4 day 3 night Galapagos cruise vacation on board the Yolita II yacht

Your naturalist guide will greet you after a two-hour flight. Transfer to the docks and pick up your baggage. Meet the crew and settle down. This is the start of Galapagos' 4 day cruise adventure. Today, you can visit the El Chato Reserve tortoises.

Santa Cruz Island

Santa Cruz's verdant grasslands are the best place to view giant tortoises natural habitat. Keep an eye out to see owls nesting in the tunnel entrances of the lava tunnels and lagoon. This is a favorite day trip, and an excellent introduction to the archipelago’s endemic wildlife.

The national park guide will introduce you to the rest of the crew during the Galapagos cruise. This will help to create a welcoming atmosphere for fellow travelers. The guide will also give a nature lecture to answer any questions you may have about your day's wildlife encounters in the Galapagos Islands.

Before the yacht anchors, dinner is served. Crew and captain plan the route to ensure guests have a pleasant meal while the yacht is in quiet bays. Navigation occurs in the evenings, and each morning's sunrise catches you ship on a different island.

Post Office Bay

It is time to explore Floreana's Post Office Bay and discover its fascinating history. English whaling ships placed a barrel in this bay to serve as a postal office in the late 18th century. Because it was the only way for news to be sent home, all ships that set anchor at the bay would transport the mail to the nearest mainland port. Tourists use the box primarily to drop off unstamped letters and carry them to distant destinations. Keep the tradition alive - leave a note and bring it with you to deliver it (make sure it reaches the right place).

Devil's Crown

You can enjoy a spectacular snorkeling adventure at the "Devil's Crown", an ancient underwater volcanic cone located north of Punta Cormorant. You will find large schools of tropical fish, rays and reef sharks as well as scalloped hammerhead sharks and sea turtles among the coral reef. You should be able to swim well, as the currents can get intense.

Cerro Dragon

Cerro Dragon (Dragon Hill) is a popular landing spot for cruise ships. You can find prime bird watching opportunities here. A short walk will take you to the lagoon, which is hyper-saline (saltier than the ocean), and it is home to pink flamingos as well as common stilts, pintail ducks and other bird species. Scalesia tree forest is endemic to this area. There are only 400 Scalesia trees in the world. You can reach the nesting ground of the orange-colored land iguanas by walking up the hill to the left of the lagoon.

Chinese Hat Island

Enjoy the stunning landscape of Chinese Hat and its white-coral sand beaches. Then, snorkel with penguins as well as sea lions. There are also swimming opportunities at the cove. The turquoise water of the channel is beautifully contrasted by the red vesuvium and black lava fields. Santiago Island is located just across the bay.

The last morning of your 4 days Galapagos cruise you will visit Black Turtle Cove's mangrove lagoon. Transfer to Guayaquil or Quito in the afternoon.

To find rich marine biodiversity in the fresh and salt water, you can explore the mangroves with a panga (zodiac). This tranquil ecosystem is home to manta Rays and sea turtles. You can also see white tip reef sharks gliding past. Blue footed booby colonies can be found on the rocks surrounding cove. The guide should turn off the Zodiac motor when entering the cove. This quiet exploration allows you to have better encounters with the mangrove-nesting birds (brown pelicans, herons) and marine life.