When is the cruising season in the Galápagos?

All year, with two seasons. From December to May the air and sea are warmer, the wind is light and the seas generally calmer, with sunshine and sporadic heavy showers. From June to November the cool garúa season brings drizzle, a steady south-easterly and stronger swells later in the year, and whale sharks reach Darwin Island.

Where do charters depart from?

Most cruises begin on Santa Cruz, close to Seymour Airport on Baltra, or at Puerto Baquerizo Moreno on San Cristóbal, which has its own airport. Every licensed vessel follows an itinerary registered with the Galápagos National Park, and changing it needs the park's authorisation, so the route is fixed before departure rather than improvised.

How long is a typical Galápagos charter?

Most cruises last from four to eight days, and a week aboard is the most common choice. Each yacht follows itineraries registered with the national park, which fix the islands and the order of the visits, so the length and the route are chosen together when the yacht is chosen.

What rules apply to a Galápagos yacht charter?

The Galápagos National Park sets the terms. Tourist vessels hold a park operating permit and follow an itinerary registered with the park, any change needs its authorisation, and guests go ashore with a licensed naturalist guide. Every visitor pays the national park entrance fee and needs a Transit Control Card, and permits are few, so the best yachts are committed well ahead.

How much does a Galápagos yacht charter cost?

Each licensed yacht quotes its own rate for its set itinerary, and what that rate includes, from meals to guiding, is set out yacht by yacht before anything is signed. On top come the flights from mainland Ecuador, the national park entrance fee and the Transit Control Card, both paid per person, and a gratuity for the crew and guide at your discretion.

How do you get to the Galápagos?

By air from mainland Ecuador. Avianca and LATAM fly from Quito and Guayaquil to Seymour Airport on Baltra, beside Santa Cruz, and San Cristóbal Airport has daily flights from both cities. Private aircraft must land on Baltra. Most international travellers reach Quito or Guayaquil first, and every visitor needs a Transit Control Card and pays the national park entrance fee.

Can a private yacht cruise the Galápagos freely?

No. A visiting yacht needs an entry authorisation arranged through a local agent and may anchor only at the inhabited ports, from which the park's visitor sites are reached on licensed tours. Visiting sites aboard your own yacht is possible only if arranged well in advance, at high cost, with a park guide aboard throughout, and the yacht's own kayaks, paddleboards and drones are not permitted.

Is a naturalist guide required in the Galápagos?

Yes. The national park's sites are visited in small groups, in shifts of a few hours, led by guides licensed by the Galápagos National Park, and every cruise is built around them. The guide leads each landing and snorkel and explains the geology and wildlife along the way; on a private charter, the guide travels with your group alone.

Can you dive and snorkel in the Galápagos?

Yes. Many of the park's visitor sites are marine, used for snorkelling, diving, kayaking or panga rides depending on the site. The best-known dives, around Darwin Island in the far north-west, where there are no landing sites, are reached only by a limited number of liveaboard dive ships, for hammerhead sharks and, from about June to November, whale sharks.

Which islands are best for wildlife in the Galápagos?

Each island has its own species, which is why the itinerary matters. Española hosts almost the entire world population of waved albatrosses from about April to December; Genovesa, a collapsed caldera, is crowded with frigatebirds and boobies; Fernandina and Isabela have flightless cormorants and penguins; and Bartolomé has a small penguin colony behind Pinnacle Rock.

Pacific · yacht charter

Galápagos.

Liveaboard cruising in the Galápagos: licensed yachts, park-approved itineraries and naturalist guides across the volcanic islands of the equatorial Pacific.

Speak to a yacht advisor

Overview

What to expect.

The Galápagos is the exception on the charter map. A week here is an expedition rather than a coastal cruise, run on licensed vessels under national-park rules, with the wildlife and the landings, not the marinas, setting the shape of the days. The archipelago sits on the equator far off the coast of Ecuador, and the yacht is the platform for reaching islands that have no other access.

How a Galápagos charter works is unlike anywhere else we operate. The national park licenses the vessels and regulates the itineraries, so a route is set within the park framework rather than improvised day to day. Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz and Puerto Baquerizo Moreno on San Cristóbal are the embarkation points, and the week runs from there across a permitted circuit of landings and anchorages.

What the advisor handles on a yacht charter in the Galápagos is the arranging, not the improvising. Vessel selection comes first, since the licensed fleet is finite and the right platform for the brief is the constraint that shapes everything after it. Permits and the park-approved itinerary follow, and the timing is set well ahead, the lead time is materially longer than a Mediterranean week. The advisor coordinates the licensed operator and the permitted routing directly.

The archipelago cruises year-round, across two windows with different characters. The cooler, drier months and the warmer, wetter months each carry their own marine-life activity, and neither closes the cruising. The choice between them is set against the brief and the availability of the licensed vessel, and arranged, like everything else here, well in advance.

Private yacht charter in the Galápagos

The Galápagos lie on the equator, about 1,000 km off the coast of Ecuador: a volcanic archipelago where almost all the land is national park and the sea around it is a marine reserve. Only four islands are inhabited, so a yacht charter in the Galápagos is the natural way to reach the rest, where sea lions rest on the beaches, marine iguanas gather on black lava, and boobies and frigatebirds nest along the trails.

A charter here also works differently from anywhere else, because the national park sets the terms: tourist vessels hold a park operating permit, follow an itinerary registered with the park, and land their guests with a licensed naturalist guide. A private charter means reserving one of these licensed yachts for your group alone, with its crew, its guide and its route.

What the park allows

Licensed yachts and set itineraries. Fewer than a hundred yachts and ships hold permits to take guests overnight. Each follows its registered itinerary, and any change needs the park's authorisation, so the route is chosen when the yacht is chosen.

Guides at every landing. The park's visitor sites, on land and at sea, are visited in small groups, in shifts of a few hours, led by licensed guides.

Private yachts. A yacht arriving on its own needs an entry authorisation arranged through a local agent, may anchor only at the inhabited ports, and reaches the park's sites on licensed tours. Visiting sites aboard is possible only if arranged well in advance, at high cost, with a park guide aboard throughout, and the yacht's own kayaks, paddleboards and drones are not permitted.

The islands from the water

Santa Cruz and San Cristóbal. The two inhabited islands where most cruises begin. Puerto Ayora, on Santa Cruz, is home to the Charles Darwin Research Station and close to the tortoise reserves of El Chato. Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, on San Cristóbal, is the provincial capital; Charles Darwin first landed on this island in September 1835, and the split cone of Kicker Rock lies offshore.

Española. The southernmost island and one of the oldest, usually reached overnight from Santa Cruz. From about April to December almost the entire world population of waved albatrosses breeds here, and the marine iguanas carry red markings.

Genovesa. A volcanic caldera whose collapsed wall forms Darwin Bay. Prince Philip's Steps climb 25 metres through colonies of frigatebirds, red-footed and Nazca boobies, and storm petrels that fly by day.

Isabela and Fernandina. Isabela, larger than all the other islands combined, is built from six shield volcanoes and holds more wild tortoises than the rest of the archipelago together. Fernandina, the youngest and westernmost island, erupted as recently as 2024; at Punta Espinoza, hundreds of marine iguanas gather on the lava, and the island is home to flightless cormorants and penguins.

Bartolomé. Off the east coast of Santiago, a 600-metre trail climbs to the 114-metre summit, and a small colony of Galápagos penguins breeds in a cave behind Pinnacle Rock.

Darwin Island. Far to the north-west, Darwin has no landing sites and is visited only by a limited number of liveaboard dive ships, for hammerhead sharks and, from about June to November, whale sharks.

When to go

The islands can be visited all year. From December to May, the warm season, air and sea sit around 25°C, the wind is light, and sunshine alternates with sporadic heavy downpours. From June to November, the garúa season, temperatures near the sea fall to around 22°C, a steady south-easterly blows, and drizzle and mist settle over the islands. The park notes calmer seas from January to June and stronger swells from July to December.

Marinas and arrival

There are two airports: Seymour Airport on Baltra, beside Santa Cruz, served by Avianca and LATAM from Quito and Guayaquil, and San Cristóbal Airport, next to Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, with daily flights from both cities. Private aircraft must use Baltra. Most cruises begin at one of these two islands, and the itinerary decides which. Every visitor pays the national park entrance fee and needs a Transit Control Card.

Yachts and what a week costs

The fleet is fixed by the park's permits, and each yacht is licensed for its own route. Pricing differs from the Mediterranean. Each yacht quotes its own rate for its set itinerary, and what the rate includes, from meals to guiding, is set out before anything is signed; flights from the mainland, park fees and a gratuity for the crew and guide come on top. Our guide to what a yacht charter costs explains the usual structure, and the charter toolkit covers gratuities.

How a Galápagos charter is arranged

We shortlist licensed yachts whose itineraries match the islands you want to see and the season you can travel, and arrange the mainland flights around them. Choosing the right yacht matters more here than anywhere, because the yacht and the route come together. For a Pacific voyage with more freedom of movement, French Polynesia is the counterpart, and the Pacific page covers both.

Tell us your dates, the size of your group and what you have in mind, and we will come back with a shortlist. Start the conversation.

Fleet

Yachts available in Galápagos.

Available on request

The current selection for Galápagos is shared privately on request. Speak to a yacht advisor for a curated shortlist.

Request the selection

Season

When to cruise.

Best months: Year-round, calmest seas from January to June
Prevailing winds: Trade winds
Typical base ports: Puerto Ayora (Santa Cruz) · Puerto Baquerizo Moreno (San Cristóbal)

Volcanic coastline and turquoise bays in the Galápagos Islands with arid hills and a distinctive rock formation

The archipelago cruises year-round, across two windows. The cooler, drier season and the warmer, wetter season each carry their own marine-life activity, and neither closes the cruising. The choice between them is set against the brief and the availability of a licensed vessel, and, like the whole itinerary, arranged well in advance under the national-park framework.

Ports

Marinas and anchorages.

Puerto Ayora (Santa Cruz)
The principal embarkation point, on Santa Cruz. The main arrival hub and the start of most permitted circuits across the archipelago.
Puerto Baquerizo Moreno (San Cristóbal)
The second embarkation port, on San Cristóbal. An alternative start point depending on the park-approved routing for the week.

Frequently asked

Practical questions.

When is the cruising season in the Galápagos?: All year, with two seasons. From December to May the air and sea are warmer, the wind is light and the seas generally calmer, with sunshine and sporadic heavy showers. From June to November the cool garúa season brings drizzle, a steady south-easterly and stronger swells later in the year, and whale sharks reach Darwin Island.
Where do charters depart from?: Most cruises begin on Santa Cruz, close to Seymour Airport on Baltra, or at Puerto Baquerizo Moreno on San Cristóbal, which has its own airport. Every licensed vessel follows an itinerary registered with the Galápagos National Park, and changing it needs the park's authorisation, so the route is fixed before departure rather than improvised.
How long is a typical Galápagos charter?: Most cruises last from four to eight days, and a week aboard is the most common choice. Each yacht follows itineraries registered with the national park, which fix the islands and the order of the visits, so the length and the route are chosen together when the yacht is chosen.
What rules apply to a Galápagos yacht charter?: The Galápagos National Park sets the terms. Tourist vessels hold a park operating permit and follow an itinerary registered with the park, any change needs its authorisation, and guests go ashore with a licensed naturalist guide. Every visitor pays the national park entrance fee and needs a Transit Control Card, and permits are few, so the best yachts are committed well ahead.
How much does a Galápagos yacht charter cost?: Each licensed yacht quotes its own rate for its set itinerary, and what that rate includes, from meals to guiding, is set out yacht by yacht before anything is signed. On top come the flights from mainland Ecuador, the national park entrance fee and the Transit Control Card, both paid per person, and a gratuity for the crew and guide at your discretion.
How do you get to the Galápagos?: By air from mainland Ecuador. Avianca and LATAM fly from Quito and Guayaquil to Seymour Airport on Baltra, beside Santa Cruz, and San Cristóbal Airport has daily flights from both cities. Private aircraft must land on Baltra. Most international travellers reach Quito or Guayaquil first, and every visitor needs a Transit Control Card and pays the national park entrance fee.
Can a private yacht cruise the Galápagos freely?: No. A visiting yacht needs an entry authorisation arranged through a local agent and may anchor only at the inhabited ports, from which the park's visitor sites are reached on licensed tours. Visiting sites aboard your own yacht is possible only if arranged well in advance, at high cost, with a park guide aboard throughout, and the yacht's own kayaks, paddleboards and drones are not permitted.
Is a naturalist guide required in the Galápagos?: Yes. The national park's sites are visited in small groups, in shifts of a few hours, led by guides licensed by the Galápagos National Park, and every cruise is built around them. The guide leads each landing and snorkel and explains the geology and wildlife along the way; on a private charter, the guide travels with your group alone.
Can you dive and snorkel in the Galápagos?: Yes. Many of the park's visitor sites are marine, used for snorkelling, diving, kayaking or panga rides depending on the site. The best-known dives, around Darwin Island in the far north-west, where there are no landing sites, are reached only by a limited number of liveaboard dive ships, for hammerhead sharks and, from about June to November, whale sharks.
Which islands are best for wildlife in the Galápagos?: Each island has its own species, which is why the itinerary matters. Española hosts almost the entire world population of waved albatrosses from about April to December; Genovesa, a collapsed caldera, is crowded with frigatebirds and boobies; Fernandina and Isabela have flightless cormorants and penguins; and Bartolomé has a small penguin colony behind Pinnacle Rock.