Evolution Cruise

Snorkel with playful sea lions and equatorial penguins, hike past dancing blue-footed boobies, and savor one of our planet’s best natural history adventures. With no natural predators on the Galapagos Islands, the wildlife shows no fear of humans—we walk right among basking iguanas and seabirds on their nests for incredible opportunities to observe and photograph. This fascinating cruise includes Espanola, with its long white beaches and remarkable array of endemic species, giant tortoises on Santa Cruz, and snorkeling at Devil’s Crown, with its schools of king angelfish and marbled rays. A Galapagos pilgrimage is the dream of every nature lover, and a journey aboard the 16-guest tall ship Mary Anne, with en suite air-conditioned cabins, is the way to go!

Itinerary at a Glance

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Days 1-2
Quito, Ecuador

Arrive in Quito, with a tour of this colonial city. Overnights at the Hotel Hilton Colon.

Days 3-4
Galapagos Cruise / Baltra / Mosquera / South Plaza / Santa Fe

Fly to the Galapagos and board the yacht at Baltra. At Mosquera, a small islet near Santa Cruz, we explore the largest Galapagos sea lion colony in the islands. Heading to tiny South Plaza, we hike among land and marine iguanas, then keep an eye out for Darwin’s finches and yellow warblers on Santa Fe Island.

Days 5-6
San Cristobal / Espanola

On San Cristobal Island, we swim, snorkel, and stroll in the company of Galapagos sea lions and see all three species of boobies—red-footed, blue-footed, and Nazca. At Espanola, we stroll the white-sand beach at Gardner Bay, home to Galapagos sea lions, marine iguanas, and Espanola’s endemic mockingbird, walk right next to marine iguanas and blue-footed boobies, and view an impressive blowhole that shoots water as high as 90 feet in the air. Espanola is also home to the spectacular waved albatross, which nests from April to December.

Days 7-8
Devil’s Crown / Floreana / Santa Cruz

After snorkeling at Devil’s Crown, whose volcanic pinnacles rise from the sandy ocean bottom, we walk to a saltwater lagoon on Floreana where elegant pink flamingos wade in the shallows. After a visit to historic Post Office Bay, we cruise to Santa Cruz Island and search for giant tortoises in the wild in the verdant highlands, then visit the Charles Darwin Research Station, where Galapagos tortoises are raised.

Days 9-11
Isabela / Fernandina

Cruising along the western coast of Isabela, we stop to hike on a pahoehoe lava flow whose ponds and lagoons shelter flamingos, gallinules, and ducks, and explore a saltwater lagoon where we may see green sea turtles and Galapagos penguins. Punta Espinosa on Fernandina Island is a true delight, with its shoreline full of marine iguanas, flightless cormorants, Galapagos sea lions, and colorful Sally Lightfoot crabs. Back on Isabela, we hike to Darwin Lake, a saltwater crater lake where we can see the vast lava flows that connect the volcanoes of northern Isabela.

Days 12-14
Santiago / North Seymour / Baltra / Quito

Cruising to Santiago, we visit Puerto Egas, where Galapagos fur seals dart through underwater caves, arches, and grottos formed by past volcanic eruptions. Sally Lightfoot crabs are often seen in the tidepools. We cruise to North Seymour for a walk among magnificent frigatebirds, blue-footed boobies, and marine iguanas, then fly to Quito. Depart on Day 14.

For a more complete description, Download Full Trip Brochure

What the Trip is Like

This trip is rated Level 1, Easiest. It is appropriate for anyone in good health who is physically active and enjoys moderate walks. There are daily shore excursions featuring walks on well-marked trails through wildlife colonies, rocky lava fields, and along beaches. Our shore landings are either “dry” (where there are rocks or wooden piers to step onto when you disembark from the panga) or “wet” (which involves stepping out of the panga into a foot or so of surf and wading to shore). Getting out of the panga for a dry landing is occasionally tricky, especially on days when the seas may be active because the panga moves up and down with the waves and the rocks you step onto may be slippery. The yacht staff will assist in these landings. While we travel aboard small sailing vessels, we normally motor from island to island because of the long distances between islands and the desire to maximize our time on shore.

Explanation of Trip Levels