A Galapagos Cruise on the Archipel I: What To Know, and Why It Rocks

Our Galapagos Cruise adventure on the Archipel I was the highlight of Ecuador adventure and one of my personal favorite trips of all time. When we were planning our trip, I was disappointed by the lack of recent first-person reviews I could find, so I decided to make my own. If you’re considering the Archipel I for your own trip (and you should!!), here’s what you should know about booking your trip, planning your itinerary, and what you can expect once aboard.

Archipel I Galapagos Cruise – How We Booked

We booked our Galapagos cruise tour through Ecuador-based Columbus Travel. The team was extremely accommodating – we always got prompt replies and none of our communications ever felt like talking to a robot, which is huge for me. Our main guy, Pablo, also gave us excellent recommendations on itineraries and boats to consider, based on our priorities, which were:

• A mid-range classification or higher
• The best possible boat amenities for the price
• An itinerary that included as much snorkeling as possible
• Wildlife, especially sea life, was more of a priority to us than geology or vegetation
• We were aiming for about 5 Days in length

Pablo narrowed it down to the Archipel I, Odyssey, and Treasure of the Galapagos, and mentioned that out of all the options, the Archipel I had the best water activity itinerary, including sea kayaking. His recommendations and the pricing options made it pretty easy for us to choose, although the other two options also looked splendid. Even if the Archipel I Galapagos cruise isn’t your cup of tea, I recommend using Pablo and his team at Columbus Travel to find out what works for you.

Archipel I Galapagos Cruise – How Much It Costs

To get a better sense of how much it costs per itinerary, check out a deal-agnostic breakdown here. It’s easiest to break the types of trip into short trips (5 days or less) and long trips (8 days or more). Long trip itineraries are markedly more expensive than short trip itineraries (I know… it’s total rocket science here that I’m breaking down for you so you’re welcome).

General rule of thumb for booking the best Galapagos cruise deal is to either book way in advance or book last-minute. In fact, last minute deals can be so nuts that you can find deals for 50% off or more within a week or so of the departure date. That said, booking-minute also gives you less freedom to pick your ideal accommodations and itinerary, double occupancies are less available, and planning a flight ahead of time becomes a bear if you don’t know when exactly your cruise leaves and returns. And seeing how insanely bananas it is to get on a flight to the Galapagos, I don’t recommend gambling on (or paying for) a flight that you can’t plan ahead of time.

For our Archipel I trip, we booked a 4-night, 5-day itinerary for $2,290 per person. We saved about 15% off list price for booking early and by using Columbus travel’s rates. Finding an amazing deal is certainly advisable, but coming out the other end I can confidently say that the experience was worth every single penny you’ll probably spend and then some. If you are completely price sensitive then by all means look for a deal (we sure were), but don’t let higher prices scare you away because you won’t regret your trip at any price point.

What’s Included:

• A double cabin on a 16-passenger catamaran, the Archipel I
• All meals, as well as snacks and juice that seemed to appear every single time we stepped back on the boat
• A dedicated naturalist guide
• A fully planned itinerary (which means you don’t have to worry about a damn thing)
• Snorkel gear and fins (we brought our own though)
• Unlimited filtered water

What Wasn’t:

• Wetsuits (although even though we went in June when the water is colder, we never even thought about using them and were just fine)
• Booze: PRO TIP just stock up at duty free before you get to the boat! You’ll save a ton of money and from what we could tell no one frowns upon this hack
• Soft Drinks (which is kind of weird since coffee and juice are totally free but we never wanted one so it was fine)
• Immigration fee, paid upon landing in the the Galapagos
• Flights from mainland Ecuador to the Galapagos

Archipel I Galapagos Cruise – A Boat Overview

I tend to be a disasterist and overthink ever decision after I’ve made it, and admittedly had a lot of anxiety leading up to the trip that I’d book the wrong boat and we’d hate it. I also worry that marketing photographers are too good at their jobs, and when you actually see the digs in person they will be much homelier and disappointing. Fortunately, I had absolutely nothing to worry about and in my opinion the Archipel I was even better than advertised. Pablo said it’s really closer to a first class yacht than a mid-range yacht but carried a mid-range price and categorization, and he was right. I really can’t say enough about how much I loved this boat, and I highly recommend it.

Size and Class

The Archipel I is a 16-passenger Mid-Range Catamaran. It has 8 cabins designed for two people each, in a mix of matrimonial (single full-size) and double (2 twins) bed layouts. The main deck hosts all cabins and the indoor common space, the lower deck hosts the cabin staff, kitchen galley, and other “behind the scenes” areas, and the upper deck features a kickass area for hanging out and relaxing regardless of the weather.

Cabins

Our cabins on the Archipel I, though small, were extremely clean and the beds were very comfortable. The A/C was glorious, and there was a seemingly neverending supply of steaming hot shower water. The water pressure was also highly satisfactory. I have a thing with water pressure and free toiletry quality and pay obsessive attention to it while traveling – on that note, there are no toiletries included so make sure you bring your own.

Common Space

The kitchen and lounge area was surprisingly spacious, the captain’s deck was open 24/7 for nosy guests like us who wanted to take a peep and take that classic “look at me I’m pretending to drive the boat!” pic. I was also a little worried about the main cabin area feeling dark and claustrophobic, but it was exactly the opposite. Completely comfortable and airy, and not crowded at all when it was time for group dinners.

The Upper Deck and Outdoor Area

The upper deck had tons of space and plenty of shade if you wanted it, and it was perhaps the best part of the whole boat. There are areas for sitting as a group (we all bonded up here on cruise nights by drinking and sharing lots of our own booze that we’d stashed for the trip), plenty of deck chairs for laying out, and additional lower catamaran decks where you can take in the water from up close- especially helpful during the magical experience of having more than 100 dolphins join our boat and swim with us for a good 20 minutes!

Food

Quite literally, the only complaint I have about the food on the Archipel I was that there was so much of it I overate at every single meal. I don’t know how the chefs create all of their magic in such a tiny space downstairs, but they do and it’s delicious. Some of the highlights:

• The coffee was surprisingly good and comes from Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos
• On our 3rd day we had a special “on boat event” for lunch which was a lesson on making ceviche and then the opportunity to eat about 20 lbs of it
• Our “Last Night” meal was a huge-ass grouper, platter served with its whole head and teeth still in, that our crew (compliantly) caught and cooked that day
• Every time we got back on the boat after a land or water trip, there was a snack and a new kind of juice (similar to Cuenca, there was a never-ending variety of juice on this trip)
• The chef and his crew made a badass rendition of Pan de Yuca and since no one else was really interested in it, I had about 8 pieces every time it was served

Overall, the boat was more spacious than expected, was sparkling clean, and offered every amenity to keep us comfortable.

Archipel I Galapagos Cruise Itinerary

So this is where it can get overwhelming. Choosing an itinerary is hard, and unless you’ve got plenty of time, a big old budget, or a good comfort level for spending 2+ weeks confined for all of your nights and good parts of your day on a boat, you’ll generally have to make some big decisions when it comes to what you’ll see.

For our Galapagos cruise on the Archipel I, we chose the shorter-itinerary “B” route that took us through the southeastern islands, and I firmly believe we couldn’t have picked better for our timeframe. Our boat mates who stayed on for the longer 7-night “B” itinerary said that they liked the first 3 days of the trip (the ones we missed), but all agreed that the last 5 days were where it was at. We sacrificed a few major sightings including the Flightless Cormorant, Hammerhead Shark, and some of the more interesting volcanic topography that makes the western islands so cool, but overall it was a well-worth-it tradeoff in my book.

If you want to follow in our footsteps, Archipel I’s 4-night “B” Itinerary will guide you through the following islands:

Santa Cruz

A.M. Board the boat here in the morning, and kick off the adventure with a day trip to see giant tortoises move very slowly and crush guavas with their sweet old mouths. Then explore an underground lava tube cave.

P.M. Get acquainted with your new home for the next 5 days, and then before sailing off take in some beers and downtime in the port of Santa Cruz. It’s a rite of passage to lose your mind over the cute sea lions taking up all the bench real estate and watch the reef sharks swim around in the lit-up water below the docks.

What We Saw: Sea Turtles, City-Living Sea Lions, Reef Sharks, Finches,  Marine Iguanas here and there by the shore

Floreana Island

Floreana island is far south, and it boasts beautiful beaches and eff-tons of sea lions. It’s a great way to start your first full day. The lore of Floreana is the most exciting part, so make sure you pay attention to your guide and ask lots of questions so you can get the full naked toothless settler, poison chicken, megalomaniac baroness with 3 boyfriends, murder mystery story experience.

A.M. After your first night cruising, take in an easy hike with a lot of from-afar wildlife, attempt to keep your head from exploding in your first experience swimming with sea lions, and learn about the Olivine mineral that makes Cormorant Point a “green sand beach.

P.M. Take dibs on a sea kayak, ogle sea lions and iguanas, and mail some cards/try to find some to deliver at Post Office Bay. Take another snorkel and add beautiful lazy sea turtles to your roster of amazing underwater creatures

What We Saw: Sea Lions, Flamingoes, Sting Rays, Great Blue Herons, Finches, Sturgeon Fish, Angelfish, Coral, Giant Sea Snails, Penguins, Frigate Birds, Eagle Rays, Marine Iguanas, Galapagos Green Sea Turtles, Nazca Booby, Galapagos Mockingbird, Darwin Finch, Sally Lightfoot Crabs, ye old Post Office Box!

Española Island

I loved everything about the trip, but I loved the day in and around Española Island the most. The wildlife is absolutely unbeatable, the landscape is dizzying and ever-changing, and in our case, an insane impromptu 100+ dolphin show popped up in front of our boat for a good 20 minutes. Whatever itinerary you pick, I advise you to just make sure that Española is included.

A.M. Wander around Gardner Bay and see one of the biggest sea lion colonies in the Galapagos. Meet marine iguanas up close, and snorkel around the cliff lines looking for sea lions down under and blue footed boobies up above.

P.M.TRIP HIGHLIGHT! Avoid stepping on the teeming wildlife, hike up to a magnificent cliffside blowhole (hehe blowhole), and if you’re lucky, meet the magnificent Waved Albatross!

What We Saw: Waved Albatross, Sea Lions, hoards of Marine Iguanas, Frigate Birds, Lava Lizards, Lava Gulls, Galapagos Hawk, Waved Albatross, Sally Lightfoot Crabs (everywhere), Marine Iguanas, Finches, Blue-Footed Boobies, Galapagos Mockingbirds, a giant tremendous blowhole, and A MILLION DOLPHINS ALL AT ONCE AND OH GOD IT ALMOST EXPLODED MY SOUL.

San Cristobal Island

San Cristobal island is magically diverse in landscape and felt like stepping into the old school N-E-S Zelda game. I loved it here and it’s a great island to end on, as you’ll spend both Day 4 and the morning of Day 5 before disembarking on and around the island. This means that it’s easy to tack on an extra post-cruise day in the magical seaport of San Cristobal, which was quite a dream ending.

A.M. Hike up Zelda-like crags and boulder paths to discover all 3 Boobies (blue-footed, red-footed, and Nazca).Take in some of the bluest water and most dramatic surf you’ve ever seen at Witch Hill. Introduce yourself to curious Galapagos Mockingbirds and surprise yourself by learning that red-footed boobies are just as beautiful and fascinating as blue-footed boobies.

P.M. If the water is calm, take a snorkel, although we missed this due to some rough waters. Then, during your midday cruise, see some of the most fantastic of rock and island formations you’ll ever lay eyes on including Kicker Rock, The Arch at Cerro Brujo, and the towering cliff inlet at La Cathedral.

Day 5 A.M.  We considered a morning outing on the dinghy, but it came with a 5:45 A.M. wakeup call and we passed, along with the rest of the boat! Instead we had a leisurely sleep in before ending our cruise and then posting up for the night tin the port town before heading to the airport the next day.

What We Saw: Blue-Footed Boobies, Red-Footed Boobies, Nazca Boobies, Galapagos Mockingbirds, Sea Lions, Marine Iguanas, Sally Lightfoot Crabs, Golden Finches, Kicker Rock, La Catedral cliff inlet, The Arch at Cerro Brujo

In Conclusion

Just Go! Truly, the Archipel I is an exceptionally well-run boat and crew, and we couldn’t have been happier with our experience. There are a few tips and tricks to know before you go to make your entire Galapagos cruise experience the best it can be, and overall, you can expect to have one of the best experiences of your life when you book a Galapagos cruise trip on the Archipel I.