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Sea lion at sunset

Private Charter - Western Islands

Example 8 Day Cruise aboard Koln
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Embark on an 8-day cruise aboard Koln in the Western Galapagos. Visit North Seymour Island, explore coastal and interior areas, and spot blue-footed boobies, marine iguanas, and more. Learn about the islands' history and evolution. Enjoy wet landings on Espumilla Beach and James Bay, observe wildlife, and partake in water activities. Take panga rides to witness penguins, sea lions, and cormorants. Visit Urbina Bay, Punta Vicente Roca, Bartolome Island, and Sullivan Bay, and explore Chinese Hat, South Plaza, and Santa Cruz Island highlands. Visit the Charles Darwin Research Station. Encounter flamingos at Playa Las Bachas before departing.
Galapagos Tortoise close upFrigate bird showing offFlamingo wading in the waterWarm waters of the Galapagos archipelago Marine Iguana with shipCrab on the rocksBlue-footed booby mating dancePinnacle Rock of Bartolome IslandPinnacle rock in BartolomeSea lion at sunset
Highlights
  • Explore North Seymour Island's coast and interior, spotting unique wildlife
  • Hike Bartolome Island for panoramic views and volcanic landscapes
  • Observe sponges, shore birds, and sea lions at James Bay
  • Encounter penguins, marine iguanas, and flightless cormorants at Tagus Cove
Places Visited
Activity Level: Relaxed
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
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Full Itinerary

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Day 1: Baltra | Embark | North Seymour

Flight from mainland Ecuador (Quito or Guayaquil) to Baltra, with LATAM Airlines. Your guide will meet you at the arrival gate, the crew will take care of your luggage. Your guide will conduct you to a bus and after a short 5-kilometer ride to the pier; you board the Yacht immediately. As the crew weighs anchor, they greet you with your first orientation and offer a light snack.

After lunch, you make an early dry landing for a walk along the coast and the interior of North Seymour Island, a low, flat island that was uplifted from the sea by underground seismic activity. You observe blue-footed boobies (they nest from May to November), marine iguanas, pelicans, frigate birds, shore birds, sea lions, and endemic Palo Santo. Optional: time for those who would like to swim and snorkel. In the evening, you'll have an orientation about the Galapagos Islands in general: their origin and evolution. Welcome cocktail with the entire crew, and dinner.
Activities: Walking, Panga Ride

Day 2: Espumilla Beach | Buccaneer Cove | Egas Port

After breakfast, make a wet landing on Espumilla Beach, a brown sand beach. This beach is an important site for nesting marine turtles. Here, you also observe a lot of land birds like yellow warblers, Darwin’s finches a Galapagos flycatchers. A trail takes us through a Palo Santo forest. Walk behind the beach and you arrive at a salt-water lagoon, occasionally flamingos are seen. Optional: time for those who would like to swim and/or snorkel.
Activities: Walking Snorkeling, Kayaking

Navigate around Buccaneer Cove (Caleta Bucanero), an area of steep cliffs and dark beaches. The cliffs and pinnacle are used as nesting areas by several species of seabirds. This was a popular place for 17th & 18th-century buccaneers to careen their vessels. Optional: time for those who would like to swim, snorkel or kayak. Return to the boat for a delicious lunch.
Activities: Snorkeling, Panga Ride, Kayaking

In the afternoon, make a wet landing on James Bay (Puerto Egas), to walk and observe sponges, snails, hermit crabs, a variety of shore birds, barnacles, and the endemic four-eyed blenny, marine iguanas, and sea lions. Optional: time for those who would like to swim or snorkel. Dinner and your nightly orientation.
Activities: Walking, Snorkeling

Day 3: Tagus Cove | Espinoza Point

After breakfast, make a panga ride on Tagus Cove, a protected cove between the shoulders of two volcanic craters which protect it from the open sea; observe penguins, marine iguanas, sea lions, and a variety of birds including flightless cormorants and blue-footed boobies. Optional: time for those who would like to swim, snorkel, and/ or kayak.
Activities: Walking, Kayaking, Panga ride, Snorkeling

Return to the Yacht for lunch. In the afternoon, make a dry landing on Espinoza Point to observe and see a large colony of sea lions, marine iguanas, and the flightless cormorants and clumps of lava cactus. Optional: time for those who would like to swim and snorkel. Return to the Yacht for dinner and your nightly orientation.
Activities: Walking, Snorkeling

Day 4: Urbina Bay | Vicente Roca Point

After breakfast, you make a wet landing on Urbina Bay to take a walk and observe a coral area, land iguanas, flightless cormorants, and giant tortoises. Optional: time for those who would like to swim or snorkel. Return to the Yacht for lunch.
Activities: Walking, Snorkeling

In the afternoon, make a panga ride on Punta Vicente Roca to observe plenty of sea lions, marine iguanas, blue-footed and masked boobies, and flightless cormorants. Optional: time for those who would like to swim and/or snorkel. Return to the Yacht for dinner and your nightly orientation.
Activities: Snorkeling, Panga Ride

Day 5: Bartolome | Sullivan Bay

After breakfast, you make a dry landing on Bartolome Island, to hike to the summit; during the hike, you observe colonies of marine iguanas and lava lizards. On the summit, you see an impressive view of the surrounding islands, including the eroded tuff cone of Pinnacle Rock. Optional: time for those who would like to swim or snorkel. You return to the boat for a delicious lunch.
Activities: Snorkeling, Panga Ride, Walking

In the afternoon, make a wet landing on Sullivan Bay, a perfect place to get a feel of the volcanic origin of the islands. Optional: time for those who would like to swim and snorkel. Return to the Yacht for dinner and your nightly orientation.
Activities: Snorkeling, Walking

Day 6: Chinese Hat | South Plaza

After breakfast, you make a wet landing on Chinese Hat (Sombrero Chino), a small island off the Coast of Santiago Island, you can observe on the rocky shoreline: Galapagos penguins, eagle rays, sea lions, and marine iguanas. This is an excellent snorkeling site. Optional: time for those who would like to swim, snorkel or kayak. You return to the boat for lunch.
Activities: Walking, Kayaking, Panga Ride, Snorkeling

Later in the afternoon, you make a dry landing on the pier of the South Plaza, where you can enjoy the antics of sea lions. A walk through a cactus forest allows you to observe land iguanas and many species of tropical birds. You return to the Yacht for dinner and your nightly orientation.
Activities: Walking

Day 7: Santa Cruz Highlands | Interpretation Center Fausto Llerena

After breakfast, you will disembark to take the bus to the highlands of Santa Cruz Island for a visit to the native forests, at El Chato Reserve, then, go see some giant tortoises in the wildlife on a farm. You will be delighted with the lunch on the farm.
Activities: Walking

After lunch, you will return to Puerto Ayora to start the visit to the Interpretation Center Fausto Llerena inside the Charles Darwin Research Station. You return to the Yacht for dinner and nightly orientation.

Day 8: Las Bachas Beach | Baltra | Disembark

  • 1 Breakfast
After breakfast, disembark on Playa Las Bachas, a place where you can appreciate a Flamingos lagoon. During all walks, your guide will be explaining details about the lives of the birds and animals. Optional: time for those who would like to swim and snorkel.
Activities: Walking, Snorkeling

Return to the Yacht for disembarking on the pier. Your guide accompanies you on the bus ride directly to the airport.

Ship/Hotel

Koln

Koln facade
Koln Dining Area
Koln Social Area

Dates & Prices

My Preferred Start Date

Per person starting at
$77,748 2-3 travelers
Koln lower deck cabin with single lower beds
Cabins 3-6
Cabin size: 12m² 4 lower deck cabins. Equipped with 2 Single Lower Beds (2x1m/each). Each cabin has a Private bathroom (toilet, shower, hair dryer, washbasin, vanity, hot and cold water), Locker and drawers, a Safety box, Air-conditioned, an Electric outlet 110v, and a USB port.
Koln upper deck cabin with double bed
Cabins 7 & 8
Cabin size: 8.5m² 2 upper deck cabins. Equipped with 1 Double Bed (2x1.40m/each). Each cabin has a Private bathroom (toilet, shower, hair dryer, washbasin, vanity, hot and cold water), Locker and drawers, a Safety box, Air-conditioned, an Electric outlet 110v, and a USB port.
Koln upper deck cabin with single lower beds
Cabins 9 & 10
Cabin size: 9.5m² 2 upper deck cabins. Equipped with 2 Single Lower Beds (2x1m/each). Each cabin has a Private bathroom (toilet, shower, hair dryer, washbasin, vanity, hot and cold water), Locker and drawers, a Safety box, Air-conditioned, an Electric outlet 110v, and a USB port.

Notes

Please reserve your wetsuit in advance prior to the trip.

Child Discount

10% discount for children under age 12 at 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.
Included
  • 7 Breakfasts, 7 Lunches, 7 Dinners
  • 7 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)
  • Transfers and Baggage Handling in the Galapagos
  • Snorkeling and kayaking equipment is included in the cruise cost and available for your use on board.
  • Internal Flights: Mainland Ecuador - Galapagos - Mainland Ecuador
  • Hot drinks (tea, coffee, aromatic waters)
  • Drinking water and iced tea dispenser
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. Payable upon arrival to the Galapagos, only in cash dollars. Subject to increase by Galapagos Park Service.
  • Wetsuits are not included but are available to rent on board - $35 short and $40 long size for 4-day tours; $40 short and $45 long size for 5-day tours; $45 short and $55 long size for 8-day tours; $70 short and $80 long size for 11-day tours; and $80 short and $90 long size for 15-day tours.
  • All alcoholic & Non-alcoholic drinks
  • Neoprene suits (for rent)

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Our guide and driver were very good with their knowledge and were very helpful with our questions. It was a very pleasant visit that would have been impossible to do on our own. Hotels and restaurants were fantastic. The special places we got to go to, like the kitchens, were great. Enjoyed the entire trip!
Meyer Smolen

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