The Galápagos Islands all have one thing in common: beautiful landscapes and incredible wildlife. (Okay, that’s technically two things, but you get the idea). Travelling aboard the Yolita, this tour takes you to some of the lesser-visited islands like Genovesa in the north and Isabela in the west. Expect to witness an amazing concentration of birdlife and massive bird rookeries, including the largest nesting colonies of red-footed boobies and frigatebirds. Hike right to the top of the Sierra Negra, Galápagos’ most recently active volcano, relax on the white-sand beaches, or snorkel with sea lions. Better yet, do it all.
Travel Style: Marine
Small-ship adventures on the world’s great seas, rivers, and other places only accessible by boat.
Service Level: Upgraded
Quality accommodations and more inclusions than on other G Adventures tours, like meals, private transport, and activities.
Physical Rating: 3 – Average
Some tours may include light hiking, biking, rafting, or kayaking in addition to walking.
Trip Type: Small Group
Small group experience; Max 16, avg 12
Age requirement: 12+
All travellers under age 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Capacity
16 passengers.
Cabins
Eight spacious cabins with queen or twin side-by-side beds all with en suite, A/C and large windows.
Boat layout
Large aft porch with couches and lounge chairs. An elegant dining room, lounge and bar for meals and briefings. Observation deck boasts outstanding sightlines.
Crew
With seven dedicated G Adventures crew members and one CEO Naturalist Guide familiar with the local flora and fauna and certified by the Galápagos National Park Service, there’s always someone available to answer your questions.
Arrive at any time. Arrival transfer included.
There are no planned activities, so check into the hotel and enjoy the city. A G Adventures representative will greet you at the hotel and brief the group on the various aspects of the tour.
Opt to pre-book the “Quito City Tour & Equator Line” activity on the checkout page ahead of time to include this optional on your tour.
Transport Mariscal Sucre International Airport – Quito
Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s… yup, it is a plane, actually.
Arrival Day and Welcome Meeting with G Representative
The adventure begins today. Feel free to explore, but make sure you’re back in time to meet the group. Your G Representative will review the details of your tour.
Take an early flight to the Galápagos Islands. Head to Bachas Beach to see Sally Lightfoot crabs, flamingos and marine iguanas.
Plane Mariscal Sucre International Airport – Seymour Airport 2h
Flights from Quito to Baltra depart between 6:40am and 9:40am depending on the day of the week. These will arrive into the Galápagos between 9:30am and 12:30pm with a short refuelling stop in Guayaquil (you will not disembark the plane). You will generally arrive at the boat in time for lunch on Day 2 before the afternoon activity.
Bachas Beach Visit Bachas Beach 2h-3h Afternoon
Head to Bachas Beach where the sand is made of decomposed coral, making it soft and white, and a favourite site for nesting sea turtles. Spot abundant Sally Lightfoot crabs on the lava rocks along the water’s edge — these crabs will eat anything they can get their claws on! Trek to see a wide range of wildlife, including flamingos, hermit crabs, black necked stilts, and marine iguanas.
Yolita Santa Cruz Island – Genovesa Island
Yolita is an attractive 16-passenger ship boasting surprisingly spacious cabins for its size, and the large upper deck allows you to soak up as much of the Ecuadorian sun as you need.
Meals included: Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner
Visit Darwin Bay and marvel at the sheer number of birds along the many trails. Head to El Barranco in the afternoon to see the many types of boobies, including red-footed boobies.
Darwin Bay Visit Genovesa Island Morning
Walk along the white coral sands of Darwin Bay surrounded by bustling sea birds. Follow the trail and see nesting frigatebirds, gulls, and boobies. Be sure to bring your camera to take some snaps of your new feathered friends.
Snorkelling (Darwin Bay) Genovesa Island 45m-1h
Visit this sunken caldera for a great snorkelling opportunity. See large schools of tropical fish swarming near the vertical walls, and, if lucky, see manta rays, white-spotted eagle rays, sea lions, and hammerhead sharks.
El Barranco Visit Genovesa Island Afternoon
Visit “El Barranco” aka Prince Phillip’s Steps located on the southern tip of the island for an amazing wildlife watching opportunity. Hike up the steps to see a sea bird colony that is full of life including the breeding grounds for red-footed boobies and masked boobies.
Yolita Genovesa Island – Bartolomé Island
Yolita is an attractive 16-passenger ship boasting surprisingly spacious cabins for its size, and the large upper deck allows you to soak up as much of the Ecuadorian sun as you need.
Meals included: Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner
Visit Bartolomé for a guided tour to see the island’s dramatic volcanic features. Continue to Sullivan Bay on Santiago Island to witness the giant lava formations contrasting the white-coral-sand beach.
Bartolomé Island Visit Bartolomé Island Morning
Hike to Bartolomé’s summit for a stronger perspective of the islands’ not-too-distant volcanic origins, and enjoy a panoramic view – it’s one of the best among the islands! See other Galápagos Islands in the distance as well as Pinnacle Rock, the island’s famous towering landmark.
Snorkelling (Bartolomé Island) Bartolomé Island 45m-1h
Take the opportunity to swim and snorkel along the shore, home to one of the most iconic volcanic rock formations on the islands. Home to Galápagos penguins, friendly sea lions, sea turtles, and a huge variety of fish, Bartolomé and its surrounding waters are a fantastic place to explore the natural wonders of the Galápagos.
Sullivan Bay Visit Sullivan Bay Afternoon
Visit Sullivan Bay on Santiago Island to see one of its star natural attractions – striking and fascinating giant lava formations. Very few plants have managed to survive on this island due to its harsh environment and relatively new lava flow. Enjoy a walk along the lava formations before coming to a white-coral sand beach, where abundant Sally Lightfoot crabs and sea lions gather on shore.
Snorkelling (Sullivan Bay) Sullivan Bay 45m-1h
Enjoy a cool dip after exploring Sullivan Bay on foot. Grab a snorkel and discover many species of fish and other marine life in the shallow waters. Keep an eye out for turtles, rays, and large schools of colourful fish.
Yolita Bartolomé Island – Isabela Island
Yolita is an attractive 16-passenger ship boasting surprisingly spacious cabins for its size, and the large upper deck allows you to soak up as much of the Ecuadorian sun as you need.
Meals included: Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner
Early landing in the small town of Puerto Villamil before beginning the hike to the Sierra Negra Volcano, which has the largest basaltic caldera in the Galápagos. In the afternoon, explore the tortoise breeding centre in the Puerto Villamil area.
Sierra Negra Volcano HikeIsabela Island 1h-2h Morning
Hike to the rim of the 10km (6 mi) wide crater of the Sierra Negra volcano, which has the largest basaltic caldera in the Galápagos. Trek across the moon-like landscape of the lava fields and fumaroles, and enjoy spectacular views looking north toward Fernandina and the rest of Isabela Island. The volcano last erupted in June 2018, making it the most recent eruption of the Galápagos. This hike is 7km in total (3.5 km each way).
Giant Tortoise Breeding Centre VisitIsabela Island 2h-3h Afternoon
Walk through the town’s wetlands to visit the Giant Tortoise Breeding Centre. With the giant tortoise on its way to extinction in the late 1950s, this program was established to protect these noble creatures.
Yolita Isabela Island
Yolita is an attractive 16-passenger ship boasting surprisingly spacious cabins for its size, and the large upper deck allows you to soak up as much of the Ecuadorian sun as you need.
Meals included: Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner
Pay a morning visit to Elizabeth Bay which offers amazing bird and marine life viewing opportunities. Head out on the pangas and explore the shallows and mangroves to look for sea turtles and penguins. Visit Urbina Bay, located at the base of the Alcedo Volcano. Hike the trail for a chance to see land tortoises in the wild, watching for land iguanas along the way.
Elizabeth Bay Panga Ride Elizabeth Bay
Head out by panga to explore, keeping an eye out for wildlife hiding among the mangroves. Search for marine turtles, rays, and flightless cormorants in the sheltered waters. Also spot blue-footed boobies, penguins, and pelicans feeding on the abundant marine life.
Urbina Bay Visit Urbina Bay
Visit Urbina Bay for a unique walk among a massive marine reef that was raised out of the water in 1950 during an uplift. See “sculptures” of dried coral and other ocean formations while touring the area on foot. Urbina Bay also offers great opportunities to see land iguanas that have astonishingly yellow skin, flightless cormorants, land tortoises as well as marine turtles and rays.
YolitaIsabela Island – Fernandina Island
Yolita is an attractive 16-passenger ship boasting surprisingly spacious cabins for its size, and the large upper deck allows you to soak up as much of the Ecuadorian sun as you need.
Meals included: Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner
Stop for a visit at Tagus Cove and hike to a lookout to get a stunning view of the bay. Spot old graffiti on the cliffs from whalers and pirates who once visited the the cove. Continue to Punta Espinoza on Fernandina, the youngest of the Galápagos Islands. Witness the large colony of marine iguanas and a variety of bird life.
Tagus Cove Visit Tagus Cove
Visit Tagus Cove, an Isabela Island anchorage site that was popular among whalers and pirates. Tour the area on foot for spectacular views of Darwin Lake (a spherical saltwater crater), the bay, and Darwin and Wolf volcanoes. Upon landing, take the wooden stairway to the trail entrance, and follow the trail through a dry vegetation zone. Opt to continue on an ascent to a promontory made up of spatter cones (small volcanic cones) or explore the area by dinghy.
Snorkelling (Tagus Cove) Tagus Cove
Grab a mask and snorkel and witness schools of tropical fish as you navigate through the calm waters. If you’re lucky, spot rockfish, sharks and seahorses.
Punta Espinoza Visit Punta Espinoza Afternoon
Tour a number of different trails at this not-to-be-missed landing site that’s home to some of the largest colonies of marine iguanas and sea birds. Follow the path along the beach and across lava flows for a unique opportunity to explore one of the least-visited areas of the Galápagos.
Snorkelling (Punta Espinoza) Punta Espinoza
One of the best snorkelling sites in the islands, here get a glimpse of marine iguanas grazing underwater, sea lions, sea turtles, rays, puffer fish and dolphins.
Yolita Fernandina Island – Rábida Island
Yolita is an attractive 16-passenger ship boasting surprisingly spacious cabins for its size, and the large upper deck allows you to soak up as much of the Ecuadorian sun as you need.
Meals included: Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner
Enjoy a morning panga ride in Buccaneer Cove, watch for sea lions, shorebirds, and interesting lava formations. Take an afternoon excursion to the red sand beaches of Rábida to see a lagoon and sea lion colony. Enjoy snorkelling nearby with schools of tropical fish and sea lions.
Buccaneer Cove Visit Santiago Island Morning
Jump into the panga and cruise alongside high cliffs and rock formations on this visit to Bucaneer Cove, which was a favourite hideout for pirates looking to stock up their boats with food and water. Spot sea lions relaxing on the beach and sea birds nesting in the cove – there’s lots to see at this site.
Snorkelling (Buccaneer Cove) Santiago Island
Get up close and personal with the local marine life, sea lions and many marine birds, during this snorkel excursion through the beautiful waters of Buccaneer Cove.
Rábida Island Visit Rábida Island Afternoon
Arrive at a red sand beach at Rábida to explore its trails. A short trail leads to a saltwater lagoon; another trail goes past the lagoon to the interior, where the revered palo santo trees grow. (When burned, the branches of this tree give off a pleasing aroma and ward off mosquitoes.)
Snorkelling (Rábida Island) Rábida Island
Grab a snorkel and discover many species of fish and other marine life. Keep an eye out for white-tip sharks and sea lions.
YolitaRábida Island – Islas Daphne
Yolita is an attractive 16-passenger ship boasting surprisingly spacious cabins for its size, and the large upper deck allows you to soak up as much of the Ecuadorian sun as you need.
Meals included: Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner
View Daphne from the boat, the tiny conical island is home to nesting blue-footed boobies, frigatebirds, and Darwin’s finches, after, fly back to Quito. Enjoy an evening in Quito.
Daphne Island Visit Islas Daphne
Travel to Daphne, a tiny conical island, home to nesting blue-footed boobies, frigatebirds, Darwin’s finches, and a variety of marine life. Observe from the boat as this island is dedicated to scientific research. This island was where Dr. Peter Grant conducted a long-term study of Darwin’s finches.
Meals included: Breakfast
Depart at any time.
Departure Day
Not ready to leave? Your CEO can help with travel arrangements to extend your adventure.
Meals included: Breakfast
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