Trip Reports
Duration
12 Nights
Journey Type
Sailing from Ecuador
Ports
10 Ports
Before you board
Two nights in Quito
Board your overnight flight to Quito via Bogota and on arrival take your transfer to your hotel for a two-night stay in the city. Then transfer to the airport for your charter flight to Baltra to embark the ship.
8 January
Setting sail from Baltra
The flat and arid island of Baltra, also known as South Seymour, is home to the Galapagos archipelago’s main airport, formerly a US air base. The island is inhabited by wildlife including boobies and frigatebirds, but there are no sites open to visitors, so if you see anything it will only be in passing as you transfer between airport and ship.
9 January
Ecuador: Isabela Island
The beautiful, volcanically active island of Isabela is home to the highest point in the Galapagos, Wolf Volcano, along with a rich variety of fauna. Giant tortoises thrive on the island, while the surrounding nutrient-rich waters attract whales, dolphins and penguins.
9 January
Ecuador: Fernandina Island
The volcanically active island of Fernandina is the youngest in the Galapagos, less than a million years old. The ecosystem is also one of the most pristine, home to a large land iguana population, and the nutrient-rich waters provide an attractive habitat for flightless cormorants and Galapagos penguins.
10 January
Ecuador: Santa Cruz Island
11 January
Ecuador: Floreana Island
Flamingos, cormorants and sea turtles can all be found around Floreana, and the island also has an interesting human history. This is the site of the famous Galapagos ‘post office’, a barrel where sailors would place letters to be transported home by passing ships.
12 January
Ecuador: Baltra
The flat and arid island of Baltra, also known as South Seymour, is home to the Galapagos archipelago’s main airport, formerly a US air base. The island is inhabited by wildlife including boobies and frigatebirds, but there are no sites open to visitors, so if you see anything it will only be in passing as you transfer between airport and ship.
13 January
Ecuador: Santiago Island
14 January
Ecuador: Bartolomé Island
The summit of Bartolomé Island offers outstanding views of some of the Galapagos archipelago’s most spectacular volcanic scenery, including the much-photographed Pinnacle Rock. The island is also home to penguins, sea lions and turtles, with some great snorkelling spots just offshore.
15 January
Ecuador: Genovesa Island
The horseshoe-shaped island of Genovesa, located in the northeast of the Galapagos archipelago, is best known for its abundant bird life. Red-footed boobies can be found in significant numbers here, along with storm petrels, frigatebirds, mockingbirds and short-eared owls.
16 January
Arriving in Baltra
Mundy Exclusive
Your fare includes: 8 nights in an Explorer Cabin including all meals, drinks with meals, gratuities and taxes; excursions; flights between Quito/Baltra and Baltra/Guayaquil; overseas transfers; international flights; two-night pre-cruise Quito hotel stay; reduced 15% deposit.
Your home from home
On the little MS Santa Cruz II you get the ideal combination of decades of experience in the region with a state of the art expedition vessel refurbished to a high standard specifically for Hurtigruten.
What we love
With 50 cabins for 90 guests, this is one of the larger ships operating in the region, giving spacious public areas both inside and outside, not to mentionand a smoother ride. She has comfortable accommodation (163 square feet) with a few larger suites and interconnecting rooms for family groups, as well as single occupancy cabins. Excellent facilities, two outdoor hot tubs, great areas to interact with the experts on board, indoor and outdoor dining areas and a well-stocked library make the ship a great choice for exploring the Galapagos.
| Capacity | 90 Guests |
|---|---|
| Style |
A Hurtigruten voyage is all about the destination, with a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere on board. |
| Inclusions |
|
Tailor-make your trip
Ways to make it better
Machu Picchu
It's easy to combine your Galapagos cruise with a trip to Machu Picchu, the enigmatic and spectacular Inca city high in the Andes.
Colonial Quito
Spend a couple of days in Ecuador's charming capital, Quito, exploring the beautiful colonial-era churches of the old town.
