5-Day Luxury Cruise around Española, Floreana, Santiago and Santa Cruz

Description

Day 1: San Cristóbal Island

Welcome to the Galapagos Islands! We'll pick you up on arrival at San Cristobal airport and transfer you to the Solaris cruise ship, a luxurious boat on which we'll spend five days touring this archipelago of Ecuador.

We'll eat lunch on the boat and set off on our first excursion around San Cristóbal. We'll visit the Interpretation Centre at Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, where we'll learn about the very interesting aspects of the volcanic formation of the island through maps, diagrams and models to scale.

We'll finish the day having dinner and resting on the boat.

Day 2: Española Island

We'll start the day sailing to Española Island, the oldest island in the Galapagos. Did you know that it originated 14 million years ago? We'll dock on the northeast coast, in Gardner Bay, where you can enjoy the crystal clear waters while snorkelling and watching the sea turtles.

Then, we'll continue our cruise around the coast of Española Island until we reach Punta Suárez, where a multitude of native birds such as the Galapagos albatross, the black-tailed gull and the red-billed tropicbird nest on the rocks.

The day will finish as we dine and rest onboard the cruise ship. 

Day 3: Floreana Island

On the third day, we'll visit Floreana Island, one of the first inhabited islands in the archipelago. There we'll discover Punta Cormorant, on the northern cape of the island. It is a terrain made up of volcanic cones and exotic beaches such as green sand beaches, which contain a high percentage of olivine crystals. At Punta Cormorán we'll also find the so-called flour sand beaches, formed by white corals.

Another corner of Floreana not to be missed is the Baroness's house, built for Eloisa von Wagner, one of the first settlers on the island. The mysterious history of this aristocrat will surprise you!

In the afternoon we'll explore Post Office Bay, where we'll tell you the anecdote that gave rise to its name and see species such as sea lions and Galapagos penguins. Did you know that it is the only spot in the southeast of the archipelago where they can be found?

As the finishing touch of the day, we'll take a kayak or boat tour of a submerged crater, and then climb up to the Baroness viewpoint to enjoy panoramic views of the island.  

Finally, we'll have dinner on board.

Day 4: Santiago Island – Bartolomé Island

In the morning, we'll arrive at Sullivan Bay of Santiago Island, which will surprise you with its desert-like, almost lunar landscapes - the perfect place to take pictures! On its white sandy beaches, we'll see sea turtles, crabs, blue herons and oystercatchers.

After exploring this small island, we'll head to neighbouring Bartolomé Island, which is much larger in size. We'll ascend the Pico Bartolomé hiking trail to enjoy the panoramic views and then refresh ourselves at Pinnacle Rock, where a snorkelling activity awaits us to explore the shallows of the seabed.

We'll conclude the day by observing a small colony of penguins at the foot of a mountain and having dinner on board.

Day 5: Santa Cruz Island – Baltra Island

We have reached the end of our adventure! The last day of the cruise will be spent exploring Santa Cruz Island. Its landscapes will remind you of the Amazon rainforest, with lush forests and crystal-clear lagoons.

We'll visit the northern part of the island, where we'll see Black Turtle Cove, a unique place in the Galapagos archipelago. We'll also try to spot reef sharks, hammerhead sharks and stingrays in the bay of Santa Cruz.

In the afternoon, after lunch on board, we'll head to Baltra Island to drop you off at the airport.

Accommodation

This tour includes 4 nights' accommodation with full board on the Solaris luxury ship, a spacious 11-cabin vessel. When booking, you can opt for a double or triple cabin. If you would like a quadruple, please contact us for price and availability.

Flights

To participate in this cruise, you need to book your return flights at the following times:

If you're travelling from Quito

• Departing flight: AVIANCA AV1630. Departure at 9:30 am from Quito. Arrival at 12:06 pm at San Cristóbal Island. 
• Return flight: AVIANCA AV1633. Departure at 11:38 am from Baltra Island. Arrival at 4:15 pm at Quito. 

If you're travelling from Guayaquil

• Departing flight: AVIANCA AV1630. Departure at 11:19 am from Guayaquil. Arrival at 12:06 pm at San Cristóbal Island. 
• Return flight: AVIANCA AV1633. Departure at 11:38 am from Baltra Island. Arrival at 2:29 pm at Guayaquil.