Galápagos Glories

Ecoventura brings world-class dining to one of the most beautiful—and remote—spots on the planet.

- Amanda Eyre Ward

Ecoventura's ship Theory anchored among the rocky black lava outcrops unique to the Galápagos Islands 2

MY HUSBAND AND I boarded Theory, one of Ecoventura’s three luxury Relais & Châteaux expedition yachts in the Galápagos Islands, with scuba masks, binoculars, and a well-thumbed guide to blue-footed boobies packed in our luggage. Six hundred miles off mainland Ecuador, we set sail through one of Earth’s most remote archipelagoes—and headed straight to our first dinner on board.

“Everything on these remote ships is frozen and fried,” whispered my husband, a scientist who spends weeks aboard research vessels.

“Oh, no,” I said.

“Oh, yes,” he replied.

Moments later, we were seated in an elegant dining room as León Dormido, a volcanic rock formation shaped like a sleeping lion, loomed outside the window. Our plates began to arrive. And what was set before us was neither frozen nor fried.

My dinner was a four-course masterpiece, including encebollado, Ecuador’s beloved fish stew, fragrant with cilantro, tomato, and sweet onions in a deep bowl flecked with chunks of tender fish. My husband’s Basque-style octopus came with charred edges, giving way to succulent meat. It was paired with a smoky roasted pepper sauce and topped with crispy chickpeas.

“Wow,” my husband said, grinning.