Golondrina
Eight days across the archipelago at a third of what the luxury yachts charge. Sixteen guests, a bilingual park guide, and five routes to pick from.
The price
Eight days on a live-aboard yacht for what a few nights in a Puerto Ayora hotel can cost.
Five routes
Four, five and eight-day options, so the trip fits the holiday instead of the other way round.
Same islands
Genovesa, Espanola, Bartholomew, Fernandina — the park sets the sites, not the fare.
What you are paying for
The Golondrina is a twenty-two metre motor yacht, tourist class, and the page will not pretend otherwise. Eight cabins with bunk beds for sixteen guests, one bilingual National Park guide, and a top speed of eight knots, which means the crossings take longer than they do on the fast boats. What she gives you is the archipelago at a fare that puts a real cruise within reach.
The islands themselves do not change with the price. Punta Suarez on Espanola has the same albatrosses whether you arrive on this boat or on one costing eight thousand; Genovesa has the same red-footed boobies. What changes is the cabin, the crossing speed and what sits inside the fare — and on this boat the snorkel gear and wetsuit are not included, which is the first thing to budget for.
At a glance
Day by day
Arrival and Bachas Beach
Met at Baltra, welcomed on board, then a wet landing at Bachas on the north coast — one of the main sea turtle nesting beaches in the archipelago, and a swim before dinner.
El Barranco and Darwin Bay
A two-kilometre walk past red-footed boobies and swallow-tailed gulls, then the afternoon in Darwin Bay with its frigatebird colonies. Genovesa is the seabird island and it earns the long night crossing.
Pinnacle Rock and Sullivan Bay
The 375-step climb to the viewpoint everybody photographs, then Sullivan Bay in the afternoon: white sand, sea lions and snorkeling.
South Plaza and Santa Fe
Sea lion colonies and the red Sesuvium ground cover on South Plaza, then a wet landing at Santa Fe to snorkel with sea lions and walk through the giant cactus forest.
Kicker Rock, Witch’s Hill and Lobos
The volcanic tower at Kicker Rock, where eagle rays, turtles and sharks pass through the channel. Then the eroded lava of Witch’s Hill and snorkeling at Lobos Islet.
Punta Suarez and Gardner Bay
The three-kilometre trail past blue-footed and Nazca boobies, marine iguanas, the blowhole, and the waved albatross, which nests here and nowhere else on earth. Gardner Bay and its islet in the afternoon for the best snorkeling of the week.
Cormorant Point and Devil’s Crown
Flamingos on the lagoon and the green-sand nesting beach, then Devil’s Crown — a sunken volcanic crater ringed with coral, and no landing. The afternoon goes to the Charles Darwin Station.
North Seymour and departure
A last morning with the blue-footed boobies, frigatebirds, marine iguanas and sea lions, then the transfer to Baltra and the flight to the mainland.
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.
Five ways to sail her
- Four days, Tuesday to Friday. Santa Cruz highlands and Primicias ranch, Isabela with Tintoreras and the breeding centre, Rabida, Dragon Hill and Black Turtle Cove.
- Five days, Friday to Tuesday. Mosquera, Vicente Roca, Fernandina at Espinoza Point, Urbina Bay, Tagus Cove, Puerto Egas and Chinese Hat. The volcanic west.
- Eight days, Friday to Friday. The route above: Genovesa, Bartholomew, the Plazas, San Cristobal, Espanola and Floreana.
- Eight days, Friday to Friday (western). The west and centre at a slower pace, with Isabela, Fernandina, Santiago, Rabida and Dragon Hill.
- Five days, Monday to Friday. A hybrid: one night ashore in Puerto Ayora with Tortuga Bay, then Isabela, Rabida and Dragon Hill by boat.
If it is your only trip, the eight-day eastern route covers the most ground: Genovesa and Espanola are the two islands you cannot see on a day tour from town, and both are on it. Special itineraries carry a 10% supplement. Tell us your dates and we will say which is running.
What the price covers
Included
- Accommodation in a double cabin with bunk beds
- All meals throughout the cruise
- Every activity on the itinerary
- Bilingual National Park guide
- Transfers within the Galapagos
- Water, coffee and tea
Not included
- National Park entrance fee and transit control card
- Snorkel equipment — rented separately
- Wetsuit — rented separately
- Soft and alcoholic drinks on board
- Flights to and from the Galapagos
- Single supplement — 80%
- Gratuities and personal expenses
Three numbers to add before you compare: the park fees, the snorkel and wetsuit rental, and the 80% single supplement if you are travelling alone. Children under five get 10% off, and Christmas and New Year departures carry a surcharge — ask us for the exact figures for your dates.
Where you sleep
Eight double cabins with bunk beds. Simple and functional rather than designed: somewhere to sleep between an early landing and a late briefing. If the cabin is what decides your holiday, this is the boat to look past — if the islands are, it is the one that gets you there for the least money.
Meals on board
All meals are covered, along with water, coffee and tea. Soft drinks and alcohol are charged separately, so budget for the bar if that matters. Tell us about dietary needs when you book so the galley can plan around them.
Is this your boat?
Book it if
- The islands matter to you and the cabin does not
- You want eight days on the water rather than four in a hotel
- Bunk beds and a shared cabin are not a dealbreaker
- You would rather spend the difference on a longer trip
Choose another cruise if
- You want a suite, a balcony or a private cabin without a big supplement
- Eight knots sounds slow — the crossings are longer here
- You would rather have the snorkel gear and drinks inside one price
- You came to dive rather than to walk and snorkel
Want more comfort? Compare the Monique catamaran or the Tribute. Came for the sharks instead? Look at our Galapagos diving cruises.
Tell us your dates
Five routes run on the Golondrina, from four to eight days. Send the week you have in mind and we come back with which one is sailing, the cabins still open, and the full cost with the park fees included.