Yachts vs Hotels

97.4% of The Galapagos Archipelago is a National Park (an area of 51,000 sq mi / 133,000 sq km) and only 3% is inhabited by humans. Considering that 15 of the 18 major islands are only accessible by sea, taking Galapagos cruises by yacht is the best and only way to really visit this natural paradise.

Yachts vs Cruise Ships

View a comparison chart below and learn why small yachts are the best way to explore the archipelago.

WHY SMALL YACHTS are the BEST WAY
TO VISIT THE GALAPAGOS

SMALL YACHTS
Capacity

| 32 Guests or Less
| Guests become friends under a family-like environment

Experience

| Maximizing wildlife and adventure-tailored activities
| Interpretive Naturalist Guides dedicated to small groups
| Immersive experiences on Safari-Style Yacht Adventures®
| A handful of like-minded guests during the entire cruise

Service

| Family-like, friendly and hand-picked crew
| Local experts
| Naturalist Guides with 15+ years of experience

Expedition

| See what others don’t in your personal getaway
| Priviledged access to remote & hard-to-reach locations
| Get away from the crowds

Itinerary

| Maximum wildlife encounters
| Flexible itineraries
| Immediate remote site access via dinghy

Activities

| Naturalist Guides dedicated to small groups
| Easy and unhampered access to Galapagos wildlife
| Access remote landing sites

Footprint

| Eco-tourism and conservation focus
| Zero single-use plastic and low waste production
| Local and sustainable sourcing
| Minimizing impact

Capacity
Experience
Service
Expedition
Itinerary
Activities
Footprint
CRUISE SHIPS
Capacity

| 80-100 Passengers
| Unfamiliar guests and faces on a constant basis

Experience

| Group tours
| Limited interaction with naturalists in larger crowds
| Less agile archipelago and wildlife access
| New passengers hopping on mid-week

Service

| Less personal
| Adequate service
| Often crew without direct Galapagos experience

Expedition

| Caters to the group
| Popular tourism sites only
| Less variety in exploration

Itinerary

| Longer wait times on popular landing sites
| Less flexible itineraries
| Lines to board/deboard
| Mostly shorter (non-immersiive) Itineraries

Activities

| Large group settings limit direct access to guides
| Restricted access to more fragile areas of Galapagos
| Crowded landing sites

Footprint

| Higher carbon emissions
| Ships with more passengers create more waste
| Food sourced from major distributors