Fun with HX on a Galapagos Fam

Arriving in Quito, we were met immediately by the staff of Metropolitan Touring (Hurtigruten Group now holds a 25% ownership stake in Metropolitan Touring, creating seamless operational integration between the luxury ground team and the expedition fleet). They transferred us to the JW Marriott Hotel Quito, assisting with check-in and verifying our return flight information for dedicated departure assistance back to the United States.

Following a restorative night’s rest, our comprehensive full-day exploration of Quito began early. Our first visit was the historic Basilica and Convent of San Francisco, which also housed the renowned Colonial Quito School of Art. From there, we toured La Compañía de Jesús (formal name: San Ignacio de Loyola de la Compañía de Jesús de Quito). The intricate gold-leaf baroque interior and hand-carved cedar altars are architectural masterpieces speaking to centuries of Spanish colonial artistry.

Convent of San Francisco in Quito’s UNESCO World Heritage historic center.

The breathtaking carved volcanic stone facade of La Compañía de Jesús.

Independence Square (Plaza Grande) passing the Presidential Palace.

Wandering through Independence Square, we stopped for a private artisan chocolate tasting at Chez Tiff / Indemini Baez. Co-owner Bertrand Indemini walked us through the intricate “bean-to-bar” craft, sourcing organic cacao from three family-owned Ecuadorian estates to produce delicate bonbons and single-origin dark chocolate bars. (Insider Advisor Tip: Leave generous extra room in your luggage for their chocolate!)

Next, we ascended to The Crater Restaurant perched high on the volcanic rim of Pululahua for a leisurely lunch. Although afternoon clouds rolled across the caldera, the ambiance was deeply rejuvenating. We spent the afternoon exploring the iconic Mitad del Mundo (Middle of the World) monument, straddling both hemispheres on the Equator line before returning to the JW Marriott for an exquisite dinner.

The iconic Mitad del Mundo (Middle of the World) monument marking Latitude 0° 0′ 0″.

A dawn flight from Quito brought us to Baltra Island via a brief 45-minute stop in Guayaquil. Clearing Galapagos National Park customs and agricultural screening was remarkably swift. Our certified naturalist guides met us at the terminal and shuttled us to the dock, where motorized Zodiacs whisked us across the turquoise bay to the Santa Cruz II. In fact, we had our very first Land Iguana sighting right while walking from the airport tarmac!

Our first wildlife greeting: a curious Land Iguana right beside the Baltra tarmac.

The elegant Santa Cruz II resting at anchor in the sheltered Galapagos waters.

Our floating home for the next six nights, the 90-guest Santa Cruz II, recently underwent a comprehensive refurbishment. The public spaces and staterooms are finished in a calming Nordic blue, crisp white, and warm natural tan palette.

True to genuine expedition cruising philosophy, there are no stateroom door keys to worry about; there is a single open-seating dining venue (the Beagle Restaurant); and the heart of social life is the Expedition Lounge and the Panorama Lounge & Bar. Just behind the main lounge, a spacious open-air teak aft deck quickly became everyone’s favorite gathering spot for sunset cocktails.

The light-filled Panorama Lounge aboard Santa Cruz II, where daily briefings and wildlife recaps take place.

Breakfast and lunch are served buffet-style, featuring an abundant selection of fresh tropical fruits, fresh-baked breads, salads, and hot regional specialties. During lunch, the waitstaff takes dinner orders with multiple gourmet options for each course. Service was warm, prompt, and impeccably attentive throughout the voyage.

Aside from the Darwin Suites and a few dedicated solo cabins, the staterooms across the Santa Cruz II share a consistent, highly functional layout. My cabin (Room 109) was located on Deck 1, ideally situated mid-ship right next to the central staircase (note: the ship does not feature an elevator).

Stateroom 109: Scandinavian Nordic blue, white, and tan minimalist styling.

Comfortable bedding and oversized panoramic picture windows framing the islands.

The HX Foundation green hanger: 50 cents donated to local conservation each night.

The ship’s vertical layout flows seamlessly:

• Lower Deck: Beagle Restaurant and the Expedition Launch platform for boarding Zodiacs.
• Deck 1 (Main Deck): Guest staterooms, 24-hour reception desk, boutique gift shop, and onboard medical center with a licensed physician.
• Deck 2 (Upper Deck): Dual outdoor hot tubs, self-service guest washer & dryer, Discovery Room (movies and board games), and Expedition Lounge with Science Center and library.
• Deck 3 (Panorama Deck): Darwin Suites, Panorama Lounge & Bar, and sheltered observation viewing deck.
• Deck 4 (Sky Deck): Fitness center and open 360-degree sundeck.

A thoughtful sustainability detail is the green door hanger. Hanging it outside your door indicates that you do not require daily towel and linen replacement. For each night the hanger is displayed, 50 cents is donated directly to the HX Foundation to fund conservation and scientific research projects in the Galapagos.

Every naturalist guide aboard the Santa Cruz II is 100% native to the Galapagos Islands, providing profound generational insight and genuine environmental reverence. Guests are organized into intimate excursion groups named after iconic Galapagos birds (such as Boobies, Frigates, and Albatrosses).

The daily schedule is packed with active discovery: typically two excursions in the morning and two in the afternoon. Over our 6-night sailing, we enjoyed five separate snorkeling outings in addition to coastal Zodiac cruises and volcanic terrain hikes ranging from gentle shore walks to rocky uphill ascents.

Zodiac exploration cruising along volcanic sea cliffs and wave-carved blowholes.

Gliding through crystalline waters alongside acrobatic Galapagos sea lions.

While exploring the volcanic islands on foot is awe-inspiring, slipping beneath the ocean surface reveals an entirely different magical universe. We snorkeled with playful juvenile sea lions performing underwater somersaults around our masks, observed giant Pacific green sea turtles grazing on algae, swam above schools of colorful parrotfish, and spotted white-tipped reef sharks resting along the seafloor.

HX provides every guest with personalized snorkeling gear — high-quality mask, snorkel, fins, and a 3mm shorty wetsuit — delivered in a personalized mesh bag assigned to your stateroom number.

A curious young sea lion posing gracefully on jet-black lava rocks.

Prehistoric marine iguanas clustered together to absorb the equatorial sunshine.

When is the best time to visit the Galapagos? While conventional wisdom often suggests matching your visit to specific wildlife events (such as blue-footed booby courtship dances or tortoise hatching), an equally vital factor is selecting the right itinerary.

Between my previous Galapagos voyage and this HX expedition, I officially checked off all 15 species on the Galapagos Big 15 list! My thrilling first-time sightings on this sailing included the Red-Footed Booby, the endemic Santa Fe Land Iguana, and the magnificent Waved Galapagos Albatross nesting on the bluffs!

The iconic Blue-Footed Booby showing off its cobalt webbed feet.

Rare sighting: The Red-Footed Booby perched in a coastal mangrove.

The prehistoric, endemic Santa Fe Land Iguana (Conolophus pallidus).

The magnificent Waved Galapagos Albatross with its massive 8-foot wingspan.

Centuries-old Giant Galapagos Tortoise grazing in the lush highland reserves.