14Small sail boatsSAMBA£The Samba is an immaculate 24 metre motorvessel. She is comfortable, impeccably clean, well laid-out with indoor and outdoor dining areas astern, and always receives glowing feedbackfrom Audley clients. Despite her small hull she is relatively stable, thanks to a specially designed high bow and stabilising sail. 14 guests areaccommodated in seven cabins, six with bunk bedsand a small porthole, and one double-bed cabin on the upper deck with a panoramic window. CACHALOTE£This classic motor sailor accommodates 16passengers in her eight characterful bunk bedcabins. She is an excellent value option with agood reputation for her naturalist guides. Thethree wooden decks are dotted with seats andcushions on which to relax in the shade orsunbathe during the cruise. Most cabins aresituated below deck and have a single porthole,but one cabin leads off from the main deck salonand has more space and a larger window.BEAGLE£-££Guests on this 32 metre schooner, named afterDarwin's famous HMS Beagle, will receive a veryhospitable welcome from the Ecuadorian owner.The boat is furnished with elegant teak decks and interiors and has seven cabins that canaccommodate a total of 13 passengers. The deckspace is ideal for relaxation and sunbathing whilstcruising between islands, and there is a small alfresco dining area to the rear of the vessel.Standard cabin, SambaSun deck, CachaloteGalapagos sea lionsStandard cabin, Beagle

www.audleytravel.com/galapagos ?01993 838 635 ?Galapagos cruises15SAGITTA££The Sagitta is a graceful 37 metre three-mastedsailing yacht carrying 16 guests, and we believe she is one of the best authentic sailing optionsavailable. Six cabins are on the main deck withfour more on a lower deck. All are near identicalin size and layout and are lit by one porthole,with the only noticeable difference being that the four lower deck cabins have slightly smallerlower berths. Sagitta has five separate communalareas, a shaded al fresco dining area and an ample sun deck.MARYANNE££Mary Anne is the largest of the sail boats that wework with. With almost 1,000 square metres ofsail and a slim stern, she is an elegant sight in thewater. The ship has 14 spacious double cabinsaccommodating 26 passengers in a variety ofdouble, twin and bunk berth arrangements. She has an abundance of communal spaceincluding a large wood-panelled lounge and diningroom. The layout of the boat also provides ampledeck space with a cushioned seating area to thefront of the vessel and an al fresco dining area.Standard cabin, SagittaWhen the young Charles Darwin arrived onthe Galapagos archipelago in the autumn of1835, he was less than impressed by whatgreeted him. Disembarking the HMS Beagleon San Cristóbal island, he is recorded tohave commented that the air had 'a close andsultry feeling' and that 'the plants also smellunpleasantly'. Furthermore, Darwin initiallysaw many of the islands' larger species asfood, joining his contemporaries in exploitingthe ready supply of tortoise meat.However, he soon came to appreciate hissurroundings and their residents, and spentfive weeks exploring the islands. Darwin's time in the Galapagos is certainly credited with influencing his theory of natural selection,although its effects weren't immediate. On theOrigin of Species opens with an affirmation bythe author of the crucial discoveries he madeduring his journey on the HMS Beagle, but itwas some time after the voyage that the dataand samples collected led to his 'evolutionaryadaptation through natural selection'conclusions. Nowadays, Darwin's influenceremains readily visible within the Galapagos; hisname attached to the ubiquitous finches, theResearch Station on Santa Cruz island and oneof the far northwest islands in the archipelago.Darwin & the GalapagosCharles DarwinTesting the speed of a giant tortoiseGalapagos giant tortoises