Origin of Species Southeast Cruise

Set forth on a transformative Origin of Species expedition — a 5-day southeastern Galapagos cruise that traces the same coastlines that first convinced Charles Darwin the natural world was not fixed, but endlessly evolving.

This itinerary follows the southeastern archipelago: a corridor where wildlife density, ecological diversity, and sheer natural spectacle converge. From South Plaza’s land iguana colonies and Santa Fe’s turquoise bays to the frigatebird cliffs of San Cristóbal, the route builds toward its centerpiece — Española Island, where waved albatrosses conduct their courtship display on open lava fields and marine iguanas are uniquely vivid in red and green. At Gardner Bay, the snorkeling is the kind that stays with travelers for years.

Your certified Naturalist Guide — born in Ecuador, trained in the islands — connects each landing to the larger story Darwin was piecing together nearly two centuries ago. The science is at the Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz, where conservation work continues, and giant tortoises move through open pastures as they have for millennia.