Vaya Adventures Transports Guests Through The Galapagos Islands this Xmas On Classic Schooner, The Beagle

Adventure travel operator Vaya Adventures (http://www.vayaadventures.com/), the expert in designing bespoke vacations throughout Latin America, makes it their job to uncover lesser-known travel gems.

The elegant Galapagos small ship sailing vessel Beaglehttp://www.vayaadventures.com/yachts/galapagos/first-class/beagle/ is a good example. The Beagle offers an eight-day, wildlife-intense cruise available with a choice of two itineraries through the Galapagos Islands, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Beagle is a first class, refurbished, schooner-style yacht awarded “Smart Voyager” certification for sound environmental practices. It accommodates a maximum of 14 passengers in seven well-appointed cabins.

“While a lot of attention has been paid to the new catamarans in the Galapagos, for some travelers nothing beats the feeling of being on a classically designed schooner,” says Jim Lutz, Vaya Adventures founder and president. “With teak decks and meticulously designed interiors, The Beagle is a great option for those looking for a unique, charming vessel with a smaller group size.”  Meals are taken both in the main cabin and on the rear deck, and the upper deck offers seating with both sun and shade for comfortable lounging. All cabins have private bathrooms and air conditioning. The Beagle is 105 feet long and 22 feet wide.

For anyone looking for an adventurous way to spend the Christmas holidays, Lutz suggests, “there is still good availability on the Dec. 23-30, 2014, end-of-year holiday departure.  It can be challenging to book a cruise during this time of year as cruises tend to sell out far in advance, so this is a great opportunity for travelers looking for a unique journey during the December holidays.”

Beagle’s cruises run Tuesday to Tuesday and are divided between a Northwest itinerary and a South & Central itinerary. (The Christmas departure will follow the South & Central itinerary, which visits numerous highlight spots including the islands of Bartolome, Espanola, and Floreana, among others.)  Rates are $3,800 per person ($4,180 on the Christmas departure); $7,200 on a 15-day cruise and from $53,200 for full yacht charters. Children 11 years and under receive a 30 percent discount (does not apply to holiday departures).

If the seafaring name Beagle sounds familiar, that’s because it is.  Charles Darwin, who put the Galapagos Islands on the map, wrote about his travels in his 1839 book The Voyage of the Beagle. It’s a fascinating tale about his experiences and early scientific findings aboard a schooner that took him to remote parts of the globe for study and reflection.

As with all sailing and land tours through the Galapagos Islands, bilingual naturalist guides accompany guests on daily land expeditions. Darwin’s name is frequently evoked in this one-of-a-kind destination, where visitors can see flora and fauna that don’t exist anywhere else in the world.