M/V Galapagos Legend Cruise: 4 Days
- Duration
- 4 Days
- Prices From:
- US$ 3,319
FIRST-CLASS | CRUISE: The M/V Galapagos Legend offers the amenities of a large cruise liner without sacrificing the intimacy of small craft. Spend 4 days on a first-class vessel exploring the sights of the Galapagos Islands.
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Nowhere embodies the spirit of eco-travel like the Galapagos Islands. They have inspired nature lovers all the way back to Charles Darwin, and today draw visitors from all parts of the globe. As the world’s second largest marine reserve after the Great Barrier Reef, the Islands are perhaps best experienced on a guided cruise. See Blue-footed Boobies, sea lions, and the famed Galapagos Tortoise. Then relax after each day’s discoveries aboard your first class vessel. The Legend sleeps 100 passengers with a commitment to luxury and privacy. Multilingual naturalist guides are onboard, along with a concierge and 24-hour medical service.
This 4 day excursion takes you to the highlands of Santa Cruz, a natural reserve for giant tortoises. See these incredible creatures up close, while exploring a fascinating volcanic landscape marked by lava tubes and pit craters.
Make a wet landing on a volcanic sand beach visited by Darwin in 1835. You’ll find a wide variety of bird and sea life here, including the Yellow-crowned Night Heron and marine iguanas. Endemic fur seals also keep cool in the volcanic rock pools. As you hike to the summit of the island, pass lava lizards and Blue-footed Boobies. You may even have the chance to swim with Galapagos Penguins, sea turtles and Whitetip Reef Sharks. Continue your exploration of Santa Cruz with a walk up Dragon Hill, where land iguanas nest amid mockingbirds, Galapagos Doves and other birds.
Make another dry landing at North Seymour. This spot that can be a busy with tourists, but with good reason. Many of the Islands’ most famous animals can be found here, including Blue-footed Boobies and sea lions.
Spend a day at Bachas Beach before you depart. This is a prime nesting spot for sea turtles, and also contains the wrecked remains of US Navy barges that operated here during World War 2. In fact, the name ‘Bachas’ derives from how the locals pronounce ‘barges’.
Click here for the Galapagos Nature Calendar. A complete listing of which species is doing what and when in the Galapagos!
- Duration
- 4 Days
- Prices From:
- US$ 3,319
Itinerary View Trip Map
Mainland to The Galapagos Islands, Santa Cruz
This morning, take a flight departing from mainland Ecuador heading to Baltra (2.5 hours). Upon arrival, you will be picked up at the airport and take a 10 minute bus ride to the pier to board the Galapagos Legend.
Dry landing. In the mountains of Galapagos is possible to admire different kinds of birds, such as tree and ground finches, vermillion flycatchers, paint-billed crakes, yellow warblers, and cattle egrets (usually standing on the tortoises' shell). The journey to the reserve offers great opportunities to see the contrasts that the island offers in reference to the variety of ecosystems. The road goes from the coast through the agricultural zone and straight up to the dense humid forests. Often, Galapagos Giant Tortoises are also seen on the way, wandering through pastures in the paddocks. This spot is a bird watchers' haven since almost every land bird present on the island lives or migrates here.
Difficulty level: Easy
Type of terrain: Flat and muddy (depending on season)
Duration: 45 minute drive and 1.5 hour walk
| Meal Plan | Lunch and Dinner |
|---|---|
| Duration | 3 Nights |
| Accommodation |
M/V Legend |
| Location | View map |
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M/V Legend
This legendary, 100-passenger, first-class vessel offers all the amenities of a large cruise liner without sacrificing the intimacy you'd expect on a small sailing craft, and consequently allows you to have it all.
This legendary, 100-passenger, first-class vessel offers all the amenities of a large cruise liner without sacrificing the intimacy you'd expect on a small sailing craft, and consequently allows you to have it all.
Facilities
- Auditorium
- Boutique(s)
- Embarkation Area
- Fitness Centre
- Jacuzzi
- Medical Facilities
- Panoramic Views
- Pool
- Restaurant
Genovesa - El Barranco and Darwin Bay
This morning visit El Barranco, Prince Philip's Steps. Be marveled at the variety of sea life that uses the crevices of the lava cliffs for shelter. Red-billed Tropicbirds fly overhead, switching between their nests and the bay, and a small colony of fur seals may be found near the landing site. You will be dropped off at a steep stairway that begins on rocks at the foot of a path that leads through a seabird colony full of Nazca and Red-footed Boobies. At the plateau, the trail continues inland allowing you to see more nesting booby colonies in the thin Palo Santo forest. Near the end of the trail, over a rocky lava plain, Wedge-rumped Storm-Petrels can be observed flying in all directions. If you are lucky, you may catch a glimpse of a Short-eared Owl.
Difficulty level: Moderate
Type of terrain: Rocky - Lava
Duration: 45 minute walk
During the afternoon you will disembark onto a small sand and coral beach. A short trail heads west along a tidal lagoon and then up a rocky hill that leads to a point overlooking the cliffs and Darwin Bay. Along the trail near the tidal lagoon, visitors will see pairs of Swallow-tailed Gulls, Lava Gulls, Yellow-crowned and Lava Herons. The trail continues through Palo Santo trees, Opuntia cacti, and Saltbushes inhabited by Great Frigate birds and Red-footed Boobies. This is one of the few places in the islands where visitors are guaranteed to see Red-footed Boobies. It is estimated that more than 200.000 Red-footed Boobies live in the trees and bushes of Genovesa.
Difficulty level: Moderate
Type of terrain: Sand and Lava
Duration: 2.5 hour walk
| Meal Plan | Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner |
|---|
Dragon Hill (Santa Cruz) and Santa Fe
This morning, make a dry landing. Walk by a brackish lagoon where feeding flamingoes can be occasionally found. The trail leads across typical dry zone vegetation up to Dragon Hill, an important nesting ground for endemic land iguanas, offering lovely views of the anchorage and neighbouring islands. The forest is home to mockingbirds, Darwin's finches, Yellow Warblers and Galapagos Doves.
Difficulty level: Intermediate
Type of terrain: Rocky
Duration: 2 hours walk
In the afternoon, make a wet landing at Santa Fe. This island shows white sand beaches surrounded by sea lion colonies. Through the island path, an endemic cactus forest is passed, home of the Santa Fe land iguanas (the largest in the islands). This island is the habitat for a number of species, including the Galapagos hawk, Galapagos snakes, rice rats (one of the few endemic Galapagos rodents), a variety of finches and one of the four mockingbird species of the archipelago.
Difficulty level: Intermediate
Type of terrain: Rocky
Duration: 1.5 hour walk / 1 hour deep water snorkeling
| Meal Plan | Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner |
|---|
Bachas Beach (Santa Cruz)
Wet landing on the north side of Santa Cruz. Behind the beach lies two flamingo ponds with iguanas, coastal birds, Darwin finches, mockingbirds, and gulls, as well as interesting native and endemic vegetation. This beach is one of the main nesting sites of sea turtles in the Galapagos. A female can lay eggs 3 or 4 times with an average 70 eggs each, but then will spend 3 to 5 years without breeding.
At this site, you will also find the remains of barges that sank long ago, once property of the United States Navy when they operated an airbase on Baltra Island during World War II. The name "Bachas" was how the locals pronounced "barges".
Difficulty level: easy
Type of terrain: sandy
Duration: 1 hour walking, 1 hour snorkeling/swimming
Later, you will go straight to the airport for your return flight to mainland Ecuador where your tour concludes.
| Meal Plan | Breakfast |
|---|
Other Information
DEPARTURES:
Mondays
PRICE INCLUDES:
- Shared arrival and departure airport transfers
- Roundtrip domestic flights from Quito (or Guayaquil) to Baltra Airport
- 3 nights in first-class cruise cabin, as selected, with air-conditioning and private facilities
- Two excursions per day with multilingual naturalist guides
- Access to briefings, lectures, shared areas and activities on board
- Welcome and farewell cocktail
- Galapagos Park National Park Tax
- Migration Control Card
- Breakfast daily (excluding day 1), 3 lunches, 3 dinners
PRICE EXCLUDES:
- Travel insurance
- International and domestic airfare & airfare taxes unless otherwise specified
- Optional cruise activities
- Meals and beverages not mentioned
- Gratuities
- Items of a personal nature
- Visa fees if applicable
TERMS AND CONDITIONS:
Prices are "from" per person based on twin/double share accommodation and for travel in low season. Seasonal surcharges and blackout dates may apply. Limited seat/spaces and all pricing is subject to change and availability. Rates for single or triple travellers are available on request - please inquire.
NOTE: The domestic flights Quito - Galapagos - Quito (approx. $550 USD), Galapagos Park entrance fee of $100 USD and visitors ticket of $20 USD are included in the trip price. (Subject to change).
Itineraries: Due to government regulations designed to control and protect the impact of tourism, each vessel, based on length of cruise has its own distinct itinerary. The itineraries are designed to allow visitors to visit all regions of the islands and we suggest you request the advice of Goway's Latin specialists as to which itinerary would suit you best.
Optional on board services (available for pre-purchase):
• Scuba Diving during GO´s cruises: half day tour with 1-2 immersions and equipment included
• Wet suits rental
• Kayak rental
• Transparent kayak
• Internet plans
• Alcoholic / non-alcoholic beverages
18 Dec 2023
