Region · yacht charter
Pacific.
French Polynesia and the Galápagos: long-stay Pacific cruising for guests willing to commit the time.
- French Polynesia
- Galápagos
Overview
What to expect.
The Pacific is a long-stay cruising ground for guests willing to commit the time, built around two distant destinations rather than a single coast: French Polynesia, in the South Pacific, and the Galápagos, off the coast of Ecuador. They lie several thousand nautical miles apart, each planned as its own charter, and both reward longer itineraries than a Mediterranean week allows.
French Polynesia is reached via Papeete on Tahiti, with the Society Islands (Tahiti, Moorea, Raiatea, Taha'a and Bora Bora) at the core of the cruising, the coral atolls of the Tuamotus beyond, and the Marquesas for longer expeditions. The Galápagos is a strictly regulated national park: cruising is on licensed yachts, on itineraries approved by the park, with a naturalist guide aboard. Its draw is the wildlife, island by island, rather than open cruising.
Seasons differ by destination. French Polynesia cruises best from May to October, in the cooler, drier austral winter, outside the November to April cyclone season. The Galápagos can be cruised all year, with warmer, calmer seas from December to May and the cooler garúa season from June to November. Both are planned well ahead, around the permits, the yachts and the long flights.
A Pacific yacht charter is planned further ahead than a Mediterranean one, around the season, the flights and, in the Galápagos, the park's rules, and run end to end by one advisor, with the yachts and crews that know these waters.
Destinations
Where we cruise in the Pacific.
2 destinations curated through our network of brokers, owners and management firms.
Season
When to cruise.
- Best months
- Polynesia: May to October · Galápagos: all year
- Prevailing winds
- Trade winds
- Base ports
- Papeete · Puerto Ayora · San Cristóbal
French Polynesia from May to October, outside the cyclone season; the Galápagos all year, with warmer, calmer seas from December to May. Pacific charters reward longer stays than a Mediterranean week: the flights are long, and the distances between islands are real.
Frequently asked
Practical questions.
- When is the best time for a Pacific yacht charter?
- It depends on the destination. French Polynesia cruises best from May to October, its dry season; the Galápagos can be cruised all year, with warmer, calmer seas from December to May and the cooler garúa season from June to November.
- Which areas does a Pacific charter cover?
- Chiefly French Polynesia (the Society Islands of Tahiti, Moorea, Raiatea, Taha'a and Bora Bora, with the Tuamotus beyond) and the Galápagos off Ecuador. The two lie several thousand nautical miles apart, and each is planned as its own charter.
- How long should a Pacific charter be?
- Longer than a Mediterranean week. The distances and the flights reward extended itineraries, and short charters leave too little time for the passages and the islands. The advisor sets the length to the destination.
- How do you reach a Pacific charter?
- French Polynesia via Papeete on Tahiti; the Galápagos via Quito or Guayaquil in mainland Ecuador, then on to Baltra or San Cristóbal by connecting flight. Both involve long international journeys, and the advisor arranges the transfers as part of the charter.
- Are there special rules for the Galápagos?
- Yes. The Galápagos is a strictly regulated national park: cruising is on licensed yachts, on itineraries approved by the park, with a naturalist guide aboard, and every visitor needs a Transit Control Card and pays the park entrance fee. These requirements are handled by the advisor well in advance.
- What does a Pacific yacht charter cost?
- Pacific charters are quoted individually, to the yacht, the length of the charter and the destination, rather than from a fixed list. In French Polynesia, the Advance Provisioning Allowance, the applicable tax and a gratuity come on top of the rate; in the Galápagos, each licensed yacht quotes its own rate for its set itinerary, with the flights from mainland Ecuador and the park fees on top. The full figure is set out before anything is signed.
- Can a charter combine French Polynesia and the Galápagos?
- Not on one yacht: the Galápagos is cruised on locally licensed yachts, and the two lie several thousand nautical miles apart. Guests who want both take two charters, one in each, and the advisor plans the flights between them.
Plan your charter
Guides and charter services.
Elsewhere
Other cruising grounds.
Plan a charter
Plan a charter in the Pacific.
A private advisor will return a short, curated proposal within the hour.