Trip Overview

Walk (and snorkel) with the animals of Española, Floreana, Bartolomé and more

With lumbering giant tortoises, playful sea lions and an aviary of swooping, squawking, soaring bird life, the Galapagos Islands is wildlife-watching heaven. For this five-day trip, it’s all aboard the Solaris, a first-class motor yacht, to cruise around the archipelago in the company of an expert naturalist. Along the way, we stop at a string of biologically diverse islands, including Española, Floreana and Bartolomé, with the chance to get out and explore on foot and by snorkelling. Expect moments worthy of a nature documentary and plenty of photo opportunities.

At a Glance

• Travel by internal flight, first-class motor yacht and minibus
• Four nights on the Solaris in air-conditioned cabins, one night in a comfortable hotel
• Small group (maximum of 16 members on board)

Is This Trip for You?

This trip has been graded Activity Level 1 (Leisurely) with a Wildlife Rating of Five. Visit our Activity Level Guidelines page for more on our trip gradings or our Wildlife Holidays page for more on our Wildlife Ratings.

This trip is great for wildlife enthusiasts, photographers, and those with an interest in history or geology. Though you do not need to be particularly fit, there will be some walking on rough ground and sharp volcanic rocks due to the volcanic nature of the Galapagos Islands. The ability to withstand high temperatures and to swim will maximise your enjoyment of the trip. Due to local regulations, we have specific time slots for making our landings and site visits. There is usually very little disruption to the schedule, but this can mean little room for deviation in the event of poor weather or other circumstances.

Landings: Each day in the Galapagos will feature a mixture of walking, snorkelling and exploring the islands by boat. To get closer to the designated landing sites on each of the islands, we disembark into small pangas (motorised dinghies). Landings are divided into two types – wet and dry. For dry landings, the panga will take you right up to a landing stage or rocky outcrop where you can disembark without getting wet. However, where there is no landing stage, the panga will stop close to a beach and you will be expected to walk through shallow water (generally no more than ankle-deep) to the shore. The leader will always advise on conditions prior to leaving and it is possible to skip any excursion if you would rather relax on the boat.

Snorkelling: There are plenty of snorkelling opportunities in the Galapagos and this is one of the best ways to experience the marine life. A mask and snorkel will reveal an exciting underwater world with sea lions, rays, turtles, marine iguanas, and a colourful array of fish. On most days, there will be one or two snorkelling sessions. Snorkelling in the Galapagos does not require any special skills; however, at times, you will be snorkelling in open water where there are fairly strong currents. Before going into the water, the guide will evaluate the strength of the currents and the general sea condition to ensure they are right for a safe and enjoyable activity. The dinghy will remain very close at all times; if you get tired or feel like coming out of the water, you only have to raise your arm and they will pick you up so you can rest for a while before going back in or stay in the dinghy until it is time to return to the boat. Snorkelling equipment (snorkel, fins and masks) is provided; however, it is advisable to wear a wetsuit, which not only protects you from the cold but also makes floating much easier without as much effort.

Travellers: We offer this Galapagos cruise in conjunction with our Ecuadorian partners, and Exodus participants will join an international group, not all of whom have booked through Exodus. Occasionally some of these may be younger than Exodus’ minimum age for this trip.

Deposit terms

At the time of booking, we will ask you for the standard Exodus deposit plus an extra 10% of the trip cost to secure your space on the boat. If for any reason we are unable to secure the space and we have to cancel the trip, you will receive a full refund.

Cancellation terms

Due to the nature of this trip, it has slightly different cancellation charges to those listed in the standard Exodus Booking Conditions. After booking, if cancelling your travel arrangements, you will have to pay cancellation charges as follows:

• From 90 days to 65 days before departure – loss of deposit (20%)
• 64 days or less (or failure to join the trip) – 100% of the trip cost

Islands visited on this itinerary:

Santa Cruz: The second-largest island in the archipelago, Santa Cruz is home to Puerto Ayora – where most Galapagos ships are docked for embarkation – and the Charles Darwin Research Station, which conducts tortoise research programmes and is heavily involved in the management and conservation of the islands along with the national park authorities. The Santa Cruz highlands are much greener than the dry lowlands of the other islands and are home to freely roaming tortoises. In common with the rest of the group, Santa Cruz has many interesting volcanic features, such as pit craters and lava tunnels, and there is also a flamingo lagoon at Cerro Dragón.

Bartolomé: One of the most photographed of all the islands. Bartolomé is an extinct volcano with many interesting geological features and a semi-lunar landscape. Pinnacle Rock, seen in countless photos, is actually a tuff cone – a column of hardened volcanic ash formed when molten rock fused after coming into contact with seawater. It’s possible to swim with Galápagos penguins here, and the island is home to sea lions, nesting marine turtles and white-tipped reef sharks.

Santiago: Home of the Galapagos fur seal, which likes the rocky shoreline and shady spots of Santiago. Around 30,000 to 40,000 fur seals live on the islands, and the majority are found close to Puerto Egas, either on the rocks or on the black-sand beaches. The island is a good place to see Galapagos hawks and Darwin finches, and there’s a popular snorkelling site called Chinese Hat where penguins, rays, turtles and playful sea lion pups reside.

Floreana: One of the first islands to be inhabited, Floreana has a human history as interesting as its natural history. At Post Office Bay, 18th-century sailors (and now tourists) left mail in a wooden barrel so it could be picked up by other ships and delivered. It’s still common for visitors to look for postcards or letters for their hometown and deliver them on their return from the Galapagos. Notable wildlife here includes large flamingo colonies, Galapagos petrels and, between December and May, nesting green turtles. Just off the coast is Devil’s Crown, an underwater coral-filled crater that offers some of the best snorkelling on the islands.

Española: The southernmost island of the chain, Española is also among the oldest. As it is relatively isolated from the other islands, it has developed endemic fauna, including the only marine iguanas that change colour to attract mates. The island is the favoured breeding ground for most of the world’s waved albatross population, with easy access to prime fishing grounds and steep cliffs that provide an ideal launch pad for the large birds to take off. There are also large colonies of mockingbirds, boobies, Darwin finches and doves, as well as sea lions, which surf the breaking waves.

San Cristóbal: The easternmost island of the archipelago and the first landing point for Charles Darwin in 1835. The provincial capital of the Galapagos Islands, Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, is on San Cristóbal, and the town is home to the excellent Galapagos Interpretation Centre. Popular sites for visitors include El Junco Lake (one of the few freshwater lagoons in the archipelago), Frigatebird Hill (unsurprisingly named for the large colonies of magnificent and great frigatebirds), and Kicker Rock, a towering split rock that rises more than 330ft (100m) from the ocean. The highland cloud forests provide a natural habitat for giant tortoises. Huge numbers of sea lions are also present on San Cristóbal and nearby Isla Lobos, reachable by boat, is a big nesting site for blue-footed boobies.

Group

An English-speaking naturalist guide registered by the Galapagos National Park accompanies every departure. In Quito, there will be an English-speaking local guide.