| Quick Info |
Price: From USD 2100
Days: 8 days
Ship: Daphne
Place: Galapagos Islands.
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| Overview |
With The Daphne Cruise you will be exploring many of the different islands of the archipelago, in a way that we believe is the best for experiencing the magnificent Galapagos nature, flora and fauna, and of course its famous endemic animals - all first-hand and up close.
Aboard the yacht you will experience excellent service, provided by our friendly and experienced crew. Our naturalist guide speaks fluent english. Other than him or her, the crew consists of one chef and his assistant, two sailors, a bartender, and a mechanic. It provides comfortable space for 16 passengers and was upgraded in 2004 with a spacious sun deck and a deluxe suit, on top of the 7 cabins. |
PRICE 2010 (USD)
8 days - 7 nights
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PROGRAM ITINERARIES
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PRICE
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Individual Passenger
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$2100
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Charter
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$32760
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| ◊ PRICE INCLUDES |
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- Breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner.
- Purified water, juice, coffee, tea.
- Accommodation on the yacht in double cabins.
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| PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE |
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- Flights from and to the mainland to the Galapagos Islands. ($410 Quito-Galapagos-Quito
- National Park entrance fee ($100).
- Transit Control Card ($10).
- Wetsuits and snorkeling gear.
- Alcoholic beverages and sodas.
- Optional tips.
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| Detailed Itinerary |
| • ITINERARY |
 WEDNESDAY: BALTRA – BACHAS
On Baltra is the main airport of the Galapagos, you will arrive here and meet our guide who will take you to the Daphne.
The first stop after departing from Baltra port, Bachas Beach is a white sand beach where sea turtles often lay their eggs. The sheltered cove provides a calm spot for travelers to don their snorkeling gear or take a quiet swim. Flamingos and marine iguanas also frequent the shores.
THURSDAY: PLAZAS – SANTA FE
Formed by uplifted lava-fault blocks, South Plaza supports a noteworthy display of wildlife. As you go ashore in your on-board skiffs, you are likely to see Galapagos sea lions resting on the dock. The islands main attractions are the huge yellow, rust, and black land iguanas. You may also see pelicans, red-billed tropicbirds, swallow-tailed gulls and more.
Santa Fe Island offers unique opportunities to see a species of land iguana unique to this island. You may also take a short walking trail to an unusually tall forest of prickly pear cactus.
FRIDAY: ESPAÑOLA (Punta Suarez - Bahía Gardner)
Punta Suarez is one of the highlights of the Galapagos Islands. The variety and quantity of wildlife assures a memorable visit. Visitors find migrant, resident, and endemic wildlife including brightly colored Marine Iguanas, Española Lava Lizards, Hood Mockingbirds, Swallow Tailed Gulls, Blue Footed and Masked Boobies, Galapagos Hawks, a selection of Finch, and the Waved Albatross.
A bay with wonderful soft white sand, that has a large colony of sea lions, all happy to join you for a swim. This bay is all so perfect for swimming and snorkeling - as well as sea lions; you will have a good chance of seeing rays and sharks, and sea turtles that use the beach as their nesting area.
SATURDAY: FLOREANA (Bahia del Correo - Corona de diablo - Punta Cormorant)
This is one of the few visitor sites that is visited for its human history. Whaling Captain James Colnett established the wooden mail barrel in 1793. At that time, whaling was a big industry - ships were typically gone for 2 years at a time and the Galapagos Islands were a frequent stop for these ships. Outbound ships would drop off letters after rounding the cape, and the ships returning home would mail them. Arriving at Post Office Bay you will land on a brown sand beach, passing the sea lions lying in the sun. At the post barrel the guide will pull a hand full of letters for the group. Continuing the tradition, the letters are brought home with the traveler and then mailed to the addressee. Visitors also have the opportunity to send letters of their own.
 Located just off Cormorant Point, this is the best snorkeling in the Galapagos! To see the crown you need to go underwater. It is the cone of an almost completely submerged volcano, which erosion has transformed into a series of jagged peaks, creating the "Devil's Crown". The few parts of the remains that are still above the sea create a haven for seabirds such as boobies, pelicans and frigates. Red-billed tropical birds can be seen nesting in the crevices.
The highlight of the visit is snorkeling in the center of the crater. You will play with sea lions, while swimming with schools of colorful king angel fish, balloon fish, hawk fish, scrawled filefish, yellowtail grunts, tiger snake eels, white-tipped sharks, eagle rays, amberjacks, wrasses, hammerhead sharks, and sea turtles. The water is a bit rough and the current is strong. The east to west current provides a fun ride as it pushes you through the crown.
At Cormorant Point, visitors will find the vast, brackish lagoon that holds one of the largest populations of flamingos in the Galapagos. This island is best known for its endemic plant life such as the Galapagos millwork, passion flower, and unique button mangrove.
SUNDAY: ISLA SANTA CRUZ (Charles Darwin Station (AM) – Highlands (PM)
Upon arrival on the island of Santa Cruz, you will visit the world-famous Charles Darwin Research Station. The research center aids the National Park Service in its efforts to save the Galapagos wildlife. The museum at the station has a facility for rearing tortoises, a project to increase the depleted population. It is on this island that you will have the best opportunity to see the famed giant tortoise.
In the highlands of Santa Cruz you will get to see the giant tortoises, that live in the wild up in the ever green vegetation zone. You will also experience the sink holes in the middle of the island, and lava tubes.
MONDAY: GENOVESA
Darwin Bay is a coral beach where a 750 meter trail takes you through several seabird colonies. On the dinghy ride to the beach you might be accompanied by sea lions. You get to see the cliffs from the seaward side, which are home to a large red-footed booby colony. The red-footed booby is the smallest kind of booby, and the only one to actually build a nest up in trees or on the cliffs, in order to protect itself from predators.
Barranco, or Prince Philip’s Steps, is an extraordinary, steep path that leads through a seabird colony full of life, up to cliffs that are 25 meters tall. At the top the trail continues inland, passing more seabird colonies in a thin palo santo forest. Leaving the forest you get an overview of a lava plain. You will get to see masked and red-footed boobies, great frigate birds, swallow-tailed gulls, red-billed tropicbirds and hundreds of storm petrels. The storm petrels here are different from any others in the world because they fly around during daytime. They only return to their nests at night, in order to avoid predators.
TUESDAY: PUERTO EGAS – BARTOLOME
Puerto Egas is on the island of Santiago, historically a favorite stop for pirates and whalers. Exciting wildlife-viewing opportunities here include a fur seal grotto, a lagoon that is home to pink flamingos, and the chance to see Galapagos Hawks and Vermillion Flycatchers. Puerto Egas, with its black sand beaches, was the site of a small salt mining industry in the 1960s. A hike inland to the salt crater is an excellent opportunity to spot land birds such as finches, doves, and hawks.
Bartolome lies off the east coast of Santiago, and is most likely the first island in the Galapagos to have risen from the sea. It is highly volcanic and is dotted with recent craters, appearing most barren, colorful and primeval. The swimming beach is white sand, backed by a bit of shade. Those who choose to snorkel should find the waters here most interesting; Galapagos penguins have become regulars here, and if present, may take the opportunity to swim with you as you snorkel. From time to time, green sea turtles nest at night on these beaches as well.
WEDNESDAY: SEYMOUR NORTE - BALTRA
This lava formation contains the largest gathering of magnificent frigate birds in the Galapagos as well as nesting blue-footed boobies and swallow-tailed gulls. The blue footed boobies are great at fishing, and can be seen dropping into the water from mid air to catch fish. If you are lucky you get to see a booby "rain": a flock of boobies spot a steam of fish and simultaneously fall into the water. In the breading season the male frigate birds blow up the large red pouch they have on their neck, to attract the females.
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Photo Gallery
Galapagos Land Cruises, Daphne
Galapagos Land Cruises, Daphne
Galapagos Land Cruises, Daphne
Galapagos Land Cruises, Daphne
Galapagos Land Cruises, Daphne
Galapagos Land Cruises, Daphne
Galapagos Land Cruises, Daphne
Galapagos Land Cruises, Daphne
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