Liveaboard Boats

While there are many different liveaboard boats available, they all offer something no land-based itinerary can: the opportunity to see the full range of the Galápagos’ splendor.

A vacation in the Galápagos is not complete with just a tour on the water. On land-based trips, travelers will often have the chance to head out onto the water for at least one or two days. However, when staying on land, the off-island destinations are entirely limited by what is reachable within a few hours’ steaming, which means that the destinations surrounding Santa Cruz—the Daphnes, the Plazas and North Seymour—are the most heavily trafficked sites in the archipelago. There are regulations determining when boats can visit which sites in order to better manage such traffic, but the permits required for liveaboard boats (as opposed to boats that must return to harbor each evening) are awarded much more stringently and thus allow for a significantly more private experience when visiting islands further afield.

A liveaboard boat in the Galápagos can feel every bit as luxurious as a hotel. Some of the larger ones even boast gyms onboard. However, smaller vessels afford greater flexibility in scheduling and intimacy in experience. There are many such small vessels in the islands that provide a luxurious experience, including the exact boat that Grace Kelly used as her honeymoon yacht with Prince Rainier of Monaco. Speak to your Indagare travel specialist to determine the best boat options for your trip.

Travelers should note that private boat cruises are heavily regulated. Itineraries are determined by the government to prevent overcrowding at popular destinations, and boats are not allowed to visit the same site more than once every 15 days. As such, itineraries are determined by the date of arrival rather than traveler preference. However, each island in the Galápagos offers a unique experience not found on any of the others, and once you’ve watched the sunset from the top of your boat while sipping a sundowner cocktail, you’ll be planning your return trip to see the rest of the isles.

While liveaboard boats do lack some of the space and amenities of traditional hotels, they offer the ideal flexibility and mobility to explore the Galápagos islands to their fullest.