Aqua Mare Galapagos Cruises

Arrive at Baltra airport, be met by the team and escorted on a short cross-island transfer to the jetty. Receive a warm welcome aboard Aqua Mare, where you will be treated with the utmost attention courtesy of your 1:1 crew-to-guest ratio. After a delicious lunch, pick out your snorkeling kit complete with mask, fins, snorkel and an optional wetsuit for your personal use during the week. You will also receive a special waterproof bag and a water bottle as a welcome gift.

The afternoon will see you head out for your first excursion to the beautiful white beach of Bahia Borrero on the northern part of Santa Cruz. You might be able to spot Darwin’s finches, cactus finches and small ground finches nestled in the coastal vegetation. For those who prefer to snorkel, you will encounter sea turtles at the beach—one of their primary nesting sites. Afterwards, head back to the yacht and indulge in a sumptuous Nikkei-inspired dinner curated by world-renowned consultant chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino. Share stories of your excursion with other guests, marking the perfect start to your Galapagos Islands adventure.

This morning, you’ll wake up on the other side of the equator and head over to Bahia Darwin’s coralline beach for hiking and snorkeling. Following a sumptuous lunch, explore Genovesa Island with a tender ride along the volcanic rocks of El Barranco. You’ll be able to view fur seals resting inside rock crevices. A ~1-mile (1.5 km) hike inland will then take you to the lava fields to view red-footed boobies as well as great frigatebirds and Galapagos storm petrels.

Make it a family affair after dinner at the lower deck Beach Club by enjoying a private movie screening. Consider watching the “Planet Earth” documentary on the Galapagos Islands, the swashbuckling box office “Master and Commander,” or simply enjoy the starlit skies from the sun deck.

Start the morning early with a workout or a guided meditation on the sun deck followed by a refreshing breakfast. Your first excursion of the day will take you to Santiago Island with a dry landing at Bahía Sullivan to discover recent Pahoehoe lava flows.

After a sumptuous lunch and lecture from one of your expert naturalist guides on board, leave for Sombrero Chino Island, so named after the small crater that forms the islet. In the surrounding crystal-clear waters, you might have the opportunity to observe sea lions and penguins from above. There will be time for snorkeling, stand-up paddleboarding and kayaking. After working up an appetite, return to the yacht for evening sundowners and a signature dining experience serving macambo rice and fish maito.

Diving: this optional, added-cost activity is available today. For details read Aqua Mare FAQ’s for scuba diving.

With an early morning anchor at Bartolomé Island, embark upon a mild climb up to the summit of a spatter cone for a spectacular view of the island’s iconic Pinnacle Rock. Cool down afterwards with a snorkel with possible sea turtles and Galapagos penguins, before heading back to the yacht for lunch as the ship sails towards Santa Cruz Island.

The afternoon excursion is 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. Back on board, swap tales of your magnificent excursion while enjoying the best of the region’s flavors through seafood specialties like pan seared scallops and grilled squid.

Diving: this optional, added-cost activity is available today. For details read Aqua Mare FAQ’s for scuba diving.

This morning you will explore a 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, flycatchers, cattle egrets, and if lucky Galapagos Rails.

After a delicious lunch, you will visit 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 your 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.

Diving: this optional, added-cost activity is available today. For details read Aqua Mare FAQ’s for scuba diving.

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, take a tender ride to the beautiful array of islets for snorkeling alongside playful sea lions, sea turtles, sharks, rays and many different species of reef fishes. The last visit of the day is to Bahía Gardner, an outstanding coralline sand beach that boasts one of the biggest colonies of sea lions in the Galapagos Islands. Back on board the yacht, head over to the bar to socialize over Happy Hour with a glass of special Bloody Mary as the crew prepares for departure to the next anchorage.

After a night of sailing, you will visit Santa Fé 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 characterized to some degree by its vegetation of palo santo trees, a pear cactus that is called Opuntia echios barringtonensis, and many other native bushes. Here you will spot land iguanas, lava lizards, mockingbirds and Darwin’s finches. 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 paddleboarding.

As you enjoy lunch on board, 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. Swap notes on everything you’ve seen today at your final recap briefing once back aboard and toast farewell under the Archipelago’s amazing starlit skies to your newfound friends over a glass of wine.

Diving: this optional, added-cost activity is available today. For details read Aqua Mare FAQ’s for scuba diving.

Begin the last day with a luxurious breakfast before bidding farewell to the Aqua Mare crew. The 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.

Memories of this last adventure accompany you while being escorted to Baltra Island for the departing flight back to the mainland and onward journey home.

Once you arrive at the airport, be met by the team and escorted on a cross-island van and ferry transfer of approximately 1.5 hours to Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island. On the way there, enjoy a delicious outdoor lunch at a Giant Tortoise Reserve, followed by your first excursion to the highlands of Santa Cruz.

Receive a warm welcome aboard Aqua Mare, where you will be treated with the utmost attention courtesy of your 1:1 crew-to-guest ratio. You will also receive as a welcome gift a special waterproof bag to place your belongings during wet landings, and a water bottle.

In the evening, you will have some leisure time to explore the main town of Puerto Ayora. Consider strolling along the main waterfront where you can stop by the many boutiques and jewelry shops before heading back to the ship for an evening of lecture and inspiration for the next day, then to indulge in your first taste of fresh seafood dining in the Galapagos Islands.

For the second morning in the Galapagos Islands, the ship anchors in the southern part of the Archipelago at Floreana Island. After breakfast, the morning wet landing excursion takes all to a big brackish water lagoon to observe greater flamingos, ducks, black-necked stilts and other shorebirds at Punta Cormorant. Observe where sea turtles nest at night, and spot stingrays and sharks swimming very close to the shore.

Enjoy a splendid lunch consisting of fresh Ecuadorian recipes with an Andean twist before heading back out to Floreana to pay tribute to an old island tradition at Bahía Post Office. The visit will follow another quick tour of what once was a fishing enterprise in the 1920s before continuing on board the tenders to visit Mirador de la Baronesa. Upon returning on board Aqua Mare, enjoy another feast showcasing a blend of Japanese technique and Peruvian seasoning through delicacies such as the tuna tartare and quinoa yakimeshi. Stay out on the upper deck with a cocktail if you would like to admire the northern and southern hemispheres’ starlit skies tonight.

Diving: this optional, added-cost activity is available today. For details read Aqua Mare FAQ’s for scuba diving.

After a night of sailing, the morning sees your beautiful superyacht anchored on the western side of Isabela Island. As the biggest and youngest island in the Archipelago, Isabela was formed by five relatively young volcanoes and is characterized by giant tortoises and marine iguanas. For the morning excursion, a hike at Punta Moreno takes you to the mangroves and gas-rich basaltic lava rocks resulting from a large basaltic lava flow which came from the Cerro Azul volcano on Isabela hundreds of years ago. There are mangrove lagoons along the shore, where you will embark on a dinghy ride to observe marine iguanas, flightless cormorants, and penguins among other species.

In the afternoon, the Aqua Mare will sail north to Bahía Urbina, a 2.3-square-mile (6km²) point, once underwater and uplifted in 1954 up to ~10 feet (3m) above sea level. Here you can see land iguanas, some of the biggest marine iguanas roaming free in the Archipelago, and on occasion, tortoises as well. You’ll end the day with an unforgettable view of Isabela’s five volcanoes while dining on macambo rice, fish maito and candied pear beneath the stars.

Start the morning early with a workout on the sun deck at your next anchorage point of Punta Espinoza, part of a huge lava flow formed from one of the many eruptions of the La Cumbre volcano, known to be one of the most active volcanoes in the world. The region is famous for its large colonies of marine iguanas, flightless cormorants and lizards. You might come across Galapagos penguins, Galapagos hawks and snakes as well. You will spend the morning on shore with the option to snorkel before returning to the yacht for a sumptuous lunch.

As Aqua Mare crosses the Bolivar Channel back towards Isabela Island, prepare to channel your inner pirate for the afternoon excursion visiting Caleta Tagus, once a favorite anchorage spot for pirates and whalers. Here you will hike to see Darwin Lake, a saltwater lake trapped inside a tuff cone. If you would rather not hike, you can take your pick from the ship’s four double kayaks, snorkeling, stand-up paddleboarding or a ride on the ship’s elegant black tenders to explore the cove and its surroundings. Return to the yacht for evening sundowners and head to the bridge after dinner for a chat with your captain as you cross the equatorial line twice.

This morning, take a tender ride to Caleta Bucanero, a 17th century pirate rest stop where pirates used to stock up on fresh tortoise meat and fresh water. If ocean conditions are unfavorable, visit Playa Espumilla instead, a golden sandy beach which is a well-known breeding ground for sea turtles.

Head back to the yacht for lunch encompassing flavors of the South American Pacific coast through specially prepared dishes like the linguine ai frutti di mare. Next, disembark on the black-sand beaches of Puerto Egas, northwest of Santiago Island. You will be able to walk the intertidal zone to the fur seal grottos or snorkel to watch sea turtles, sea lions and white-tipped sharks.

Wind down back on board with Happy Hour over a glass of the ship’s special Aqua Bloody Mare as the crew prepares for departure to your next adventure.

Awake to the sounds of nature and a fresh breakfast before departing by tender to Rábida Island, also known as the red island. The color is the result of oxidation of very old porous lava. Choose to hike, kayak, stand-up paddleboard or snorkel, as well as observe hundreds of sea lions who have made their home on the beach.

After a delicious lunch, listen to an afternoon lecture on the evolution of Darwin’s finches presented by the onboard expert guides in the Panoramic Lounge. The Aqua Mare will sail towards the north of Santa Cruz Island, to Caleta Tortuga Negra, a mangrove estuary that is home to sea turtles. This is a tender ride excursion as there is no landing site, but watch for green sea turtles, as well as three different types of sharks: the black tip, the Galapagos and the famous blue shark. End this glorious day discovering more signature Ecuadorian cuisine with an Andean twist courtesy of Chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino.

Diving: this optional, added-cost activity is available today. For details read Aqua Mare FAQ’s for scuba diving.

The penultimate day in the Archipelago begins with a refreshing breakfast before heading out to North Seymour Island, formed by uprisings of underwater volcanic lavas some 3.1 million years ago. The island is mostly known for its healthy population of land iguanas, blue-footed boobies, swallow-tailed gulls and great frigatebirds. After a morning full of fun activities, head back to the yacht for a delicious lunch aboard Aqua Mare.

For the afternoon excursion, hop on to a tender for a wet landing onto Mosquera Island. While the rock pile is one of the smallest in the Archipelago, it is home to one of the largest colonies of sea lions in the Galapagos Islands, and with luck one may even spot migratory orcas. Around sunset, return to the sleek comfort of Aqua Mare for the last evening aboard. Swap notes on all the experiences from this most incredible adventure with friends on board and toast farewell with something special from the ship’s curated wine list.

Diving: this optional, added-cost activity is available today. For details read Aqua Mare FAQ’s for scuba diving.

The last day begins with a luxurious breakfast set against the morning sunrise. Enjoy the views from Aqua Mare before making your way to Baltra Island for disembarkation. Bid farewell to the crew and your beautiful home for the past week.

You will be escorted to the airport for your flight back to the mainland and onward journey home, with all the wonderful memories to cherish forever.