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Angelito: Yacht Details
The best in its class, a very good value
The Angelito is a custom motor yacht of completely wooden construction, with ample sundecks and shadowdecks. It was built in 1992 in the Galapagos and specifically designed for cruising the islands.Day by Day Itinerary
BRIEF SUMMARY (for detailed island visits please scroll down)7 night cruises run from Sunday to Sunday / 3 night cruises run from Thursday to Sunday / 4 night cruises run from Sunday to Thursday
Itinerary “A”
Sunday: Arrive to Baltra / North Seymour
Monday: Sombrero Chino (Chinese Hat) / Bartolome
Tuesday: Tower Island: Darwin Bay / Prince Philip’s Steps
Wednesday: Santiago: Puerto Egas / Rabida
Thursday: Santa Cruz: Charles Darwin Research Center / Highlands
Friday: Espanola (Hood): Gardner Bay/ Punta Suarez
Saturday: Santa Fe / South Plaza
Sunday: Black Turtle Cove / Return to mainland Ecuador
Itinerary “B”
Sunday: Arrive to Baltra / Bachas
Monday: Mosquera / Cerro Dragon (Dragon Hill)
Tuesday: Isabela: Tagus Cove / Fernandina: Punta Espinosa
Wednesday: Isabela: Urbina Bay / Elizabeth Bay
Thursday: Isabela: Punta Moreno
Friday: Puerto Villamil / Sierra Negra
Saturday: Floreana: Cormorant Point / Devil’s Crown / Post Office
Sunday: Daphne / Return to mainland Ecuador
Angelito 7 night Galapagos Cruise (Itinerary A)
Sunday to Sunday
| Day 1 | Sunday | Arrive to Baltra / North Seymour |
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Your
first visits are to the islands of Baltra and North Seymour.
Baltra Island is the only island of all Galapagos not included in
its totality in the National Park Area. Americans built the
airport there in 1941?1948 to use as their air force base in the
Pacific during the Second World War. The airport and harbor are
now Ecuadorian military territory. Unfortunately, both of the
military presences have left their mark on the island.
North Seymour is a flat uplifted island in the “rain shadow” of Santa Cruz Island and for this reason it has dry vegetation of the Arid Zone. Here you will have a dry landing that is often somewhat difficult depending on the swell. The arrival on the rocky coast is full of surprises with the sea lions, swallow?tailed gulls, sally light foot crabs, and marine iguanas. The trail that you will take leads through the nesting area of colonies of blue?footed boobies and frigate birds. |
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| Day 2 | Monday | Sombrero Chino (Chinese Hat) / Bartolome |
|
Today
you will visit the islands of Chinese Hat and Bartholomew. Chinese
Hat is only separated by a 200?meter wide channel between it and
the big island of Santiago. The wet landing is on a small white
coral beach with sea lions. The short trail that you will take
leads along the coastline, full of very fragile lava. There are a
lot of small lava tubes and little but very attractive vegetation.
Pillow lava can be found on the turning point of the trail.
On Bartholomew Island you will have a dry landing on a jetty. You will then take a summit trail that leads to the top of Bartholomew on a wooden foot?bridge and stairs to protect the fragile landscape. The view of Santiago, Sullivan Bay, and the surrounding islands is wonderful. All the secondary cones, lava flows and lava tubes mimic a moon landscape. You have the possibility for snorkeling around Pinnacle Rock, the famous landmark of Bartholomew. In the late afternoon you will go with the dinghy along the coast to look for Galapagos penguins. The penguin lives and nests in the lava tubes of the rocky coast along where they go fishing. |
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| Day 3 | Tuesday | Tower Island: Darwin Bay / Prince Philip’s Steps |
|
In
the morning you will have a wet landing on a small white beach
made of coral sand in Darwin Bay. The trail you will take follows
the shore vegetation of red mangroves and salt bushes. The
special prickly pear cactus often grows on Genovesa like a hanging
cactus with soft hairy spines. Under the shore vegetation the
swallow?tailed gulls are nesting and in the bushes and trees
there are the nests of the red?footed boobies and great frigate
birds. A few Nazca boobies are also generally nesting on the
ground. The trail leads along small tide pools up to the cliff
with a spectacular view over the caldera. During low tide there
are thousands of Galapagos fiddler crabs on the sandy ground.
Later you will have a dry landing on the cliff by Prince Philip´s Steps. The steps offer the only possibility to climb the steep basaltic cliff. The trail leads first through a small nesting colony of masked boobies and crosses a low and dense forest of Palo Santo trees where the red?footed boobies have their nests. When arriving to the edge of the island there are thousands of the small petrels nesting in the crevices and tubes of the fragile lava. They are the favorite food of the short?eared owls. On both sides of the trail there are big Nazca booby nesting colonies. |
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| Day 4 | Wednesday | Santiago: Puerto Egas / Rabida |
|
Today
you will start your visit on Santiago Island at the landmark of
Puerto Egas, full of tuff formations of cliffs and relief
structures. The wet landing is on a black beach and the walk
shows an interesting special fauna during the always changing tide
levels. Often you can observe lava herons fishing in the isolated
tidal pools. On the whole walk you can see Galapagos sea lions,
sally light foot crabs, and marine iguanas. Depending on the
season, there are also a lot of migrant shore birds, living on
these rich coasts during wintertime. On the turning point of the
trail is the start of a Galapagos fur seal colony. The Galapagos
fur seal has found an ideal living space in the crevices and caves
of the rocky lava coast.
Later you will visit the island of Rabida which looks red because of the concentration of ferric oxide in the lava. This very special red sand beach has saltbush vegetation and the silvery Palo Santo trees on the slopes. Before “El Niño,” Rabida had one of the biggest Galapagos sea lion colonies in the Galapagos. This colony has to recuperate again from the small remainder of the population. You will also see a small lagoon behind the zone of saltbush vegetation with (depending of the season) flamingos and white?cheeked pintail ducks. |
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| Day 5 | Thursday | Santa Cruz: Charles Darwin Research Center / Highlands |
|
The
visit you have today, to the Charles Darwin Research Station,
gives the opportunity to get to know the scientific work taking
place in the National Park including the breeding programs for the
different subspecies of giant tortoises. It is also a good
opportunity to observe them up-close. In the Van Straiten
Exhibition Hall, there is great documentation about the Galapagos
Islands with photos and diagrams. The vegetation on this hike is
exuberant green, and Darwin’s finches are easy to spot.
Later, you will drive up to the highlands of Santa Cruz in a bus. In a short time one can see the transition between the different vegetation zones from the Arid zone to the Transition zone up to the Scalesia zone (an agricultural area), where the problems of introduced animals and plants are quite obvious. On the highest point of the road the National Park starts again. “Los Gemelos” (that means twins in Spanish) are two big pit craters in the middle of a wonderful Scalesia forest. These endemic trees and the lush vegetation, with a lot of different ferns, mosses and liverworts, show a totally new picture of Galapagos. Darwin’s Finches and the vermilion flycatcher inhabit this forest. Depending of the season you will visit a farm in the highlands of Santa Cruz to look out for the Galapagos Tortoises in liberty. During their migration routes they spend part of the year in these highlands and can be easily observed. |
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| Day 6 | Friday | Espanola (Hood): Gardner Bay / Punta Suarez |
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Española
Island is one of the oldest islands of Galapagos and because of
its geographic isolation it has a great number of endemic species.
The Galapagos albatross, for example, comes only to the island of
Española for breeding during the months of April to December
(with the exception of a few pairs on Plata Island near the coast
of Ecuador). The morning starts with a wet landing on a wonderful
long white beach made of coral sand called Gardner Beach. For
this visit you don’t need shoes. It is a very good place to
observe the finches and mockingbirds in the saltbush vegetation
and you can also enjoy being close to the Galapagos sea lions
along the beach. You will have the possibility to swim and
snorkel from the beach.
Later you will visit Punta Suarez with a dry landing on a jetty. The walk is on a stony, rocky ground and is long and quite difficult. Visitors often find the colorful “Española marine iguana” and Galapagos sea lions on the very beginning of the trail. Everywhere the curious Española mockingbird approaches visitors. The trail leads through the nesting colonies of blue?footed boobies, Nazca boobies, and waved albatross. The big Española lava lizards are found everywhere. A resting spot close to a cliff gives the opportunity to watch all the different marine birds flying along the coast. An albatross during his “take off” from the cliff is an amazing event to witness. There is another stop by the blowhole where the seawater is pushed through a fissure in the cliff into the air and depending on the waves and tide levels, can reach 80 feet high. |
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| Day 7 | Saturday | Santa Fe / South Plaza |
|
Today
begins with a wet landing on a beach on Santa Fe Island that has a
big sea lion colony. The short trail you will take leads from the
sea lion colony on the beach through the dry vegetation of the
Arid Zone to a wonderful forested cliff with prickly pear cacti
and then back to a second beach. Only the very attentive visitors
can detect up there the endemic land iguana of Santa Fe because he
is perfectly camouflaged in the same colors of the vegetation and
their territories are quite big.
Later at South Plaza Island you will have a dry landing on a jetty. This is a small uplifted island with a cliff 25 meters high on the southern side of the island. The whole flat, rocky northern coast has a big colony of Galapagos sea lions and on the East point is a bachelor sea lion colony. Here you will see very attractive prickly pear cactus trees and a big colony of land iguanas. Depending on the season, the ground vegetation changes its color from intense green in the rainy season to orange and purple in the dry season. |
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| Day 8 | Sunday | Black Turtle Cove / Return to mainland Ecuador |
| Today you will have your last visit at Black Turtle Cove. With the dinghy, you go into the big protected mangrove cove. In the far away small corners the motor of the dinghy will be turned off in order to row closer to observe the marine turtles. There are a lot of them in the cove during mating and nesting season (December to February), but even out of season there are always some turtles staying back in the mangrove cove to rest. Spotted eagle rays, golden rays, white?tipped reef sharks, and young Galapagos sharks can often be spotted. After the visit you will be escorted to Baltra airport for your return flight to the Ecuadorian mainland. | ||
Angelito 7 night Galapagos Cruise (Itinerary B)
Sunday to Sunday
| Day 1 | Sunday | Arrive to Baltra / Bachas |
| Your first visit is to Las Bachas, a white coral sand beach on the north side of the Santa Cruz Island. After a wet landing and easy walk along the beach, you will see small brackish water lagoons behind the sand dunes where occasionally it’s possible to observe flamingos and other coastal birds like black?necked stilts, whimbrels, and white cheeked pintail ducks. After the walk you will have the possibility to swim and snorkel from the beach. | ||
| Day 2 | Monday | Mosquera / Cerro Dragon (Dragon Hill) |
|
In
the morning you will visit Mosquera Island, a small sandy island
located between North Seymour and Baltra Islands. Mosquera has
one of the biggest sea lion colonies in Galapagos and it is a
wonderful visiting point to observe their behavior. Often you
have the possibility to see endemic lava gulls and other coastal
birds. On the lava rocks you will find marine iguanas and sally
light foot crabs.
In the afternoon you will visit Cerro Dragon. The name Cerro Dragon means Dragon Hill and it is a very scenic visiting point. The hike passes a flamingo lagoon behind the beach and then leads through an impressive forest of prickly pear cacti. The trail then goes to a small hill where land iguanas live and nest. The view from this small hill over the surrounding landscape is spectacular. |
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| Day 3 | Tuesday | Isabela: Tagus Cove / Fernandina: Punta Espinosa |
|
Today
you will visit Tagus Cove. This protected cove was a favorite
resting site for the early pirates and whalers who also carved and
painted their names in the high cliffs. It’s a dry landing and
the scenic hike leads uphill through the dry vegetation zone to
Darwin Lake, a saltwater crater lake. At the end of the hike you
will go up to the spatter cone and have a wonderful view of the
Darwin Volcano lava fields. With the dinghy, you will then go
along the cliffs to search for Galapagos Penguins and flightless
cormorants. If the water is clear, Tagus Cove is a very
interesting snorkeling place with a great amount of marine
invertebrates in the vertical walls.
In the afternoon you will visit Punta Espinoza on Fernandina Island. This visit is one of the highlights of a cruise in Galapagos. The dry landing is, depending of the tide, on lava or on the landing platform in the mangrove forest. On the hike you will see a lot of huge marine iguanas in big groups. On the lava coast, close to the shore line, there are the nesting places of the flightless cormorant. Lava lizards, the Galapagos hawk, marine turtles, and Galapagos penguins are often seen. On a lava flow there are the largest groups of the endemic lava cacti to see. |
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| Day 4 | Wednesday | Isabela: Urbina Bay / Elizabeth Bay |
|
The
morning visit takes you to Urbina Bay on Isabela Island. It’s
an area uplifted out of the sea at the foot of the Alcedo Volcano.
Along the shore there are sometimes flightless cormorants and
huge marine iguanas. On the trail leading inland, be on the
lookout for land iguanas. Sometimes it’s also possible to see a
Galapagos tortoise along the pathway.
In the afternoon you will visit Elizabeth Bay. With the dinghy you will drive into the protected mangrove cove. The entrance is through a very narrow channel and is not always easy depending on the tide. In the far away small corners the motor is turned off to noiselessly observe the marine turtles. In Elizabeth Bay you will find the tallest red mangrove trees in the Galapagos. |
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| Day 5 | Thursday | Isabela: Punta Moreno |
|
In
the morning you will visit Punta Moreno. You will start your day
with a hike through a rough lava field where you will be able to
see all 3 species of cactus: candelabra cactus, prickly pear
cactus, and lava cactus. This lava field also has a lot of
pioneer plants. You will then see flamingos, common gallinules,
white cheeked pintail ducks, and paint?billed crakes. On a
dinghy ride you can see flightless cormorants, Galapagos Penguins,
and marine iguanas.
At around 10:30 in the morning you will start the long (about 6 hours) and beautiful navigation along the shoreline around Volcano Cerro Azul to Puerto Villamil. Be sure to look for dolphins and whales during the journey. Just before dark you will arrive to the small harbor of Puerto Villamil. |
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| Day 6 | Friday | Puerto Villamil / Sierra Negra |
|
Today
you will see a totally different Galapagos. By bus you will go
uphill until you are close to the caldera of the volcano Sierra
Negra (about 17 miles). On the way you will see the different
vegetation zones of the volcano. On a 1 hour hike you will go to
the rim of the volcano to see the huge caldera measuring 6.2 miles
(10km) from North to South and 5.6 miles (9 km) from East to West.
You can also see the huge new lava field from the last eruption
in 2005.
In the afternoon you will make an excursion to the lagoons of Villamil. You start at the Tortoise Breading Centre where you can see different subspecies of the Galapagos Land Tortoises and the work being done to restore the endangered populations. On the walk back to town you will follow a beautiful trail from lagoon to lagoon and be on the lookout for flamingos, common gallinules, white cheeked pintail ducks, and black?necked stilts. |
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| Day 7 | Saturday | Floreana: Cormorant Point / Devil’s Crown / Post Office |
|
Today
starts with a wet landing on the “Green Beach” of Punta
Cormorant. On the easy walk through the Arid Zone you will come
to a big salt?water lagoon with flamingos, white cheeked pintail
ducks, black?necked stilts, and depending on the season, more
migratory shore birds. On a short walk you will come to the
“White Flour Sand Beach”, made of white coral. Often you can
see a lot of sting rays in the shallow water. Later you will
visit Devils Crown on Floreana. This is one of the most famous
snorkeling places in Galapagos. However, due to the strong
current, this is only for experienced snorkels.
Before lunch you will make a short visit of the famous barrel in Post Office Bay. The barrel was first placed there in 1793 by whalers. They used it to send and receive letters back home. After this visit you will navigate to Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island. You will have a little bit of time to walk around town on your own. |
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| Day 8 | Sunday | Daphne / Return to mainland Ecuador |
| In the morning you will circumnavigate Daphne Island. Daphne is a tuff cone with very little vegetation. This island is famous for studies by Peter and Rosmary Grant on Darwin Finches. After breakfast you will transferred to Baltra airport for your return flight to the Ecuadorian mainland. | ||
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