Which Galapagos Islands to visit/
 

Good morning,
I am generally not one to ask itinerary type questions but as we begin to look at various cruise options for the Galapagos, there are eastern island cruises, nothern island cruises, or a 'full loop'. If you've done a cruise, which route did you take, would you take a cruise longer than 8 (total days) or change anything?

I am currently looking at Tauk, Abercrombie or Qusar as the tour operator. 2 70 year old adults, active, snorkle, scuba, hike, etc so the activity level isn't a concern.

Thank you in advance for your suggestions and experiences!


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I just got back from a relatively short cruise, 5 nights on the ship. We did the "eastern" islands itinerary. The ship was medium sized, capacity 48 although we only had 40 passengers plus four park rangers on board. We had at least three activities each day and saw virtually everything that was listed in my wildlife guide (there may have been a couple minor birds we didn't see and no whales, although those were not expected). We snorkeled four times (although the last one had bad visibility so we aborted pretty quickly but others gave it a go), kayaked, hiked etc. I think that they (the national park who controls where each ship goes) make a real effort in setting each itinerary so that every cruise has the chance to see the species that are not everywhere (e.g. flamingos, penguins, land iguana, giant tortoise etc.). I don't feel like we needed a longer cruise (and with more than a week I think you really start to find it repetitive) . I'd suggest you pick the ship that is the size you want and offers the amenities that appeal and trust that the itinerary will be good with any reputable operator. Personally, I liked a true ship (vs a catamaran type) because the seas were rougher than I expected. I'd suggest you look at actual ship operators (or at least wildlife/Ecuador specialists) rather than a general tour operator such at Tauk or A&K (who I've traveled with and think is excellent, but not really known for the Galapagos). We traveled with Lindblad who was excellent (the naturalists were incredible, the most knowledgeable and charming people, plus surprisingly, really funny). You'll have a great trip.

Angelito I

ITINERARY A, 8 days Sunday-Sunday 1. Sunday: Baltra - North Seymour 2. Monday: Chinese Hat – Bartolome 3. Tuesday: Genovesa Darwin Bay - Prince Philip's Steps 4. Wednesday: Puerto Egas - Rabida 5. Thursday: Darwin Station - Highlands of Santa Cruz 6. Friday: Española Playa Gardner – Punta Suarez 7. Saturday: Santa Fe - South Plaza 8. Sunday: Black Turtle Cove - Baltra