Gems of the Galapagos – Ecuador – 2026

Day 1: A day of travel will take us to Quito, the main city of Ecuador where on arrival we will look to rest up at an airport hotel before an early start and onward travel to the Galapagos islands the next morning. Full flight details/recommendations will be advised nearer the time, and please note these may necessitate a late departure on the 14th of August with an additional overnight and associated costs in Madrid to fit the long haul flight schedule.

Day 2: We’ll be leaving Quito early in the morning and flying to Baltra Island where a member of crew from our catamaran will be waiting for us for a short bus drive to the port where we will board our catamaran, a comfortable home for the next week. After a welcome conversation with the captain and our biologist, we will get our gear settled into our cabins and start our trip.
After only a short 30-minute navigation we will arrive at Bachas beach where we’ll have the first chance to photograph frigate birds, blue-footed boobies and other birds before returning to the boat for dinner and our first night onboard, during which we will navigate to our next destination in time for the next morning.

Day 3: South Plaza (or Plaza Sur as it is locally known) is a small island, which is rich in unique plants and vegetation. After being greeted by sea lions as we come ashore, we will have the chance to photograph the giant yellow terrestrial iguana and many other bird species surrounded by enormous cactus and on a colourful carpet of Galapagos carpetweed. Swallow-tailed Gulls are among the bird highlights here.

On returning to the catamaran, we’ll enjoy refreshments and lunch as we head to arrive to Santa Fe island where we’ll have the first chance to snorkel, with sea lions, white tip reef sharks, green turtles and eagle rays all possible visitors while we do so. At the end of the afternoon, we’ll go ashore once more. There is a gigantic Opuntia cactus forest here where land iguanas can often be found, and this is a prime location for Galapagos hawks as well as several of Darwin’s finches. With the sun set behind us we’ll go back to the boat and start our overnight navigation to the next island.

Day 4: Arriving very early in the morning before the sunrise we will approach to the Kicker Rock, an outstanding massive vertical rock located in front of San Cristobal Island. This small island is the home of many different birds such as frigate, nazca booby and blue-footed booby, among others. The highlight of arriving early at this location is the snorkelling close to the walls that disappear deep into the ocean, we’ll swim with sea lions, black tip sharks, turtles, rays and if we are lucky with hammer head sharks: go Pros very much recommended here! We’ll then return to our catamaran for some drinks and start approaching San Cristobal island, and after lunch we’ll visit one of the beautiful beaches of the island where sea lions should pose for us with white sand and turquoise water whilst we also watch the blue-footed boobies diving for food offshore.  At the end of the day and after a dinner on board we’ll start moving overnight to our next destination.

Day 5: This morning will be another highlight of the trip as we will be visiting Española Island, which is the only island here where the Waved Albatross can be found. At this time of year, the birds will have young so the colony will see plenty of activity and interaction whilst we are there. The island is also home to boobies, hawks and iguanas so it will be a very full morning ashore.

After a full and absorbing visit, we’ll move with the boat to Gardner Bay on the eastern side if the island where we’ll have lunch in front of a fantastic beach with white and soft sand and turquoise water; these waters will offer the chance to snorkel with hammer head sharks if we are lucky as well as an array of tropical fish and the almost ever-present sea lions.
By late afternoon, the sea lions will host us on the beach itself, along with an array of bird species, before going back to the catamaran for dinner and moving on as usual, this time for a longer overnight leg to Santa Cruz Island.

Day 6: After a 6-hour overnight transfer, we will arrive at Ayora Port on Santa Cruz Island. This is the main town of the Galapagos and is very welcoming. After breakfast we’ll go inland to visit the research station and spend time with the resident giant tortoise population. This was the home of the famous Lonesome George who passed away in 2012 at what was believed to be over 100 years old.

We will have lunch in town before returning to the catamaran when we will then navigate to Post Office Bay on Floreana Island, approximately 3 hours away and where flamingos and other birds are part of the wildlife that await us.

Days 7 – 8: After another long overnight relocation we’ll arrive to the extraordinary and volcanic Bartolome Island where we will be based for 2 days. The island is a huge volcano and youngest of the Galapagos Islands with amazing frozen lava shapes, volcanoes cones and needle-shaped Pinnacle Rock are stunning features.

We will walk through different areas and snorkel in the transparent waters looking for the Galapagos penguin, marine iguanas, red rock crabs and Galapagos snakes while we are ashore, and snorkelling here will offer many big fishes, turtles, sharks and rays once more.

Day 9: After our final breakfast and return to Baltra Island we will say goodbye to the crew, transfer to the airport and catch our flight back to Quito where we’ll spend our last night sharing memories of our time at sea over our final dinner.

Day 10: Departure flights to Europe will likely be in the afternoon and so we’ll have time to relax and rest at the hotel before transferring in time for these overnight journeys.

Day 11: Arrive home in Europe.

Please note that the running order of the various locations may be changed at the discretion of the captain based on weather and other factors but the essential circuit and key destinations we have planned will not.