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November 4, 2024

Visiting Galapagos is the ideal choice for those who want to explore the Galapagos Islands through exclusive cruises and tours, offering a perfect balance between adventure and comfort. The company is dedicated to providing travelers with unique, tailor-made experiences, immersing them in the extraordinary biodiversity and spectacular landscapes of this archipelago.

With a strong commitment to sustainability, Visiting Galapagos aims to deliver high-quality services that respect the environment by adopting practices to minimize the environmental impact of the cruises, such as biodiversity protection with strict guidelines to avoid disturbing natural habitats. The company promotes the responsible use of resources, limits single-use plastics, and encourages recycling. Educating visitors on the importance of conservation is also a priority, with guides promoting respectful behaviors. Visiting Galapagos also supports the local community by collaborating with local operators on sustainable projects and reducing the carbon footprint of its operations through eco-efficient technologies.

With Visiting Galapagos, travelers can experience this natural paradise aboard vessels equipped with all comforts, such as Letty, a first-class yacht relaunched this year after a renovation phase, which will offer unique itineraries starting November 12. Letty is an elegant and comfortable vessel that offers nature-focused itineraries where wildlife and nature take center stage. The ship’s spacious decks feature all the necessary amenities for a comfortable journey, including a large dining area, a boarding/disembarking platform, a cozy passenger lounge, a well-stocked bar, an observation deck for enjoying stunning views of the surrounding landscape, and a large sun deck where guests can enjoy the sea breeze and sun while sailing, as well as dine outdoors.

Letty Yacht offers two main itineraries of 7-9 days for a deeper immersion and two shorter itineraries of 5 days that still allow guests to savor the essence of the islands. These nature-focused itineraries allow guests to discover the islands’ rich biodiversity through excursions, snorkeling, and visits to conservation centers, such as the Charles Darwin Research Station. The main itineraries aboard Letty yacht are the “West & South Central Islands” of 7 days and 9 days’ itinerary that covers East, Central, Southern and Northern Islands of the Archipelago, while the shorter itineraries include the “South & Central Islands” and the “North & Central Islands” of 5 days.

The “West & South Central Islands” itinerary offers the opportunity to visit the best of the Galapagos Islands, starting from Baltra, known for its vegetation of palo santo trees, cacti, and salt bushes due to its dry climate. The first destination aboard Letty yacht is Rabida, a small island famous for its red-colored sand and rocks, which get their color from the high iron content in the volcanic material that forms the island. Here begins the true immersion in the Galapagos with activities such as snorkeling, kayaking, and excursions among sea lions and various bird species. Stops on this itinerary include Santiago Island, where guests can explore Buccaneer Cove, a picturesque bay known for its crystal-clear waters and abundant marine life, including turtles, rays, and colorful fish, as well as Puerto Egas and Espumilla, popular places known for their volcanic landscapes, marine iguanas, and seals, as well as beaches with turquoise waters. The itinerary continues to Fernandina Island, a small island on the western side of the Galapagos, where guests can visit Punta Espinoza, a narrow spit of lava and sand that extends from the base of volcanoes to the sea, characterized by colonies of iguanas, cormorants, penguins, hawks, and lava cacti. The next stop is Isabela Island, a large island home to fishermen, farmers, and tourists, known for its exceptional vegetation and the Wolf and Cerro Azul volcanoes. Here, guests will visit Urbina Bay, where a beautiful coral reef rises above the bay’s surface and offers a walk among giant tortoises, nesting iguanas, and various bird species; Elizabeth Bay, an isolated bay rich in marine life, where guests can take a boat excursion to explore mangrove forests; Moreno Point, known for its diverse wildlife, including flamingos, sea turtles, and various bird species; Tintoreras, where during high tide, blue sharks swim along the channel or rest on the sea floor; The Wall of Tears, a fascinating historical site in Villamil, built by prisoners in a penal colony and considered a place of mourning; and finally, the Tortoise Center, where guests can learn about the history of tortoise breeding. The fascinating itinerary continues with a visit to Santa Cruz Island, where guests can explore the Charles Darwin Center, which works on restoration, conservation, and sustainable development projects, and Tortuga Bay, which has two beautiful beaches characterized by strong currents. The journey concludes on San Cristobal Island, the fifth-largest island in the archipelago and home to the oldest permanent settlement, with the last stop being Lobos Island, named for the sea lion colony that inhabits the area, making it an ideal place for snorkeling.

The 9-day itinerary is ideal for those who wish to explore the archipelago as much as possible. Departing from San Cristobal Island, guests can visit Punta Pitt, characterized by sea lions that can be spotted from the cliff top, offering a spectacular view, Cerro Brujo, where swimming and snorkeling are popular activities on the coral sand beach, and Kicker Rock, a beach where sea lions rest and where birds such as the yellow warbler, frigates, and finches are present. Continuing on Española Island, one of the oldest islands in the Galapagos, guests will visit Gardner Bay, one of the most scenic beaches in the archipelago where small turtles or sea lions can be seen, and Suarez Point, a famous site in the archipelago where marine iguanas, sea lions, Española lava lizards, Galapagos hawks, three species of Darwin’s finches, and especially the breeding colony of the waved albatross can be observed.
Highlights on Floreana Island include Post Office Bay, where visitors can learn about the human history of the Galapagos, where whalers left letters in a wooden barrel, and Cormorant Point, a popular tourist destination with two beaches, one green and sandy and the other white with crushed coral, but the main attraction is the flamingo lagoon. On North Seymour Island, visitors can see an incredible number of birds, such as blue-footed boobies, swallow-tailed gulls, and frigatebirds.

The itinerary continues to Bartolome Island, an uninhabited island home to Pinnacle Rock, a volcanic cone formed by the release of lava from an underwater volcano. On Genovesa Island, a horseshoe-shaped island in the northeastern archipelago, guests can visit Darwin Bay, a small sandy and coral beach known for its bird species and where penguins and Galapagos herons can be found, and El Barranco, where life can be observed through the cracks in the cliffs, while inland walks allow for viewing blue-footed booby colonies in the Palo Santo forest.
The journey continues to the small Plaza Island, home to a wide variety of species and known for its spectacular flora, and to Santa Fe Island, another small island that has no freshwater and therefore has never had a human presence. The trip ends on Santa Cruz Island, where guests can visit El Chato, where giant tortoises, owls, and lava tunnels can be observed, Los Gemelos, two twin craters formed by magma collapse, the Charles Darwin Center, and finally Borrero Bay, with breathtaking scenery that can be enjoyed swimming in the blue waters of the bay or walking along the beach.

The two shorter itineraries offer a snapshot of the archipelago, ideal for those with limited time who still want to experience a unique and well-organized adventure in the Galapagos. The “South & Central Islands” itinerary focuses on the southern part of the archipelago, with visits to San Cristobal Island with stops at Punta Pitt, Cerro Brujo, and Kicker Rock, Española Island with stops at Gardner Bay and Suarez Point, Floreana Island with stops at Post Office Bay and Cormorant Point, and North Seymour Island. The “North & Central Islands” itinerary takes guests to the northern part of the archipelago, with visits to Bartolome Island, Genovesa Island with stops at Darwin Bay and El Barranco, Plaza and Santa Fe Islands, and finally to Santa Cruz Island, where highlights include stops at the Charles Darwin Center, El Chato, Los Gemelos, and Borrero Bay.

All itineraries aboard Letty Yacht include a bilingual (English-Spanish) naturalist guide for all excursions and activities during the cruise; an experienced crew on board; complete snorkeling gear, such as masks, fins, and snorkels; wetsuits and kayaks; transfers between the islands and tourist sites; all shore excursions aboard Zodiac boats from the yacht; as well as all meals, Wi-Fi connection, and accommodations in Standard Double/Queen/Triple cabins with private bathrooms and full amenities, ensuring a complete experience.

Letty Yacht, together with its professional crew, is committed to providing excellent service, while guests can explore the wonderful marine life and nature of the Galapagos, making each exploration unforgettable.

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Giorgia Lombardo

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