Grand Queen Beatriz Galapagos Cruise

AM: Welcome to the Galapagos! Today, you will be meeting other travelers arriving from Quito or Guayaquil at Baltra Airport. A Park-certified naturalist guide will meet you in the arrival hall to transfer you to the motor yacht M.Y. Grand Queen Beatriz.

PM: After lunch, your first stop will be Punta Carrión, located in northeastern Santa Cruz. This is a shallow and protected cove, ideal for your first snorkeling and swimming experiences in the Galapagos! Wildlife is plentiful; keep your eyes peeled for blue-footed boobies, Galapagos herons, great blue herons, rays and white-tipped reef sharks.

• Activity:Arrival. Hiking.
• Meal:Lunch. Dinner.
• Accommodation:Single or double cabins.

AM: This southern coast of turquoise waters has the largest area of beaches in the Galapagos. You will visit Las Tintoreras, where the viewing walkway allows you to look down into a narrow channel housing a colony of white-tipped reef sharks swimming and sleeping, and the occasional playful sea lion among them!

PM: Blue-footed boobies, penguins, marine iguanas, and crabs also make their home here, and the waters provide further opportunities to swim with sea turtles. You will also visit the Giant Tortoise Breeding Center and the Wall of Tears, which was constructed by prisoners of the penal colony between 1946 and 1959 as punishment, using lava.

• Activity:Hiking. Birdwatching. Snorkeling.
• Meal:Breakfast. Lunch. Dinner.
• Accommodation:Single or double cabins.

AM: Floreana Island is a highlight of any Galapagos cruise, rich in natural wonders and wildlife. You will go ashore at Punta Cormorant, where the sand is made up of fine olivine crystals, a glassy volcanic mineral giving the beach an olive-green color. This is the best place to see the Galapagos sea lions!

PM: Today is the best opportunity to see pink flamingos and other water birds wading in the lagoons, including pintails and stilts. Just offshore, the Devil’s Crown is an old eroded volcanic cone and a popular roosting site for seabirds such as boobies, pelicans, and frigatebirds. Red-billed tropicbirds can also be seen nesting in the rocky crevices. Post Office Bay is where 18th-century whalers used a barrel as an unofficial mail drop.

• Activity:Hiking. Exploring. Snorkeling.
• Meal:Breakfast. Lunch. Dinner.
• Accommodation:Single or double cabins.

AM: Today, visit Santa Cruz, the Galapagos’ second-largest island. Puerto Ayora, its economic hub, houses the Charles Darwin Research Station. Here, not only can you learn about conservation efforts but also encounter Galapagos giant tortoises up close, along with baby tortoises and land iguanas.

PM: Later, travel to the highlands for a change in scenery. Journey from the coast through Santa Cruz’s agricultural areas into its misty forests. This humid area boasts miconia bushes, scalesia trees, and dormant volcanic cones. Santa Cruz has the most endemic plants among the islands, offering views of Galapagos giant tortoises in the wild and possibly the vibrant vermillion flycatcher.

• Activity:Hiking. Exploring. Snorkeling.
• Meal:Breakfast. Lunch. Dinner.
• Accommodation:Single or double cabins.

AM: At Santa Fe, eager sea lions await swimming companions! Enjoy a dip and explore inland trails adorned with cacti forests, housing endemic land iguanas. Hiking towards the cliffs reveals a prickly pear cacti forest.

PM: Despite its size, Plaza Sur is stunning. Encounter sea lions and traverse trails showcasing one of the Galapagos’ largest land iguana populations amidst cacti and vivid volcanic terrains painted by sesuvium. The island’s rugged southern cliffs offer sights of tropicbirds, swallow-tailed gulls, and ‘the gentlemen’s club’—a group of male sea lions dominating the beach.

• Activity:Hiking. Exploring. Snorkeling.
• Meal:Breakfast. Lunch. Dinner.
• Accommodation:Single or double cabins.

AM: Today you will cruise to Española, the southernmost island of the Galapagos and one of the most spectacular. Because of its remote location, this island has a large population of endemic fauna. It is the breeding site for nearly all of the world’s 12,000 pairs of waved albatrosses and home to colonies of blue-footed and masked boobies.

PM: Trails from the golden beaches in Gardner Bay, where sea lions bathe and marine iguanas make their way toward the water, will lead you right through the middle of booby colonies. Galapagos doves and mockingbirds are also often seen. The rocks off the coast provide excellent snorkeling opportunities, with small white-tipped reef sharks, sea turtles, and many species of tropical fish, including surgeon and angelfish, often seen.

• Activity:Hiking. Exploring. Snorkeling.
• Meal:Breakfast. Lunch. Dinner.
• Accommodation:Single or double cabins.

AM: This morning, you will visit Punta Pitt on the eastern end of San Cristóbal Island. Walk to the top of the volcanic hill for expansive views of the sparsely vegetated area. A variety of seabirds nest here, including blue-footed boobies and frigatebirds. On a panga (dinghy) ride, you can observe the three varieties of boobies nesting in the Galapagos and enjoy snorkeling from the beach.

PM: León Dormido (Kicker Rock) is a magnificent rock in the middle of the sea, the shape resembling a sleeping lion. When you cruise through the channel, you see nesting seabirds on either side of the boat, tropic birds overhead, marine iguanas in the water, and many sea lions resting on the rocks. You’ll visit Isla Lobos, a small islet near San Cristóbal. Here, friendly sea lions frolic in the shallow waters. You can also spot blue-footed boobies, frigatebirds, and marine iguanas with ease.

• Activity:Hiking. Exploring. Snorkeling.
• Meal:Breakfast. Lunch. Dinner.
• Accommodation:Single or double cabins.

AM/PM: As flights to the mainland from Galapagos depart mid-morning, it is an early start for our last morning on the Islands. Depending on the time of your flight, our time spent on this final excursion could be limited. Visit the Interpretation Center, which brings the history and geography of the archipelago to life, from its volcanic origins to the present day.

The human history exhibit offers an insight into the discovery and colonization of the Galapagos, and the reality of the problems the Islands face today. This is a great way to end your time in Galapagos. This will be your final excursion before you head to the airport in San Cristóbal for your flight back to Quito.

• Activity:Hiking. Departure.
• Meal:Breakfast.
• Accommodation:Single or double cabins.

AM: Welcome to the Galapagos! Today, you will be meeting other travelers arriving from Quito or Guayaquil at Baltra Airport. A Park-certified naturalist guide will meet you in the arrival hall to transfer you to the motor yacht M.Y. Grand Queen Beatriz.

PM: Post-lunch, you’ll venture into Santa Cruz’s highlands. Starting from the coast, journey through the island’s agricultural lands and into its misty forests. Here, you can immerse yourself in the unique Scalesia cloud forest and observe Galapagos giant tortoises in their natural surroundings. Keep an eye out for the diverse bird life, including various Darwin finches, woodpeckers, warbler finches, and vermillion flycatchers.

• Activity:Arrival. Hiking. Snorkeling.
• Meal:Lunch. Dinner.
• Accommodation:Single or double cabins.

AM: At Santa Fe, eager sea lions await swimming companions! Enjoy a dip and explore inland trails adorned with cacti forests, housing endemic land iguanas. Hiking towards the cliffs reveals a prickly pear cacti forest.

PM: Despite its size, Plaza Sur is stunning. Encounter sea lions and traverse trails showcasing one of the Galapagos’ largest land iguana populations amidst cacti and vivid volcanic terrains painted by sesuvium. The island’s rugged southern cliffs offer sights of tropicbirds, swallow-tailed gulls, and ‘the gentlemen’s club’—a group of male sea lions dominating the beach.

• Activity:Hiking. Snorkeling.
• Meal:Breakfast. Lunch. Dinner.
• Accommodation:Single or double cabins.

AM: Trails from the golden beaches in Gardner Bay, where sea lions bathe and marine iguanas make their way toward the water, will lead you right through the middle of booby colonies. Galapagos doves and mockingbirds are also often seen. The rocks off the coast provide excellent snorkeling opportunities, with small white-tipped reef sharks, sea turtles, and many species of tropical fish, including surgeon and angelfish, often seen.

PM: At Punta Suárez, one of the Galapagos’ most captivating spots, you’ll encounter a rich diversity of wildlife. A trail walk leads you to a clifftop viewpoint offering a sensational panorama. Below, boobies dot the rocky shoreline, while overhead, frigatebirds soar. In the vicinity, massive male sea lions lounge, and albatross use the cliffs as their ‘runway’, leveraging the southeast winds to take flight.

• Activity:Hiking. Exploring. Snorkeling.
• Meal:Breakfast. Lunch. Dinner.
• Accommodation:Single or double cabins.

AM: This morning, you will visit Punta Pitt, on the eastern end of San Cristóbal Island. Walk to the top of the volcanic hill for expansive views of the sparsely vegetated area. A variety of seabirds nest here, including blue-footed boobies and frigatebirds.

PM: León Dormido (Kicker Rock) is a magnificent rock in the middle of the sea, the shape resembling a sleeping lion. When you cruise through the channel, you see nesting seabirds on either side of the boat, tropic birds overhead, marine iguanas in the water, and many sea lions resting on the rocks. You’ll visit Isla Lobos, a small islet near San Cristóbal. Here, friendly sea lions frolic in the shallow waters. You can also spot blue-footed boobies, frigatebirds, and marine iguanas with ease.

• Activity:Hiking. Exploring. Snorkeling.
• Meal:Breakfast. Lunch. Dinner.
• Accommodation:Single or double cabins.

AM/PM: As flights to the mainland from Galapagos depart mid-morning, it is an early start for our last morning on the Islands. Depending on the time of your flight, our time spent on this final excursion could be limited. Visit the Interpretation Center, which brings the history and geography of the archipelago to life, from its volcanic origins to the present day.

The human history exhibit offers an insight into the discovery and colonization of the Galapagos, and the reality of the problems the Islands face today. This is a great way to end your time in Galapagos. This will be your final excursion before you head to the airport in San Cristóbal for your flight back to Quito.

• Activity:Hiking. Departure.
• Meal:Breakfast.

AM: Welcome to the Galapagos! Today, you will be meeting other travelers arriving from Quito or Guayaquil at Baltra Airport. A Park-certified naturalist guide will meet you in the arrival hall to transfer you to the motor yacht M.Y. Grand Queen Beatriz.

PM: After lunch, your first stop will be Punta Carrión, located in northeastern Santa Cruz. This is a shallow and protected cove, ideal for your first snorkeling and swimming experiences in the Galapagos! Wildlife is plentiful; keep your eyes peeled for blue-footed boobies, Galapagos herons, great blue herons, rays and white-tipped reef sharks.

• Activity:Arrival. Hiking. Snorkeling.
• Meal:Lunch. Dinner.
• Accommodation:Single or double cabins.

AM: This southern coast of turquoise waters has the largest area of beaches in the Galapagos. You will visit Las Tintoreras, where the viewing walkway allows you to look down into a narrow channel housing a colony of white-tipped reef sharks swimming and sleeping, and the occasional playful sea lion among them!

PM: Blue-footed boobies, penguins, marine iguanas, and crabs also make their home here, and the waters provide further opportunities to swim with sea turtles. You will also visit the Giant Tortoise Breeding Center and the Wall of Tears, which was constructed by prisoners of the penal colony between 1946 and 1959 as punishment, using lava.
Please note there’s a USD 20 fee to be paid upon entering Isla Isabela.

• Activity:Hiking. Snorkeling.
• Meal:Breakfast. Lunch. Dinner.
• Accommodation:Single or double cabins.

AM: Floreana Island is a highlight of any Galapagos cruise, rich in natural wonders and wildlife. You will go ashore at Punta Cormorant, where the sand is made up of fine olivine crystals, a glassy volcanic mineral giving the beach an olive-green color. This is the best place to see the Galapagos sea lions!

PM: Today is the best opportunity to see pink flamingos and other water birds wading in the lagoons, including pintails and stilts. Just offshore, the Devil’s Crown is an old eroded volcanic cone and a popular roosting site for seabirds such as boobies, pelicans, and frigatebirds. Red-billed tropicbirds can also be seen nesting in the rocky crevices. Post Office Bay is where 18th-century whalers used a barrel as an unofficial mail drop.

• Activity:Hiking. Snorkeling.
• Meal:Breakfast. Lunch. Dinner.
• Accommodation:Single or double cabins.

AM/PM: Puerto Ayora, the archipelago’s economic center, houses the Charles Darwin Research Station. The station’s visitor center provides insight into the Galapagos’ natural and human history and its conservation efforts. Here, you’ll also have the best opportunity to encounter Galapagos giant tortoises and observe young ones from their breeding program, aimed at reintroducing them to the wild.

• Activity:Hiking. Departure.
• Meal:Breakfast.