Alya Luxury Galapagos Catamaran - 7 Days of Adventure

Alya Luxury Galapagos Catamaran - Route C (Saturday to Thursday)

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Overview

The beautiful Alya luxury catamaran offers year-round small-ship cruises in the Galapagos Islands. Social areas are tastefully decorated with inspiration taken from the Galapagos Islands, to truly immerse yourself in the stunning surroundings. The large indoor lounge and fully-stocked bar is the perfect place to catch-up with new friends after a day of adventuring, or why not enjoy a drink while relaxing in the jacuzzi located on the sundeck, which also has comfortable loungers. The onboard chef will prepare a variety of delicious fare of local and international cuisine. Breakfast and lunch are served buffet style and dinner is table service with a choice of thoughtfully created dishes. Special dietary requirements can be catered to with advance notice.

The Alya catamaran has 9 comfortable cabins featuring modern amenities and comforts in your home away from home. All staterooms feature ocean views, private en-suite bathrooms, luxury toiletries, safety deposit box and charging ports. Most cabins also have a private balcony for added relaxation.

The Alya offers a choice of 4 different itineraries exploring the best areas of the Galapagos Islands. Days are filled with exploration, getting up close with the curious Galapagos wildlife including penguins, turtles, sea lions and a variety of extraordinary birds. Activities include hiking to stunning viewpoints, snorkeling, panga rides, kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding.

Islands you will visit:

North Seymour,
South Plaza,
Sante Fe,
San Cristobal,
Española,
Floreana,
Santa Cruz.

Itinerary

DAY 1

BALTRA ISLAND / NORTH SEYMOUR ISLAND

Saturday: Arrival in Baltra and Transfer to North Seymour

AM: BALTRA AIRPORT
Departure to the Galapagos Islands, arrival at Baltra airport, where our naturalist guide of the National Park will be waiting for you.
PM: SEYMOUR
This island is home for large colonies of both magnificent and great frigatebirds and you can see them displaying their red balloons to attract a female. Blue-footed boobies nest in the ground and perform their famous dance in the open areas, while swallow-tailed gulls perch on the cliff edges. Land iguanas are common inland while their marine cousins bask in the rocks by the sea, close to sea lions, which often like to body surf in the waves. Snorkel: This place is a really great snorkeling location, as it has tremendous diversity and amount of fish, but also sea lions, sharks, eels, turtles, rays and many more.
Highlights: Galapagos sea lions, blue footed boobies, magnificent & great frigatebirds, land & marine iguanas, swallow-tailed gulls, shearwaters, Darwin finches.
Trail: 1,4 km / 0,8 mi
Meals: Lunch, Dinner
Lodging: Catamaran Alya

DAY 2

SANTA FE ISLAND / SOUTH PLAZA ISLAND

Sunday: South Plazas and Santa fe

AM: PLAZAS
Of the two twin islands, only South Plazas is allowed to be visited, while North plazas is kept exclusively for scientific research. This is a small islet, but it packs an impressive amount of wildlife. Right after you land you will see Galapagos land iguanas waiting under prickly -pear cactus feed on their fruits. A large colony of sea lions will give you the opportunity to see playful pups enjoying the tide pools, but also large grumpy males defending their territories. The trail will take you to a cliff where you can observe many sea birds, such as frigatebirds, red-billed tropicbirds, boobies, swallow-tailed gulls and pelicans. A reddish succulent vegetation with scattered cactus covers most of the islands like a carpet, giving this island a unique personality.
Highlights: Galapagos land iguanas, sea lions, tropicbirds, pelicans, boobies, Galapagos shearwaters, swallow -tailed gulls.
Trail: 1,4 km / 0,8 mi
PM: SANTA FE
Giant Prickly -pear cactus and barren lava rocks surround the landing spot at Santa Fe, located inside one of the most beautiful bays in the Galapagos. Turquoise water and white sand beaches make this location a perfect home for a large colony of sea lions which you will see basking in the sand. Inland, look down for endemic Santa Fe land iguanas, but also look up for Galapagos hawks, which often perch at the top of the cactus looking for prey. Darwin finches, Galapagos doves, mockingbirds and lava lizards are also common along the trail. Snorkel: After the hike, you will have the option to kayak or snorkel in the sheltered waters inside the bay, where you can swim with sea lion pups and reef sharks. Also look for sea turtles, rays and a large variety of tropical fish including large schools of surgeonfish and parrotfish.
Highlights: Giant cactus, Santa Fe bay, Galapagos sea lions, Santa Fe land iguanas, Galapagos hawks, Galapagos doves, reef sharks.
Trail: 0,8 km / 0,5 mi
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Lodging: Catamaran Alya

DAY 3

SAN CRISTOBAL

Monday: San Cristobal Island

AM: INTERPRETATION CENTER
Located in the outskirts of Puerto Baquerizo, this center is dedicated to the history of human presence in the Galapagos. Since the times of the early Spanish explorers to the present times, including illustrious visitors such as Charles Darwin, this permanent exhibition will take you through the dangers and struggles of the first settlers trying to survive the harsh Galapagos environment.
Highlights: Endemic plants, exhibition on human history
Trail: 0,2 km / 650 ft
PM: LOBOS ISLAND
Lobos island is a small islet separated from San Cristobal by a narrow channel, forming a sheltered bay where sea lion pups play in tidal pools. Despite its small size, the island is surprisingly packed with wildlife, especially with “lobos marinos”, the Spanish name for sea lions. Groups of sea lions will welcome you at the landing spot, but as you walk a few steps inland, male frigatebirds displaying their inflated red balloons will be perched on the bushes and trees. A small colony of blue footed boobies, which often nest right on the trail, will give you the opportunity to observe their famous courtship dance. Snorkel: This is a great snorkeling location as the water are usually calm and the sea lions often play with divers to show off their swimming skills. Sea turtles and rays are often seen resting in the sandy bottoms.
Highlights: Galapagos sea lions, marine Iguanas, magnificent & great frigatebirds, blue-footed Boobies, San Cristobal Lava Lizards.
Trail: 0,6 km / 0,4 mi
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Lodging: Catamaran Alya

DAY 4

ESPAñOLA ISLAND

Tuesday: Española Island

AM: GARDNER BAY
Gardner beach is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and interesting beaches to visit in the Galapagos. Its fine coral sand and turquoise water give it a totally tropical appearance, which contrasts with the presence of sea lions basking in the beach. You will have the opportunity to walk along the beach and learn about the biology of sea lions and other endemic species, such as the Española mockingbird, marine iguanas and Galapagos hawks. Snorkel: There are several great snorkeling places at Gardner bay. It is a fantastic site to swim with sea lions, reef sharks, rays and many species of fish, including; Angelfish, Parrotfish, Damselfish, Surgeonfish and many others.
Highlights: Coral sand beach, sea lions, Galapagos hawks, Española mockingbirds, Darwin finches, marine iguanas.
Trail: 0,8 km / 0,5 mi
PM: SUAREZ POINT
This rocky trail is one the most amazing nature walks you can do in the Galapagos islands. From the moment you set foot on the island and all the way along the trail the amount and diversity of fauna is truly amazing. Sea lions and marine iguanas will be the first ones welcoming us, followed by large colonies of sea birds, including Nazca and Blue -footed boobies, gulls and tropicbirds. At the end of the trail we will visit a colony of waved albatross (April to January), the largest bird in the islands and one of the most interesting because of its powerful flight and elaborate courtship. Waved albatross only nest at Española, so this is the only place where you will see them at close range.
Highlights: Sea lions, Waved Albatross, Galapagos hawks, Española mockingbirds, Darwin finches, marine iguanas, Nazca & Blue -footed Boobies, Red -billed Tropicbirds, Swallow -tailed gulls, herons, lava lizards, herons.
Trail: 1,7 km / 1,1 mi
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Lodging: Catamaran Alya

DAY 5

FLOREANA ISLAND

Wednesday: Floreana Island

AM: CORMORANT POINT / DEVIL´S CROWN
Punta Cormorant is located in the north of Floreana and it is known for its large coastal lagoon with American flamingoes, white -cheeked pintails, black -necked stilts and other shorebirds. There is a beautiful white sand beach which is an important nesting ground for green sea turtles where we can also see rays and reef sharks. In the last years, a small groups of blue footed boobies have started to breed right by the trail. This is also a great trail to look at endemic plants. Snorkel: It will be done at Devil’s Crown, a heavily eroded little volcano right by Floreana island. This is considered by many as one of the best snorkeling sites in the entire archipelago as the current funnels plankton through the Crown, attracting huge schools of snapper, Creole fish parrot fish, angelfish, reef sharks, sea turtles, rays and a phenomenal amount of marine life.
Highlights: American flamingo, blue -footed booby, frigatebirds, tropicbirds, Galapagos shearwaters, sea lions, sea turtle nesting site, finches, shorebirds, coral -sand beach.
Trail: 1,6 km / 1 mi
PM: ALIERI HILL
Alieri hill is the remnant of an old volcano located in the transition zone of Floreana, 15 minutes away by bus from the town. This is one of the best locations for plant lovers, as the vegetation is largely native, with many endangered endemic species hard to find elsewhere. The views of the northern coast are also superb and there are interesting birds to look for, such as flycatchers, yellow warblers and Darwin finches. Highlights: Endemic plants, transition zone, Darwin finches.
Trail: 1 km / 0,6 mi
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Lodging: Catamaran Alya

DAY 6

SANTA CRUZ ISLAND

Thursday: Santa Cruz and Transfer to the Airport

AM: HIGHLANDS
Either if you do this visit starting from Baltra or from Puerto Ayora, a bus will take you to the highlands stopping along the way at one of the reserves to visit the lush highland forests where you will look for Galapagos Giant tortoises in their natural environment. This is the best place in the Galapagos to see these gentle giants (reaching over 300 kg / 600 pounds!) casually grazing and resting in freshwater ponds. This is also home for a great diversity of birds rarely found at the lowlands, including finches (tree, woodpecker and vegetarian finches), flycatchers and several species of water birds. You will visit a lava tunnel (depend on the itinerary) and learn how these extraordinary formations where created by ancient volcanic eruptions.
Highlights: Giant tortoises, Darwin finches, barn owls, white-cheeked pintails, Galapagos flycatchers, Lava tunnels.
Trail: 1-1,5 km / 0,6-0,9 mi
Then, transfer to the airport to take your flight back to continental Ecuador.
Meals: Breakfast

Book This Tour

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Terms & Conditions

**Payment Policy*:**

At the time of booking a deposit of 20% of the total tour price
The remaining balance is due a minimum of 65 calendar days prior to departure date

To issue final confirmation Palace tours requires 60 days prior to departure (or at time of reservation for last minute bookings) the following information for all passengers:

Complete passenger names
Passport numbers (& passport copy in case of children)
Nationality
Date of birth
Marital Status
Dietary or medical restrictions

Failure to provide the above information on time may result in delays and possibly passengers missing the tour completely. Palace tours will not accept responsibility or provide refunds if the above information is not provided in its entirety and on time.

Cancellation Policy*

All cancellations must be done in writing. If a cancellation is received more than 125 days prior to tour departure date a Cancellation fee of 10% of the total price will be retained as cancellation fee.

If a cancellation is received between 124 days and 65 days prior to tour departure date, 20% of the total price will be forfeited.

In the case of a cancellation received less than 65 days prior to the boat departure the full amount will be retained.

*Specific Payment and Cancellation/Reschedule policies for Christmas and New Years´ Eve cruise dates

Inclusions & Exclusions

Included:

Airport assistance Transfers in Galapagos
Accommodation in double cabin
All meals during the cruise
Naturalist Bilingual Guide
All visits & excursions according to the itinerary
*Snorkel Gear (mask, tube and fins)
*Kayaks, paddle boards
*Wetsuits, beach towels
Unlimited purified water, coffee and tea
Soft drinks

*Restrictions apply. Please contact us for more information.

Not Included:

Local flight to/from Galapagos
Galapagos National Park Entrance fee
Galapagos Transit card
Alcoholic drinks
Tips
Local Taxes
Travel Insurance
Meals and Services do not specified as included

Frequently Asked Questions & Tips

1 When is the best time to visit Galapagos?

Galapagos is a place that can be visited at any time. There are two season, and the warmest is between December and May. It is the time of year when the sky is always clear, and the sun shines strongly. If you love to dive in amazing places, the best time to visit Galapagos is from June to November. During this season the weather is a little cooler, but it gives you the chance to enjoy the best from Galapagos' famous marine reserve.

2 What should we bring?

Since the islands are situated very near the Equator, we recommend that you bring lightweight clothing and of course, don't forget your swimsuits, sun lotion, and good footwear.

3 How long is the flight from Ecuador to the Galapagos?

It depends from where you depart. Flights to the Galapagos leave from Quito and Guayaquil. It takes about half an hour to get from Quito to Guayaquil and roughly one and a half hours from Guayaquil to the islands.

4 Are there any immunizations required/recommended?

For the Galapagos Islands there are no required or recommended immunizations. If you, however, intend to spend more time in Ecuador, especially in the jungle, immunization is highly recommended. As this changes from time to time please check with your local health office (or the Institute for Tropical Diseases) a few weeks in advance of your trip.

5 Are single or triple suites available?

Most of our cruises will assign double cabins to all passengers unless you want to pay the single supplement if traveling alone. Triple cabins can also be arranged on request, depending on availability and the vessel you choose

6 What is the time zone of the Galapagos Islands?

The Galapagos Islands are 6 hours behind GMT (equivalent to USA Central Standard Time)

7 Does the equatorial line cross the Galapagos Islands?

The equatorial line does pass through the Galapagos, just north of Isla Santiago. Please refer to our Itinerary page to see which itinerary passes through the equatorial line.

8 What are marine currents like the Galapagos?

The Galapagos Islands waters have the Humboldt Current's influence that brings cold waters especially during the mist rainy season (cool weather) from July to December. The warm season is during the months of January to June. The southeast trade winds become weaker and the water from the Panama Basin remains warm. During this season there is more of a tropical climate with some occasional rains. "El Niño" current may cause a much greater flow of warm waters, making the surface warmer and rainfall increase.

9 What is the water temperature in the Islands?

Average water temperatures in Galapagos:
January - June: 70°F - 80°F (20°C - 26°C)
July - December: 65°F - 75°F (18°C- 23°C)

10 Can you snorkel in the Galapagos?

Snorkeling equipment is available on-board and is an activity on all of our Galapagos Cruises. All water sports convey a certain risk. Passengers participating in these activities do so under their own responsibility.

11 Special Diets:

Passengers with special dietary needs are asked to request the latest menu offered and in such cases that stated menu does not meet their needs to clearly convey their specific dietary needs. It is the responsibility of passengers with specific dietary needs to addressed additional requirements at least 30 days prior to the start of the cruise. Those general and specific needs not clearly conveyed cannot be met. Every reasonable effort will be made to cater to such requests within reason, subject to availability of products in Ecuador retains the right to refuse to cater such special needs.

12 What islands does the Alya catamaran Route C visit from Saturday to Thursday?

Route C starts at Baltra with an afternoon on North Seymour, then visits South Plaza and Santa Fe, San Cristobal (Interpretation Center and Lobos Island), Espanola (Gardner Bay), Floreana (Cormorant Point and Devil's Crown) and ends in the Santa Cruz highlands before the airport transfer.

13 What is the Alya luxury catamaran like?

The Alya is a luxury catamaran with 9 cabins and social areas decorated with inspiration from the Galapagos. Guests relax in a large indoor lounge or on the sundeck, which has a jacuzzi and comfortable loungers. Activities include hiking, snorkelling, panga rides, kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding.

14 What cabin types are available on the Alya Route C cruise?

Cabins are offered as King Size, Twin or Matrimonial. All 9 staterooms have ocean views, a private en-suite bathroom, luxury toiletries, a safety deposit box and charging ports, and most also have a private balcony. The fare for each cabin type is shown with the departure on this page.

15 What does the Alya Route C fare include and what is extra?

The fare includes airport assistance and transfers in Galapagos, your cabin, all meals on board, a bilingual naturalist guide, all visits and excursions in the itinerary, snorkel gear, kayaks, paddle boards, wetsuits, beach towels, purified water, coffee, tea and soft drinks (some gear is subject to restrictions). Not included are the flight to and from Galapagos, the National Park entrance fee, the transit card, other beverages, tips, local taxes and travel insurance.

16 What is Gardner Bay on Espanola like?

Gardner Bay is one of the most beautiful beaches in Galapagos, with fine coral sand, turquoise water and sea lions resting on the shore. You can walk the beach looking for the Espanola mockingbird, marine iguanas and Galapagos hawks, and snorkel with sea lions, reef sharks, rays and tropical fish.

17 What is served for meals on the Alya catamaran?

The onboard chef prepares local and international cuisine. Breakfast and lunch are served buffet style and dinner is table service with a choice of dishes. Special dietary requirements can be catered for with advance notice, so tell us about them when you book.

18 Will I see giant tortoises on Alya Route C?

Yes. The final morning takes you by bus into the Santa Cruz highlands to a reserve where Galapagos giant tortoises, which can exceed 300 kg, graze and rest in freshwater ponds. Depending on the itinerary, you may also visit a lava tunnel before transferring to the airport.

19 What deposit is needed to reserve the Alya Route C cruise and when is the balance due?

A deposit of 20% of the cruise fare secures your cabin on the Alya Route C cruise. The remaining balance is due 65 days before departure. Galapagos flights, park entrance fee and transit card are separate from the cruise fare, so plan for those costs as well.

20 How do I ask a question or book the Alya Route C cruise?

You can email travel@palacetours.com, call 786-408-0610, or message us on WhatsApp at https://wa.me/17864080610, where a travel specialist or our AI assistant will reply. When departures for the Alya Route C cruise are listed on this page they can be booked directly from the departure list, and the exact fare for each departure is shown there. If no date suits you yet, send us your preferred travel month and cabin type and we will check availability for you.