Ecuador

Starting Price:	$4,260.00
Trip Length:	8 days

Eric Catamaran

Iguana Deck

Frigate bird

Eric, Letty & Flamingo 8 days/7 nights Sunday to Sunday - Option B

Description Pricing Itinerary

This beautiful fleet includes three identical yachts custom-designed for Galapagos cruising: the M/Y Eric, Flamingo I and Letty. Built in 1991 and refurbished annually, these superior first-class sister yachts accommodate no more than 20 guests and feature three decks of spacious staterooms with polished teak interiors trimmed with shiny brass fittings.

Each of these comfortable boats’ accommodations include ten double outside-facing cabins with a window or porthole view, one double bed or two twin lower beds, fully air-conditioned with private bath (hot and cold water showers), soap/shampoo dispensers, hair dryer, closet, drawers, intercom and separate climate controls for your comfort. There’s a dining room featuring Ecuadorian and international cuisine, well-stocked bar and conference area with a library, flat screen TV, DVD player and panoramic picture windows. Or you can relax in a lounge chair on the sun deck, enjoying sea breezes, sunshine or a sky full of stars.

In 2000, Eric,Letty & Flamingo became one of the first recipients of SmartVoyager, a voluntary environmental program developed by the Rainforest Alliance and Corporacion y Desarollo from Ecuador. This program gives a “green seal of approval” to tour boats that comply with requirements to tread lightly on the area’s fragile ecosystem.

Eric, Letty & Flamingo became the first Carbon Neutral operation in the Galapagos Islands in 2006 when it offset carbon emissions from the company’s four yachts, offices and operations (including business travel). Emissions are now being offset through a portfolio of projects through NativeEnergy Travel Offsets. These projects include wind turbines in Inuit villages in Alaska and Native American reservations and methane capture at family dairy farms.

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:
Sunday

Go Back To Eric, Letty & Flamingo

Day 1

Sunday
Today we will take flight from Ecuador's mainland to San Cristobal. Upon arrival we will be greeted for airport reception and transferred to the Eric, Letty & Flamingo fleet to begin our Galapagos adventure.

Galapaguera de Cerro Colorado, San Cristobal
Today we will visit the southeastern part of the island, which is a protected dry forest and the breeding grounds of wild tortoises.

Day 2

Monday
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.

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.

Day 3

Tuesday
Bachas Beach, Santa Cruz Island
We make a wet landing on Play de las Bachas located on the northern coastline of Santa Cruz. Here we visit a flamingo lagoon, encounter marine iguanas, various sea birds, and sea turtles. After our exploration we have the opportunity to swim and snorkel from the white sandy beach.

North Seymour Island
After a dry landing enjoy a walk along the coast and the interior of North Seymour Island. This island was not formed by volcanic activity but rather uplifted boulders that can be seen across the primarily flat terrain. The site is a well known nesting site for colonies of blue-footed boobies that perform a fascinating courtship dance in more open areas. North Seymour is also home to the largest colony of the magnificent frigate bird, a member of the frigate family that is known for the male’s vibrant display of red pouches in hopes of attracting a mate. On the island we will also see both endemic species of iguanas, the marine and land iguanas.

Day 4

Wednesday
Punta Espinoza, Fernandina Island
Today we visit the archipelago’s youngest island, Fernandina. This island has the most active volcano in the Galapagos with eruptions occurring every few years. Punta Espinoza has a fascinating combination of barrenness and abundance of wildlife that we will observe during a brief one-mile walk. The island has no introduced animals and therefore has a very unique environment with a high density of marine iguanas, sea lions, sally-light foot crabs, flightless cormorants, Galapagos penguins, and Galapagos hawks. The lava terrain on the island calls for good walking shoes.

Elizabeth Bay, Isabela Island
We explore this beautiful bay by dingy while Galapagos hawks soar overhead and schools of pompanos and dorados can be seen swimming underneath the boat. The ride continues to a red mangrove cove passing through red root and green leaf breeding grounds for fish and sea turtles. Here we can also see brown pelicans, flightless cormorants, spotted eagle rays, golden rays, and sea lions.

Day 5

Thursday
Urbina Bay, Isabela Island
Urbina Bay is located on the central-west coast of Isabela Island at the foothills of Volcanoes Alcedo and Darwin. After a wet landing on the dark, volcanic sand beach we will walk further inland with a good possibility of seeing giant tortoises in their natural habitat. The inland is also an excellent nesting ground for the large and colorful land iguanas while flightless cormorants, blue-footed boobies, and penguins can all be seen along the rocky shoreline. Afterward we have the opportunity to swim or snorkel.

Tagus Cove, Isabela Island
On the northwest of Isabela is the secluded Tagus Cove that was in past centuries a preferred anchor for pirates and whalers. Old graffiti is still found on its walls as evidence of its earlier visitors. Here the uphill trail leads to a high point with an impressive view of Darwin Crater Lake and the lava flows of Darwin Volcano. The vegetation in the area includes the Palo Santo trees which remain leafless until the short wet season occurring in March or April.

Day 6

Friday
Puerto Egas (James Bay), Santiago Island
We make a wet landing on the black sand beach of Puerto Egas which was the site of a small salt mining industry in the 1960s. A walk down the shoreline takes us to grottos where we can see several colonies of fur seals. This location is ideal for watching shorebirds, while land birds are better observed inland. Before returning to our vessel we have the opportunity to swim and snorkel from the beach in search of octopuses, sea horses, star fish, and other marine life.

Rabida Island
We make a wet landing on the dark, red sand beach of Rabida Island; the color of the sand comes from the unusually high iron content in the volcanic material. This island is often considered the geographic center of the Galapagos because it has the most diversified volcanic rocks of the islands. Located near the beach is a salt pond that often attracts greater flamingos looking to feed on the brine shrimp in the waters. Here we can enjoy a 2-mile walk along the island’s beach to see a large colony of sea lions, marine iguanas, mockingbirds, yellow warblers, and several species of Darwin’s finches. There is time for an optional swim or snorkel before returning to the boat.

Day 7

Saturday
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.

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.

Day 8

Sunday
Interpretation Center, San Cristobal
Today we will visit the Interpretation Center opened in 1998. The Center explore the history of the archipelago from its volcanic origins to present, representing the natural and cultural history of the Galapagos.

This afternoon we return to San Cristobal airport for our flight back to Ecuador's mainland to connect with another Yampu add-on of your choice.

8 days , from $4260

Occupancy Type	Iguana Deck	Booby Deck	Dolphin Deck
Double	$4360	$4760	$5160
Single	$6160
Triple	$4260

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

Yampu only offers the Eric, Letty & Flamingo fleet as an add-on to our highlight programs. If booking alone, booking fee may apply. Prices include air transportation from Quito or Guayaquil to San Cristobal and return, 7 nights accommodation on the Eric, Letty & Flamingo including all meals, $100 Galapagos Park fee and $10 Transit Control Card, transfers, bilingual naturalist guide, and planned tours.

Gratuities, fuel surcharges and local airport taxes that are payable in the country of destination are 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.

Single cabins are limited and assigned by the fleet to the best cabin available at the time of departure.

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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