We are home from a spectacular Live-List trip to the Galápagos Islands, and I’m still trying to believe I finally got to go!
I’ve wanted to visit the Galápagos for decades, and it absolutely lived up to the dream. In fact, I’m already thinking about how I can get back there!
Our 8-night HX itinerary, In Darwin’s Footsteps, started with two nights at the JW Marriott in Quito, including tours of the city, before we flew to Baltra Island and headed out to our ship.
And I have to say, I loved how much was included. The hotels, meals, tours, transfers, and flights to and from the islands were all taken care of. We even had a professional photographer traveling with us, rotating among our four groups. We just received all of our photos, and they are fantastic!
Small Ship, Big Adventure
Our ship, the MS Santa Cruz II, carries up to 90 passengers—but there were only 38 of us on this sailing. How lucky were we?! There were actually 51 crew members, so we had more crew than guests. 🙂 The service and food were excellent.
This is a very different kind of cruise. The ships can't dock at the islands, so we traveled everywhere by panga (Zodiac). And because the number of visitors to the islands is carefully controlled, we were often the only group on an island for our hikes and walks. That made the experience feel incredibly special.
And Then There Was the Wildlife…
Where do I even begin? We saw a sea lion pup just minutes after it was born. The mother was very pregnant when we started our walk, and when we came back about an hour later—there was the baby!
This little guy was about a week old. I just can’t with the sea-lion pups. So adorable! We saw giant tortoises—including this one, estimated to be between 100 and 150 years old. Blue-Footed Boobies. Yes, those feet really are that blue! Galápagos iguanas—and plenty of them!
One of the most amazing things is that the animals simply aren't afraid of us. We always maintained the required distance, but sometimes they wanted to get closer to us, and we had to back away! It truly is a nature-lover’s paradise. And the snorkeling was pretty spectacular, too.
This Is Not a Sit-by-the-Pool Cruise
If you're going all the way to the Galápagos, you want to see as much as you can! Every day offered several choices—hikes, walks, slow walks, snorkeling, glass-bottom boat tours, and panga excursions. You could do as much or as little as you wanted. Hubby skipped a few activities; I tried to do as many as I could.
Each evening before dinner, we had a “Tiny Talk” with our naturalist and Expedition Manager, who filled us in on the next day's adventures. It was a busy trip, but in the best possible way.
One Little Regret…Our shorter itinerary didn't take us to the islands where we could see the Galápagos penguins. So, naturally, we may just have to go back! 😉
If the Galápagos has been sitting on your travel list for years, maybe it's time to move it up a few spots.