“We loved every moment of our trip and could not have done it without Ligia and Surtrek. I highly recommend them!”
Once you arrive at the airport, you will be met by our team and escorted on a cross island van and ferry transfer of approximately 1.5 hours to Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island. On the way there, enjoy a delicious outdoor lunch at a Giant Tortoise Reserve, followed by your first excursion to the highlands of Santa Cruz.
Receive a warm welcome aboard Aqua Mare, the Galapagos Islands’ first 50m luxury superyacht with our 16-strong crew where you will be treated with the utmost attention courtesy of our 1:1 crew to guest ratio. You will also receive as a welcome gift a special waterproof bag to place your belongings during wet landings and an Aqua Expeditions water bottle.
In the evening, you will have some leisure time to explore the main town of Puerto Ayora. We recommend strolling along the main waterfront where you can stop by the many boutiques and jewelry shops before heading back to the ship for an evening of lecture and inspiration for the next day, then to indulge in your first taste of fresh seafood dining in the Galapagos Islands.
For your second morning in the Galapagos Islands, we will be anchored in the southern part of the Archipelago at Floreana Island. After breakfast, the morning wet landing excursion will take you to a big brackish water lagoon to observe greater flamingos, ducks, black- necked stilts and other shore birds at Punta Cormorant. You will be able to observe where sea turtles nest at night, and possibly spot stingrays and sharks swimming very close to the shore.
Enjoy a splendid lunch consisting of fresh Ecuadorian recipes with an Andean twist before heading back out to Floreana to pay tribute to an old island tradition at Bahía Post Office. The visit will follow another quick tour of what once was a fishing enterprise in the 1920s before continuing onboard the tenders to visit Mirador de la Baronesa. Upon returning onboard Aqua Mare, enjoy another feast showcasing a blend of Japanese technique and Peruvian seasoning through delicacies such as the tuna tartare and quinoa yakimeshi . Stay out on the upper deck with a cocktail if you would like to admire the northern and southern hemispheres’ starlit skies tonight.
After a night of sailing, the morning sees our beautiful superyacht anchored on the western side of Isabela Island. As the biggest and youngest island in the Archipelago, Isabela was formed by five relatively young volcanoes and is characterized by giant tortoises and marine iguanas. For the morning excursion, a hike at Punta Moreno takes us to the mangroves and gas-rich basaltic lava rocks resulting from a large basaltic lava flow which came from the Cerro Azul volcano on Isabela hundreds of years ago. There are mangrove lagoons along the shore, where you will embark on a dinghy ride to observe marine iguanas, flightless cormorants, and penguins among other species.
In the afternoon, the Aqua Mare will sail north to Bahía Urbina, a 6km² point, once underwater and uplifted in 1954 up to 3m above sea level. Here you can see land iguanas, some of the biggest marine iguanas roaming free in the Archipelago, and on occasion, tortoises as well. We’ll end the day with an unforgettable view of Isabela’s five volcanoes while dining on macambo rice, fish maito, and candied pear beneath the stars.
This morning, we’ll take a tender ride to Caleta Bucanero, a 17th century pirate rest stop where pirates used to stock up on fresh tortoise meat and fresh water. In case ocean conditions are unfavorable, we’ll visit Playa Espumilla instead, a golden sandy beach which is a well-known breeding ground for sea turtles.
We head back to the yacht for lunch encompassing flavors of the South American Pacific coast through specially prepared dishes like the linguine ai frutti di mare. Next, disembark on the black sand beaches of Puerto Egas, northwest of Santiago Island. You will be able to walk the intertidal zone to the fur seal grottos or snorkel to watch sea turtles, sea lions, and white-tipped sharks.
Wind down back onboard with Happy Hour over a glass of our special Aqua Bloody Mare as the crew prepares for departure to our next adventure.
Awake to the sounds of nature and a fresh breakfast before departing by tender to Rábida Island, also known as the red island. The color is the result of oxidation of very old porous lava. You will be able to hike, take out one of our double kayaks, stand-up paddle boards, or snorkel, as well as observe sea lions which have made their home on the beach.
After a delicious lunch, you can listen to an afternoon lecture presented by our expert guides in the panoramic lounge. The Aqua Mare will sail towards the north of Santa Cruz Island, to Caleta Tortuga Negra, a mangrove estuary that is home to sea turtles. This is a tender ride excursion as there is no landing site, but you will be able to spot green sea turtles, as well as blacktip and Galapagos sharks. End this glorious day discovering more of our signature cuisine courtesy of Chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino.
Your penultimate day in the Archipelago begins with refreshing breakfast before heading out to Seymour Norte Island, formed by uprisings of underwater volcanic lavas some 3.1 million years ago. The island is mostly known for its healthy population of land iguanas, blue- footed boobies, swallow-tailed gulls, and great frigate birds. After a morning full of fun activities, you will head back to the yacht for a delicious lunch aboard Aqua Mare.
For the afternoon excursion, hop on to one of our tenders for a wet landing onto Mosquera Island. Although it’s one of the smallest in the archipelago, Mosquera Island is one of the hotspots for spotting sea lions. Around sunset you will return to the sleek comfort of Aqua Mare for your last evening aboard. Swap notes on everything you’ve experienced during this most incredible adventure with your friends onboard and toast farewell with something special from our curated wine list.
The last day begins with a luxurious breakfast set against the morning sunrise. Enjoy the views from Aqua Mare as we circumnavigate Daphne Island before making our way to Baltra Island for disembarkation. Bid farewell to the crew and your beautiful home for the past week.
You will be escorted to the airport for your flight back to the mainland and onward journey home, with all the wonderful memories which we hope you will cherish forever.
Room | Category II | Category III | Category IV | Category V | Suite |
8 Days | US$ 13,700 PP | US$ 12,200 PP | US$ 10,800 PP | US$ 10,000 PP | US$ 27,000 PP |
Room | Category II | Category III | Category IV | Category V | Suite |
8 Days | US$ 14,400 PP | US$ 13,000 PP | US$ 11,300 PP | US$ 10,500 PP | US$ 28,500 PP |
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“My husband, daughter and I want to thank you again for making our trip to the Galapagos extremely awesome!”