Catamaran Charter South America & Galápagos

Peak season in South America & Galápagos is Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr. During these months you'll get the most reliable weather and the most charter fleet options, but also the highest prices and most crowds. Shoulder months (May, Nov) are often the sweet spot — good weather, fewer crowds, lower prices. Avoid Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct unless you specifically want low-season rates.

A 7-day catamaran charter in South America & Galápagos typically runs from $6,500 (low season, smaller boat) to $95,000+ (high season, large crewed catamaran). A mid-range 45-50ft catamaran in shoulder season averages around $19,000/week. Prices exclude fuel, provisioning, mooring fees, and gratuity.

Visa requirements for South America & Galápagos vary by passport: US: varies by country; EU: visa free; CA: varies by country; CN: varies by country. Most Western passport holders can enter visa-free or with visa-on-arrival. Check with your country's travel advisory before booking.

South America & Galápagos is best suited for advanced charterers. First-timers should consider starting somewhere gentler like the British Virgin Islands (line-of-sight navigation) before tackling South America & Galápagos.

A 7-day charter is the most popular booking length and lets you see the highlights. With 10–14 days you can slow down, weather-proof your itinerary, and reach more remote anchorages. 5 days is doable but rushed. Anything less than 5 days usually doesn't justify the travel cost for most international visitors.

Ask your charter captain or broker for the local favorites — every destination has anchorages the guidebooks don't cover.

South America & Galápagos is manageable for experienced sailors with older children (10+), but may be challenging for very young kids due to moderate conditions. Consider a crewed charter for hands-on help with the kids.

For bareboat charter in South America & Galápagos, you should have 2+ chartering seasons or equivalent experience plus an ICC. Conditions can be challenging in certain seasons (Galápagos is a year-round wildlife destination that peaks December-April (warm, calm, wetter) with the best underwater visibility; June-November brings the cooler, plankton-rich 'garúa' season and bigger marine life. Brazil's coast is best December-March. Galápagos charters are expedition-style: fully crewed, permit-controlled routes and National Park rules on every anchorage.). Many sailors do crewed charter here even with experience.