Encantada Galapagos Cruise

Budget Class

10 Reviews

From $ 1495

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How does booking work?

To confirm the booking we'll ask for a 20% deposit.

The remaining cost is then payable 80 days before departure.

ATTENTION: Decommissioned in March 2018

Unfortunately, the beautiful "Encantada" was decommissioned in March 2018 and will sail other parts of the world now. Please click here for comparable economic cruises to the Galapagos Islands.If you still want to read on about the Encantada, this was our product description of this beautiful sailship:

Previously known in the Islands as “The Little Red Sailboat”, visiting the Galapagos on this 69ft schooner is pure romance! With a maximum of only 12 guests - yet a crew of 6 - you get luxury levels of service and attention at a budget-friendly price.

Almost all the boats in the Galapagos fleet accommodate 16 guests, some higher end vessels have 14 guests, but a cruise on Encantada will see you among only 12 companions for a truly intimate view of the archipelago. You’ll get a very personal view of the Islands from your bilingual National Park naturalist guide who would normally work with larger groups, and the crew on board become more like friends as they look after you during your trip.

There are 6 cabins on Encantada, all living up to your expectations of the age of sail with traditional wooden bunks and hand-crafted wooden furniture and fittings. Despite her smaller size and traditional looks every cabin enjoys air conditioning and a private en suite bathroom with hot water.

Culinary secret
The lounge and dining area are full of natural wood and classic example of the boatbuilders craft. Dining onboard is relaxed and sociable, with all guests enjoying one large table the conversation flows as easily as the beer and wine! There is also an al fresco dining table on the stern deck where you can eat and enjoy the cool sea breezes. What Encantada’s kitchen may lack in size it more than makes up for in the talents of its chef. The food on Encantada is consistently praised by our guests, and some who’ve traveled on the luxury boats in the Galapagos fleet have felt it was just as good!

The sun deck is large enough for sitting and relaxing as well as simply lying in the sun. When the night comes, there is nowhere better in Galapagos to be than on the open deck of “The Little Red Boat” with the sails up and the stars out.

The naturalist itineraries are varied, and some venture further north than most of the fleet. Thanks to her smaller size, Encantada can visit places larger vessels can’t.

Our comments
The romance of a traditional motor sailboat, the intimacy of only 12 guests, the ability to visit places larger boats can’t, and budget friendly prices… this a lot to this little red boat! We can’t get enough of the food on Encantada, and in our opinion we think the “sacrifice” of a smaller cabin is more than worth it considering the benefitsClick here to read less

Deck Plans & Photos

Boat Description

Capacity:12 passengers
Type:Small Yacht
Category:Budget Class
Year Built:1969
Length:21m
Beam:5m
Speed:7 noeuds
Electricity: 110 Volts

Amenities

100% CO2 carbon footprint offset
Multilingual guide
All meals throughout the cruise
Water, Coffee, Tea & fresh juices
Air conditioning & private bathroom
Transfers to and from ship
Snorkel gear (free)
Wetsuits
Single rooms without supplement
2% Credit Card fees
Airfare tickets
Alcoholic drinks & bottled beverages
Crew and guide tips
$100 national park entrance fee
$20 transit control card
Fuel surcharge

Customer Feedback

10REVIEWS

Wonderful Time!

Both of us had a wonderful time and the whole Galapagos experience was amazing! The chef made delicious meals that catered especially for my food allergies, our guide had lots of experience and was funny and entertaining too, and the cosiness of being on a small yacht helped us to develop many new friendships.

Feedback from: https://goo.gl/PcipZS

Pamela Retamal, 29th March 2017

Smaller Boat = Bigger Experience

My Wife and I did this cruise at the beginning of December 2012, we weren't sure what to expect but we know someone who had already done this boat a few years ago and it was recommended.

The Galapagos Islands are truly AMAZING!!! When it was all over we where extremely happy that we had chosen this boat over bigger ones. The first part of our tour (A) there was a total of 8 people, the (B) portion only 5. This boat has the capacity to hold 12 guests.

1st recommendation, if it's over 8 guests people are going to be tripping all over each other.

Some guests complained of engine noise, we didn't find the noise to really be an issue. The boat does rock around a bit when moving, we had a gravel tabs and took them a few nights out of 9 on long sailings. Pretty whipped out every evening and passed out easily.

The Crew on the boat are all awesome super friendly guys. They made the trip very enjoyable.

For the first portion of the trip we had a fill in guide who we where not impressed with. He was very knowledgable about wildlife but didn't have fantastic people skills. Sleeping in past activity departure times doesn't fly. Conditioning and fitness was also an issue for walking on Islands.

The full time guide (Juan) who works off this boat is amazing and gets in the water with snorkeling. He was AWESOME.

The quality of food on the boat was AVERAGE overall. It was HIT and MISS, quantity was UNSATISFACTORY!!!!!! They seem to take reviews seriously so I'm curious if someone after this can comment to see if "SCUBA GALAPAGOS" the owners of the boat buck up a few extra dollars to provide a few extra spoonfuls of food for starving guests. Take some extra snacks.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND, SMALLER BOAT EQUALS BIGGER EXPERIENCES.

Greg C, Canada, 7th March 2017

No Complaints At All. Highly Recommended!!

I know, this information will not be useful for you anymore, but for everybody else who is thinking about the Encantada. We just came back from a 4n/5d cruise on the Encantada, and it was incredible. FANTASTIC. We weren't sure about this tourist class option, but it was the only one that fitted our schedule and it went to Genovesa, the island we were hoping to visit. Everybody told us, the guide and the food will be bad on a tourist class boat, but it really wasn't! The food was very good. Every single day, something different, something tasty!! Juan was our guide for the first day, but he needed a holiday, so Samuel was our guide for the rest of the trip. He knew a lot about the Islands and the animals, and could answer all our questions. The service of all the crew members was amazing. The cabins were just fine, the mattresses were perfect. Take sea-sickness pills though, because it can get very bumpy, but I guess other boats will have that problem too. Hot showers during the whole trip. No complaints at all. Highly recommended!!

Not convinced yet? Take a look at our pictures on www.intomundo.com

B. K., 10th January 2017

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Encantada Galapagos Cruise

ATTENTION: Decommissioned in March 2018

Deck Plans & Photos

Boat Description

Amenities

Customer Feedback

10REVIEWS

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