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south america: galapagos

Corals - Central Galapagos Islands 4 days/3 nights

The Corals Central Galapagos Cruise focuses on Santa Cruz and San Cristobal Islands and several small islands surrounding them. Begining in Baltra and ending in San Cristobal, highlights of this small ship cruise are visiting the Charles Darwin Research Station in Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island, viewing a spectacular white-sand beach with marine iguanas, sea lions and blue footed boobies on South Plaza Island, and spotting sea turtle nesting sites on Bachas Beach.

The Corals Central Islands Cruise can be combined with the North-Central 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

South-East Galapagos Islands 4 days/3 nights

North-Central Galapagos Islands 5 days/4 nights

Coral I & Coral II Galapagos Cruise Main Page

Day 1 - SUN - Baltra to Breeding Center & 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. In the afternoon, head to the Santa Cruz Highlands to observe the famous giant tortoises in their natural habitat at the Fausto Llerena Breeding Center, where the famous Lonesome George (the last surviving specimen of his specie) lived for decades. Admire a prickly-pear cactus forest and variety Darwin’s finches and other land birds. Visit the Charles Darwin Research Station, which works to provide environmental education to communities and schools within the islands, and to tourists visiting the Galapagos Islands. You will also have some free time to visit the town and shop for souvenirs.

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. Make a wet landing on a white sand beach surrounded by a sea lion colony; continue walking through an endemic cactus forest searching for the endemic Santa Fe land iguana, the largest in the islands and distinctively paler. This island is home to a number of endemic species including Galapagos hawk, Galapagos snake, rice rats, a variety of finches and one of the four species of Galapagos mockingbirds. Take to the sea for deep-water snorkeling.

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. A walk here begins with an impressive cactus forest surrounded by land and marine iguanas; as you reach its highest point, be on the lookout for tropicbirds and a bachelor sea lion colony. In South Plaza there is a large colony (approx 300) of the smaller sized land iguanas. They feed on all kinds of vegetation, but during the dry season survive on the fruits and flowers of Opuntia cacti. Here you will encounter the one and only Galapagos hybrid iguana.

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

Day 3 - TUE - North Seymour & Bachas Beach

North Seymour is perhaps one of the busiest tourist destinations on the archipelago. Off of Baltra Island (where the airport is located) and not far from Santa Cruz, North Seymour is the most accessible for day trips out of Santa Cruz’s main port, Puerto Ayora. An approximate two-hour walk leads you among large nesting colonies of blue-footed boobies, magnificent and great frigate birds and swallow-tailed gulls for an in-depth encounter with sea bird breeding cycles. You will also encounter sea lions, land iguanas, and on a lucky day, you might even come across a Galapagos snake.

In the afternoon, Bachas Beach, on the north side of Santa Cruz, is the destination. Behind the beach lie two small flamingo ponds with iguanas, coastal birds, Darwin finches, mockingbirds and gulls, as well as interesting native and endemic vegetation, red and black mangroves and salt bushes. This beach is one of the main nesting sites of sea turtles in the Galapagos. A female can lay eggs 3 or 4 times with an average of 70 eggs each, but then spend 3 or 5 years without breeding. At this paradisiacal site also find the remains of barges that sank long ago, once property of the United States Navy when it operated an airbase on Baltra Island during World War II. That is why the beach is called “Bachas” because the word “barges” in English was hard to pronounce for the local people.

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

Day 4 - WED - Interpretation Center & Tijeretas Hill

Land in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, capital of the Galapagos Islands, and visit the Interpretation Center, an excellent place to learn about natural history in the Galapagos. The Museum of Natural History displays information on the volcanic origins of the islands, their remoteness from the continent, ocean currents, climate, the arrival of the different species and their colonization, among other points of interest. The human history is also showcased, chronologically narrating the most significant events related to the discovery and colonization of the islands. An excursion to Tijeretas Hill involves a high-intensity walk through beautiful landscapes ending with a magnificent view nearby a large frigate bird colony. After this morning's activity transfer to the San Cristobal 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 or Guayaquil, all airport/hotel transfers, Galapagos flights, Galapagos National Park entrance fees and taxes, Galapagos migration card and your Galapagos 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. Contact 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.

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

Included: Double accommodation in cabins with air conditioning, private facilities, meals scheduled on board, welcome and farewell cocktails, water, 24-hour tea/coffee station, two daily visits to Galapagos Islands with multilingual (English/Spanish) naturalist guide, snorkeling (gear included) and kayaking opportunities, briefings/lectures and activities on board, baggage handling, transfers and dinghy rides to/from ports, shuttle service in Quito and Guayaquil to/from designated hotels to select Galapagos flights, and airport check-in assistance.

Exclusions: 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. 2013 cruise fuel surcharge is an additional $90 (4-5 Day), $180 (8-12 Day) or $360 (15 Day) per person.

Wet suit rental available for US $25 per person per each 4-5 day cruise, $50 for longer cruises. Kayak rental $30 per person. Internet available at extra cost.

Room Configurations: The Corals offer limited single occupancy cabins at a 50% supplement (75% during 2013 holidays). 50% discount for the third guest sharing the cabin with 2 full-fare paying guests, Junior and higher cabin categories only. Double shared accommodation under request. For entended cruises (10+ nights) aboard the Coral yachts, passengers may be required to change yachts in the middle of the cruise.

Families & Children: Children under 12 years old at the time of sailing receive 25% off when sharing the cabin with an adult, or a 50% discount if sharing a cabin with two full-fare paying guests. Junior and higher cabin categories only. Minimum child age is 7 years old. Kids will enjoy different activities offered on board like stargazing, a special kids menu, a visit to the bridge to meet the Captain, T-shirt dye, Wii, handcrafts and much more. There are special family departure dates when more children will be on board.

Arrival & 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 & Cancellation: 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. A Reservation Form, which includes a release of liability, must be completed and signed by all travelers. The balance of the trip price is due 90 days before the departure date. Guests who must cancel their trip for any reason must do so in writing. Cancellations are subject to the following per-person fees, based on number of days prior to departure:
Up to 121 days - no penalty
120 to 61 days - $300 fee
60 to 0 days - 100% of total trip cost

Terms & Conditions: 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 and extensive pre-departure and travel insurance information is sent upon confirmation.

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. Click the link below for a selection of policies from our partners at Travelex.


Activities: Daily hikes/walks range from 45 minutes to 2.5 hours, over sometimes rocky or muddy terrain (depeding on season). Snorkeling is available most days, and deep-water snorkeling is available on this Central Corals itinerary. The underwater snorkeling 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) is available for the duration of the cruise. Shortie wet suits are also available for rent and are recommended from June to December. Kayaks are available to rent.

Qualifications: This 4-day Central Islands Corals Galapagos Cruise 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.

For additional information and reservations, please contact us:

800-728-2875 | 530-583-1775 | fax 530-583-1711 | travel@AdventureSmithExplorations.com