. In the afternoon, we will take a tender ride to the beautiful array of islets where you will be able to snorkel alongside playful sea lions and many different species of reef fishes. The last visit of the day will be Bahía Gardner, an outstanding coralline sand beach that boasts one of the biggest colonies of sea lions in the Galapagos Islands. Back at the yacht, head over to our bar to socialize over Happy Hour with a glass of our special Aqua Bloody Mare as the crew prepares for departure to our next anchorage.

After a night of sailing, you will visit Santa Fé Island for your penultimate day. It is one of the oldest in the Galapagos Islands (around 3.6 million years old), with the island being characterized to some degree by its vegetation of palo santo trees, a pear cactus that is called Opuntia echios barringtonensis, and many other native bushes. Here we will spot land iguanas, lava lizards, mockingbirds, and Darwin’s finches. After the visit, we will be able to take advantage of the last full day in the Galapagos Islands by snorkeling, kayaking, or stand-up paddle boarding. As you enjoy lunch onboard, the boat will sail to Plaza Sur Island, located off the eastern shore of Santa Cruz. In the afternoon you disembark at this small, but diverse little islet to head out on a two-hour hiking excursion led by your guide to discover its unique landforms. Swap notes on everything you’ve seen today at your final recap briefing once back aboard and toast farewell under the Archipelago’s amazing starlit skies to your newfound friends over a glass of wine. * Morning rendezvous diving option available

You begin your last day with a luxurious breakfast before bidding farewell to the Aqua Mare crew. Your last visit before leaving paradise is a final short excursion to drive up the highlands of Santa Cruz Island to the twin craters of Los Gemelos enroute to the airport. It is a remarkable location surrounded by lush vegetation. Memories of this last adventure will accompany you as you are escorted to Baltra Island for the departing flight back to the mainland and onward journey home.