Galapagos cruise with MY Grand Majestic
8 days - from € 5,660 per person
- Example of an 8-day expedition cruise with the Grand Majestic
- Combine this cruise with a round trip in Ecuador, Colombia or Peru
- Sapa Pana Travel only works with small-scale Galapagos cruises
- Let us advise you about the possibilities
- Also possibilities for single and family cabins
Travel itinerary
Day 1: Quito / Guayaquil - San Cristobal
Your special journey to the Galapagos Islands starts today. In the morning you will depart with a domestic flight from the airport of Quito or Guayaquil to San Cristobal on the Galapagos. Upon arrival in San Cristobal you will be welcomed and taken to the boarding point of MY Grand Majestic cruise. You will board the cruise ship on which you will stay the following days. After you have received the safety instructions on board of the cruise, you will leave for your first sight on the island of San Cristobal: the lagoon of El Junco. El Junco is located at 700 meters above sea level and is one of the few freshwater springs on the Galapagos. Frigate birds are often seen here washing the salt from their feathers as well as white-cheeked pintails and common gallinules.
Overnight stay on board MY Grand Majestic | full board
MY Grand Majestic cruise
You will stay on board the MY Grand Majestic cruise, one of the fastest and most modern ships sailing through the Galapagos archipelago. The small-scale yacht has seven cabins and one master suite. The Grand Majestic has been specially designed for exclusive high-end private charters. The guide, captain and crew are dedicated to providing the highest quality service. When you return from a day full of adventure, you can relax in the public lounge, bar or on the sun deck where you can use the jacuzzi.
Day 2: Floreana Island
In the morning you will arrive on the island of Floreana, where "The Post Office Bay" can be found. Here the legend of pirates and whalers lives on. The first whalers placed a mailbox here to leave messages for other ships and send letters home. The original mailbox has long since disappeared, but letters can still be posted. Time to send a postcard to the home front and perhaps take home a postcard that is addressed to deliver it. In the afternoon you will visit Cormorant Point, a narrow peninsula with a beach on both sides. One of the beaches has a green color, due to the presence of the mineral olivine. Here you can see small rays. In the nearby lagoon you can often find pink flamingos. These beautiful animals are eating at least 7 hours of a day and stay almost constantly in this bay. It is also possible to go snorkeling at Devil's Crown. This is a rising volcanic crater where seabirds nest. The water here is particularly clear and the sight of the whitetip reef shark, parrotfish, creole fish and much more are worth a visit.
Overnight stay aboard MY Grand Majestic | full board
Day 3: Española Island
You will arrive on the island of Española which is the southernmost island of the Galapagos Islands. The island has an area of about 60 km2, with its highest point at 206 meter. It is the oldest island of the archipelago, over 3,4 million years old. The dry, arid and uninhabited island is famous for its great variety of birds. In the morning you will visit Suarez Point which is located on the west coast and is great for spotting the blue-footed gannet bird, Albatrosses and Nazcagent birds. The large Albatrosses here use the cliffs as launching pad, which is great to see. Next you will visit the so-called ''blowhole'', a hole in the rocks where the seawater sprays into the air at high tide for about 20 meters. In the afternoon you will visit the east coast of the island. You will visit Gardner Bay, a long white beach surrounded by a colony of sea lions. It is a great place to spend time. At Gardner Bay you will have the opportunity to kayak and/or snorkel at the rocky shores.
Overnight stay on board MY Grand Majestic | full board
Day 4: Santa Cruz
Today you will visit the island of Santa Cruz, also called the beating heart of the Galapagos Islands. The island is 986 km2 and has its highest point at 864 meter. The city of Puerto Ayora, with about 1500 inhabitants, is the most important city of the archipelago. In the morning you will visit Los Gemelos, the twins. This name refers to the two craters, which are located right next to the road. Here you will make a beautiful hike with breathtaking views along the way. The afternoon will be devoted to a visit to the Charles Darwin Foundation, which was founded in 1958. Here you will find hundreds of young and adult turtles. Many of the older turtles are used to humans and stretch their heads out when a picture is taken. It is also the main center for the Galapagos Tortoise Breeding Project. This project, set up in the 1970's, has been an incredible success in helping the giant tortoise population on these special islands.
Overnight stay aboard MY Grand Majestic | full board
Day 5: Genovesa
In the morning you will arrive on the island of Genovesa. The island is very fascinating from a geological and biological point of view. It is remarkable that the chemical composition of the lava found here is identical to the lava found at the mid-ocean fault lines, the so-called "mid-ocean-ridge basalt (MORB)". Genovesa is, like the island of Española, a paradise for bird lovers. You will visit El Barranco, located in the southern part of Darwin Bay, also known as Prince Philip's Steps. Here you will climb to a plateau that is part of the piece of land that surrounds Darwin Bay on the eastern side. You will see two species of petrels nesting in cavities and holes in the lava here. One of the most important predators here is the short-eared owl. The Nazca gannet can also be seen here. In the afternoon you will visit Darwin Bay itself, which has a beautiful white coral sand beach. This is the favorite island for many birds such as lava seagulls and lava herons. You will take a nice walk, where you can spot many of these birds along the way. At the end of the trail you will find crystal clear puddles of water with playing sea lions. During a visit to Darwin Bay you will have the opportunity to snorkel and/or kayak.
Overnight stay aboard MY Grand Majestic | full board
Day 6:Rabida Island – Chinese Hat Islet
In the morning you will visit the island of Rabida. This island has an area of 4.9 km2 and the highest point is at 367 meters. Red beaches and several lagoons are characteristic of this island. You can find many sea lions on the coast, where the males with a lot of bravura compete for their territories and the females. Around the lagoon behind the beach are the males, "the Bachelors of Rabida", who have temporarily given up their fight and use the lagoon to rest. Many flamingos, who were also once to be found on this island, have left because of the noise and fights between the sea lions. At the lava coast it is good to snorkel and/or kayak. Because of the steep walls it is difficult to get in and out of the water, but the water is very clear and full of sea creatures. If you stay close to the coast there is a good chance that you will see sharks and rays. In the afternoon you will sail to Chinese Hat Islet, or Chinese Hat. This small island is located on the southeast coast of the island of Santiago and is easily recognizable (at a distance) by the typical shape to which it owes its name. The landing place is a pearl white sandy beach with sea lions. Inland there is a path along lava tunnels to a rocky coastline with marine iguanas and many Sally Lightfoot crabs. Snorkeling is great here. Penguins can be found here and with a bit of luck also the mating eagle rays.
Overnight stay aboard MY Grand Majestic | full board
Day 7: San Cristobal – Lobos Island
Today you will visit the island of San Cristobal. San Cristobal is the fifth island of the archipelago with a surface area of 558 km2. The highest point is 730 meters. Here you will find after Baltra, the 2nd airport of the archipelago. The capital of the Galapagos Islands, Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, is located on this island. After the island of Santa Cruz, this island has the largest population, approx. 5500. In the morning you sail to the north coast and visit Witch Hill, a rock hollowed out by the sea. Afterwards you will visit one of the most white powdery beaches of the Galapagos with an abundance of animals. The animals you can spot here are sea turtles, rays and several booby birds. You will have the opportunity to take a dive and/or snorkel. In the afternoon you sail from San Cristobal to the small island of Isla Lobos. Here blue-footed boobies nest and a colony of sea lions live here. On the island you can of course make a nice walk, but a real must is to snorkel with the sea lions!
Overnight stay aboard MY Grand Majestic| full board
Day 8: San Cristobal - Quito/ Guayaquil
The last cruise day has arrived but before you are taken to the airport you will visit the Gianni Arismendy Interpretation Centre in the morning. Here you will learn about the history of the islands and learn more about the nature and geological formation of the archipelago. You will then be taken to San Cristobal Airport, where you will board your domestic flight to Quito or Guayaquil. End of your Galapagos cruise.
Price
From € 5,660 per person
- On the basis of 2 persons travelling together
- Depending on the time of booking, flight availability and period of travel
Included:
- 1 overnight stay in Quito or Guayaquil (before the start of the cruise)
- 7 nights aboard the MY Grand Majestic Galapagos Cruise, on a full board basis
- all excursions during the Galapagos cruise, accompanied by professional English-speaking guides
- all transfers on the Galapagos Islands
- snorkeling equipment, underwater camera and wetsuit
- 1 airport transfers for the Galapagos flights (2020)
- assistance at the airport on arrival and departure from the Galapagos Islands
- our backup 24/7; locally and in the Netherlands
- extensive travel document package with a small attention
Not included:
- domestic flights (mainland Ecuador - Galapagos - mainland Ecuador)
- alcoholic drinks
- tips
- personal expenses
- the entrance fee for the Galapagos National Park USD $ 100,- per person
- transit Control Card USD $ 20,- per person
- (Dutch) public contribution Calamity fund; € 2.50,- per booking
- SGR contribution of € 5,- per person per booking
- travel and cancellation insurance
Request travel proposal
Would you like to go on this journey? We can arrange the itinerary for you, but we are also happy to put together a programme based on your wishes and ideas. Do not hesitate to contact us. Call +31 73 610 62 04, send an e-mail to info@sapapanatravel.nl or request a customized quote below. We will be happy to help you.
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