It was our second visit to the Galapagos Islands, and we were excited to join Hurtigruten Expeditions to go island hopping in Darwin’s Footsteps on their newly refurbished Santa Cruz II. This truly was our dream Galapagos Cruise. The first time we visited Galapagos National Park, we stayed on land and took water taxis and shuttles from island to island. That was fun, but this trip with Hurtigruten Expeditions was luxurious, adventurous, informative, and fun. We had a great time on the ship with only 39 like-minded passengers. We felt like we had our own personal service as 60 expert guides and crew members looked after our every need.
About the Galapagos Islands
The Galapagos islands are a haven for an astonishing variety of endemic species, from the famous giant tortoises to the playful sea lions and the colorful blue-footed boobies; you will see animals that are unique only to these enchanted islands. The Galapagos marine iguana is the only iguana in the world that feeds underwater, and Galápagos penguins are the only penguin species in the northern hemisphere. The wildlife here was the inspiration for Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution.
Where are the Galapagos Islands?
The Galapagos archipelago comprises 18 main islands off the coast of mainland Ecuador in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. These volcanic islands are among the most isolated places on Earth, and the best way to see them is by expedition cruise. Throughout our Galapagos journey, we spied on unique marine life and visited different islands boasting distinct ecosystems and landscapes, ranging from lush highlands to barren volcanic terrain.
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With strict conservation efforts in place, the Galapagos Islands remain one of the most unspoiled natural paradises on earth, inviting travelers to witness the wonders of evolution in real time. We cruised the east Galapagos Islands, following the footsteps of Charles Darwin, who developed his Theory of Natural Selection after visiting the Galapagos.
Best Galapagos Cruise
Following in Darwin Footsteps is the best route for a Galapagos cruise to introduce you to all the highlights of Galapagos National Park in a short time. Being on offers a unique vantage point to explore this UNESCO Biosphere Reserve as you sail to remote places and explore islands free from other people.
About HX Hurtigruten Expeditions
Hurtigruten founded Expedition Cruising in 1896 and is the leader in sustainable cruising. It is the largest operator by capacity in expedition cruising and is considered one of the best Galapagos cruises in the Galapagos Islands.
If you are searching for an expedition ship to take to the Galápagos Islands, the Santa Cruz II was fantastic. Plus it runs with carbon-neutral operations, is environmentally sustainable, and works with the local community.
It was large enough to have all the comforts you need yet small enough to get to the hard-to-reach places. This expedition cruise offered gourmet dining with wine pairings, luxurious cabins, local Galapagos experts, and personalized service.
What’s Included on a Galapagos Cruise?
When on the MS Santa Cruz II, breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the main restaurant, beverages (house beer and wine, sodas, and mineral water) are included. All excursions, including snorkeling, glass bottom boat tours, stand-up paddleboarding, panga rides, kayaking, hiking, and day tours, are also included.
The Darwin Research Station, Tortoise Farm, Cultural Experiences, and city tours are also included.
On the ship, complimentary snacks, tea, and coffee are included throughout the day. The only things you have to pay for when onboard are drinks at the bar (although they are reasonable and have several happy hours throughout the trip) and any souvenirs you may want.
Gratuities are also included in Hurtigruten cruises, so you don’t need to worry about what to tip crew and guides at the end of the trip. However, a little extra is always appreciated.
The MS Santa Cruz II even had free laundry with washers and dryers on deck. We relaxed in the hot tubs after a day of hiking and washed our clothes at the same time.
Hurtigruten has more than a century of expedition experience and constantly evolves its conservation efforts.
- HX founded Expedition Cruising in 1896 and is the global leader in sustainable cruising.
- Today, it is the largest operator by capacity in expedition cruising.
- HX offers big adventures on small, custom-built ships to over 250 destinations in more than 30 countries from pole to pole and is committed to being a catalyst for change toward a greener travel industry.
- Hurtigruten also introduced the world’s first battery hybrid-powered cruise ship (2019), and has since added two more
- They were the first to ban heavy fuel oil (2009) and single-use plastics (2018).
- When choosing a Galapagos Cruise, you can feel comfortable knowing that this company is taking extra precautions to preserve the environment, wildlife, and cultures of the destination.
Our six-day Galapagos cruise took us through several eastern islands where we could go snorkeling, sea kayaking, hiking, SUP, and zodiac cruising through the archipelago in search of marine life such as sea turtles, sharks, and sea lions.
We had a luxurious experience from the moment we landed in Quito to our final destination in the rainforest of Mashpi Lodge. In total, we spent two weeks in Ecuador, with six of our days exploring the Galapagos Archipelago.
We arrived in Quito at night, where the HX Expeditions team met us and drove us by private transfer to the luxurious JW Marriott Hotel Quito. This hotel is top-notch notch, with chic rooms, a beautiful swimming pool, several restaurants, and a lounge.
We loved having a bit of time to relax in this gorgeous property.
Pre-Tour in Quito – Cotopaxi Volcano
Most itineraries start in Quito and give passengers a day or two in the city and ours was no exception. Many people also opt for pre-trips to Machu Pichu to see the Inca empire, the cloud forest, or explore Lima Peru. Hey, it’s your dream Galapagos cruise, you can see as much or as little as you like!
After a good night’s rest, we joined the HX expeditions team in the lobby of the JW Marriott for a day trip to the Cotopaxi Volcano and surrounding villages.
Cotopaxi is one of the top day trips from Quito and was included as a pre-tour to our Galapagos adventure. Just a short drive from the capital, Cotopaxi National Park is home to the majestic Cotopaxi Volcano, one of the highest active volcanoes in the world.
After a hike around the lake to take in the views of the volcanic cone, we stopped at a hacienda for lunch, followed by the opportunity to feed lamas the cutest lamas. We also stopped at nearby towns to explore markets and get immersed in the culture with our local guide…
Day 1 – Fly to Baltra Island (Aka South Seymour Island)
It was an early morning wake-up call to fly to the Galapagos Islands. We were up at 4:30 am for breakfast and then a 45-minute drive to the airport. The flight to the Galapagos Islands takes about 2 1/2 hours from Quito, with a short stop at Guayaquil on the coast.
The Galapagos Islands are remote. They are a tiny archipelago 1,369 km off the coast of South America with no other land in sight. It truly feels like you are an early explorer when you land on the islands.
Galápagos National Park regulations are strict (rightfully so), and we all had our bags scanned for anything that could contaminate the destination. Before flying from Quito and upon landing in the Galapagos.
One in the Galápagos Islands, we were greeted by the Hurtigruten staff and the resident land iguanas at the local airport. With that kind of welcome, we knew we were in for a treat as we toured the enchanted islands.
Welcome Meeting and Emergency Drills
We gathered our luggage and made our way to our transfers to the ship. Hopping on zodiacs, we were on the MS Santa Cruz II in a flash, where we were fed lunch and had an introduction to the week.
Lunch was a buffet followed by a main course and dessert. We could even have wine or beer if we felt like it. But, with excursions to be had, our day was just getting started!
After lunch, we met at the muster stations for our emergency drill and learned how we’d be disembarking to ship. Once we were finished, we grabbed our PFDs (personal floating devices), met in the library and disembarked in groups of 8 – 10 people for our first island destination.
Mosquera Island – Hike on the Beach
Our first afternoon in the Galapagos was already off to an amazing start with an afternoon excursion that began with a panga ride (you may know pangas as zodiacs), where we explored the sea cliffs of Mosquera Island. We spied frigate birds, blue-footed boobies, and pelicans along its rocky shore.
After an hour on the water, we were let off on the most pristine white sand beach you’ll ever see. This was our first encounter with sea lions in their natural habitat, and it did not disappoint. We walked along the pristine beach watching frigate birds build nests and puff their red chests to attract a mate, enjoyed sea lions playing in the surf and basking on the sand, and watched Sally Foot Crabs flitter around in the sand.
As the sun set, we returned to the pangas in time for dinner and a welcome toast with the captain
Day 2 – San Cristobal – Puerto Baquerizo Moreno
No trip to the Galapagos Islands would be complete without getting in the water and most Galapagos cruises offer several opportunities for snorkeling. We had several chances to go swimming, but also snorkeling. For people who want to explore the underwater world, all snorkeling gear is included. Our expedition cruise had wet suits, snorkels, fins, and even inflatable life preservers if you wanted extra buoyancy.
We met the expedition team on deck to get all of our gear, and after a frenzy of trying on suits and fitting our find, we were ready to go. This was our snorkeling gear for the next week, and we stored it on deck with our room number on it so we didn’t smell up our rooms. Wet suits can be pretty smelly.
Today was also the day we explored San Cristobal Island. Starting with a panga ride, we had a glorious sunny day on the water, viewing sea arches, sea cliffs, and the magnificent Kicker Rock. The last time we were in the Galapagos Islands, we snorkeled at Kicker Rock and it was an amazing place to view Galapagos sharks.
Morning Panga Tour to the beach and snorkeling for the first time. The water was warm and blue and this gave us a good chance to test out our snorkeling gear from the shore before our upcoming deep water snorkels.
Giant Tortoise Breeding Center
There is no doubt that the most iconic wildlife on the Galapagos are the giant tortoises. The friendly giants live to 200 years old and can weigh up to 800 pounds! We had three different opportunities to see giant tortoises with our first stop being the newest tortoise breeding center on the Galapagos Islands, the David Rodriguez Centro de Crianza de Tortugas Terrestres.
We had the chance to see baby tortoises and juveniles in their natural habitat. There were 15 species of giant tortoises on the Galapagos Islands but today there are only 11. However, they will soon be announcing that they found another species that survived extinction so there are now 12.
Tortoises were nearly wiped out due to whalers and pirates taking tortoises to their ships to use as food. Because giant tortoises can go for so long without food and water, they made excellent food for humans with little access to meat.
Sadly, their numbers dropped significantly. At one time there were nearly 100,000 giant tortoises on the Galapagos. Today with all of the conservation efforts, their numbers have climbed to 20,000.
San Cristobal Downtown
It was then free time to enjoy downtown San Cristobal. This town is famous for the colony of sea lions that bask on its shores. Here you’ll find sea lions on the sidewalks, on park benches, and even in boats. They have fenced off the town since the last time we were here so they now have to work a bit harder to get into town, but some still sneak through, and it is so cute.
Day 3 – Santa Fe Island
The day we started with a Panga Ride to the beach with plenty of sea lions in the water. After riding for about 30 minutes around the island, we enjoyed a wet landing to go for one of our best walks on the cruise. We broke into groups of 8 – 12 people for a long, leisurely hike around this island.
There are beautiful cacti on the island and many land iguanas. Santa Fe Land Iguanas (aka yellow – or smiling iguanas) were scattered throughout the dry, rocky landscape and put on a show for us. We even saw birds mating and some people spied on iguanas sparring.
After lunch, we had a photography chat to learn how to take better photographs with our iPhones and cameras as our ship moved to the next location. There is never a dull moment on a Galapagos Cruise, but you are free to relax as much as you like. Not everyone attended the talks and not everyone attended the hikes. You can be as busy or as relaxed as you wish. Remember, it is your vacation!
Deep Water Snorkeling
The snorkeling at Santa Fe Island was exactly what you would expect of snorkeling in the Galapagos. We played with sea lions as they blew bubbles in our faces and zipped around us in circles. They seemed to be playing a game of “let’s see how close we can get to the humans without actually touching them.”
After playing with them for some time, our guide, Claudia, told us that there were sea turtles nearby. We swam to watch them gracefully swim through the water and low and behold, two spotted eagle rays swam into view.
The marine life go about their business without a care in the world, and instead of snorkelers needing to search and follow sealife, they come to you! We had the chance to swim with them for a bit and it was extraordinary to watch them fly through the water like soaring birds..
The water was crystal clear, warm, and calm. We spent more than an hour enjoying the colorful fish, marine iguanas, and underwater world.
Day 4 – Santa Cruz Island
Santa Cruz Island is famous for the Charles Darwin Research Station. This tour took us to another giant tortoise breeding center with a focus on education. We learned all about the evolution of animals of the Galapagos, its history, and, of course, Darwin’s theory of natural selection.
We even saw Darwin’s finches, however, we learned that it was the mockingbird that was important in discovering his theories his theories and the fact that people say it was the Galapagos finch is a myth. It was still cute to see them though.
It was then time to pay our respects to Lonesome George. This tortoise died in 2012 but remains a reminder to conserve and preserve. He was the last of his species of Giant Tortoise, and even with all the efforts put forth to help him breed, he never did produce offspring, and when he died, his species died with him.
Dave and I had the opportunity to see Lonesome George in 2012 when we first visited the Galapagos Islands. He lived a happy, long life, and even though he didn’t produce offspring, he did have a good time trying!
Rancho Manzanillo
After learning about the tortoises and seeing them at the research center, we finally saw the giant tortoises in their natural habitat. Driving up to our next destination, we saw tortoises on the road, tortoises in the fields, and tortoises beside cows; they were everywhere.
We walked through the grounds and saw hundreds of giant tortoises going about their daily lives. We even saw a couple mating, soaking in ponds and chewing on leaves. It was uplifting to see how they are now thriving in today’s environment.
Cultural Experiences
A lot of people don’t realize that the Galapagos Islands are inhabited. The islands are 97% national park, but 3% of them have towns, residents and businesses. We stopped at a distillery for a tour of the farm and presentations showing us how spirits are fermented and how sugar cane is harvested.
We were surprised with just how much we enjoyed this part of our cruise. We were here for the wildlife and landscape, but learning about the culture and meeting the locals ended up being one of our favorite excursions. We sampled Cacao, sugar, coffee and 50+ proof moonshine.
Today, the government requires Galapagos cruises to stop at local businesses and I am glad that they do! To visit a destination and not understand the local communities is only a half a trip. I went away with fond memories of our time, and a bit of a buzz from the shots of moonshine!
Day 5 – Espanola Island
Today was another spectacular day with panga rides, science corners, sea lions, Blue Footed Boobies, and an abundance of nature but what made today different was our visit to the bridge to visit the captain.
HX Expeditions has an open-door policy where you can visit the captain anytime. All you need to do is ask the front desk if it is a good time, and they will notify the bridge that you’ll be stopping by.
The captain was welcoming and informative, showing us how the crew navigates through the islands, the equipment and mapping, and the daily life of being a captain. It was fascinating.
It is very cool to hang out on the bridge and watch the officers effortlessly sail the ship through an unforgiving environment. We highly recommend you take it if you can go to the bridge!
Typical Adventurous Day
Like our usual days on the SM Santa Cruz, we were up at the crack of dawn taking part in snorkeling, panga rides, and hikes. It is the expedition team’s goal to have passengers encounter at least 11 of the Big 15 Galapagos animals. That meant that we were out on the boats from morning to evening in search of these iconic endemic animals.
What are the Galapagos Big 15?
Galápagos Giant Tortoise, Blue-Footed Booby, Nazca Booby, Galápagos Sea Lion, Santa Fe Iguana, Land Iguana, Greater Frigate Bird, Galápagos Hawk, Galápagos Fur Seal, Galápagos Albatross, Galápagos Flamingo, Galápagos Penguin, Galápagos Hawk, Red-Footed Booby, and Flightless Cormorant.
We saw most on this cruise except for the Galápagos Penguin, Galápagos Hawk, Red-Footed Booby, and the Flightless Cormorant.
Day 6 – Mosquera Island Eden Island
Snorkel with sharks
Our final day ended with our most intense snorkeling trip. Our guide had watched us all week to see how well our group could handle the water so he took us out to deep and choppy waters where the sharks hang out. And after spending several days snorkeling in the Galapagos, we were relaxed and prepared. Plus, we had a guide in the front and back to keep an eye on us all as we snorkeled in the swift current.
We saw a hammerhead shark from the panga, but it didn’t show itself once we jumped in the water, but we were lucky enough to see several sharks in the depths below.
It was a spectacular feeling to jump from the pangas and instantly see half a dozen sharks below. There is nothing better than snorkeling in the Galapagos.
For those not comfortable snorkeling, there was an option for glass-bottom boat tours so everyone had the chance to enjoy the marine life of the islands. It truly caters to every level of adventure you are comfortable with.
A Galapagos Cruise is on many people’s bucket lists and we loved our time in this isolated region of the world. While it is very different from other cruise destinations if you are ready for an adventure you will take home memories that will last a lifetime.
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