Photo by Bill Abbott

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Fitzroy Cruise route-map

Trip Details at-a-Glance

Cost From: $4595   see pricing
Length: 9 days
Arrive: Quito, Ecuador
Depart: Quito, Ecuador
Lodging: 6 days/5 nights aboard the yacht, 3 hotel nights in Quito describe
Meals: All meals included except 1 lunch, 2 dinners
Activity: Small Boat & Yacht Cruising, Snorkeling, Wildlife & Natural History
Trip Level: Daily hikes, snorkeling, optional sea kayaking
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Highlights

  • Fantastic hiking and snorkeling adventures by day, the delightful amenities of the Mary Anne by night
  • Explore the west coast of Isabela, largest of the islands
  • Fernandina, home to flightless cormorants and marine iguanas

Choosing the Right Trip

We work hard to help you choose the right trip for you, paying attention to your individual interests, abilities, and needs. If you have questions about the level of comfort or any of the activities described in this itinerary, please contact us.
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References

We are proud to have an exceptionally high rate of repeat travelers. For more information, we would be happy to put you in touch with a client who has traveled with us.

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Darwin wrote that among these islands “we seem to be brought somewhat near to that great fact—that mystery of mysteries—the first appearance of new beings on this earth.” Our Fitzroy cruise, named for the captain of Darwin’s vessel, discovers the extraordinary wildlife and wonders of the western islands, including Isabela, with its five active volcanoes, Santiago, with its eerie lava flows and Galapagos fur seals, and Santa Cruz, home to the Charles Darwin Research Station. Blue-footed boobies, flightless cormorants, flamingos, giant land tortoises, and tiny Galapagos penguins are just a few of the exotic species we encounter. Snorkeling, hikes, an expert naturalist guide, the extraordinary 16-guest tall ship Mary Anne—it’s all here on this amazing adventure!

Itinerary at a Glance

For a more complete description, Download Full Trip Brochure

Days 1-2
Quito, Ecuador

Arrive in Quito, the capital of Ecuador, with a day to enjoy the colonial heritage of Old Quito, at its most magnificent in the sprawling Iglesia San Francisco church and monastery, built over an Inca holy site, and ornate La Compania church, said to have seven tons of gold on its ceilings, walls, and altars. Overnights at the Hotel Hilton Colon.

Day 3
Galapagos Cruise / Baltra / Santa Cruz

Our flight to the Galapagos takes us out to Baltra Island. In Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island, we visit the Charles Darwin Research Station, with its museum and tortoise-breeding facility. Later, we board the gracious Mary Anne and cruise to Isabela, the largest island in the Galapagos.

Days 4-6
Isabela / Fernandina

Our explorations on Isabela include walks on old lava flows, a Zodiac ride through a mangrove lagoon where we may see green sea turtles and Galapagos penguins, and a hike at Urbina Bay. We also hike to Darwin Lake, a saltwater crater lake, and land at Punta Albemarle, where marine iguanas and flightless cormorants greet us. On Fernandina Island, Punta Espinosa extends out from the base of the most active volcano in the Galapagos. Here we find sea lions, countless marine iguanas, and a colony of flightless cormorants.

Days 7
Santiago / Puerto Egas

Cruising to Santiago, we swim and snorkel off Espumilla Beach and explore a mangrove forest that shelters flamingos and other birds. At Puerto Egas, a magnificent stretch of coastline, erosion in the lava has formed pools, caves, and inlets where we see a great variety of wildlife from marine iguanas to Galapagos fur seals, herons, and shorebirds.

Days 8-9
North Seymour Island / Baltra / Quito

Before heading to Baltra, we cruise to North Seymour, a small, uplifted island with abundant sea lions and blue-footed boobies, for a hike among prehistoric-looking marine iguanas, Darwin’s “imps of darkness.” We fly to Quito and depart on Day 9.

For a more complete description, Download Full Trip Brochure

Our Galapagos Journeys

We offer a great range of Galapagos trips, with six different cruises to choose from, ranging from five to fifteen days in length. All our cruises feature two nature hikes each day amid the islands’ extraordinary wildlife, thrilling daily snorkeling excursions, and optional sea kayaking.

Optional Extensions

If you would like to continue your adventure, we offer the following extensions:

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

 

Departures & Leaders

Mar 3-11, 2012  Silvia Vargas
Mar 31-Apr 8, 2012  Daniel Jacome
May 12-20, 2012  Silvia Vargas
Jun 23-Jul 1, 2012  Bitinia Espinoza
Jul 7-15, 2012  Fausto Arellano
Dec 22-30, 2012  Bitinia Espinoza
Jan 19-27, 2013
Feb 16-24, 2013
Mar 2-10, 2013
Mar 30-Apr 7, 2013
May 11-19, 2013
Jun 22-30, 2013
Jul 6-14, 2013
Dec 21-29, 2013

Tour Costs

Prices are for 2012
aboard the Mary Anne
$4595 (14-16 members)
$4995 (11-13 members)
Please call for 2011 pricing

Single supplement (hotel): $275
Christmas surcharge: $300
Park fee: $100 (subject to change)
Transit card: $10 (subject to change)
Internal airfare: $560 (subject to change)

Child discount: $500 (15 and under, excludes holiday departures, private charters, and selected departures with special discounts), plus discounted park fees and internal airfare (11 and under)

Note: Certain departures are not exclusive to Wilderness Travel

more on pricing

Extension Costs
Cusco and Machu Picchu Extension
   from: $2450
Amazon Rainforest Extension: Sacha Lodge
   from: $795
Amazon Rainforest Extension: Napo Wildlife Center
   from: $875
Otavalo and Hacienda Zuleta Extension
   from: $1025

Tour Cost Includes:

  • Expert leadership of a Wilderness Travel Trip Leader and local guides
  • Accommodations at the hotel in Quito and aboard the yacht
  • All meals included except 1 lunch, 2 dinners
  • Sightseeing, tours, and airport transfers as indicated

Tour Cost Does Not Include:

International airfare, internal flights, Galapagos park fee and transit control card, any meals not specified after each itinerary day in the Full Trip Brochure, airport departure taxes, optional gratuities, additional hotel nights (due to airline schedule changes or other factors), pre-trip expenses such as medical immunizations (if any), travel insurance, passports and visas, or other expenses of a personal nature (alcoholic beverages, laundry, and so on). Tipping your Trip Leader and the yacht crew is customary, but at your discretion.

Trip Payment Schedule*

At time of reservation: $500
150 days prior to departure: 50%
90 days prior to departure: Balance

*Please note that this differs from our regular catalog departures.

Cancellation and Transfer Fee Schedule*

Minimum fee: $500
61-120 days prior to departure: 50% of tour cost
60 days or less: 100% of tour cost

*Please note that this differs from our regular catalog departures.

Hilton Colon

Hilton Colon

Days 1 to 2 (2 nights),
Day 8 (1 night), Quito, Ecuador

Quito’s original luxury hotel has a fabulous location alongside a small park right at the juncture between old and new Quito. While the hotel ...
Click here for full description and more photos

The <em>Mary Anne</em>

The Mary Anne

Days 3 to 7 (5 nights), Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

The 216-foot Mary Anne is a stunningly beautiful 3-masted barquentine sailing ship that accommodates 16 passengers in double cabins with private ...
Click here for full description and more photos

Extension Accommodations

If you would like to view the accommodations offered with our extensions options:

Note: Listed above are our signature accommodations for this trip. Although it is highly unlikely, we may make substitutions when necessary.

Our Trip Leaders

Here are the Trip Leaders scheduled for this journey (please note that leader assignments are subject to change).

Fausto Arellano

Departure Dates: July 7-15, 2012

Fausto Arellano has been a naturalist guide and dive master in the Galapagos for over 20 years. He took his first trip to the Galapagos Islands in 1982 as a graduation present from high school. Captivated by the beauty of the islands, innocence of the wildlife, and peacefulness of nature, Fausto ...
Click here for a full bio and list of all upcoming trips

Bitinia Espinoza

Departure Dates: June 23-July 1, 2012, December 22-30, 2012

Bitinia Espinoza has been guiding groups to the Galapagos and throughout Ecuador since 1991. She graduated from the University of Guayaquil with studies in natural history. Her travels on the lecture circuit on behalf of the Galapagos National Park and the Charles Darwin Research Station have ...
Click here for a full bio and list of all upcoming trips

Daniel Jacome

Departure Dates: March 31-April 8, 2012

Daniel Jacome was raised in Quito, Ecuador, but spent all his summers in the Galápagos, where his grandfather first arrived in 1958 and where his father has lived and worked as a naturalist since the 1970s. Daniel has completed college studies in Anthropology, Environmental Interpretation, ...
Click here for a full bio and list of all upcoming trips

Silvia Vargas

Departure Dates: March 3-11, 2012, May 12-20, 2012

Silvia Vargas has loved the Galapagos Islands since she visited them while a high school student in her hometown of Guayaquil, Ecuador. She majored in languages at the university in Guayaquil and later lived in England and Germany. Eventually, her love of nature led her to live in the Galapagos ...
Click here for a full bio and list of all upcoming trips

Optional Extensions

If you would like to continue your adventure, we offer the following extensions:

Ecuador

Amazon Rainforest Extension: Napo Wildlife Center

Into the Emerald Forest

Wildlife & Natural History, Walking, Cultural Adventures
4 days  -  Level 2

Amazon Rainforest Extension: Sacha Lodge

Into the Emerald Forest

Wildlife & Natural History, Walking, Cultural Adventures
4 days  -  Level 2

Otavalo and Hacienda Zuleta Extension

Traditional Cultures and Snow-Capped Volcanoes

Wildlife & Natural History, Walking, Cultural Adventures
3 days  -  Level 2

Peru

Cusco and Machu Picchu Extension

Exploring the Realm of the Incas

Walking, Archaeology, Cultural Adventures
6 days  -  Level 2