| Cruise |
Aqua Mare, East & West Galapagos ex Baltra Return |
| Cruise Line |
Aqua Expeditions |
| Ship |
Aqua Mare |
| Destination |
South America |
| Brief Description |
14 Night Cruise sailing from Baltra roundtrip aboard Aqua Mare. |
| Type of Cruise |
Luxury |
| Departure Date |
06 Dec 2024 |
| Cruise Description |
14 Night Cruise sailing from Baltra roundtrip aboard Aqua Mare.
Day 1 Embarkation At Baltra Island And Bahia Borrero
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.
Day 2 El Barranco And Bahía Darwin, Genovesa Island
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.
Day 3 Bahía Sullivan, Santiago Island And Sombrero Chino Island
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.
Day 4 Bartolomé Island And Cerro Dragón, Santa Cruz Island
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.
Day 5 Zanillo Giant Tortoise Reserve And Fausto Llerena Breeding Center, Santa Cruz Island
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.
Day 6 Punta Suárez, Bahía Gardner, And Islote Osborn, Española Island
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, sea turtles, sharks, rays 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. Back at the yacht, head over to our bar to socialize over Happy Hour with a glass of our special Aqua Bloody Mary as the crew prepares for departure to our next anchorage.
Day 7 Sante Fé Island And Plaza Sur Island
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 Plaza Sur Island, a small, but diverse little islet. Head out on a two-hour hiking excursion led by your guide to discover the island’s unique landforms. Swap notes on everything you’ve seen today at your final recap briefing once back aboard and toast farewell under the amazing starlit skies of the Archipelago to your new found friends over a glass of wine.
Day 8 Los Gemelos, Santa Cruz Island
You begin your last day with a luxurious breakfast before an excursion to drive up the highlands of Santa Cruz Island. In the evening, you will have some leisure time to explore the main town of Puerto Ayora. We recommend strolling along the main waterfront where you can stop by the many boutiques and jewelry shops before heading back to the ship for an evening of lecture and inspiration for the next day, then to indulge in your first taste of fresh seafood dining in the Galapagos Islands.
Day 9 Punta Cormorant, Bahía Post Office, And Mirador De La Baronesa, Floreana Island
For your second morning in the Galapagos, we will be anchored in the southern part of the Archipelago at Floreana Island. After breakfast, the morning wet landing excursion will take you to a big brackish water lagoon to observe Greater Flamingos, ducks, black-necked stilts, and other shore birds at Punta Cormorant. You will be able to observe where sea turtles nest at night, and spot stingrays and sharks swimming very close to the shore.
Enjoy a splendid lunch consisting of fresh Ecuadorian recipes with an Andean twist before heading back out to Floreana to pay tribute to an old island tradition at Bahia Post Office. The visit will follow another quick tour of what once was a fishing enterprise in the 1920s before continuing onboard the tenders to visit Mirador de la Baronesa. Upon returning onboard Aqua Mare, enjoy another feast showcasing a blend of Japanese technique and Peruvian seasoning through delicacies such as tuna tartare and quinoa yakimeshi. Stay out on the upper deck with a cocktail if you would like to admire the northern and southern hemispheres’ starlit skies tonight.
Day 10 Punta Moreno And Bahía Urbina, Isabela Island
After a night of sailing, the morning sees our beautiful superyacht anchored on the western side of Isabela Island. As the biggest and youngest island in the Archipelago, Isabela was formed by five relatively young volcanoes and is characterized by giant tortoises and marine iguanas. For the morning excursion, a hike at Punta Moreno takes us to the mangroves and gas-rich basaltic lava rocks resulting from a large basaltic lava flow which came from the Cerro Azul volcano on Isabela hundreds of years ago. There are mangrove lagoons along the shore, where you will embark on a dinghy ride to observe marine iguanas, flightless cormorants, and penguins among other species.
In the afternoon, the Aqua Mare will sail north to Bahía Urbina, a 6km2 point, once underwater and uplifted in 1954 up to 3m above sea level. Here you can see land iguanas, some of the biggest marine iguanas roaming free in the Archipelago, and on occasion, tortoises as well. We’ll end the day with an unforgettable view of Isabela’s five volcanoes while dining on macambo rice, fish maito, and candied pear beneath the stars.
Day 11 Punta Espinoza, Fernandina Island, And Caleta Tagus, Isabela Island
Start the morning early with a workout on our sun deck at our next anchorage point of Punta Espinoza, part of a huge lava flow formed from one of the many eruptions of the La Cumbre volcano, known to be one of the most active volcanoes in the world. The region is famous for its large colonies of marine iguanas, flightless cormorants, and lizards. We might come across Galapagos penguins, Galapagos hawks, and snakes as well. You will spend the morning on shore with the option to snorkel before returning to the yacht for a sumptuous lunch.
As Aqua Mare crosses the Bolivar Channel back towards Isabela Island, prepare to channel your inner pirate for the afternoon excursion visiting Caleta Tagus, once a favorite anchorage spot for pirates and whalers. Here we will hike to see Darwin Lake, a saltwater lake trapped inside a tuff cone. If you would rather not hike, you can take your pick from our four double kayaks, snorkeling, stand-up paddle boarding, or a ride on our elegant black tenders to explore the cove and its surroundings. Return to the yacht for evening sundowners and head to the bridge after dinner for a chat with our captain as we cross the equatorial line twice.
Day 12 Puerta Egas, Playa Espumilla, And Caleta Bucanero, Santiago Island
This morning, we’ll take a tender ride to Caleta Bucanero, a 17th century pirate rest stop where pirates used to stock up on fresh tortoise meat and fresh water. In case ocean conditions are unfavorable, we’ll visit Playa Espumilla instead, a golden sandy beach which is a well-known breeding ground for sea turtles.
We head back to the yacht for lunch encompassing flavors of the South American Pacific coast through specially prepared dishes like the linguine ai frutti di mare. Next, disembark on the black sand beaches of Puerto Egas, northwest of Santiago Island. You will be able to walk the intertidal zone to the fur seal grottos or snorkel to watch sea turtles, sea lions, and white-tipped sharks.
Wind down back onboard with Happy Hour over a glass of our special Aqua Bloody Mare as the crew prepares for departure to our next adventure.
Day 13 Rábida Island And Caleta Tortuga Negra, Santa Cruz Island
Awake to the sounds of nature and a fresh breakfast before departing by tender to Rábida Island, also known as the red island. The color is the result of oxidation of very old porous lava. You will be able to hike, take out one of our eight double kayaks, stand-up paddle board, or snorkel, as well as observe hundreds of sea lions who have made their home on the beach.
After a delicious lunch, you can listen to an afternoon lecture presented by our expert guides in the panoramic lounge. The Aqua Mare will sail towards the north of Santa Cruz Island, to Caleta Tortuga Negra, a mangrove estuary that is home to sea turtles. This is a tender ride excursion as there is no landing site, but you will be able to spot green sea turtles, as well as blacktip and Galapagos sharks. End this glorious day discovering more of our signature cuisine courtesy of Chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino.
Day 14 Seymour Norte Island And Mosquera Island
Your penultimate day in the Archipelago begins with refreshing breakfast before heading out to Seymour Norte Island, formed by uprisings of underwater volcanic lavas some 3.1 million years ago. The island is mostly known for its healthy population of land iguanas, blue- footed boobies, swallow-tailed gulls, and great frigate birds. After a morning full of fun activities, you will head back to the yacht for a delicious lunch aboard Aqua Mare.
For the afternoon excursion, hop on to one of our tenders for a wet landing onto Mosquera Island. Although it’s one of the smallest in the archipelago, Mosquera Island is one of the hotspots for spotting sea lions. Around sunset you will return to the sleek comfort of Aqua Mare for your last evening aboard. Swap notes on everything you’ve experienced during this most incredible adventure with your friends onboard and toast farewell with something special from our curated wine list.
Day 15 Daphne Island And Disembarkation At Baltra Island
The last day begins with a luxurious breakfast set against the morning sunrise. Enjoy the views from Aqua Mare as we circumnavigate Daphne Island before making our way to Baltra Island for disembarkation. Bid farewell to the crew and your beautiful home for the past week.
You will be escorted to the airport for your flight back to the mainland and onward journey home, with all the wonderful memories which we hope you will cherish forever. |
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| Sailing Dates |
| 08 Nov 2024 |
| 22 Nov 2024 |
| 06 Dec 2024 |
| Pricing |
| Please enquire for pricing |
Cruise Itinerary
| Date |
Port |
Arrive |
Depart |
| 6 Dec 2024 |
Baltra, Galapagos Is |
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|
| 6 Dec 2024 |
Bahía Borrero, Santa Cruz Galapagos |
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| 7 Dec 2024 |
El Barranco, Genovesa |
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| 7 Dec 2024 |
Darwin Bay, Galapagos Islands |
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| 8 Dec 2024 |
Bahia Sullivan, Santiago |
' |
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| 8 Dec 2024 |
Chinese Hat Islet, Galapagos Islands |
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| 9 Dec 2024 |
Bartolome Island, Santiago |
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| 9 Dec 2024 |
Dragon Hill, Santa Cruz |
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| 10 Dec 2024 |
Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos |
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| 11 Dec 2024 |
Punta Suarez, Galapagos Islands |
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| 11 Dec 2024 |
Bahia Gardner, Galapagos Islands |
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| 12 Dec 2024 |
Isla Santa Fe, Galapagos Islands |
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| 12 Dec 2024 |
South Plaza island, Galapagos Islands |
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| 13 Dec 2024 |
Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos |
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| 13 Dec 2024 |
Puerto Ayora, Galapagos Is |
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| 14 Dec 2024 |
Cormorant Point, Floreana |
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| 14 Dec 2024 |
Post Office Bay, Floreana |
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| 15 Dec 2024 |
Punta Moreno (Isabela), Galapagos |
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| 15 Dec 2024 |
Isla Isabela, Galapagos Island |
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| 16 Dec 2024 |
Punta Espinoza, Fernandina |
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| 16 Dec 2024 |
Isabela Island (Caleta Tagus), Ecuador |
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| 17 Dec 2024 |
Puerto Egas (Santiago), Galapagos Islands |
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| 17 Dec 2024 |
Playa Espumilla, Santiago, Galapagos Is |
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| 18 Dec 2024 |
Rabida, Galapagos Islands |
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| 18 Dec 2024 |
Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos |
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| 19 Dec 2024 |
North Seymour, Galapagos |
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| 19 Dec 2024 |
Mosquera Islet, Galapagos Islands |
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| 20 Dec 2024 |
Daphne Island, Galapagos |
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| 20 Dec 2024 |
Baltra, Galapagos Is |
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All itineraries and ports of call at the discretion of the cruise line subject to local weather conditions and may change without notice.
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