Mid-Size Classic Expedition Cruise
Eastern Galápagos: Mid-Size Classic Expedition Cruise
This voyage follows in the footsteps of Charles Darwin through the eastern and central Galápagos, aboard a comfortable mid-size expedition ship that balances intimacy with the range and stability of a larger vessel. Your journey opens in Quito, the graceful, colonial capital high in the Andes, before you fly out to the archipelago itself. From there the islands unfold at an unhurried pace, the sea lion colonies and blue-footed boobies of Mosquera, the giant tortoises of San Cristóbal and the Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz, the land iguanas of Santa Fe and South Plaza, and, further south, the extraordinary birdlife of Española, where waved albatross wheel above the cliffs and the El Soplador blowhole sends spray high into the air. Each day brings guided landings, snorkelling in clear water, and expert naturalists to interpret all you see. Thoughtfully paced and quietly comfortable, it is a classic introduction to the wildlife-rich eastern isles.
Itinerary highlights
Spend two nights in Quito, a UNESCO World Heritage city, with a guided Old Town and Equator excursion.
Sail the eastern and central Galápagos aboard a comfortable mid-size expedition ship.
Step ashore at Mosquera Islet, home to one of the largest sea lion colonies in the archipelago.
Meet giant tortoises at the Cerro Colorado reserve on San Cristóbal and the Charles Darwin Station on Santa Cruz.
Watch land iguanas and swallow-tailed gulls on Santa Fe and South Plaza.
Witness the waved albatross and the El Soplador blowhole on dramatic Española.
Snorkel among green turtles, rays and reef sharks at Eden Islet and Gardner Bay.
Explore with expert naturalist guides, small boats, kayaks and a glass-bottom boat throughout.
Eastern Galápagos: Mid-Size Classic Expedition Cruise
This voyage follows in the footsteps of Charles Darwin through the eastern and central Galápagos, aboard a comfortable mid-size expedition ship that balances intimacy with the range and stability of a larger vessel. Your journey opens in Quito, the graceful, colonial capital high in the Andes, before you fly out to the archipelago itself. From there the islands unfold at an unhurried pace, the sea lion colonies and blue-footed boobies of Mosquera, the giant tortoises of San Cristóbal and the Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz, the land iguanas of Santa Fe and South Plaza, and, further south, the extraordinary birdlife of Española, where waved albatross wheel above the cliffs and the El Soplador blowhole sends spray high into the air. Each day brings guided landings, snorkelling in clear water, and expert naturalists to interpret all you see. Thoughtfully paced and quietly comfortable, it is a classic introduction to the wildlife-rich eastern isles.
Itinerary highlights
Spend two nights in Quito, a UNESCO World Heritage city, with a guided Old Town and Equator excursion.
Sail the eastern and central Galápagos aboard a comfortable mid-size expedition ship.
Step ashore at Mosquera Islet, home to one of the largest sea lion colonies in the archipelago.
Meet giant tortoises at the Cerro Colorado reserve on San Cristóbal and the Charles Darwin Station on Santa Cruz.
Watch land iguanas and swallow-tailed gulls on Santa Fe and South Plaza.
Witness the waved albatross and the El Soplador blowhole on dramatic Española.
Snorkel among green turtles, rays and reef sharks at Eden Islet and Gardner Bay.
Explore with expert naturalist guides, small boats, kayaks and a glass-bottom boat throughout.
What's Included
- Two hotel nights in Quito with breakfast, and dinner on the second evening
- Shipboard accommodation aboard a comfortable mid-size expedition ship, all meals included
- Complimentary drinks aboard, including coffee, tea, soft drinks, wine, beer and spirits
- Internal flights between Quito and the Galápagos (Baltra), including taxes
- A full-day guided Historic Quito and Middle of the World excursion, with lunch
- Guided landings and excursions with expert naturalists, small boats, kayaks and a glass-bottom boat
- Galápagos National Park admission arrangements and airport transfers as specified
What's Included
- Two hotel nights in Quito with breakfast, and dinner on the second evening
- Shipboard accommodation aboard a comfortable mid-size expedition ship, all meals included
- Complimentary drinks aboard, including coffee, tea, soft drinks, wine, beer and spirits
- Internal flights between Quito and the Galápagos (Baltra), including taxes
- A full-day guided Historic Quito and Middle of the World excursion, with lunch
- Guided landings and excursions with expert naturalists, small boats, kayaks and a glass-bottom boat
- Galápagos National Park admission arrangements and airport transfers as specified
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FAQs
This is an eastern and central Galápagos itinerary, taking in Mosquera, San Cristóbal (Punta Pitt and the Cerro Colorado tortoise reserve), Santa Fe and South Plaza, Santa Cruz and the Charles Darwin Research Station, dramatic Española, and Eden Islet with North Seymour. The eastern isles are among the richest for birdlife, including the waved albatross of Española.
A comfortable mid-size expedition ship carrying around ninety guests. A vessel of this size offers more space, stability and onboard facilities than a small yacht, while remaining intimate enough for guided landings, small-boat excursions and a genuine expedition feel, with expert naturalists throughout.
The itinerary runs to nine days in total, with two nights in Quito at the start (including a guided Old Town and Equator excursion) and the balance aboard ship in the islands, with internal flights to and from the archipelago included. That gives a full programme of island days framed by time in colonial Quito.
Giant tortoises feature strongly, at the Cerro Colorado reserve on San Cristóbal, the Charles Darwin Station on Santa Cruz, and in the wild in the highlands. The waved albatross nests on Española and is generally present from April to December; as with all wildlife, sightings are seasonal and never guaranteed.