Experience the highlights of the Galapagos' northern islands on this 5-day adventure! Travel from beautiful Santa Cruz, to wildlife-rich Genovesa, to exclusive Black Turtle Cove, exploring many destinations in between. Snorkel, kayak, and become acquainted with the archipelago's endemic wildlife species during your cruise on the Sea Star Journey.
Highlights
Visit Black Turtle Cove and look for sharks and rays
Witness a nesting site for masked and red-footed boobies
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
Begin your adventures in the Galapagos on Baltra Island. Fly into Baltra, an arid, uplifted island dotted with salt bushes, prickly pear cactus, and palo santo trees. Head to the harbor and board your cruise ship.
Journey across to Santa Cruz Island for a visit to Dragon Hill in the afternoon. Located on the northwest side of Santa Cruz, this site features a trail leading to a hyper-saline lagoon, home to a variety of bird species. Take a short walk up the hill and soak in the stunning view of the islands and bay below.
Today begins with a visit to Black Turtle Cove, a small, exclusive destination nestled into the northern side of Santa Cruz. Surrounded by red mangroves, this quiet cove constitutes an ideal nursery for a variety of sharks and rays. No landing sites exist in the cove, so you can either paddle in with a kayak or a panga. Observe large groups of white and black-tip reef sharks, hammerhead sharks, and schools of golden and spotted eagle rays. It is also possible to spot sea turtles, pelicans, and herons in this unique environment.
In the afternoon, journey on to Chinese Hat, a small islet off of Santiago. Named for its distinctive shape, Chinese Hat is a recent volcanic cone that exhibits fascinating lava formations. Admire its lava tubes and flows, and observe its entertaining colonies of sea lions and penguins.
Cruise to Genovesa Island today, beginning at Darwin Bay. Darwin came into existence when Genovesa's crater collapsed into the sea, leaving beautiful white coral sand beaches in its stead. This island is favored by bird-watchers, boasting numerous species including red footed and masked boobies, wandering tattlers, lava gulls, whimbrels, and various herons. A trail takes you across the island and up to a cliff edge. From here, admire the incredible view of the island landscape below.
In the afternoon, ascend the southern plateau of Darwin Bay, known as El Barranco. This area is a popular nesting site for masked and red-footed boobies as well as storm petrels and short-eared owls.
Venture to Bartolomé this morning, an island boasting some of the most beautiful scenery in the archipelago. Bartolomé's landscape consists of a spectrum of features including volcanic cones, lunar-like craters, lava fields, and Toba. Its two breathtaking beaches are home to sea turtles and a rare colony of Galapagos penguins.
This afternoon, visit Santiago Island, located in the west-central part of the Galapagos. It is still volcanically active, spotted with young lava flows and cones visible from many vantage points, including outerspace!
Day 5: Highlands - Santa Cruz Island - Baltra
1 Breakfast
Today get to know Santa Cruz Island, beginning with a tour of the picturesque highlands. Take a trail from Bellavista, through an agricultural area, along the National Park boundary, the Miconia zone, and into the fern and sedge zone. On a clear day, enjoy views of rolling hillsides and extinct volcanic cones.
Apologies for the inconvenience. Prices for not yet published. Below per person rate based on previous season. Contact us to confirm upcoming season pricing.
Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
$3,399
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Galapagos Suite
Main and Upper Deck. Two Twin Beds. Approximately 25m2.
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Balcony Suite
Main Deck. Approximately 25m2.
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Sea Star Suite
Upper Deck. Approximately 35m2.
Child Discount
20% discount for children under age 12 at the time of Galapagos cruise.Child discounts are conditional and may not apply on certain departures. Please contact us for more information.
Children under 12 may receive discounts on Galapagos flight fares and entrance fees. Contact us for details.
Initial deposit is 25% ($400 minimum), and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card.
Final payment is due 70 (10 weeks) prior to departure by bank transfer, check or credit card. All final payments by credit card may be subject to a surcharge and maximum of $20,000 charge
For full cancellation policy details, please contact us for a quote.
Included
4 Breakfasts, 3 Lunches, 4 Dinners
4 Nights Accommodations
Accommodations as listed
Ground transportation as listed
Activities as listed
Meals as listed
Access to a 24-7 Emergency line while traveling
Bilingual Naturalist Guide
Adventure Life Pre-departure Services and In-Country Assistance (Quito Representative)
Shore Excursions, Swimming and Snorkeling
Transfers and Baggage Handling in the Galapagos
Snorkeling and kayaking equipment is included in the cruise cost and available for your use on board.
Excluded
Gratuities
Travel Insurance
Personal Expenses
Flight costs (please request a quote)
Additional excursions during free time
Fuel and transportation surcharges (when applicable)
Galapagos Park Entrance Fee: $200 per adult, $100 per child under 12 (fees of $100 per adult and $50 per child valid on arrivals throughAug 1, 2024). Payable upon arrival to the Galapagos, only in cash dollars. Subject to increase by Galapagos Park Service.
This was our first trip to South America and we were a little nervous. But Adventure Life made things so easy! All our questions were answered before we left, and our guide, Vidal, was amazing! He gave us enough space to explore without rushing us along. He also knew where the best picture taking opportunities were, which was great.
Lindsay Gompf
TrustScore 4.8 | 133 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 133 reviews on
21 hours ago
Kelly and Rhenee were excellent to work with on planning our trip. The logistics all worked smoothly and everyone was friendly and on time. Our accommodations were very good, particularly the incredible Patagonia Camp in Torres del Paine! Our guides on every excursion were outstanding and made the hikes memorable! Overall we had a wonderful trip with incredible memories!
Scott Gibson
23 hours ago
Adventure Life is definitely a first-class safari tour company, and our representative was Franny Friesz. First of all, she responded immediately after we contacted Adventure Life. We told Franny that we had never been on a safari, and she was more than eager to offer a mountain of information about the trip. She informed us fully about all the ups, downs, and all arounds! She even prepared a number of packages for us to review -- even after we made changes to the areas we wanted to explore. Friendly, helpful, professional, and extremely knowledgeable -- these words describe Franny, and what a wonderful trip she prepared! We couldn't have asked for better service than Franny of Adventure Life. We HIGHLY recommend her and her outstanding company! Bon Voyage!
Prima Burke
1 day ago
The staff at Adventure Life made planning my family's trip to the Galapagos Islands as easy as possible. They listened to what we were hoping to experience and made thoughtful suggestions about how to accomplish our vacation goals while meeting the needs of travelers ages 17-76! They patiently answered questions and follow up questions in the months leading up to the trip. They helped us trouble shoot and customize the trip in every way possible. The logistics involved in traveling from Boston to the Galapagos are innumerable. The Adventure Life staff helped us arrange every detail and the team they assembled in the Galapagos was tremendous. I have never done a trip this big before and after working with Adventure Life this time--would not hesitate one second in working with them again.
Jennifer Howard Schroeder
2 days ago
Kevin got right on our request and had us booked within the week
Linda Cummings
3 days ago
The info on the website was laid out very well. I did some comparisons with other tours and found Adventure Life met a lot of what I wanted in an Antarctica trip at the cheapest price. Requested a quote on Claudia contacted me right away. She answered a lot of questions the I had via email even though she offered to discuss via phone call. I’m more of an email person so appreciated how she accommodated that and answered all my questions. And when I was ready to book, she quickly got the ball rolling with getting our spots reserved on the trip my friend and I wanted. Thanks again, Claudia!