Galapagos Escape - Solaris (Itinerary C)

Experience Overview

With lumbering giant tortoises, playful sea lions and an aviary of swooping, squawking, soaring bird life, the Galapagos Islands is wildlife-watching heaven. For this five-day trip, it’s all aboard the Solaris, a first-class motor yacht, to cruise around the archipelago in the company of an expert naturalist. Along the way, we stop at a string of biologically diverse islands, including Española, Floreana and Bartolomé, with the chance to get out and explore on foot and by snorkelling. Expect moments worthy of a nature documentary and plenty of photo opportunities.
Profile
— Accommodation: 5 Superior night (1 hotel, 4 first-class motor yacht) — Travel by internal flight, first-class motor yacht and minibus — Small group (maximum of 16 members on board)
At a Glance
— Accommodation: 5 Superior night (1 hotel, 4 first-class motor yacht) — Travel by internal flight, first-class motor yacht and minibus — Small group (maximum of 16 members on board)
Trip For You
This trip has been graded Activity Level 1 (Easy) with a Wildlife Rating of Five. Visit our Wildlife Holidays page for more on our Wildlife ratings. For more information on our trip gradings please visit the Activity Level Guidelines page. If you have any queries about the difficulty of the trip please do not hesitate to contact us. This trip is great for wildlife enthusiasts, photographers, and those with an interest in history or geology. Though you do not need to be particularly fit, there will be some walking on rough ground and sharp volcanic rocks due to the volcanic nature of the Galapagos Islands. The ability to withstand high temperatures and to swim will maximise your enjoyment of the trip. Due to local regulations, we have specific time slots for making our landings and site visits. There is usually very little disruption to the schedule, but this can mean little room for deviation in the event of poor weather or other circumstances. Landings: Each day in the Galapagos will feature a mixture of walking, snorkelling and exploring the islands by boat. To get closer to the designated landing sites on each of the islands, we disembark into small pangas (motorised dinghies). Landings are divided into two types – wet and dry. For dry landings, the panga will take you right up to a landing stage or rocky outcrop where you can disembark without getting wet. However, where there is no landing stage, the panga will stop close to a beach and you will be expected to walk through shallow water (generally no more than ankle-deep) to the shore. The leader will always advise on conditions prior to leaving and it is possible to skip any excursion if you would rather relax on the boat. Snorkelling: There are plenty of snorkelling opportunities in the Galapagos and this is one of the best ways to experience the marine life. A mask and snorkel will reveal an exciting underwater world with sea lions, rays, turtles, marine iguanas, and a colourful array of fish. On most days, there will be one or two snorkelling sessions. Snorkelling in the Galapagos does not require any special skills; however, at times, you will be snorkelling in open water where there are fairly strong currents. Before going into the water, the guide will evaluate the strength of the currents and the general sea condition to ensure they are right for a safe and enjoyable activity. The dinghy will remain very close at all times; if you get tired or feel like coming out of the water, you only have to raise your arm and they will pick you up so you can rest for a while before going back in or stay in the dinghy until it is time to return to the boat. Snorkelling equipment (snorkel, fins and masks) is provided; however, it is advisable to wear a wetsuit, which not only protects you from the cold but also makes floating much easier without as much effort. Travellers: We offer this Galapagos cruise in conjunction with our Ecuadorian partners, and Exodus participants will join an international group, not all of whom have booked through Exodus. Occasionally some of these may be younger than Exodus’ minimum age for this trip. Deposit terms At the time of booking, we will ask you for the standard Exodus deposit plus an extra 10% of the trip cost to secure your space on the boat. If for any reason we are unable to secure the space and we have to cancel the trip, you will receive a full refund. Cancellation terms Due to the nature of this trip, it has slightly different cancellation charges to those listed in the standard Exodus Booking Conditions. After booking, if cancelling your travel arrangements, you will have to pay cancellation charges as follows: From 90 days to 65 days before departure – loss of deposit (20%)64 days or less (or failure to join the trip) – 100% of the trip cost Islands visited on this itinerary: Santa Cruz: The second-largest island in the archipelago, Santa Cruz is home to Puerto Ayora – where most Galapagos ships are docked for embarkation – and the Charles Darwin Research Station, which conducts tortoise research programmes and is heavily involved in the management and conservation of the islands along with the national park authorities. The Santa Cruz highlands are much greener than the dry lowlands of the other islands and are home to freely roaming tortoises. In common with the rest of the group, Santa Cruz has many interesting volcanic features, such as pit craters and lava tunnels, and there is also a flamingo lagoon at Cerro Dragón. Bartolomé: One of the most photographed of all the islands. Bartolomé is an extinct volcano with many interesting geological features and a semi-lunar landscape. Pinnacle Rock, seen in countless photos, is actually a tuff cone – a column of hardened volcanic ash formed when molten rock fused after coming into contact with seawater. It’s possible to swim with Galápagos penguins here, and the island is home to sea lions, nesting marine turtles and white-tipped reef sharks. Santiago: Home of the Galapagos fur seal, which likes the rocky shoreline and shady spots of Santiago. Around 30,000 to 40,000 fur seals live on the islands, and the majority are found close to Puerto Egas, either on the rocks or on the black-sand beaches. The island is a good place to see Galapagos hawks and Darwin finches, and there’s a popular snorkelling site called Chinese Hat where penguins, rays, turtles and playful sea lion pups reside. Floreana: One of the first islands to be inhabited, Floreana has a human history as interesting as its natural history. At Post Office Bay, 18th-century sailors (and now tourists) left mail in a wooden barrel so it could be picked up by other ships and delivered. It’s still common for visitors to look for postcards or letters for their hometown and deliver them on their return from the Galapagos. Notable wildlife here includes large flamingo colonies, Galapagos petrels and, between December and May, nesting green turtles. Just off the coast is Devil’s Crown, an underwater coral-filled crater that offers some of the best snorkelling on the islands. Española: The southernmost island of the chain, Española is also among the oldest. As it is relatively isolated from the other islands, it has developed endemic fauna, including the only marine iguanas that change colour to attract mates. The island is the favoured breeding ground for most of the world’s waved albatross population, with easy access to prime fishing grounds and steep cliffs that provide an ideal launch pad for the large birds to take off. There are also large colonies of mockingbirds, boobies, Darwin finches and doves, as well as sea lions, which surf the breaking waves. San Cristóbal: The easternmost island of the archipelago and the first landing point for Charles Darwin in 1835. The provincial capital of the Galapagos Islands, Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, is on San Cristóbal, and the town is home to the excellent Galapagos Interpretation Centre. Popular sites for visitors include El Junco Lake (one of the few freshwater lagoons in the archipelago), Frigatebird Hill (unsurprisingly named for the large colonies of magnificent and great frigatebirds), and Kicker Rock, a towering split rock that rises more than 330ft (100m) from the ocean. The highland cloud forests provide a natural habitat for giant tortoises. Huge numbers of sea lions are also present on San Cristóbal and nearby Isla Lobos, reachable by boat, is a big nesting site for blue-footed boobies.
Group Description
An English-speaking naturalist guide registered by the Galapagos National Park accompanies every departure. In Quito, there will be an English-speaking local guide.
Eating Drinking
All breakfasts, four lunches and four dinners are included. On-board meals are plentiful with a wide choice of international and local cuisine. Breakfasts usually consist of cheese, meats, eggs, cereal, toasts, yoghurts and fruits. Snacks are provided mid-morning and mid-afternoon. For lunches and dinner, soup usually precedes the main course. Alcoholic drinks are available on board (approximately US$4 per beer, US$35 for a bottle of wine, around US$8 for selected cocktails) and the crew request you do not bring your own alcohol with you. Drinking water, tea, coffee and juice is freely available at no additional charge. Vegetarians and vegans can be well catered for on this trip; please inform us before departure of any special dietary requests so our local team can be well prepared.
Transportation
In Quito, transport is in a private air-conditioned minibus. In the Galapagos, we use a first-class motor yacht for our main navigation and small semi-inflatable pangas (motorised boats or Zodiacs) for landings.
Joining Instructions
Key information Start hotel: Hotel Wyndham Quito Airport, Parroquia Tababela SN Via A Yaruqui, Quito 170183, Ecuador Phone: +593 2-395-8000 Recommended arrival time: You can arrive at any time today Airport: Mariscal Sucre Quito International Airport (UIO) Getting to the start hotel The start hotel is approximately five minutes’ drive from the airport. Exodus provides free arrival transfers to the start hotel from the airport for all customers. If you would like further information on joining this trip, please speak to your sales representative. Catching your return flight The trip ends at Guayaquil Airport, where it's possible to connect with international flights from 6pm onwards. Please speak to your sales representative if you need more information. Please note, unless specified otherwise, the arrival transfer will be to the start (or pre-tour) hotel and will be on the date on which the tour starts; transfers to other hotels in the same city and/or on different dates may attract an extra charge. Transfers should be booked with your sales representative at least two weeks before the tour starts.
Weather Information
It is possible to visit the Galapagos at any time of year, but seasonal variations do affect what you see and there are climatic changes to note. The weather is controlled by the two main ocean currents of the region: the Humboldt, bringing cold water from the Antarctic, and El Nino, which brings tropical water from the Gulf of Panama. How close to the Galapagos they converge (which varies from year to year) is the key to the weather. Dry season Generally speaking, late May to early December is the cooler dry season. In this period, it is not necessarily dry, as there is a persistent light mist (garua) and often light drizzle, and the higher mountain slopes are covered in cloud and fog or rain. The winds are in the southeast and are higher than at other times, so seas can sometimes be choppy and anyone worried about seasickness might want to avoid it. Daytime maximum temperatures are 27C-31C (81F-88F), the cooler months being July to November. In July and August, the fairly strong winds introduce a chill factor, and it can feel quite cold at nights, though throughout the year the official night temperatures are 19C-24C (66F-75F). Wet season Depending on how close the convergence of the two currents comes to the Galapagos, there may or may not be a wet season from January to April or May. Approximately every seven years the El Nino current actually hits the islands and there will be heavy rains in these months. In other years, rain usually falls sporadically from otherwise clear skies. The ocean temperatures are higher with generally calm seas and strong sunshine: pleasant, but potentially very hot. Apart from an El Nino year, the weather is usually better from December to January and April to May than at other times even if there is some rain. Most people would regard these months as the best time to go. There are plenty of wildlife highlights throughout the year: January: Nesting land birds; green sea turtles arrive to lay eggs on the island beaches; land iguanas start breeding on Isabela February: Nesting marine iguanas on Santa Cruz; greater flamingos start nesting on Floreana March: The bright red throat pouches of frigatebirds are inflated during mating season on Genovesa and San Cristóbal April: Huge numbers of waved albatross on Española display courtship rituals; green sea turtle eggs begin to hatch; land iguana eggs hatch on Isabela May: Waved albatross on Española start laying eggs June: Giant tortoises migrate to the lowlands and start nesting; migrating birds stop in the Galapagos to rest; migrating humpback whales can often be seen around the western islands July: Dolphins and whales are more likely to be seen around the western islands; blue-footed boobies on Española start breeding August: Sea lions start giving birth to pups September: Penguins seen in the water when snorkelling around Bartolomé October: Galapagos fur seals start mating; blue-footed boobies start raising chicks November: Curious sea lion pups found in the water among snorkellers December: Mating green sea turtles; waved albatross chicks fledge In Quito, it should be warm by day and generally dry. Maximum daytime temperatures are almost constant throughout the year at 20C (68F) and nights at 8C (46F). Expect some rain in February-May and October-November. Storms, though heavy, are generally short.
Spending Money
You should carry your money in US dollars cash. Other currencies can be difficult to exchange and may incur a poor exchange rate. Obtaining change for larger denomination banknotes (US$100 and US$50) can be difficult. Try to carry a number of small notes (US$1 or US$5) as many small businesses and taxis do not carry large amounts of change. On this trip there is a compulsory Galapagos Tax of US$100 (increasing to US$200 as of August 1st, 2024) which can only be paid locally in cash (US dollars) and will be collected by the National Park Service on arrival in the Galapagos. In addition, all visitors to the Galapagos are required to obtain an immigration control card (Ingala card) in mainland Ecuador – these cost US$20 per person and will be supplied and paid for locally in cash (US dollars). Please note, Galapagos taxes are subject to increase without notice, and any such increase will be collected in Quito or Baltra. All food is provided in the Galapagos. For the days in Quito, we provide breakfast only and you should budget roughly US$10-US$15 for lunch and US$15-US$20 for main evening meals (22% tax included). It is possible to eat more cheaply or more expensively than this, and the cost estimates don’t include alcohol. Tipping is customary in restaurants and cafes throughout Ecuador, and we recommend leaving a tip between 10% and 15% of the total bill. Drinks and incidentals are quite expensive in the Galapagos as everything is imported from the mainland. Free-to-use snorkelling equipment (mask, snorkel and fins) is available on board but wetsuits are charged at US$8 per day. Additional fees apply if the equipment is damaged. Alternatively, bring your own equipment to ensure a good fit.
Tipping
Tipping is an optional but customary practice in Ecuador and forms part of the service culture. Due to the dominance of US visitors in the destination, tips are reasonably high and this is likely to add up during your stay. Please remember, you are never under any obligation to tip and you should only do so when you are happy with the service you have received. To show appreciation to local guides on the mainland, a tip of around US$7-US$9 per day from each group member is sufficient. Drivers and other local staff may be given closer to US$5-US$8 in tips per day. It is also usual for groups to tip the boat crew in addition to the guide. It would be reasonable for each group member to contribute about US$20 a day for the crew and staff in the Galapagos. You may also wish to tip the naturalist guides directly and this is at your discretion, but US$10 per person per day would be a good gratuity.

Highlights