We booked an Airbnb in Santa Cruz for one month because it cost the same as booking two weeks. We didn’t plan to spend the whole month in Santa Cruz. There are 12 other islands.
We spent one of our first days visiting tour shops looking for the best way to see other islands. We booked a four-day cruise with a 6-day land package. We saved about $3,000 by booking in Santa Cruz and taking the last-minute deal. It left the next day.
Lucas and Henry were excited to live on a boat for a few days. We ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner on the boat. Michael and I enjoyed not having to meal plan.
On day 1, we boarded the Aida Maria at 7 pm. There were 8 other people on board and they were cruising for four days to islands in the north before we boarded. We ate dinner, played some cards, and then went to our cozy bunk rooms.
Day 2, we woke up in Floreana. Home of the famous post office created in 1793 where sailors used to leave letters and other fishermen would pick them up and deliver them. We left a few postcards. The tradition is that other travelers come to Floreana and look for postcards addressed to places close to their homes. They take the cards and deliver them. My dad got his postcard just two weeks after we left it! We took a few with us that we will deliver when we are back in the states.
After the post office, we hiked to a lava cave and climbed in to explore it.
Then we headed to the beach for our first snorkel adventure. Henry got a little sandy. Within five minutes, we were swimming with a giant turtle. It is awe-inspiring to be so close to these graceful animals.
We also snorkeled in the afternoon at Devil’s Crown. We got to swim with sharks, rays, and giant schools of fish. Lucas and I saw a shark, then another shark at the end of our snorkel trip. We knew they wouldn’t hurt us, but we both got nervous and quickly swam to the dingy.
Our last outing of the day was a hiking trip at Cormirant’s Point. It was turtle nesting season. Several turtles were waiting in the water until night to lay eggs onshore. There were also giant stingrays waiting for the turtles.
On day three, we explored Española Island. In the morning, we hiked at Punta Suarez. We saw Christmas iguanas (Michael’s favorite animal), boobies, sea lions, and other animals. Our guide told us about the mating rituals of Nasca boobies. The males open their wings and whistle to attract the females. We also saw a colony of sea lions pups. It is incredible to observe the wildlife so close up.
After lunch, we snorkeled around Gardner Island. We got up close and personal with a group of sea lions! They were swimming all around us, playing with each other. We could have stayed all day watching them.
We also stopped in Gardiner’s Bay and hung out on the white sand beaches. We saw more sea lions there. The water was crystal clear and a stunning shade of blue. Lucas and Henry enjoyed playing in the waves. Michael snorkeled some more. The only annoying thing was the flies. It was still a fun afternoon.
Once back on the boat, we set off for Wreck Bay and San Cristobal. It was a five-hour trip. We napped and Henry got to finish his audiobook, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief. We had a fancy surf and turf meal of steak and tuna as our last supper. The chef even baked a cake.
We went ashore after dinner to walk around the town for an hour. We stumbled upon a ping pong facility, so that is where we spent our time. Michael found some good players to play.
On Day 4, we woke up early for a 6 am hike in Los Lobos island. The challenging hike was over lava rocks. The island is a breeding ground for frigates and blue-footed boobies. We got to see both birds doing their mating rituals.
There are two types of frigates on Los Lobos. The great and the magnificent. These two types of birds are similar, but they have a subtle difference of color in their plumage. The great frigatebird has a green sheen while the magnificent has a purple shine. It is such a slight difference, but we were so close to the birds that we could see it.
We disembarked after breakfast in San Cristobal. The cruise was short, but we did a lot. We got to swim with giant turtles, sea lions, and sharks. We saw so much wildlife up close. Observing these animals in their habitat is a treat.
We highly recommend taking a cruise while in Galapagos. We saw more islands at cheaper costs than if we planned separate day trips.
