You’ve decided to book a Galapagos cruise vacation of a lifetime, and now comes the big decision: which itinerary should you choose? Galapagos Inner vs. Outer Loop—how do you decide?
Each cruise itinerary departs from and returns to Baltra. You’ll also enjoy an expedition day at the Charles Darwin Research Center on Santa Cruz Island no matter which sailing you choose. On all of our cruise loops, you’ll encounter blue-footed boobies, sea lions, sea turtles, and giant tortoises.
Galapagos
Itineraries also follow a similar daily pattern, visiting at most two islands or sites per day, then cruising overnight so you arrive in the morning refreshed and ready to begin another exciting day of exploration.
Each Galapagos cruise itinerary has been specially crafted to showcase the islands’ flora, fauna, and history that can’t be experienced anywhere else. No matter which loop you choose for your Galapagos Islands vacation, you’ll leave with incredible memories you’ll cherish forever.
Galapagos Inner Loop Itinerary
Celebrity Flora
Sail Inner Loop Galapagos cruise itineraries aboard the premium mega-yacht Flora, Celebrity’s newest expedition ship. This itinerary sails a westward course calling on Daphne Major for your first view of sea lions, tropical birds, and the elusive blue-footed booby.
Egas Point on Santiago offers a black-sand beach, blue-water grottoes, and sights of iguanas, sea lions, Galapagos Hawks and Galapagos fur seals. On a snorkeling excursion, you’ll get glimpses of colorful fish, sea turtles, and sea lions.
Rabida Island, Galapagos
The red sand, sapphire water, and lush green foliage on Rabida Island will amaze. At Elizabeth Bay, explore this sheltered bay’s unique red mangrove ecosystem and its varied marine wildlife. At Tagus Cove on Isabela Island, see the nesting home of the flightless cormorant and the saltwater Darwin Lake.
Santiago Island, Galapagos
Fascinating geological landscapes of hardened black lava await on Santiago Island’s Sullivan Bay. Capture images of the barren volcanic landscape and Galapagos penguins on Bartolome Island, where the snorkeling is excellent.
Las Bachas, Santa Cruz Island’s white-sand beach, is one of the largest nesting areas of the Pacifc Green Sea Turtle. You’ll even see flamingos as you walk along the beach.
Blue-footed Boobies in North Seymour Island, Galapagos
One of the unique things to do in the Galapagos Islands is to see the largest colony of frigate birds in North Seymour Island. Here, male frigates and male blue-footed boobies conduct impressive mating rituals. Visit San Cristobal Island to shop, walk, and learn about the island, then see a breeding ground for three varieties of boobies.
Galapagos Outer Loop Itinerary
Sea lions in Espanola, Galapagos
Celebrity Flora also sails an Outer Loop itinerary that takes a wide southward approach after a first call at Daphne Island. Gardner Bay at Espanola offers pristine white-sand beaches that invite swimming and relaxing, along with colonies of sea lions. At Espanola, you’ll be amazed at the Waved Albatross.
On Floreana Island, stop first at Cormorant Bay, with its green-tinted sand and brackish lagoon where flamingos and stilts cool off, and sea turtles nest on one special beach. Sail on to Post Office Bay, where leaving addressed postcards in a barrel and sorting through the barrel for mail to deliver at home is an ongoing tradition.
Moreno Point in Isabela Island, Galapagos
At Isabela Island, the largest of the Galapagos islands, stop at Moreno Point, where marine iguanas, sea turtles, sharks, stingrays, and flightless cormorants congregate on land and sea. In Urvina Bay, walk through the remains of an underwater reef and maybe sight a giant tortoise.
Pear cactus in Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos
At Vicente Roca Point, explore volcanic cliffs and many species of indigenous wildlife. See land dragons, batchelor sea lions, Galapagos cotton plants, and giant prickly pear cactus at two stops on Santa Cruz Island.
Galapagos Inner Loop vs Outer Loop
When deciding on Inner Loop vs. Outer Loop Galapagos itineraries, consider your degree of interest in the flora and fauna of the islands visited on each loop.
Waved Albatross in Espanola, Galapagos
If seeing the Waved Albatross is on your bucket list, choose the Outer Loop with a stop at Espanola, where most of these incredible Galapagos birds reside.
If you’ve always wanted to see the blue-footed booby, the Inner Loop offers multiple opportunities to witness their mating ritual at North Seymour Island and see two other species of boobies at San Cristobal.
