Galapagos Islands Cruise – Part 2

As I mentioned in Galapagos Islands Cruise – Part 1, my current favorite cruse is to the Galapagos Islands on the Celebrity Xpedition.

So after our first night at the Marriott Hotel in Quito, Ecuador, we were given breakfast at the hotel before leaving for an all day tour of Quito and the surrounding area. This included a walking tour of the main plaza where the Presidential residence is located. 

Then we went to an exclusive restaurant for lunch at the top of a dormant volcano’s crater. The view from El Crater Restaurant was great with clouds floating by, allowing us to see the volcano floor.

Next we went to the Equatorial Monument where you can straddle the equator and stand on both the northern and southern hemisphere at the same time!

That evening we were taken to the Teatro restaurant for a lovely dinner that also included wine.

The next morning, after breakfast, we were taken to the airport for our flight to the islands. The Galapagos Islands are 600 miles west of Quito and are in the central U.S. time zone. It was a charter flight with Tame Airlines on a modern jet with leather seats that was for the exclusive use of the Celebrity cruise passengers and crew. After a brief stop in the coastal city of Guayaquil, we arrived at the tiny airport on Baltra Island. It reminded me of the airport at Kona, Hawaii–very small.

Check back soon for part 3 of my Galapagos vacation.

If you want more info:   Margaret’s Travel Info

Margaret Owen, Master Cruise Counsellor

(510) 582-0540   margaret@owentravel.com

[facebook_ilike]