La Pinta Yacht
Category: Luxury Class
Departures: Every Friday
Capacity: 48 passengers

Facilities and Accommodation

La Pinta's ample staterooms provide Galapagos explorers with unparalleled comfort, catering to guests with personalized attention and innovative services. 24 cabins are located mid-ship, in the Upper Deck, with double beds (32¡¨ x 79¡¨ inches), which can be converted to one Queen bed (64¡¨ x 79¡¨ inches).  Six cabins are connected, for the convenience of families traveling together, and there are also 4 triple cabins of approximately 22 square meters (236 square feet).

All cabins are outside, fresh, well-lit through panoramic windows viewing unto the Pacific Ocean, and also with reading lights and other light fixtures at night.

Cabins have a well-appointed desk with adequate drawer space, and several electric outlets to allow guests to charge their photo and video equipment, as well as other appliances and personal devices su'ch as iPods, portable DVD players and laptops. In the cabins, guests will be able to hear all announcements related to the expedition and other activities.  There is also an additional audio music channel.

For a good night's rest, bedding made of fine cotton, down duvets and a choice of pillows. Bathrooms are very functional, with shower and all necessary accessories; all amenities are biodegradable and recyclable.  Hair dryer and plenty of plush towels are provided

2008 prices per person starting at:

2009 prices per person starting at:

• *Only 3 cabins are available for single use
• Twin / Double Cabins for single use have a surcharge of 100% of the price.
• ***Peak Season: April 10-17 / December 18-January 4
  
  Fuel Surcharge supplement US$203 net per passenger

During Peak Season

• There will be a GROSS surcharge of US$ 200.00 per adult and US$ 130.00 per child
• No discounts apply

Children Policy

• Children under 12 sharing cabin with parents, 25% Off. (one child per adult paying full fare)
• Minimum age 6 years old

Specifications

Built: 1983
Refurbished: 2007
Length: 63 meters (207 feet)
Beam: 12 meters (39.37 feet)
Gross Tonnage: 1541
Speed: 12-14 knots
Capacity: 48 guests
Cabins: 24 outside cabins, all similar, in the same deck.
Approximate size 15 square meters (162 square feet).
Guides: 3 Certified Galápagos Naturalists
Crew: 25 plus M.D Officer

Itinerary 8 days

Friday to Friday

1. BARTOLOME: Named for Lt. David Bartholomew of the British Navy, this small island is located just east of Santiago Island. Perhaps the most photographed location in the entire archipelago. Climb up a wooden staircase to the summit for a stunning view of two beautiful bays. You can observe fascinating formations of lava flows and spatter cones. Many have called this island "an open Geology textbook". Sea lions and penguins can be seen around Pinnacle Rock. There is a sandy beach with great swimming and snorkeling. This is one of those selected locations where seeing penguins in tropical waters can be a revealing discovery.

2. FERNANDINA (Narborough): The name was given in honor of King Ferdinand of Spain, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus. Fernandina has an area of 642 square kilometres (248 mi²) and a maximum altitude of 1,494 metres (4,902 ft)  The youngest island of the Galapagos group. The landing point is Punta Espinoza. Walk among the hundreds of marine iguanas on black lava rocks. See flightless cormorants, penguins, pelicans, sea lions and mangrove forests. The walking grounds will reveal the beautiful shapes of lava once it has cooled off. At this location, few rocks are older than 400 years of age. Fernandina's colossal dome shape can enchant anyone who visits, perhaps the most remote island in the Pacific.

3. ISABELA (Albemarle): This island was named in honor of Queen Isabela. With an area of 4,640 square kilometres (1,792 mi²), it is the largest island of the Galápagos as the result of six large volcanic domes fused together. Its highest point is Wolf Volcano with an altitude of 1,707 metres (5,600 ft)  Tagus Cove is a natural harbor where centuries ago whalers and pirates left their ship's names painted or carved on the rocks. A walk uphill takes you around Darwin's Crater salt-water lake for a superb view. A dinghy ride along the shoreline lets you see penguins, flightless cormorants, boobies, pelicans and Sally Light foot crabs. Urbina Bay is located at the central-west coast of Isabela Island at the foothills of Volcanoes Alcedo and Darwin. Land on a dark volcanic sand beach. Highlights include large and colorful land iguanas, since the inland area includes excellent nesting grounds for them. Good possibilities of seeing giant tortoises in the wild (all year, numbers may vary according to seasonal conditions). Along the rocky shoreline, possible sightings of flightless cormorants, blue-footed boobies, penguins and large marine iguanas. Quite impressive is the coral uplifting from 1954. Punta Moreno is located in the central-south western coast of Isabela Island. Spectacular view of volcanoes Alcedo, Sierra Negra and Cerro Azul. Highlights: impressive lava flows from eruptions years ago. Desolate, extremely pristine landscape. A textbook of pioneer plants, extraordinarily varied and unusual arid-zone vegetation. The main attraction is a compound of small brackish lagoons very much like a desert oasis with lagoon birds, including seasonal flamingos. Ideal place for observing the rare and reclusive gallinules. Frequent sights of frigates, pelicans and other sea birds doing salt cleansing dives to the lagoon's surface.

4. FLOREANA (Charles):  It was named after Juan José Flores, the first president of Ecuador, during whose administration the government of Ecuador took possession of the archipelago. It is also called Santa Maria after one of the caravels of Columbus. It has an area of 173 square kilometres (66.8 mi²) and a maximum altitude of 640 metres (2,100 ft) Post Office Bay: Visit the famous barrel, a do-it-yourself postal service set up by 18th century whalers. Cruise by "Lobería" islet with sea lion colonies.  Penguins are occasionally observed. Punta Cormorant: Home to an olivine-crystal beach and greater flamingos inhabiting a secluded lagoon. A short walk away is a white-sand beach where sea turtles nest (from December to May). Nearby are Champion and the Devil's Crown with beautiful coral formations and great snorkeling. Perhaps the best snorkeling with sea lions can be experienced here.

5. ESPAÑOLA (Hood): Its name was given in honor of Spain. It also is known as Hood after an English nobleman. It has an area of 60 square kilometres (23 mi²) and a maximum altitude of 206 metres (676 ft).  Gardner Bay: Welcome to paradise beach. Home to a coral white-sand beach with sea lions and mockingbirds. Swimming and snorkeling at the beach and nearby islets. Turquoise waters and its hues of green and blue will keep cameras shooting. Punta Suárez: Walk on lava rocks along a trail dotted with nests of blue-footed boobies and Nazca (masked) boobies, a colony of marine iguanas (endemic to the island), waved albatrosses and a blow hole. There are also sea lions, Galápagos doves and three species of Darwin's finches.

6. SANTA CRUZ (Indefatigable): Given the name of the Holy Cross in Spanish, its English name derives from the British vessel HMS Indefatigable. It has an area of 986 square kilometres (381 mi²) and a maximum altitude of 864 metres (2834 ft)  Academy Bay (Puerto Ayora): The Finch Bay Eco Hotel is located here, as well as the Charles Darwin Research Station. Giant tortoises are seen here and seasonally in the highlands where they graze on the pastures of local farms. Up in the highlands, the Pit Craters (Los Gemelos) is an outstanding area for bird watching, and observation of flora of the highlands. It is up here where amazing encounters with woodpecker finches have occurred. Moist conditions keep this epiphyte-laden environment with a fresh green look. Visit the town of Puerto Ayora.

7. SANTIAGO (James):  Its name is equivalent to Saint James in English; it is also known as San Salvador, after the first island discovered by Columbus in the Caribbean Sea. This island has an area of 585 square kilometers (226 mi²) and a maximum altitude of 907 metres (2976 ft) James Bay:  An easy stroll, observing Darwin's finches and the Galápagos hawk. Near the shores, excellent birding too. Easily more than ten species of migrants can be recorded here. Great location for spotting those rare avian visitors that will use Galápagos as their stepping stone on their arduous sea voyage. The black lava rock formations are spectacular too; these are home to the Galápagos fur sea lions.

8. RABIDA: It bears the name of the convent of Rábida where Columbus left his son during his voyage to the Americas. Has an area of 4.9 square kilometres (1.9 mi²) and a maximum altitude of 367 metres (1,204 ft). The high amount of iron contained in the lava at Rábida give it a distinctive red color. White-Cheeked Pintail Ducks live in a salt-water lagoon close to the beach, where brown pelicans and boobies have built their nests. Up until recently, flamingos were also found in the salt-water lagoon, but they have since moved on to other islands, likely due to a lack of food on Rábida. Nine species of Finches have been reported in this island

9. NORTH SEYMOUR: Its name was given after an English nobleman called Lord Hugh Seymour. It has an area of 1.9 square kilometres (0.7 mi²) and a maximum altitude of 28 metres (92 ft). Just like Baltra Island, this is a rare island in the Galapagos group. This flat piece of land originated after an uplifting event thousands of years ago. That gave the island its flat look. Here you'll see endemic Palo Santo trees, colonies of blue-footed boobies, swallow-tailed gulls and magnificent frigate birds. On the other side of the island, the waves crash onto the rocks and sea lions play in the surf.

NB. Itineraries are subject to National Park regulations and can be modified without previous notice.