Elite
Thirty-seven metres of catamaran with eight balcony suites and, unusually, a proper single cabin. Twelve crew for sixteen guests, and a jacuzzi where the day ends.
A single cabin
An actual single, not a double with a supplement. Almost nothing in the fleet offers one.
Twelve crew
Ten crew plus a cruise director and a bilingual park guide, for sixteen guests.
Balconies
Eight Golden suites, all with private balconies, split across the main and upper decks.
Built wide, staffed deep
Elite launched in 2019 at thirty-seven and a half metres, which makes her one of the larger catamarans working the islands. Thirteen and a half metres of beam and a draft under two: she barely rolls at anchor, and she can work in closer than a deep-hulled yacht. Sixteen guests, twelve crew, and a cruise director whose whole job is the part of the day that is not the excursion.
Nine cabins: four Golden suites on the main deck, four on the upper, and one single. That single is worth pausing on. Most boats in this class sell a solo traveller a double at an eighty or hundred per cent supplement; here there is a cabin designed for one, which changes the arithmetic completely if you are travelling alone.
At a glance
The western route, day by day
Arrival and El Junco
Met at San Cristobal airport and taken to the boat, then up to El Junco lagoon — one of the few permanent freshwater bodies in the archipelago, with frigatebirds bathing in it.
North Seymour and Dragon Hill
Blue-footed boobies and displaying frigatebirds in the morning, then Dragon Hill on Santa Cruz for the land iguanas and the flamingo lagoon behind the beach.
Sierra Negra and the breeding centre
The climb to the rim of Sierra Negra, one of the largest active calderas on earth, then the Arnaldo Tupiza centre where the island’s giant tortoises are bred.
Moreno Point and Urbina Bay
Lava fields and brackish lagoons at Moreno Point, then Urbina Bay: uplifted coral you can walk across, land iguanas and flightless cormorants.
Espinosa Point and Vicente Roca
The largest marine iguana colonies in the world, with penguins and cormorants alongside, then snorkeling in the cold upwelling at Vicente Roca with turtles and mola mola.
Rabida and Bartholomew
The red sand beach and the best birdwatching of the week, then the climb at Bartholomew for the view over Pinnacle Rock everybody photographs.
Kicker Rock and Witch Hill
The volcanic tower where eagle rays, turtles and sharks pass through the channel, then the eroded lava at Witch Hill and the David Rodriguez breeding centre in the afternoon.
Interpretation Center and farewell
A last morning at the Gianni Arismendy Interpretation Center — geology, ecology and the human history of the islands — then the transfer to San Cristobal airport.
Landing sites are set by the National Park and can shift with conditions or park scheduling. The guide adjusts the day; the islands do not take requests.
Four ways to sail her
- A — 8 days, Saturday to Saturday. The western route above: San Cristobal, Isabela, Fernandina, Rabida and Bartholomew.
- B — 8 days, Saturday to Saturday. The southern and northern islands: Espanola, Floreana, Mosquera, Genovesa and Santiago.
- 5 days, Tuesday to Saturday. Bachas Beach, both Genovesa sites, Santiago and the Santa Cruz highlands.
- 4 days, Saturday to Tuesday. Espanola and Floreana in a short window, finishing at Mosquera.
A and B share almost no sites, so the two back to back cover the archipelago properly. If you only get one, B carries the two islands that a day tour can never reach: Espanola, where the waved albatross nests between April and December, and Genovesa with the red-footed boobies. Note that route A starts and ends at San Cristobal while others use Baltra — check which before you book flights.
What she carries
- Private balcony on every Golden suite
- Jacuzzi on deck
- Kayaks
- Snorkel gear and wetsuits for every guest
- Library, TV and DVD
- Wi-Fi on board
- Satellite phone
- Cruise manager and cruise service officer
- Safety and navigation equipment meeting or exceeding required standards
What the price covers
Included
- Single or double accommodation, twin beds or a king
- All meals and snacks
- Soft drinks and juices
- The captain’s welcome and farewell cocktail
- Every guided expedition on the itinerary
- A top bilingual National Park guide and daily briefings
- Cruise service officer
- Expedition gear: wetsuits, fins, snorkel kit, water container
- Airport reception, assistance and Wi-Fi
Not included
- National Park entrance fee and transit control card
- Flights to and from the Galapagos
- Alcoholic drinks
- Travel and health insurance
- Gratuities for the guide and crew
A surcharge applies if the airfare is not booked together with the cruise, so ask us before you buy the flights — on some dates the bundled fare works out cheaper than booking the two separately.
Where you sleep
Four Golden suites on the main deck and four on the upper, all with private balconies and a choice of two twin beds or one king. The ninth cabin is a single, on the upper deck — the reason this boat suits solo travellers better than most of its class.
Meals on board
All meals and snacks are covered, along with soft drinks and juices, and the captain’s cocktail opens and closes the week. Other alcohol is charged separately. With twelve crew for sixteen guests, the galley can work to order — tell us about dietary needs before you sail rather than on the first evening.
Is this your boat?
Book it if
- You are travelling alone and tired of paying a double supplement
- Stability at anchor matters — this is a wide catamaran
- A private balcony is what separates a good cabin from a great one
- Four to eight days lets you build the trip around the holiday
Choose another cruise if
- You came to dive — this is a naturalist cruise, not a dive boat
- You need a published price before you enquire
- You want alcohol included in the fare
- Long walks on uneven lava are not for you
Comparing catamarans? Look at the Endemic or the Monique. Prefer a monohull with balconies? The Tribute. Came for the sharks instead? See our Galapagos diving cruises.
Ask us for a quote
Four routes run on the Elite, from four to eight days, and the rate moves with the season and the cabin. Send us your dates and we come back with what is sailing, what is open, and the full cost with park fees included.