Epic Galapagos - Aqua Mare

EMBARKATION AT BALTRA ISLAND AND PLAYA LAS BACHAS 

Once you arrive at Baltra airport, you will be met by our team and escorted on a short cross island transfer to the jetty.   Here you receive a warm welcome aboard Aqua Mare.  This is the first 50m luxury super yacht in Galapagos Islands.  She has a 16-strong crew with a 1:1 crew to guest ratio.  A delicious Nikkei-inspired lunch crafted by consultant chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino will be served.  

You then are fitted out with a snorkeling kit complete with mask, fins, snorkel, and an optional shorty wetsuit for your personal use during the week. You will also receive as a welcome gift of a special waterproof bag to place your belongings during wet landings and water bottle.

The afternoon will see you head out on your first excursion to Playa Las Bachas on the northern part of Santa Cruz Island for a short 20-minute hike taking you to two ponds where you can observe various species of flamingos, ducks, shore birds and sometimes marine iguanas.  It is also possible to spot Darwin’s finches, yellow warblers, and mockingbirds among the coastal vegetation, mangroves, and saltbush.  For those who prefer to snorkel, the beach is one of the main nesting sites of sea turtles, so you will no doubt come across one or two. 

You then head back to the yacht for the evening to indulge in your first sumptuous dinner in the Archipelago, making it the perfect start to your Galapagos Islands adventure. 

EL BARRANCO AND BAHÍA DARWIN, GENOVESA ISLAND 
  
For those who missed the equatorial crossing the night before, ask the crew for your equator crossing certificate - although this is usually reserved for the young explorers, even the young at heart will proudly be able to take this home!

This morning explore Genovesa Island, where you will take a tender ride along the volcanic rocks of El Barranco to view the fur seals resting inside rock crevices.  A 1.5 km hike inland takes us to the lava fields to view red-footed boobies as well as great frigate birds and Galapagos storm petrels. 

After the visit you will return to the yacht to get suited up for your snorkeling session to view bottlenose dolphins, schools of hammerhead sharks, colorful fish and pristine corals.  The tenders will accompany you alongside the cliffs to observe the animal species that rest on the cliffs before a splendid lunch back onboard.

The afternoon sees you at Bahía Darwin’s coralline beach for hiking, snorkeling, stand-up paddle boarding, or kayaking.  After dinner you may wish to venture to the lower deck Beach Club and enjoy a private movie screening.  We recommend watching the Planet Earth documentary on the Galapagos Islands, or simply enjoy the starlit skies from the upper deck. 

BAHÍA SULLIVAN, SANTIAGO ISLAND AND SOMBRERO CHINO ISLAND 
 
Start the morning early with a workout or a guided meditation on the upper deck followed by a refreshing breakfast.  Your first excursion of the day will take you to the northeast of Santiago Island with a dry landing at Bahía Sullivan to discover recent Pahoehoe lava flows.

After lunch and lecture on the geology of the Galapagos Islands from one of the expert scientist guides onboard Aqua Mare, you depart to Sombrero Chino Island, so named after the small crater that forms the islet. The surrounding crystal-clear waters provide a great opportunity to observe sea lions and penguins from above. There will be time for snorkeling, stand-up paddle boarding, and kayaking.

You return to the yacht for evening sundowners and a barbecue dinner on the upper deck, with the volcanic island serving as a stunning backdrop to this once-in-a-lifetime adventure. 

BARTOLOMÉ ISLAND AND CERRO DRAGÓN, SANTA CRUZ ISLAND 
 
With an early morning anchor at Bartolomé Island, you will embark upon a mild climb up to the summit of a spatter cone for a spectacular view of the island’s iconic Pinnacle Rock.  You can then cool down with a snorkel where you may encounter sea turtles and Galapagos penguins, before heading back to the yacht for lunch as you sail towards Santa Cruz Island. 

The afternoon excursion takes you to Cerro Dragón or Dragon Hill, so named because in 1975 it was one of the only places in the Santa Cruz Island where scientists could still find a healthy population of land iguanas (Conolophus subcristatus).  The hiking trail begins with a wet landing and continues inland to a flamingo lagoon, ending with the option to swim and snorkel from the beach or walk along the mangroves and sand dunes of the south beach.

Back onboard, swap tales of your excursion over an al fresco dinner encompassing flavors from the South American Pacific coast and Peruvian Nikkei style crafted by consultant chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino. 

EL CHATO GIANT TORTOISE RESERVE AND FAUSTO LLERENA BREEDING CENTER, SANTA CRUZ ISLAND 
 
This morning you will explore the El Chato Giant Tortoise Reserve to see these wild Galapagos Islands creatures up close in their natural habitat.  The area is also a great place to observe Darwin’s finches, yellow warblers, flightcatchers, cattle egrets, and if lucky Galapagos Rails. 

After lunch and afternoon lecture on the evolution of Darwin’s finches presented by an expert guides in the panoramic lounge, you will take a tender ride to Darwin Station and National Park headquarters to observe tortoises in captivity at the Fausto Llerena Breeding Center, as well as the different age hatchlings categorized by islands. 

There will be free time to enjoy the town of Puerto Ayora before returning to the ship.  Refreshing superfruit juices await at the Beach Club, which is located at water level at the aft of the ship or enjoy the scenic sunset views from the upper deck.  For divers there is the option of a full day of diving instead of joining the day excursions.
 

PUNTA SUÁREZ, BAHÍA GARDNER, AND ISLOTE OSBORN, ESPAÑOLA ISLAND 
 
This morning you rise and shine to a guided meditation on the upper deck before disembarking in Punta Suárez for this morning’s excursion.  This visitor site is one of the most interesting landing sites in Galapagos Islands, due to the high percentage of unique endemism in its fauna such as Española mockingbirds, lava lizards, Galapagos tortoises, marine iguanas, and the unique waved albatross. 

In the afternoon, you will take a tender ride to the beautiful array of islets where you will be able to snorkel alongside playful sea lions, sea turtles, sharks, rays and many different species of reef fishes.  The last visit of the day will be Bahía Gardner, an outstanding coralline sand beach that boasts one of the biggest colonies of sea lions in the Galapagos Islands.

Back at the yacht, head to the bar to socialise over Happy Hour with a glass of  Aqua Bloody Mary as the crew prepares for departure to your next anchorage. 

FONDEADERO, SANTE FÉ (BARRINGTON) ISLAND AND PLAZA SUR ISLAND 
 
After a night of sailing, you will visit Santa Fé (also known as Barrington) Island for your penultimate day.  It is one of the oldest in the Galapagos Islands (around 3.6 million years old), with the island being characterised to some degree by its vegetation of palo santo trees, a pear cactus that is called Opuntia Echio Barringtonensis, and many other native bushes.  Here you will spot land iguanas, lava lizards, swallow-tailed gulls, shearwater petrels, red-billed tropic birds, mockingbirds, Darwin’s finches, and Galapagos hawks.

After the visit, you will be able to take advantage of the last full day in the Galapagos Islands by snorkeling, kayaking, or stand-up paddle boarding. 

As you enjoy lunch onboard, the boat will sail to Plaza Sur Island, located off the eastern shore of Santa Cruz.  In the afternoon you disembark at this small, but diverse little islet to head out on a two-hour hiking excursion led by your guide to discover its unique landforms. 

Once back on board you enjoy a final recap briefing and toast farewell under the Archipelago’s amazing starlit skies to your new found friends over a glass of wine. 

LOS GEMELOS, SANTA CRUZ ISLAND AND DISEMBARKATION 
 
You begin your last day with breakfast before bidding farewell.  Your last visit before leaving paradise is a final short excursion to drive up the highlands of Santa Cruz Island to the twin craters of Los Gemelos en route to the airport.  It is a remarkable location surrounded with lush vegetation - with help of the expert naturalist guides you may spot short-eared owls, or if lucky, a vermilion flycatcher. 
 
Memories of this last adventure will accompany you as you are escorted to Baltra Island for the departing flight back to the mainland and onward journey home.

End of Arrangements