Ecuador

Starting Price:	$5,617.00
Trip Length:	8 days

Galapagos Sea Lion

Premium Cabin

Queen of the Galapagos

Queen of the Galapagos: 8 days / 7 nights Monday to Monday - Option B

Description Pricing Itinerary

One of the most elegant and comfortable catamaran cruises in Galapagos, the Queen of the Galapagos is marked by wide-open spaces. The cabins, living rooms and bathrooms are elegant and comfortable. Although the boat is rather large, it lends itself to an intimate environment, accommodating a small group of 16 passengers.

All of the 8 luxurious cabins aboard the Queen of the Galapagos have full, ocean views, private bathrooms and air conditioning. This catamaran provides a sleek home-base from which you explore the islands with the benefit of returning to the comfort of your cabin every evening.

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:
Monday

Go Back To Queen of the Galapagos

Day 1

Monday
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 Queen of the Galapagos to begin our Galapagos adventure.

Isla Lobos
We visit the tiny rock island to see a colony of sea lions and a colony of blue-footed boobies.

Day 2

Tuesday
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.

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.

Day 3

Wednesday
Espumilla Beach and Buccaneer Cove, Santiago Island
Today we will visit the main attractions of Santiago Island including the holy stick forest, beautiful Espumilla beach, and the amazing landscape over Buccaneer Cove. Espumilla is an important beach for nesting marine turtles; here you can also see the white-checked pintail, finches, and mockingbirds.

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.

Day 4

Thursday
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 5

Friday
Bartolome Island
This island is perhaps the most photographed location in the entire archipelago. As we arrive on the island we see volcanic formations including lava bombs, spatter, and cinder cones. We make a dry landing and walk to the top of the island in order to see the most famous Galapagos vista: Pinnacle Rock & Santiago Island. This is a steep climb aided by a wooden staircase, but the view from the top is well worth the effort. After returning to the dingy we ride around Pinnacle Rock for our first chance to see the small Galapagos penguins. Before returning to our boat there is time for an optional swim or snorkel.

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 6

Saturday
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.

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 7

Sunday
Daphne Island
Daphne Island is a major site for an ongoing scientific research project monitoring the island’s finches. We will visit this island and venture up a steep trail from the shore to the crater rim of a volcano. During the way we will spot the famous finches, masked boobies, and Galapagos Martins.

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

Monday
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.

Today we will transfer 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 $5617

Occupancy Type	Premium Cabin
Double	$5617
Single	$9943

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

Yampu only offers the Queen of the Galapagos 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 Queen of the Galapagos including all meals, transfers, bilingual naturalist guide, and all planned tours.
Gratuities, fuel surcharges and local airport taxes that are payable in the country of destination are not included.

The Galapagos National Park entrance fee of $100 and Transit Control Card of $10 are also not included in the rates and must be paid in cash upon arrival as a contribution to the preservation of the Galapagos. 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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