First, a little orientation:  The Galápagos are a Pacific archipelago about 600 miles west of the coast of Ecuador.  The equator runs through the islands, but the water gets cold during the dry season because of the currents from Antarctica.   We were here during the wet season, so the waters were quite comfortable--in the high 70s or low 80s. 

Our 8-day itinerary started at San Cristobal, the eastern-most island, and followed the arrows to Española, Floreana, etc.   The long hops were usually done at night to maximize our daylight on the various islands. 

We'd often have lunch on the second deck, and we had a dinner up here when the chef used the grill to cook.  >>

Most of our meals were in the dining area.

On board The Athala

<< The Athala is a 90' catamaran--quite fast and stable in the seas.   For the 16 passengers there were 9 crew plus our guide, Kique.  We enjoyed the excellent service.  

We were well-fed and delighted in all the different tropical fruit juices and Ecuadorian cooking.

While there were one or two activities each morning and each afternoon, we never felt rushed or pushed.  And the itineraries of all the boats have been worked out so that we were never at a location with more than one or two other boats.  It was like a well-choreographed dance. 

The Alta, a sailing cruise ship, stopped with us several times during our tour.  Sometimes, though, there were no other boats in sight.  >>

Our stateroom was well-appointed with storage space, a king-sized bed, and a desk.  It was trimmed with rosewood--even in the head. >> 

   On to our land excursions >>