Enchanted Isles

Special Early Signup Discount of $250 to the first 6 signups on each 2010 departure when you sign up by September 30, 2009—see details below!

Snorkel with playful sea lions and equatorial penguins, and hike past dancing blue-footed boobies on this world-class natural history experience. Predators have never existed on the Galápagos Islands, so the wildlife shows no fear around humans—you can walk right among nesting seabirds and basking iguanas for incredible opportunities to observe and photograph. Many species that developed here exist nowhere else on the planet, and each island is a new world with its own unique species and habitats. A pilgrimage to the Galápagos Islands is the dream of every nature lover, and our extended island itinerary by luxurious 12- to 16-passenger yachts is the ultimate way to go.

Aboard the Sagitta and Mary Anne

Days 1-2
Quito, Ecuador

Meet in Quito and explore on your own in the colonial center, with its grand plaza, mansions, and baroque churches.

Days 3-4
Galápagos Cruise / North Seymour / Santa Cruz

There’s a world of wonder in Darwin’s bewitching islands—on land as well as in the sea. We fly out to the islands and sail to North Seymour Island for a hike among prehistoric-looking marine iguanas, Darwin’s “imps of darkness.” On Santa Cruz, we visit the Darwin Research Station, with its museum and tortoise breeding facility, then head up to the lush highlands for a chance to see Galápagos tortoises in the wild.

Day 5
Española

At Española (Hood), the southernmost island in the archipelago, we hike among nesting blue-footed boobies and lava lizards. With its long white beaches where sea lions laze, this island has a high degree of species differentiation due to its remoteness. Punta Suarez has spectacular cliffs inhabited by Nazca and blue-footed boobies, the indigenous Hood mockingbird, and cactus and warbler finches. We enjoy great snorkeling on the northeast coast at Gardner Bay. Between April and December, Española is famed for its nesting waved albatross.

Days 6-8
Floreana / Isabela / Fernandina

Rich flora abounds on Floreana, and the snorkeling is out of this world at Devil’s Crown, the remnant of a volcanic crater whose pinnacles rise up from the sandy bottom. On Punta Cormorant, we watch elegant pink flamingos wade in the shallows, and on Isabela Island, we snorkel among tiny Galápagos penguins who seem to fly through the water. We look for land iguanas at Urbina Bay. On pristine Fernandina, we see flightless cormorants and hike the black lava of Punta Espinosa to see the biggest colony of marine iguanas in the islands. We often see them diving in the intertidal areas.

Days 9-11
Santiago / Bartolomé / Quito

Santiago (James) Island has numerous shorebirds, including lava herons, Galápagos doves, and Galápagos hawks. Our hike up the volcanic cone called Pinnacle Rock on Bartolomé Island offers top-of-the-world views. We explore by panga in Black Turtle Cove, a red mangrove lagoon that is a nursery for many sharks and rays. Fly to Quito on Day 10 and depart on Day 11, or join our Machu Picchu Extension.

Cusco / Machu Picchu Extension

Explore Cusco and the Inca fortresses of the Sacred Valley, then spend the night near the ruins of legendary Machu Picchu, the breathtaking mountain sanctuary of the Incas.

Please call us or download the Full Trip Brochure for more information about our extensions

Hilton Colon

Days 1 to 2 (2 nights), Day 10 (1 night), Quito, Ecuador

Located in the center of Quito’s business and shopping district, the Colon offers superb service, comfortable rooms, five restaurants, internet in all rooms, and a spa and pool. It is just a block away from a crafts market and 10-minute walk to Quito’s Old Town, a World Heritage Site.

The Sagitta

Days 3 to 9 (7 nights), Galapagos Islands

The Sagitta is a is a majestic 120-foot sailing yacht that caters to 16 passengers. She has ten air-conditioned cabins with private facilities, a sizable dining room, al fresco dining area, library, and lots of wonderful open and shaded space on her teak decks. Luxurious from stern to bow, she boasts three full masts, two decks, a library, a dining room, a salon, and a conference room with video.

The Mary Anne

Days 3 to 9 (7 nights), Galapagos Islands

The 216-foot Mary Anne is a stunningly beautiful 3-masted barquentine sailing ship that accommodates 16 passengers in double cabins with private bathrooms and air conditioning. She features a sun deck, where the bridge and open-air dining table are located, main deck where the dining room, galley, and library are located, and a cabin deck for passengers’ cabins.

The Beagle

Days 3 to 9 (7 nights), Galapagos Islands

The magnificent 105-foot steel hulled schooner Beagle (formerly named the Andando) has a teak deck, a luxurious interior, and six double cabins, each with private shower and toilet. There is ample open and shaded deck space, delicious Ecuadorian cuisine served in the homelike salon or on deck, and high-quality service on board.

Note: The hotels and lodges listed above are our signature accommodations for this trip. Although it is highly unlikely, we may make substitutions when necessary.