Ecuador

Starting Price:	$4,479.00
Trip Length:	8 days

Beluga

Sun Deck

Galapagos Tortoises

Beluga: 8 days / 7 nights Friday to Friday - Option B

Description Pricing Itinerary

The Beluga is a spacious and comfortable First Class motor yacht with panoramic windows in the salon and great deck space. Traveling onboard is a fantastic way to cruise the islands in speed and style. Equipped with the most modern safety systems, Beluga accommodates 16 passengers. Each cabin has their own private bathroom equipped with hot & cold water showers. Beluga is fully air conditioned, has spacious social areas with all the comforts and facilities of a first class motor yacht.

Embark upon a very spacious and comfortable First Class motor yacht, the Beluga. With panoramic windows in the salon and great deck space, traveling on the Beluga is a fantastic way to cruise the islands in speed and style.

These ship itineraries alternate every two weeks due to Galapagos National Park regulations, Galapagos cruises are not permitted to visit the same island within a two week period. This itinerary is available every two weeks; please check with your Yampu travel consultant for applicable travel dates.

Additional information on this trip:

Days of Week the Trip can Start:
Friday

Go Back To Beluga

Day 1

Friday
Today we will take flight from Ecuador's mainland to Baltra. Upon arrival we will be greeted for airport reception and transferred to the Beluga to begin our Galapagos adventure.

Cerro Dragon, Santa Cruz Island
Cerro Dragon is on the north shore of Santa Cruz Island. Here we make a dry landing and walk past a brackish water lagoon frequented by tropical birds. Further inland the trail offers a beautiful view of the bay and the western region of the archipelago. This area is a natural nesting site for land iguanas and the arid-zone vegetation allows for regular sightings of Darwin’s finches, Galapagos mockingbirds, the endemic Galapagos flycatcher, and yellow warblers.

Day 2

Saturday
Santa Fe Island
We make a wet landing on Santa Fe to visit the cactus forest and a colony of land iguanas that are native to the island. Here we can also see the Galapagos mockingbird, magnificent frigate, brown pelican, and several species of Darwin’s finches.

Plazas Island
We make a dry landing on the pier of Plaza Sur where we can enjoy the juvenile antics of the sea lions. This island was originally formed by uplifted lava and the terrain includes an impressive cactus forest. On land we will see land iguanas and several species of tropical birds.

Day 3

Sunday
Kicker Rock
Kicker Rock is a magnificent rock that jets out 500 feet high from the middle of the ocean and is shaped similar to a sleeping lion. The rock is split with towering vertical walls on either side that forms a narrow channel through which small vessels can investigate. There is no landing site here but the view from the boat will make a lasting impression.

This afternoon we will visit El Junco Lagoon or Cerro Tijeretas and the Interpretation Center, San Cristobal
Today we will visit the Interpretation Center opened in 1998. The Center explores the history of the archipelago from its volcanic origins to present, representing the natural and cultural history of the Galapagos.

Day 4

Monday
Gardner Bay, Espanola Island
Gardner bay is located on the eastern shore of Espanola Island. After a wet landing we will walk the seemingly endless stretch of white sandy beach that is home to large colonies of sea lions. There is no trail to follow on Gardner Bay so the afternoon is at your leisure to swim, snorkel, explore, or relax.

Punta Suarez, Espanola Island
Today we will visit this rocky point that is home to impressive and varied colonies of Galapagos seabirds. Along its southern shore, high cliffs rise up from the sea affording the visitor spectacular views of soaring birds and of the blow whole where water spouts up to 50-75 feet into the air according to the intensity of the surf.

Day 5

Tuesday
Charles Darwin Research Center, Santa Cruz Island
We make a dry landing to visit the Charles Darwin Station and its interpretive center. Here we witness the efforts and results of the ongoing field work conducted in the name of science. While on the island we have the chance to stroll the main street of Puerto Ayora and browse the many local handicraft shops.

Highlands, Santa Cruz Island
We disembark to board a bus taking us to the Highlands of Santa Cruz. Here we visit the native forest and the twin craters. The island is a good place to view the giant tortoise in their natural habitat and we have the opportunity to visit one of the island’s lava tunnels.

Day 6

Wednesday
Sombrero Chino (Chinese Hat)
This scenic little island gets its name from its appearance. Here we have a dry landing on a beach that is home to a small colony of sea lions. We will be on the lookout for a glimpse of then American oyster-catchers in action, marine iguanas, lava lizards, and sally light-foot crabs. This is an ideal location to enjoy snorkeling or swimming.

Sullivan Bay, Santiago Island
We make a dry landing on Sullivan Bay, an area that had the latest volcanic activity in 1897. This is a site that is popular for those interested in volcanoes and geology because of the numerous lava formations, lava bubbles, and pahoehoe lava.

Day 7

Thursday
Darwin Bay, Genovesa Island
Genovesa is a collapsed volcano that ships are able to sail into through its large breached caldera and anchor at the foot of the steep crater walls. Genovesa is commonly referred to as ‘bird island’ because it is home to thousands of great frigate birds, red-footed boobies, noddy terns, lava gulls, tropic birds, doves, storm petrels, and Darwin’s finches. After a wet landing we follow a trail that leads from a coral beach past tidal lagoons to a cliff’s edge for amazing views. After the walk you can enjoy snorkeling and swimming along the cliffs.

Prince Philip’s Steps, Genovesa Island
We take a dingy ride to make a dry landing on Barranco, also known as Prince Philip’s Steps. Here we follow a trail through a Palo Santo forest to an open area full of nesting birds that include masked boobies, frigates, and red-footed boobies. At the end of this trail are thousands of band-rumbed storm petrels nesting in the crevices at the cliff’s edge. We will also be able to see the short-eared owls as they hunt the storm petrels during the daylight hours.

Day 8

Friday
Black Turtle Cove, Santa Cruz Island
Enjoy a peaceful dingy ride through Black Turtle Cove, a tidal lagoon where you will see three different species of mangrove plants: red, white, and black. While passing through the cove we will be on the lookout for golden rays, sea turtles, white-tipped sharks, spotted rays, mustard rays, Pacific marine turtles, and possibly even seahorses clinging to the roots of the mangroves.

Today we will transfer to Baltra airport for our flight back to Ecuador's mainland to connect with another Yampu add-on of your choice.

8 days , from $4479

Occupancy Type	Main Deck
Double	$4479
Single	$6313

Prices shown above are per person, in US Dollars ($).

Yampu only offers the Beluga as an add-on to our highlight programs. If booking alone, booking fee may apply. Prices include air transportation from Quito or Guayaquil to Galapagos return, 7 nights accommodation on the Beluga including all meals, bilingual naturalist guide, and all planned tours. Also included in rates is $100 Galapagos National Park as a conservation to the preservation of the Park and the $10 Transit Control Card.

Gratuities, fuel surcharges and local airport taxes that are payable in the country of destination are also not included. Taxes and security fees that can be paid at time of ticketing are already included in the quote.

All cruise itineraries are subject to change.

By traveling to the Galapagos with Yampu Tours, you will be making the choice to travel responsibly. As members of IGTOA (International Galapagos Tour Operators Association), Yampu donates $7 for every traveler that travels to the Galapagos with us. We are dedicated to helping preserve the islands while supporting sustainable Eco-tourism. As an IGTOA member, we are informed, involved, and concerned.

There will also be an optional Galapagos Conservation contribution of $50 per passenger added to your final proposal.
The contribution will go towards:

Creating benefits and educational opportunities for local people.
Strengthening responsible tourism management.
Building strong financial support for conservation among the travel industry and travelers.

Promoting high professional standards for the tourist industry.

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