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39 Reviews
What we love about the Nortada
Only eight divers keeps deck routines calm and personal.
The locally run operation gives the dive program a strong Galapagos focus.
The schedule is built for serious divers who want maximum water time.
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Nortada is for travelers who come to Galápagos primarily to dive, not to add a casual dive or two to a naturalist cruise. With only eight guests, the boat has a very different feel from larger liveaboards: briefings are easier to follow, equipment handling is less crowded, and the rhythm of the day stays focused on getting divers safely and efficiently into the water.
That intimate scale is the reason Nortada deserves a place on a diver’s shortlist. The vessel is simple rather than glossy, but the experience is shaped around demanding Galápagos diving, where currents, cooler water, remote sites and strong marine-life encounters matter more than hotel-style design. For many divers, that trade-off is exactly the point: fewer people, less waiting and a crew that can keep the operation personal.
Choose Nortada if you want a compact, dive-first Galápagos liveaboard and you are comfortable with a practical onboard style. She is not designed for spacious luxury suites, a large social scene or a mixed naturalist-cruise program with occasional dives. This is a specialist boat for travelers who want the underwater Galápagos to be the center of the trip.
All meals
Triple cabins
Wetsuits
English guides
Snorkel gear (free of charge)
Travel for good: Each booking supports Ventura's Conservation Project.
Air conditioning & private bathroom
Single travellers can share cabin
Water, Coffee, Tea & fresh juices
German guides
Food on Nortada is part of a serious dive rhythm: nourishing, regular and timed around multiple daily dives rather than formal dining. After cold-water entries and early starts, the best meals are warm, unpretentious and social, giving the small group time to compare sightings, currents and conditions before the next dive.
Nortada’s strongest responsible-travel argument is her small scale and specialist focus. Eight divers means fewer people entering the water at once and a more controlled guide-to-guest rhythm. Her sustainability story is practical and honest: low-volume Galápagos diving, careful briefings, respect for wildlife distance and strict attention to marine-reserve rules.
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