Tip Top – 8 Day Cruise North West Galapagos

Overview:

Explore the Galapagos Islands like never before aboard the catamarans Tip Top II or Tip Top V. Both have been newly refurnished and have all-encompassing itineraries packed with Galapagos wildlife hotspots. Each yacht has a capacity of only 16 passengers and and dining room, salon as well as an observation & sun deck.

The trips themselves offer guests everything they could hope to expect from a Galapagos cruise. Hike to the summit of Bartolome Island, snorkel amongst penguins and turtles, visit colonies of sea lions, enjoy panga rides around the rugged coast and visit the Charles Darwin Research Centre to learn all about this diverse area.  

Ships that operate this itinerary:

Tip Top II
Tip Top V

Islands Visited:

- Santa Cruz
- Bartolome
- Santiago
- Rabida
- Fernandina
- Isabela
- North Seymour 

Included:

• Accommodation onboard cruise in cabins with private bathroom
• All meals throughout cruise
• Coffee & Herbal tea
• Transfers in the islands
• All excursions and activities including kayaks
• Bilingual naturalist guides
• Snorkeling equipment
• Airport transfers

Exclusions:

• Airfares
• Travel Insurance
• Gratuities
• Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages
• Any additional transportation and personal services
• Galapagos Conservation Tax – $100 USD pp payable in cash only upon arrival to the Galapagos
• Isabella Island Arrival Tax – $10 USD pp payable in cash only upon arrival to the Island

Day 1: Arrival to Baltra and embark cruise
You will land in Baltra Island by plane in the morning and your guide will meet you at the arrivals gate, our crew will take care of your luggage. Your guide will conduct you to a bus and after a short 5-kilometer ride to the pier; you board the catamaran immediately. As the crew weighs anchor, we greet you with our first orientation and we offer a light snack. 

After lunch, you make an early wet landing on Mosquera Islet, a reef of rocks and coral (the result of an uprising) and a great white sand beach and tide pools. You observe colonies of sea lions, brown pelicans, blue-footed boobies and sally light-foot crabs, the contrast between these bright red crabs on top and blue on the bottom and the black lava is stunning. In the evening, we have an orientation about the Galapagos Islands in general: their origin and evolution. Welcome cocktail with the entire crew, and dinner.

Note: Itineraries are unlikely to change significantly but are subject to change. Weather, wildlife breeding, safety concerns, instructions from the Galapagos National Park, specific abilities and interests of passengers as well as operational matters may cause your guide or captain to change the time or nature of visits. Your guide and captain will always endeavor to select the best itinerary within these limits.

Sullivan Bay & Rabida

After breakfast, we make a wet landing on Sullivan Bay, a perfect place to get a feel of the volcanic origin of the islands. There is an optional to spend some time for those who would like to swim and/or snorkel. We return to the boat for a delicious lunch. 

After this, you make a wet landing on Rabida, to walk and observe marine iguanas and sea lions, pelicans, blue-footed boobies, masked boobies and brown pelicans. You make a little walk and you arrive at a small saltwater lagoon where you can see pink flamingos. There's also more time for those who would like to swim or snorkel. Return to the Yacht for dinner and our nightly orientation.

Punta Espinoza & Elizabeth Bay

After breakfast, we make a dry landing on Punta Espinoza to observe and see a large colony of sea lions, marine iguanas and the flightless cormorants and clumps of lava cactus. You come aboard for lunch. In the afternoon, you make a panga ride around the islets of Elizabeth Bay to see marine iguanas, penguins, marine turtles, seabirds and shorebirds, herons and blue-footed boobies. Return to the Yacht for dinner and our nightly orientation.

Urbina Bay & Tagus Cove 

After breakfast, you make a wet landing on Urbina Bay to take a walk and observe a coral area, land iguanas, flightless cormorants and giant tortoises. Optional: time for those who would like to swim or snorkel. Return to the Yacht for lunch. 

In the afternoon, we make a panga ride on Tagus Cove, a cove between the shoulders of two volcanic craters, which protect it from the open sea; we observe penguins, marine iguanas, sea lions and a variety of birds including flightless cormorant and blue-footed boobies. Optional: time for those who would like to swim, snorkel and/ or kayak. Return to the Yacht for dinner and our nightly orientation

James Bay (Puerto Egas,) Bartholomew Island & Pinnacle Rock

After breakfast, you make a wet landing on James Bay (Puerto Egas), to walk and observe sponges, snails, hermit crabs, a variety of shorebirds, barnacles and the endemic four-eyed blenny, marine iguanas and sea lions. Optional: time for those who would like to swim or snorkel. You return to the boat for a delicious lunch. 

In the afternoon, you make a dry landing on Bartholomew Island, to hike to the summit; during the hike, you observe colonies of marine iguanas and lava lizards. On the summit, you see an impressive view of the surrounding islands, including the eroded tuff cone of Pinnacle Rock. You return to the yacht for a delicious dinner and our nightly orientation.

Chinese Hat & Dragon Hill

After breakfast, you make a wet landing on Chinese Hat (Sombrero Chino), a small island off the coast of Santiago Island, you can observe on the rocky shoreline: Galapagos penguins, eagle rays, sea lions and marine iguanas. This is an excellent snorkeling site. Optional: time for those who would like to swim, snorkel and/ or kayak. You return to the boat for lunch. 

Later in the afternoon, you make a dry landing on Dragon Hill, where you can see land iguanas; you walk to a hypersaline lagoon (saltier than the ocean), where you can observe flamingos, common stilts, pintail ducks and other species of birds. Optional: time for those who would like to swim and/or snorkel. You return to the Yacht for dinner and our nightly orientation.

 Santa Cruz Highlands & Twin Craters

This morning you'll disembark to take the bus to the highlands of Santa Cruz Island for a visit to the native forests, Twin Craters, then, you will go to one of the ranches to see the giant tortoises in the wildlife. You will be delighted with the lunch in the ranch. 

After lunch, you will return to Puerto Ayora to start the visit to the Interpretation Center Fausto Llerena. You return to the Yacht for dinner and our nightly orientation

North Seymour Island

After breakfast, you make an early dry landing for a walk along the coast and the interior of North Seymour Island, a low, flat island that was uplifted from the sea by underground seismic activity. You observe blue-footed boobies (they nest from May to November), marine iguanas, pelicans, frigate birds, shorebirds, sea lions and endemic Palo Santo. You return to the Yacht for disembarking on the pier and your guide accompanies you on the bus ride directly to the airport.