Exotic luxury, a Galapagos Islands cruise

The Galapagos Islands are a magical and beguiling place, one of the planet’s last remaining frontiers where a primordial volcanic landscape supports a fragile but burgeoning ecosystem. This is a world shrouded in a mist of folklore and myth, an ethereal energy which has inspired and shaped the course of modern culture. Roused by the Galapagos’ otherworldliness, it was here that Darwin first drew the threads of his groundbreaking theory of natural selection and the exploits of one man’s time spent shipwrecked here that motivated Daniel Defoe to compose the world’s first novel, Robinson Crusoe.

A collection of 18 main islands and hundreds of minute cays and tolls, the Galapagos Islands is a small community with a reputation that has resonated globally ever since the area was first recognised just over 300 hundred years ago. Today international travellers are afforded the unique opportunity to explore this incredible place for themselves. Although a small number of guest houses and hotels have been established amongst the townships settled across the islands, namely Puerto Ayora, Puerto Baquerizo Moreno and Puerto Villamil, a stay in situ around the islands can limit the flexibility and range of your trip. Alternatively a luxury Galapagos cruise offers tourists the perfect vehicle with which to explore this diverse archipelago both extensively but also with a minimal ecological impact.

The boats that cruise through the waters around the Galapagos can vary considerably in size and style. Larger vessels which are not pre-booked generally feature fewer amenities and can often be more crowded with people and therefore arranging your tour in advance is highly recommended. These more cumbersome ships can also be limited as to where amongst the islands they can navigate due toenforced regulations which restrict the access to larger tours.

Aboard the more luxurious yachts and catamarans a level of service and quality is provided that matches and even surpasses that found on any mainland property. Offering every modern convenience you might expect from a five star resort but with a stunning and ever changing panorama of the beautiful islands and the Pacific Ocean beyond a Galapagos cruise promises a truly memorable experience. The vessels themselves can range from luxury yachts, to schooners, catamarans or even a contemporary replica of the HMS Beagle aboard which Darwin made his expedition to the islands; the choice is wide, varied and entirely yours.

The biggest attraction to the Galapagos Islands is of course the incredible array of unusual and endemic species that can be found there. An extensive 97% of the island group has been designated an UNESCO World Heritage site as a means of protecting and managing the animal and plant life that exists all around the archipelago. Species that are particularly notable include the iconic marine iguana, the Giant Galapagos turtle, the blue footed booby, flightless Cormorant and the Galapagos Sea Lion and the list goes on.

A haven for wildlife and a dream come true for nature lovers the Galapagos Islands offer a degree of exoticism and rugged beauty completely exclusive to this area of the world. A cruise around this isolated archipelago could equally provide the perfect honeymoon retreat or the ideal family holiday such is the eclecticism of the experience. However you arrive and whoever you share this unique encounter with, one thing is for certain, that the Galapagos will stay with you and live long in your memories for the rest of your life.