Anahí Yacht
The Anahi Catamaran is a first-class cruise that offers high-quality amenities such as gourmet meals and luxurious rooms.
This travel proposal is perfect for those looking to explore the iconic sites of the Galápagos Islands in a short time. This exciting 4-day itinerary begins with a visit to San Cristóbal, where you'll have the opportunity to dive into the history of the archipelago and appreciate its impressive natural wealth. During your stay, you can explore the Charles Darwin Research Station to observe giant tortoises in their natural habitat.
The variety of species is not limited to San Cristóbal. The islands of Española, Floreana, and Baltra are home to an astounding diversity of exotic birds, such as albatrosses, gulls, and the unique Española mockingbird. Moreover, as you explore the archipelago, you'll also witness the incredible diversity of marine life inhabiting the waters of the Pacific Ocean.
The Yacht Anahi offers tours from 4 days to 15 days.
Itinerary
Day 1
San Cristóbal Island: Interpretation Center, Tijeretas Hill, and Punta Carola.
AM: Flying from Quito or Guayaquil, our flight will arrive around noon (local time) in San Cristóbal, where you will be welcomed in the lobby by our guide, who will be waiting for your arrival to take you to the Anahí Yacht. Your luggage will be handled by one of our crew members and transported directly to the yacht aboard small Zodiacs. The captain and crew will greet you, and then you will be assigned your cabin.
After lunch, our guide will provide a brief explanation of the afternoon activities.
PM: The Interpretation Center of San Cristobal is located on the outskirts of the small town of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, the capital city of the Galápagos province. The center will give us an introduction to the islands, and their natural and human history.
A short 30-minute walk starts from the interpretation center and takes you to the top of “Cerro Tijeretas” hill to enjoy a spectacular sight of the surrounding geographical formations of the Pacific Ocean including the famous Kicker Rock. The hill is often visited by Frigate birds that nest there in certain seasons of the year. From the hill we will descend into a small cove known as Punta Carola, where we will observe a colony of sea lions.
At night guests who want to disembark can go into the city for a walk and maybe have a drink at one of the local bars.
Lunch and dinner are included aboard.
Day 2
Española Island: Punta Suárez and Bahía Gardner.
AM: Punta Suárez: A destination of great interest due to the incredible abundance of birds and endemic species like the Española Mockingbird, which has a distinctively longer and curved beak than variations found on other islands; the Galápagos lava lizard; the marine iguana of the venustissimus subspecies; and more. We can also observe seagulls and other tropical birds that live on the rocky slopes. Among the more interesting attractions of the island is the waved albatross, as the entire world population of this species comes to breed here between March and December. Punta Suarez is one of the most sought-after land visits of the Galapagos, where we can find hundreds of Nasca boobies, colonies of sea lions, large colonies of marine iguanas and different species of birds, which can be seen doing their mating dances.
PM: Bahía Gardner has a gorgeous white coral sand beach that is excellent for relaxing, and surrounding areas that are excellent for swimming and snorkeling. Here we can find a large colony of playful sea lions and local species of snakes, while we will undoubtedly see Darwin’s finches, mockingbirds and with luck various species of rays, sharks, fish, and sea turtles in the water. Kayaking is optional in the area.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included onboard.
Day 3
Floreana Island: Punta Cormorant, Devil’s Crown, Post Office Bay & Asilo de la Paz.
AM: Our morning visit to Punta Cormorant stops by one of the largest flamingo lagoons of the archipelago, located between two volcanic hills that gives the area a special atmosphere. There are varieties of sea birds that can be seen in addition to flamingos, the most frequent ones being black necked stilts, white-cheeked pintails, and other migratory birds.
This is a unique area due to the high percentage of endemic plants. Here we can see a unique “Green Beach” (due to the high percentage of olivine crystals in the sand) and the “Flour Sand Beach” composed of coral reefs, making these amongst the most interesting beaches of the islands. Then we return to the yacht to begin our snorkeling activity at the location known as “Devil’s Crown.” This is a sunken volcanic crater where the interior of the formation is ideal for the formation of marvelous coral reefs, making it one of the most fascinating marine sites in the Galápagos.
PM: The “Post Office” bay historically served as a letter exchange station from the 18th century until today, when the crew of a whaling ship utilized a wooden barrel as the exchange point. Both sailors and tourists have used this system to communicate with people from all around the world until today. The idea is to bring letters or postcards to their destination by hand, creating a very special “postal service”. This site was also the landing place for some of the first settlers on the islands, that eventually went to the highlands in search of fresh running water. Then we will visit the Asilo de la Paz, one of the first occupied areas of the archipelago by the German Wittmer family.
If we are lucky, we may see a pod of dolphins during our trip, as well as manta rays and sea turtles.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included onboard.
Day 4
Santa Cruz Island: Galápagos Giant Tortoises.
AM: After breakfast, we will visit the famous Fausto Llerena Interpretation Center, where you can see different sizes and species of the Giant Galapagos Tortoises. If we have time, we can also visit a special wing of the area where we can see “Lonesome George” on display, an icon of conservation and the islands. If time allows, we will stop by a small guest center of the Charles Darwin Research Station.
Then we will be transported to “Los Gemelos,” an iconic natural sinkhole formation, before we cross to Baltra Island with a local ferry, and then take a bus to the airport. Our trip ends here. We will say goodbye to our guide and to the Galapagos Islands.
Breakfast is included onboard.
NOTE: Onboard and land activities can be modified depending on the weather conditions, National Park regulations or other unexpected circumstances.
