Your Galapagos Adventure—Inside Ecoventura’s Luxury Eco-Cruise

Imagine a place where you can commune with animals not found anywhere else in the world and traverse uninhabited islands in the storied footsteps of Charles Darwin. The Galapagos Islands off the coast of Ecuador are a treasure of biodiversity with a unique ecosystem, and they are more popular—and more in need of preservation—than ever before.

Enter Ecoventura, an Ecuadorian-run company that operates three Relais & Chateaux-ranked vessels that sail through the incredible archipelago of the Galapagos. While these mega-yachts are certainly exclusive—only 20 guests get to experience each once-in-a-lifetime journey—part of that exclusivity is based on limiting numbers to these islands and preserving what makes them so special.

And there’s a lot to preserve. Marine iguanas that live only on these islands and dine on sea algae. The largest species of tortoises found anywhere in the world weighing in at nearly 1,000 lbs. Sea lions and fur seals that have never been hunted so have no fear of humans. The only penguins found north of the equator and countless birds adapted specifically to these islands.

The ability to dive and hike among these creatures, to walk along lava fields, to swim with blue-footed boobies is what makes a visit to the Galapagos Islands the ultimate travel bucket list item. To do it in a small group on a luxury yacht with onboard naturalists leading your private expeditions and adventures? Well, that just takes this trip to a whole different level.

And you won’t have to feel guilty about the indulgence. Ecoventura’s goal is to minimize its footprint in this area of the world—hence compact ships with an extremely small number of passengers. The company, in partnership with Avianca, utilizes machines that compress recyclable waste into compact packages that are then shipped on regular Avianca passenger flights, thereby avoiding additional CO2 emissions. It’s part of Ecoventura’s goal to be a zero-waste operator, a noble one since the days when 20,000 lbs. of waste were added to Galapagos landfills every year.

In addition, Ecoventura sources 53% of its ingredients for its food program from local purveyors, a bonus for guests who get to enjoy the flavors of the Galapagos Islands during their sail. This year, the company partnered with Bodega Dos Hemisferios, a 100% Ecuadorian premium winemaker, and teaches guests about local winemaking techniques as part of their onboard experience. The focus—in everything—is authenticity and respect for the environment and culture of these islands and this part of South America.

Beyond participating in all that each yacht itinerary has to offer, both onboard and in naturalist-led expeditions, guests on Ecoventura also play a part in conservation. This year, the company launched its Plant-a-Tree initiative at the Tortoise Reserve on Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos. Guests are encouraged to take part in the reforestation and have already planted an additional 1,400 trees.

Ecoventura also participates in Pack for a Purpose, an international initiative that asks guests to pack educational materials and supplies that will stock local schools on San Cristobal Island, the second most populated of the Galapagos Islands after Santa Cruz.

So what can you expect from a cruise on one of Ecoventura’s yachts through the Galapagos Islands? You can expect to get to know your fellow passengers, to spend your evenings on the upper deck stargazing in completely dark skies, to practice wellness through an immersion in nature, and to fall in love with an environment you’ll want to protect for future generations.