Yacht Isabela II’s excellently-crafted itineraries allow for some of the best-in-class wildlife and island coverage in Galapagos. Many of this yacht’s excursions take place at exclusive visitor sites too, meaning guests will often have entire areas to themselves. Multiple naturalist guides on Yacht Isabela II also means that guests have the added freedom to choose from a wider range of activities on each day of their itinerary.

Safety and sustainability are both at the forefront of Yacht Isabela II, with a 24-hour onboard Medical Officer and its own water treatment plant. This is also one of the few yacht’s in Galapagos that comes equipped with plenty of the definitive exploration tools (dinghies, kayaks, snorkeling gear, paddleboards, etc.) that you’ll need to experience Galapagos properly, including a glass-bottom boat!

Baltra Airport (Baltra Island)

• Guests arrive at Baltra Airport and are shuttled down to the Itabaca Channel where they’ll take a ferry across to Santa Cruz Island. A 30-minute bus ride will then take guests up to a restaurant in the highlands of Santa Cruz Island to enjoy lunch. Afterwards, they’ll continue down to Puerto Ayora.

Puerto Ayora and the Charles Darwin Research Station (Santa Cruz Island)

• After driving down from the highlands, guests will get the chance to visit the Charles Darwin Research Station and the numerous giant tortoises that reside there. The Station also serves as the headquarters for scientific investigation, conservation and the National Park administration. Afterwards, guests will take a stroll down the main street of Puerto Ayora before embarking Yacht Isabela II. After checking in, they’ll be invited to the Captain welcome cocktail and then dinner.

Santa Fe Island

• Guests take the dinghy from Yacht Isabela II over to this idyllic white-sand beach that’s populated with colonies of sea lions. Galapagos hawks are often easily observed here, typically found sitting perched atop the salt bushes. The brilliantly yellow Santa Fe land iguana, which is exclusive to just this island in the whole world, might also be spotted during the walk. Following the walk, guests have the choice of swimming and snorkeling along a natural wave barrier. Alternatively, they can choose to take a ride aboard Yacht Isabela II’s glass-bottom boat.

South Plaza Island

• The turquoise waters of the channel here contrast brilliantly with the white sand beach and volcanic rocks that make up the shoreline. A carpet of scarlet-colored sesuvium succulents sits at the base of a large cluster of luminescent-green prickly-pear cacti. Crawling around this entire scene are the yellow-greyish land iguanas. Along the coastline, guests will walk right by sea lion colonies while seabirds play along the cliffs of this small but spectacular island.

North Seymour Island

• After breakfast, the morning excursion begins with guests disembarking and enjoying a walk along the coast and inner area of this beautiful and relatively flat island. Throughout their exploration, guests will get to observe numerous bird colonies as well as sea lions and land iguanas. There are opportunities for snorkeling, coastal exploration or a glass-bottom boat ride for great views of the underwater world.

Las Bachas (Santa Cruz Island)

• After WWII, US military barges were beached and simply abandoned here. Today it is an important nesting area for the east Pacific green sea turtles. Las Bachas, located on the north shore of Santa Cruz Island, comes complete with a glorious white-sand beach, with several brackish lagoons only a few steps away from the sea. These lagoons are the feeding grounds for various wading birds, from stilts all the way to flamingos. Guests are welcome to swim or snorkel from the beach

Bartolome Island

• On this morning, an iconic and postcard-worthy Galapagos feature awaits: Bartolome Island. Guests will disembark from their dinghy shuttle boats and begin a steep climb up a wooden staircase where the view from the top makes it well worth the effort! Following the walk, guests will once again hop aboard the dinghies for a ride around the colossal Pinnacle Rock. After this, there will be time for guests to enjoy the beach as well as some snorkeling. Guests can also choose to ride aboard the glass-bottom boat for great views of the underwater world.

Sullivan Bay (Santiago Island)

• After lunch, guests board the dinghies to disembark at Sullivan Bay over on the east coast of Santiago Island. This visitor site comes complete with a white coral-sand beach, which is great for swimming and snorkeling. Additionally, there’s a trail that goes over a lava field that once flowed here less than 100 years ago. This is the perfect place to see and feel the volcanic origin of Galapagos while observing its wildlife.

Baltra Island

• After breakfast, guests leave for the airport to take their flight back to the mainland.

Yacht Isabela II is ideally-designed for Galapagos expedition cruising. It offers handsome installations to perfectly complement the day’s outings, providing guests with the perfect, intimate space for exploring Darwin’s islands in absolute comfort. Traditionalists will enjoy feeling at home with a crew that has remained almost unchanged for years, leading to seamless attention to detail that will make the entire journey feel extra special.

Additionally, Yacht Isabela II recently (mid-2018) underwent a complete and drastic renovation process that saw its interior and exterior areas completely refreshed and updated.

Guests are invited to enjoy the fresh air atop the Sun deck or find fascinating books about nature and history in the library. Delicious meals – served impeccably in the dining room or al fresco – will nourish the senses as a well-deserved reward after each and every expedition. Guests are more than welcome to take a break in the hot tub, stay strong in the fitness room, or have a drink at the bar or outside as they sunbathe.