Dolores and her love for the Galápagos

“Can you believe it?” she says to me once more, though perhaps even more to herself. Before I can ask her what it is I’m supposed to believe, she launches into her story. “One of the beaches in the Galápagos has been named one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. And this accolade is even backed by the Ecuadorian tourist board.” Before I can respond, she takes the words right out of my mouth: “The Galápagos isn’t a beach destination.”

Typical Dolores

When I think back to this moment from a few years ago, during a trade fair in France, it perfectly sums up Dolores as I know her. At trade fairs like this, I have many one-to-one meetings with representatives from hotels, cruise lines and local trip operators. At the end of one such day, Dolores suddenly plonked herself down in the chair opposite me. Dolores Gangotena de Diez from Quasar Expeditions, a local partner in Ecuador that offers, amongst other things, cruise options in the Galápagos and with whom we at Sapa Pana Travel have been working for many years.

Fancy finding out more about Quasar Expeditions? Then watch the video below

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Her love for the Galápagos

There are very few people who have as much passion and love for the Galapagos and its extraordinary flora and fauna as she does. Her driving force is to share this with people all over the world. She wants to offer them an experience of a lifetime and, at the same time, create ambassadors who recognise the importance of preserving this unique yet fragile ecosystem. If this unique ecosystem is treated in the wrong way – for example, by marketing it simply as a beach destination – it affects her personally and she will strongly oppose such practices.

How it began

After travelling through the Galapagos with her husband Diego and a group of friends aboard an old sailing boat, she and her husband decided in 1986 to offer trips to this extraordinary archipelago. The trip they had taken themselves had changed their lives. She wanted to offer this experience to other travellers too.

Right from the start, they devoted most of their energy to training the guides and the rest of the team, and this has proved to be the key to their success over the years. Quasar’s guides and staff share an unconditional love for the Galápagos and strive to offer their guests the best possible experience. Travellers describe the guides as walking encyclopaedias, who passionately share their knowledge and thus make the difference between a lovely trip and an unforgettable one.

Watch a video about the guides at Quasar Expeditions below
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The Quasar Expeditions fleet

Quasar operates two cruise ships throughout the Galapagos Archipelago: the M/V Evolution, with a capacity of 32 guests, and the M/V Grace – formerly the wedding boat of Princess Gracia and Prince Rainier of Monaco – which can accommodate 16 passengers. Both ships exude the romance and atmosphere of days gone by, reminiscent of the time when Dolores and Diego themselves discovered the Galapagos. With both vessels, they offer only eight-day expedition cruises, as they believe you should take the time to explore the archipelago and really get to know it.

With the same love and dedication, the family business now also offers trips to mainland Ecuador, Peru and Patagonia in the far south of Chile and Argentina. Their three sons, who have grown up with the business from a young age, are now ready to take over from their parents.