Pinta

Northern Island 

Day 1 - Santa Cruz and Baltra Islands. Baltra Island Airport

• Following your morning arrival at Baltra Airport, you will take a transfer ferry across the Itabaca Channel – a small channel that separates the north shore of Santa Cruz Island from Baltra Island. Afterward, you will board a private bus that will take you, along with other guests, up into the highlands, where we will all have the opportunity to learn about Santa Cruz’s unique ecosystems and biodiversity. Lunch is served at a local restaurant.

Highlands (Santa Cruz Island)

• After lunch, we will continue by private bus to reach a reserve that is one of the best places in the archipelago to see giant tortoises in their natural habitat. The tortoises are easy to spot lumbering around, eating grass, and sometimes even wallowing in the small pools. There are several lava tunnels in the reserve, too. After this, a short, private bus ride will take us down to the town of Puerto Ayora to board Yacht La Pinta.

Day 2 - Santa Cruz and Sombrero Chino Island Eden Islet (Santa Cruz Island)

• Following breakfast, a panga ride will take us down to Eden Islet, located off the coast of Santa Cruz Island, where they can observe blue-footed boobies diving into the water, reef sharks, and frigates. There’s a chance to snorkel or ride aboard La Pinta’s own glass-bottom boat, weather permitting. The volcanic setting of this area is quite stunning due to its variety of volcanic debris, complete with cinder cones, tuff cones, and semi-eroded lava flows.

Sombrero Chino Islet

• The tiny island of Sombrero Chino gets its name from its appearance, which is reminiscent of a Chinese Hat. This islet, which formed fairly recently, makes for a beautiful visit as one explores the wildlife along its 400-meter long trail, which begins at a crescent-shaped white sand beach. The cove offers excellent swimming and snorkeling opportunities in the company of whitetip reef sharks and Galapagos penguins.

Day 3 - Bartolome and Santiago Islands Bartolome Island

• On this morning, an iconic and postcard-worthy Galapagos feature awaits Bartolome Island. We will disembark from our dinghy shuttle boats and begin a steep climb up a wooden staircase where the view from the top makes the trek well worth the effort! Following the walk, we will once again hop aboard the dinghies for a ride around the colossal Pinnacle Rock. After this, there will be time for your guests to enjoy the beach as well as some snorkeling. You can also choose to ride aboard the glass-bottom boat for great views of the underwater world.

Sullivan Bay (Santiago Island)

• After lunch, we will board the dinghy to disembark at Sullivan Bay over on the east coast of Santiago Island. This visitor site comes complete with a white coral-sand beach, which is great for swimming and snorkeling. Additionally, there’s a trail that goes over a lava field that once flowed here less than 100 years ago. This is the perfect place to see and feel the volcanic origin of the Galapagos while observing its wildlife.

Day 4 - Genovesa Island Darwin Bay

• In the morning, we will begin our exploration of this island with a casual stroll to observe marine and land birds. There is an optional walk over sharp lava and uneven terrain that rewards us with dramatic views, too. Otherwise, you can simply choose to return to the beach to enjoy swimming and snorkeling at this beautiful, natural harbor. If you are feeling more adventurous, you can opt to snorkel along the cliffs or paddle in sea kayaks.

Prince Philip’s Steps

• The afternoon starts with a very interesting dinghy ride along the cliffs before we disembark at Prince Philip’s Steps – the start of a steep but short climb up a wooden staircase. Once at the top, the terrain is pretty flat, which allows for a mesmerizing, mile-long walk to the other side of this small island. Along the way, guests will get to check out large colonies of Nazca boobies, frigatebirds, and storm petrels as well as the elusive short-eared owl.

Day 5 - Baltra Island

Price : 7.949,00 USD P.P.

Baltra Island Airport

• The journey ends at Baltra Island, where you will take your transfer to the airport. Baltra’s flat terrain (due to its tectonically uplifted origin) is the reason why this island was chosen as the location to build an airport back in the 1940s.

 

Activities

An excellent way to explore and discover the beauty of the Galapagos Islands is through the variety of activities approved by the Galapagos National Park. There are plenty of options for the entire family to enjoy, and Yacht La Pinta offers just about all of them: snorkeling, kayaking, paddleboarding, hiking, glass-bottom boat, and panga rides.  

Kayaking

There are so much life and activity just waiting for you on the surface, and the best way to observe these incredible moments involves taking to the crystal blue waters in a super fun kayak. As you paddle beside some remarkable scenery, you’ll never get bored watching any number of sea birds diving for their meals, just as gentle sea turtles suddenly appear beside you. You’ll find yourself in the heart of so much beauty to admire.  

Snorkeling

  Oh, a great many creatures and sites you’ll see and enjoy while snorkeling as part of your expedition aboard Yacht La Pinta! Dazzling arrays of fish, sea lions, sharks, sea turtles, and marine iguanas await just beneath the surface! What you’ll see underwater will fill you with awe. You’ll understand just why the Galapagos Islands and Marine Reserve are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  

Paddleboarding

Find your center, both physically, and metaphorically as you glide along the clear, pristine waters of the Galapagos and glimpse down through the surface to view all of the marvelous activity beneath you. Frolicking sea lions, stunning schools of fish, and all sorts of rays are just a few of the things that await you on this adventure. Some folks call it a true balancing act. We call it “paddleboarding”.  

Glass-bottom Boat

Whether you just want to stay dry or you just want to experience something truly unique, our glass-bottom boat is the experience for you. Hover along, lean forward, and look down. This is your true front-row seat to the visual symphony that lives just beneath the ocean’s surface. The movement of fish, sea lions, sea turtles, rays, sharks, and marine iguanas is a thing of beauty. Also, shielding yourself from the bright hot sun, under this boat’s canopy, makes for a pretty “cool” experience.  

Island Exploration

The low ratio of guests per Galapagos Naturalist Guide is just one of many great features on offer when you travel aboard Yacht La Pinta. Each day, you and a small group of your fellow explorers will embark on a number of informative tours, as your Naturalist Guide shows you around these incredible sites, pointing out all of the different species on view and providing interesting facts about the archipelago’s native, and often endemic, creatures.  

Coastal Exploration

One of the most curious and fascinating aspects of the Galapagos Islands is the topography. Please note that the itineraries are examples only, We reserve the right to change the itinerary or specific agreed services, if force majeure, unforeseen or unavoidable circumstances require us to do so.    

Eastern Galapagos

Day 1 - Baltra and South Plaza Islands

Baltra Airport

• Following your morning arrival at Baltra Airport, transfer to the nearby dock to board Yacht La Pinta. After an introductory briefing on board, you will partake in an emergency boat drill, be assigned to your cabin, and then be invited to lunch. Yacht La Pinta will then raise anchor and start sailing to South Plaza Island for the first-afternoon outing.

South Plaza Island

• The turquoise waters of the channel here contrast brilliantly with the white sand beach and volcanic rocks that make up the shoreline. A carpet of scarlet-colored Sesuvium succulents sits at the base of a large cluster of luminescent-green prickly-pear cacti. Crawling around this entire scene are the yellow-greyish land iguanas. Along the coastline, we will walk right by sea lion colonies while seabirds play along the cliffs of this small but spectacular island.

Day 2 - Santa Fe & San Cristobal Islands

Santa Fe Island

• We take the dinghy from Yacht La Pinta over to this idyllic white-sand beach that’s populated with colonies of sea lions. Galapagos hawks are often easily observed here, typically found sitting perched atop the salt bushes. The brilliantly yellow Santa Fe land iguana, which is exclusive to just this island (in the whole world!), might also be spotted during the walk. Following the walk, you’ll have your choice of swimming and snorkeling along a natural wave barrier. Alternatively, they can choose to take a ride aboard Yacht Isabela II’s glass-bottom boat.

Cerro Colorado and; Tortoise Breeding Center (San Cristobal Island)

• After lunch, we will disembark at Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, the archipelago’s capital city. Following this, we will take a 40-minute drive over to the island’s southern shore. Once there, at Cerro Colorado, we will visit the Breeding Center for the highly endangered giant tortoises that amble around a fantastic deciduous forest. This forest is also home to dozens of bird species, including the San Cristobal mockingbird and the San Cristobal lava lizard.

Day 3 - San Cristobal Island

Punta Pitt

• On this morning, we land at the eastern tip of San Cristobal Island. The trail that ascends from the beach provides spectacular views of the shoreline, allowing guests to observe frigatebirds plus a colony of bachelor sea lions. After the walk, you will have the chance to swim along the beach and snorkel, weather permitting.

Cerro Brujo

• After lunch, a dinghy ride along the shores will take us over to Cerro Brujo’s expansive, white coral beach. This is a great site for walking, with rewarding birdwatching opportunities that feature plenty of seabirds and shorebirds. Galapagos sea lions will also be present. History Fact: These are the same shores that Charles Darwin walked along back in September of 1835.

Day 4 - Española Island

Punta Suarez

• The morning outing at Punta Suárez provides an exciting walk across lava terrain to visit the unique seabird colonies that populate this area. Waved albatrosses (visible from April until January), boobies, swallow-tailed gulls, and the famous “blowhole” geological formation await! Also, you’ll want to keep an eye out for the red-green-black marine iguanas! Many regard this site as one of the best in all Galapagos. Afterward, we will head back on board for lunch.

Gardner Bay

• In the afternoon, we will disembark at this beautiful, white coral beach for a short walk to observe the sea lions, mockingbirds, and finches. You can also choose to simply enjoy the beach. There is great snorkeling in this area. Alternatively, you can opt to kayak or take a ride aboard our glass-bottom boat.

Day 5 - Santa Cruz & Baltra Islands

Charles Darwin Research Station (Santa Cruz Island)/Baltra Airport

• After disembarking at the Puerto Ayora docks in the morning, we will visit the Charles Darwin Research Station and get a chance to check out the breeding program for giant tortoises. You will also get a good sense of the efforts and progress that the Foundation and National Park have made in terms of conservation. Afterward, we will take a bus that will take us up and over Santa Cruz Island to the opposite coast. Once there, a short ferry ride will take us across the channel to Baltra Island and then the airport. This Galapagos journey ends at Baltra Island. Baltra’s flat substrate (due to its tectonically uplifted origin) is the reason why this island was chosen back in the 1940s as the construction site for an airport.

PRICE : 5.499,00 USD P.P.

The Cruise includes:

• Airport Transfers
• Naturalist Guide Certified by the Galapagos National Park
• Full Meals
• Coffee, Tea and Snacks
• Snorkel Gear (Mask, Fins and Snorkel)
• Wetsuit
• Private Bathroom With Hot Water
• Air Conditioning

The Cruise does not include:

• Entrance Fee to Galapagos National Park $100 USD
• Immigration Control Card $20 USD
• Personal Expenses
• Tips for the Crew and Guide
• Galapagos Flights ($450 to $550 USD – ask us for a quote!)
• Alcoholic Beverages and Soft Drinks