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The Corals Central Galapagos Cruise focuses on Santa Cruz Island and several small islands surrounding it. Visit the Charles Darwin Research Station in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island. View a spectacular white sand beach with marine iguanas, sea lions, and blue footed boobies on South Plaza Island. Rabida features a unique red sand beach, the only island with all 9 species of Darwin Finch and possibly sea turtles. Daphne is a volcanic cone with a variety of bird nesting sites. Distances are short between these islands making this cruise appealing to travelers concerned about seasickness.

The Corals Central Islands Cruise can be combined with the Northern or Western Islands Cruise to create an 8 day/7 night itinerary. View the Central Islands Cruise details below or click on the links to view details of other Corals Galapagos Cruises.

Western Galapagos Islands 5 days/4 nights

Southern Galapagos Islands 4 days/3 nights

Northern Galapagos Islands 5 days/4 nights

Coral I & Coral II Galapagos Cruise Main Page

Day 1 - SUN - Baltra & Charles Darwin Station

Arrive to Baltra Island, transfer by bus to Puerto Ayora and board the Coral I or II. Receive a warm welcome and introductory briefing from the crew and enjoy a delicious lunch. This afternoon, head to the Santa Cruz Highlands to observe the famous giant tortoises in their natural habitat. Also observe tree and ground finches, vermilion flycatchers and Cattle Egrets.

Accommodations: Coral I or Coral II
Included Meals: lunch and dinner

Day 2 - MON - Santa Fe & South Plaza

After breakfast discover Santa Fe Island which offers one of the more beautiful and sheltered coves in the islands, great for snorkeling and seeing a variety of sea birds and colorful fish. Its turquoise lagoon is protected by a peninsula of tiny islets forming an ideal anchorage. Like North Seymore, Santa Fe has been uplifted seismically, and you can see underwater lava formations.

After the morning's beach activities, head to South Plaza (Plaza Island, one of the smallest yet richest islands in the archipelago. The turquoise waters of the channel contrast brilliantly with the white sand and black lava of the shoreline. The rocks have grown thick with green seaweed in places, speckled with bright orange “Sally light foot” crabs. Further up the shore a carpet of scarlet sesuvium succulents serves as groundcover for a grove of luminescent green prickly-pear cactus. Observe land and marine iguanas, sea lions, blue-footed boobies and many other sea birds.

Accommodations: Coral I or Coral II
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 3 - TUE - Rabida & Bachas Beach

On this day and the next the Coral I and Coral II will have slightly different itineraries. This morning, Coral I will visit North Seymour - a major nesting colony of blue-footed boobies, and has the largest colony of the magnificent frigate bird. This place will provide the chance to encounter sea lions, land iguanas and on a lucky day you might even come across a Galapagos Snake.

Coral II will begin today at Rabida. The volcano-formed beach is dark red and frequented by sea lions. It’s considered the geographic center of Galapagos because it has the most diverse volcanic rocks on the islands. A noisy colony of sea lions lives on the beach, and a short trail inland is a good place to observe land birds. Hidden behind a narrow strip of green saltbush is a briny lagoon where flamingos are often seen, sometimes nesting.

After the morning exploration, both ships will head to Bachas Beach to encounter many sea birds, marine iguanas, sea turtles, and have the opportunity to walk on the beautiful white sand beach. This beach is a major egg-laying site for sea turtles and its name refers to the indentations left in the sand by both laying turtles and their departing hatchlings.

Accommodations: Coral I or Coral II
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 4 - WED - Daphne & Baltra

Coral I will visit Daphne this morning - volcanic tuff cone, formed by successive explosions produced by the mixture of lava and water. The blue-footed booby nests inside the craters and the masked booby nests on the flanks of the cone and the edge of the craters and the tropical bird that nests in cavities in the cliffs.

The Coral II will make a morning visit to North Seymour for sightings of the nesting colony of blue-footed boobies and magnificent frigate birds. After this mornings activity transfer to the Baltra Airport for flights back to the mainland.

Accommodations: n/a
Included Meals: breakfast

GALAPAGOS CRUISE INCLUSIVE PACKAGE: For your convenience we offer an Inclusive Package with three nights hotel accommodations in Quito, all airport/hotel transfers, Galapagos flights, Galapagos National Park entrance fees and taxes, Galapagos migration card and your Galapagos Coral cruise. View details of our Galapagos Cruise Inclusive Package.

Travelers not interested in our inclusive package must purchase Galapagos flights in conjunction with their Galapagos Cruise.

GALAPAGOS CRUISE CUSTOM PACKAGE: If you are booking a cruise only program our experts can assist with hotels, transfers, flights and tours. Call AdventureSmith Explorations about customizing your tour or the possibilities of combining this trip with our Mainland Ecuador and Peru: Machu Picchu extensions. We are Galapagos cruise and Ecuador travel experts and our staff can help you customize the perfect Galapagos Cruise or Ecuador Tour Package.

Notes on Itinerary: Use the itinerary as a guide only. Itinerary may be altered due to weather, wildlife, National Park regulation, or at the captains discretion. The ability to be flexible makes this type of Galapagos cruising unique.

Single Travelers: The Corals offer single occupancy at a 50% supplement (80% during holidays). There is no share program aboard the Coral I or Coral II. For solo travelers wishing to share we suggest the Galapagos Legend.

Triple Occupancy: There are no triple cabins for three adults aboard the Coral I or Coral II. For travelers seeking triple cabins we suggest the Galapagos Legend.

Family Travelers: Children under 12 years old at the time of sailing receive 25% off when sharing the cabin with 2 adults. Some Junior cabins and Moon cabins are interconnected and are great for accommodating families and small groups. Minimum child age is 7 years old. Galapagos Family Cruises are available, call for details.

Included aboard Coral I and Coral II: Cruises include double accommodation in cabins with air conditioning, private facilities, all meals, welcome and farewell cocktail, water, 24 hour coffee station, two daily visits to Galapagos Islands with naturalist guide, snorkeling opportunities, activities on board, briefings, lectures, airport and port assistance, transfers to port and dinghy ride to ship.

Not Included aboard Coral I and Coral II: International airfare; Airfare from mainland Ecuador; Galapagos National Park Entrance Fee (US $100 per adult, $50 for children under 12 years old. This can be paid directly by passengers [cash only] or it is included in our INCLUSIVE PACKAGE TOURS), Galapagos National Institute Migration Control Card (US $10 per person; departure tax ($40.80), Gratuities for guides, crew, drivers or local staff; alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages; other personal expenses; medical services or insurance of any kind.

Wet suit rental available for US $25 per person per each 3-4 night cruise; Internet available $15 per hour or fraction.

Arrival and Departure: Most flights to the Galapagos will depart Quito or Guayaquil between 7:00am-9:00am on day 1 and return between 2:00pm-5:00pm on the final day. We highly recommend travelers arrive Ecuador 2 days prior to their Galapagos Cruise.

Payment and Cancellation Policy: A cruise deposit of $700 per person is required at the time of booking. For land packages a deposit of $300 per person is required at the time of booking. Final payment is due 90 days prior to departure. A special cancellation policy applies to Galapagos Coral I and Coral II cruises, which is stricter than the AdventureSmith Explorations policy. When a trip cancellation is received inside of 70 days from departure, all trip costs are 100% non-refundable. Please see AdventureSmith Explorations Terms and Conditions.

Travel Insurance: We highly recommend our travelers protect their investment with Travel Insurance. Please note that you must purchase your Travel Insurance policy within 14 days of booking your trip for it to cover pre-existing medical conditions.


Accommodations Aboard: The Coral I and Coral II are deluxe mega yachts that accommodate 36 & 20 guests respectively. Other than a slight difference in size, these sister yachts are almost identical. Both vessels offer comfortable, well-appointed cabins and many on-board amenities. The crew is comprised of the captain, multilingual naturalist guides, barman/waiter, cook, engineer and deckhands. All meals are prepared and served by the crew on board. Alcoholic beverages are available for purchase on board. Yacht descriptions, deck plans Coral I or Coral II

Qualifications: This trip will be enjoyed by anyone who is in good health and leads an active life. Daily excursions from the boat to the islands will be made in pangas (dinghies). Trip members will hike from the landing point to specific areas for wildlife observation. Hiking time for most landings will be a couple of hours round trip with lots of time to stop to study, photograph and enjoy the flora and fauna. Some landings are dry but many are "wet", requiring cautious footing on slippery rocks. The boat staff will be on hand to assist. There are numerous opportunities to swim and snorkel.

Snorkeling: The underwater experience is an integral part of any Galapagos cruise. We encourage all travelers to try snorkeling. Snorkeling gear (mask, snorkel, fins, floating vest and net bag) are available to rent for the duration of the cruise. Shortie wet suits are also available for rent and are recommended from June to December.

General Information: This trip is subject to AdventureSmith Explorations Terms and Conditions. Please read this information carefully and call us if you have any questions. A packing list, extensive pre-departure and travel insurance information is sent upon confirmation. We strongly recommend the purchase of Trip Insurance through AdventureSmith Explorations.

We look forward to having you join us for the trip of a lifetime! Call today.

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