Galapagos Islands Cruises

TRACING DARWINS FOOTSTEPS

A live-aboard yacht cruise is without a doubt the most popular and recommended way to visit the islands. Quite simply you are able to see a lot more of what the islands have to offer and can visit the very best of the tourist sites available.

YACHT CATEGORIES
Happy Gringo work together with over fifty different Galapagos boat owners in total, all of whom operate both reliable and trustworthy tours. We sell both the smaller yachts (capacity for 12 to 16 passengers) for a more intimate island experience and the larger cruise ships (from 30 up to 120 passengers), and have divided these yachts into 4 different categories:

• Standard Gringo
• Comfortable Gringo
• Luxury Gringo
• Super Deluxe Gringo

Follow each link for a list of yachts in each category and more detailed information.

Each agency has its own system for classifying yachts; our system is unique to others because we have chosen category names that we consider describe the boats better than those traditionally used, and we classify boats based not only on on-board services but also on past client recommendations and feedback that we receive. As such we consider that ours is the most unbiased and informative system available in the market.

TOUR DURATION Cruises are of 4, 5 or 8 days in duration. The 8-day trips are most popular as obviously you get to see a greater variety of wildlife, but the 4 and 5 day trips also give a great introduction to the islands. Usually the 4 and 5 day trips are joined together to make the full 8-day trip with a return to the central island of Santa cruz in the middle. Starting from 2012 there will also be longer trips available such as 10, 11, 12 and even 15 day combinations.

ITINERARIES There are many variations in cruise itineraries as each boat has permissions to visit different islands. Typical variations are the southern loop (may include Floreana, Santa Fe, Plazas, San Cristobal, Espanola) which is generally considered a little better for wildlife, and the northern loop (may include Bartolome, Santiago, Rabida, Sombrero Chino, Genovesa, North Seymour) which affords some wonderful volcanic landscapes. An 8-day trip will usually run both loops together giving an excellent all-round appreciation of the islands. Some of the Comfortable and Luxury Gringo yachts also head out west to visit Isabela and Fernandina islands too. As of 2012 yacht itineraries will vary much more due to new measures taken by the National Park Authority to better protect wildlife.

INCLUSIONS Cruise prices include twin-cabin accommodation, 3 meals per day and island excursions with an English-speaking naturalist guide. Price exclusions are airfare, national park entry, bar drinks and tips.