Our Honeymoon · 2027♥ Shortlist
Research

Galápagos Honeymoon Game Plan — Feb 15–28, 2027

Researched Oct 12, 2026 from live LiveAboard.com / G Adventures availability, Google Flights, Kayak, and multi-source reviews (Tripadvisor, TourRadar, AdventureSmith, Galapatours, DAN, CDC, US State Dept, operator sites). Prices are per the sources on that date and will move.

TL;DR

Choice Why
Expedition Reina Silvia Voyager, Central & East, Sat Feb 20 – Sat Feb 27 (7 nights) 16 guests, 2020/22-built catamaran, balcony cabins, sundeck jacuzzi; 9.6/10 LiveAboard (26), TourRadar 4.9, ~114 Tripadvisor reviews. Best-reviewed luxury boat that fits the budget, and the only top-tier departure with a 10% promo right now.
Cabin Main Deck Balcony (twin beds joined) — $6,704 pp Lower = less motion for your partner. Upgrade: Upper Deck Balcony true double bed, +$450 for two (2 spaces left).
Diving 2 days from Santa Cruz with Scuba Iguana (4.7★, 560+ reviews, PADI 5-star, max 6 divers/guide): Wed North Mosquera + Seymour Channel, Thu Gordon Rocks (hammerheads) — matches their published weekly boat schedule Short rides first, big animals second, ≥9 days before your next flight.
Land base Finch Bay Galápagos Hotel (4.7★, 1,300+ reviews), 4 nights Beachfront, 27 rooms, spa; hotel launch to the Puerto Ayora pier, a short walk from the dive shop.
Gateway Guayaquil (sea level) both ways Most Galápagos flights route via GYE anyway (Quito flights usually stop there); avoids Quito altitude after diving.
All-in cost ≈ $24,400 for two (Finch Bay) · ≈ $23,200 with a ~$1,800 cushion (Angermeyer Waterfront Inn) See budget below.

Removing the Jan 22–29 blackout didn’t change the pick: Reina Silvia Voyager’s Jan 23–30 sailing has only 1 berth left (not enough for two). It did open two alternatives — see “Other dates” below.

Day-by-day itinerary

Mon Feb 15 — Boston → Guayaquil

  • Fly: Copa BOS 7:30am → Panama City → GYE 5:37pm ($685 pp economy), or American BOS 5:00am → MIA → GYE 2:38pm ($865 pp).
  • Stay: TRYP by Wyndham Guayaquil Airport (4.5★, free shuttle, ~$130). Safe, 2 km from the airport, early flight tomorrow.
  • Eat: Hotel restaurant or a short Uber to Mall del Sol. Guayaquil is State Dept Level 3 (“Reconsider Travel”); stay in the airport/Samborondón corridor, use Uber/official taxis, be in by ~9pm.

Tue Feb 16 — Fly to the Galápagos, Finch Bay

  • Fly: Avianca GYE 9:50am → Baltra 10:50am (~$300–340 pp RT incl. bag). Pay the $200 pp park fee in cash on arrival.
  • Transfer: Airport bus → Itabaca ferry → taxi across the highlands (~45 min) → Finch Bay’s launch.
  • Afternoon: Swim Las Grietas (lava-crevice canyon, 10-min walk from Finch Bay; go before 3pm for light). Stop by Scuba Iguana to fit gear and hand over logbooks.
  • Dinner: Finch Bay Restaurant (waterfront, seafood tasting menus). Ask for a sunset table; tell them it’s your honeymoon.

Wed Feb 17 — Dive Day 1: North Mosquera + Seymour Channel

  • ~6:45am Finch Bay launch to the pier → walk to Scuba Iguana → van ~45 min across the island to Itabaca Channel → ~25-min boat ride. Seymour Channel (whitetip & Galápagos sharks, eagle rays, occasional hammerhead) + North Mosquera (sea lions, garden eels, rays). Moderate current, 10–25 m. Check dive first; 5/7 mm suit + hood provided; hot lunch on board. (Their other boat runs Daphne / North Mosquera the same day.)
  • Back ~3:30pm → pool/nap.
  • Dinner (optional, low-key): Charles Binford “kiosk street” (walk-in, cash, 7–10pm): encocado de pescado (coconut fish stew), ceviche mixto, grilled catch of the day — or just eat at the hotel.

Thu Feb 18 — Dive Day 2: Gordon Rocks (hammerheads)

  • Gordon Rocks ×2 on Scuba Iguana’s Thursday boat (strong “washing machine” current, 20–30 m; best hammerhead odds on Santa Cruz). Published requirement is AOW + 25 logged dives; you’ll be at ~22, so this is their call after watching you on Day 1 — email logbooks when booking. Same-day fallback: their other Thursday boat goes to Bartolomé / Cousins Rock (great sites, but a ~2-h ride each way). If your partner dreads long rides, pick an easier Day 2 outright.
  • This is the roughest boat ride of the trip → partner uses their clinician-approved, pre-tested prevention (see seasickness plan). Nobody dives impaired or nauseated.
  • Dinner (optional): The Point (4.7★, seafood/fusion fine dining — tuna tataki, seafood tower) or Almar Seafood & Grill (4.6★, 450+ reviews; tuna and ceviche).

Fri Feb 19 — Honeymoon day (no diving, half unscheduled)

  • Morning (optional): Walk the 2.5 km paved path to Tortuga Bay (opens 6am) — marine iguanas, sea-turtle nesting season; rent a kayak at Playa Mansa (~$10–15/hr) to paddle with baby sharks and turtles.
  • Afternoon: nothing booked. Pool, beach, nap. Optional couples massage at Finch Bay ($100–180) or a 1-hr sunset photo session ($150–300).
  • Dinner: Eloise at Angermeyer Waterfront Inn (4.9★ — the top-rated romantic dinner in Puerto Ayora). Book 1–2 days ahead.

Sat Feb 20 — Board Reina Silvia Voyager

  • Ask Finch Bay to arrange a private transfer to Baltra leaving ~8:00am (water taxi + car + Itabaca ferry ≈ 1.5 h) → airport meeting point by 10:30am (G Adventures’ official start). Being collected in Puerto Ayora instead is only an option if G confirms it in writing.
  • G sends luggage to the boat. Afternoon: Santa Cruz highlands — wild giant tortoises, lava tunnels, Charles Darwin Research Station. Board ~6pm. Welcome dinner. Overnight crossing to Española (one of the two rougher nights).

Sun Feb 21 — Española

  • Gardner Bay: white-sand beach carpeted with sea lions; snorkel Gardner/Osborn islets (turtles, reef fish, playful sea lions).
  • Punta Suárez: Nazca & blue-footed boobies, Española mockingbirds, the blowhole, and marine iguanas in red-and-green breeding colors (peak Jan–Feb). Waved albatross are absent in February (return late March).

Mon Feb 22 — San Cristóbal

  • Punta Pitt: the only place to see all three boobies (incl. red-footed) together; dramatic hike.
  • Afternoon beach landing (Cerro Brujo/Isla Lobos area) with sea lions; sunset at Kicker Rock.

Tue Feb 23 — Santa Fe & South Plaza

  • Santa Fe: endemic Santa Fe land iguanas; snorkel/kayak with sea lions and turtles.
  • South Plaza: land iguanas on red sesuvium carpets, swallow-tailed gulls on the cliffs.
  • Overnight crossing to Genovesa (the other rougher night).

Wed Feb 24 — Genovesa (“Bird Island”)

  • Darwin Bay: red-footed boobies nesting in mangroves, great frigatebirds (courtship ramping up); snorkel the caldera walls (sometimes hammerheads).
  • El Barranco / Prince Philip’s Steps: Nazca boobies, storm petrels, short-eared owls hunting by day.

Thu Feb 25 — Santiago & Bartolomé

  • Sullivan Bay: walk on pahoehoe lava fields.
  • Bartolomé: climb to the Pinnacle Rock viewpoint (the iconic Galápagos photo); snorkel below it — the best penguin spot in the central islands. A small colony lives here year-round; in warm-season February there are fewer and they’re more often out feeding, so it’s a good chance, not a guarantee (early-morning visits help).

Fri Feb 26 — Rábida & Chinese Hat

  • Rábida: red-sand beach, flamingos in the salt lagoon, nesting pelicans; snorkel.
  • Chinese Hat: lava flows and tunnels; turquoise-water snorkel with turtles — and a second, occasional chance at penguins.
  • Farewell dinner; tip envelopes left in cabin.

Sat Feb 27 — Disembark → Guayaquil

  • After breakfast, transfer to Baltra (included for flights ≥11:30am). Fly Avianca ~2:05pm → GYE ~5pm (11:35 also works but leaves no slack).
  • Stay: Hotel del Parque (4.8★, Samborondón, inside the Parque Histórico; ~$350–600) — the honeymoon finale.
  • Dinner: Casa Julián (riverside gourmet, at the hotel).

Sun Feb 28 — Home

  • Guayaquil → Miami → Boston on American. Last dive was 9+ days earlier — no flying-after-diving concerns.

The luxury setup

On board — Reina Silvia Voyager (G Adventures)

  • Boat: motorized catamaran, max 16 guests (avg 12), 10 cabins, 1 naturalist guide + G “CEO”; sundeck jacuzzi, BBQ area, outdoor lounge, kayaks.
  • Cabins: all have private bathrooms and A/C; balcony cabins on main and upper decks. Cabin numbers are assigned first-come, first-served (G won’t guarantee a specific cabin) — book early and ask, in writing, for a midship cabin away from the engine/stern and beds joined as a double.
  • Food (included): 7 breakfasts/lunches/dinners, “plentiful, made of fresh local ingredients,” casual unassigned seating, vegetarian options; special diets with notice. Coffee/tea/water free; bar drinks extra and cash-only (no card machines on board; no BYO alcohol). Reviewers call the food “fresh and tasty”; one wished for more fiber.
  • Included gear: snorkel sets and wetsuits; kayaks.
  • Honeymoon touches: flag “honeymoon” at booking and again at check-in; small-ship crews routinely do a cake/celebration dinner.
  • Known caveats: some engine/anchor noise at night (bring earplugs); a 2024 trip report noted “seas can be a little rough” on this route with one rough night.

On land — Finch Bay Galápagos Hotel (Metropolitan Touring)

  • Only 27 rooms, beachfront on a pedestrian-only bay, mangrove boardwalks, pool, spa, private launch to town.
  • Room: Standard ~$590–630/night incl. breakfast; Superior/King ~$800–900; new Evolution Suites (2025, ocean view, big balcony) ~$865+. Ask for the honeymoon package (published from $2,099 pp for 3 nights with private-yacht day, couples massage, romantic dinners, transfers) and compare to à la carte.

Where you’ll eat (land)

When Where Order Notes
Feb 16 Finch Bay Restaurant Seafood tasting menu Sunset table
Feb 17 Charles Binford kiosks Encocado de pescado, ceviche mixto, grilled fish Cash, walk-in, 7–10pm
Feb 18 The Point or Almar Tuna tataki, seafood tower / ceviche Reserve 1–2 days ahead
Feb 19 Eloise (Angermeyer Waterfront Inn) Chef’s fusion menu 4.9★ — the romantic dinner
Feb 27 Casa Julián (Hotel del Parque) Ecuadorian coastal tasting Finale
Anytime Isla Grill (4.4★, 1,000+ reviews) Steaks, local fish Reliable backup

Lobster season is closed Jan–Aug — any lobster you see is frozen; skip it. Drink only bottled/filtered water.

Budget (for two)

Item Finch Bay (recommended) Cushioned (Angermeyer)
Reina Silvia Voyager, Main Deck Balcony (Feb 20, 10% promo) $13,408 $13,408
BOS ⇄ GYE, Copa economy ($685 pp) $1,370 $1,370
GYE ⇄ Baltra, Avianca with checked bag ~$680 ~$680
Park fee ($200 cash) + Transit Control Card ($20 online) ×2 $440 $440
TRYP Guayaquil Airport (Feb 15) ~$130 ~$130
Hotel del Parque (Feb 27) ~$450 ~$450
Santa Cruz, 4 nights incl. breakfast & taxes ~$2,700 (Finch Bay) ~$1,500 (Angermeyer Waterfront Inn, 4.5–4.6★, Eloise on site)
Diving: 2 days × 2 people at Scuba Iguana’s ~$295 pp/day + dive-crew tips ~$1,260 ~$1,260
Cruise tips (G: $100–150 pp/week for CEO + same for crew) ~$500 ~$500
Trip insurance (comprehensive w/ scuba) + DAN dive-accident cover ~$1,500 ~$1,500
Land dinners & lunches ~$900 ~$900
Kayaks, taxis, water taxis, optional massage/photographer ~$600 ~$600
On-board bar (cash), souvenirs ~$500 ~$500
Total ≈ $24,440 ≈ $23,240
Left under $25k for surprises ~$560 ~$1,760

Firm up before booking: Finch Bay’s date-specific all-in rate, Avianca fare with bag, insurance quote. If you treat $25k as a hard cap, take the Angermeyer column (it’s also closer to the dive shops). American instead of Copa adds $360.

Upgrades, if quotes come in low

Upgrade Added cost
Upper Deck Balcony true double bed (higher deck = slightly more motion) +$450
American (better times) instead of Copa +$360
Third dive day: fly Sun Feb 14 (Valentine’s dinner at Casa Julián, Hotel del Parque), dive Tue–Thu (Seymour → Mosquera/Seymour → Gordon Rocks) → ~24 logged dives before Gordon Rocks +~$1,600 (dive day, extra Finch Bay night, del Parque instead of TRYP)
American business class (Feb) +~$1,800 over Copa economy
Finch Bay Evolution Suite +$800–1,500
Private dive guide (Scuba Iguana) / private dive boat +$210 / +$1,000–2,000 per day
Mashpi Lodge cloud-forest + Quito pre-extension (Valentine’s Day, Feb 11–15; ~$2,174 pp at Mashpi) +~$5,500 → ~$30k total

Skip Finch Bay’s honeymoon package if it centers on a yacht day — the cruise already covers that.

Diving plan & safety

  • Operator: Scuba Iguana (primary; ~$295 pp/day) or Academy Bay Diving (4.6★, 450+; strong safety briefings). Includes 5/7 mm suit, hood, boots, gloves, 2 tanks, check dive, hot lunch, towels. Bring your own mask and dive computer (or rent a computer for $15/day). Private guide add-on: $210.
  • Scuba Iguana weekly boats (confirm when booking): Mon Floreana · Punta Carrión/S. Mosquera — Tue Gordon Rocks · Seymour Channel/Point — Wed N. Mosquera/Seymour Channel · Daphne/N. Mosquera — Thu Bartolomé/Cousins Rock · Gordon Rocks — Fri S. Mosquera/Daphne · Daphne/Seymour Point — Sat Seymour Point/Channel · S. Mosquera/Gordon Rocks — Sun Punta Carrión/Gordon Rocks · Santa Fe.
  • Gordon Rocks gate: published as AOW + 25 logged dives; with ~22 you need the shop’s sign-off. Email both logbooks when booking and agree the fallback in writing. If your last dive will be >12 months old by February, do a pool refresher in Boston first.
  • Why not a dive liveaboard? Galápagos Sky suggests 40–50 dives; Aggressor/Calipso/Master ~50+; Humboldt Explorer 100. Not this trip.
  • Altitude check: every northern-site day trip drives back over the Santa Cruz highlands after diving (standard practice locally), and cruise day 1 visits the highlands again ~44 h after your last dive. DAN’s altitude guidance covers road ascents too — ask the shop (or DAN) to confirm the route’s peak elevation and their post-dive protocol.
  • Flying: last dive Feb 18 → first flight Feb 27 (9 days). DAN’s minimum after multi-day diving is 18 h.
  • Chamber: Puerto Ayora hyperbaric chamber (Protesub / SSS network, +593 98 448 8231).
  • Insurance: standard policies often exclude scuba below 18 m or chamber treatment → pair a comprehensive plan (with scuba rider to 30 m and evacuation) with DAN dive-accident coverage.
  • Photos: rent a GoPro + housing in Puerto Ayora (~$15/day) or bring your own; use a wrist tether at Gordon Rocks.

Seasickness plan (for your partner)

  1. December: see a travel-medicine clinician (e.g., MGH Travel Medicine) and get a written prevention schedule that covers the whole voyage and both dive days — not just the two rough nights. Typical options: scopolamine patch (Rx; per CDC it takes ~6–8 h to work, so it goes on well before departure, not at dinner) and meclizine/Bonine, which is less drowsy, not non-drowsy.
  2. Trial each med at home ≥24 h on a non-diving day — side effects (blurred vision, dry mouth, drowsiness) can mimic decompression sickness. Never first-use on a dive day; no alcohol with scopolamine. Anyone impaired or actively nauseated sits the dive out.
  3. On board: main-deck cabin, ideally midship (requested, not guaranteed); expect the two overnight crossings (to Española, Feb 20; to Genovesa, Feb 23) to be the roughest; fresh air, horizon, light meals, ginger, Sea-Bands, earplugs.
  4. Dive days: short-ride sites first (Day 1), Gordon Rocks second; skip Gordon Rocks entirely if Day 1’s ride was miserable.

Booking timeline

When Do
This week Hold the Reina Silvia Voyager Feb 20 Main Deck Balcony cabin on LiveAboard (“book now, pay later — spaces held obligation-free”; same $6,704 pp). Use the hold to request 7-night quotes for Treasure of Galápagos, Petrel, Elite/Endemic via a specialist agency (mention honeymoon).
Within ~10 days (G promo codes expire ~Oct 31) Confirm the best option. For Reina Silvia: book direct with G Adventures or confirm the LiveAboard hold. Deposit $350 pp, balance due 60 days before (~Dec 22). Use passport names you will travel on (see below). Note honeymoon, joined beds, midship request, and dietary needs.
Within 7 days of deposit Buy comprehensive trip insurance (pre-existing-condition waivers need purchase within 7–15 days of first payment) + DAN.
Next 2–3 weeks Flights BOS⇄GYE (set a Google Flights alert — “prices are high” right now; Feb 16–Mar 1 showed $471); Avianca GYE⇄GPS (Feb 16 out, Feb 27 ~2pm back, checked bag); Finch Bay (4 nts); TRYP + Hotel del Parque. Pay by credit card.
November Book dives with Scuba Iguana (send logbooks; confirm Wed/Thu boats, Thursday fallback, and the early Finch Bay launch to the pier).
December Travel clinic + seasickness trial; pool refresher if needed; final cruise payment.
Early February Reserve Eloise and The Point/Almar; ask Finch Bay to book the Feb 20 private transfer to Baltra.
48–72 h before Feb 16 Buy TCT online (siig-cgreg.gobiernogalapagos.gob.ec, $20 pp); file the online biosecurity (DJM) declaration; print insurance proof.
Pack cash ~$1,500 in clean, small bills (park fee, tips, bar, kiosks). Puerto Ayora ATMs are unreliable.

Name-change warning

You marry Jan 1 and fly Feb 15. Every ticket and the cruise manifest must match the passport you’ll physically carry. Simplest: book everything in your current names and update passports after the honeymoon.

Packing (Jan–Feb is warm & wet season; water 24–26°C)

Reef-safe SPF 50 (oxybenzone banned), rash guards, sun hats, polarized sunglasses · own masks + dive computers · water shoes/sport sandals for wet landings · light rain jacket · daypack + dry bag · binoculars · GoPro + spare batteries · earplugs · motion-sickness meds (tested) · soft duffel ≤ 23 kg · US outlets on board (110 V) · small-bill USD cash · printed insurance + passports (6+ months validity).

Other dates (now that Jan 22–29 is open)

Plan Boat & dates Cruise for two Trade-off
A — Recommended Reina Silvia Voyager, Feb 20–27, Main Deck Balcony $13,408 Best price and availability right now
B — January Reina Silvia Voyager, Jan 9–16, Upper Deck Balcony (true double) $15,398 Peak marine-iguana colors; ~+$2k, ~$26.5k all-in
C — Late-Jan value Anahi, Jan 29–Feb 5 (catamaran, 2024 renovation; 9.5/10, Tripadvisor 4.9/56) $13,010 Cheapest flights ($431 pp) → ~$1,270 cheaper all-in; no balconies, older boat
D — March Reina Silvia Voyager, Mar 6–13 (Upper, true double) or Mar 20–27 (Main) $14,898 Albatross start returning late March; no promo
E — Penguins guaranteed Reina Silvia Voyager West & Central, Feb 27–Mar 6, Main Deck Balcony (4 spaces) $14,898 Isabela + Fernandina: penguins, flightless cormorants, huge marine-iguana colonies, Floreana. Skips Española and Genovesa; rougher Bolívar Channel crossing; ~+$1,500

Boats worth a direct quote (not fully bookable on LiveAboard)

  • Treasure of Galápagos — catamaran, every cabin has a balcony, Master Suite with two balconies; ~$6,195–7,695 pp.
  • Petrel — catamaran, all-balcony suites, standout food reviews (BBQ lunches).
  • Elite / Endemic — top-tier luxury catamarans with very large suites; 7-night ≈ $8,000–10,500 pp (over budget unless discounted).
  • Galapagos Horizon — the only trimaran in the islands (most stable hull), all-balcony; 2027 rate $8,545 pp.
  • Cormorant II — 2023 catamaran with private-jacuzzi suites; ask for a 2027 quote.

Get 2–3 quotes through specialist agencies (AdventureSmith, Galapatours, Happy Gringo) and mention “honeymoon”; they often have unpublished discounts.

Key sources