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south america: galapagos

Corals - Western Galapagos Islands 5 day/4 night

The 5-day Corals Western Galapagos Cruise focuses on Isabela Island, the largest in the Galapagos, with stops at Fernandina, Santiago and Santa Cruz Islands. The western exposure means opportunities for penguin and whale watching. Fernandina is the youngest volcanic island and may be the only island in the world completely free of introduced species. Visit the largest marine iguanas in the Islands, sea lion colonies, tidal pools, hike to Darwin Lake and snorkel with sea turtles and Galapagos penguins.

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

Central Galapagos Islands 4 days/3 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 - WED - Baltra to Ballena Bay & Eden Islet

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. Spend the afternoon on a cove of green sand at the base of Dragon Hill on the west coast of Santa Cruz Island. The beach contains a large amount of olivine crystals of volcanic origin, formed when the magma was still underground. There is an opportunity to see marine iguanas and sea birds, followed by snorkeling.

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

Day 2 - THU - Espinosa Point & Tagus Cove

Visit Espinosa Point on Fernandina Island, where you can see the island of Isabela across the Bolivar Channel, an area that boasts some of the highest diversity of endemic sea fauna in the Galapagos. The largest, most primitive-looking race of marine iguanas are found mingling with sea lions and Sally lightfoot crabs. This spot also provides a wonderful opportunity to encounter flightless cormorants at their nesting sites, Galapagos penguins and the “King” of predators on the Islands, the Galapagos hawk. “Pa-hoe-hoe” and “AA” lava formations cover the majority of the terrain. Vegetation is thus scarce inland, but Brachycereus cacti and extensive mangrove beds line the shores.

In the afternoon, make a dry landing at Isabela, the Galapagos' largest island, to learn about the eruption of the five volcanoes that form it. The trail here leads to Darwin’s salt-water crater lake and excellent views of lava fields and volcanic formations. Return by the same path for a dinghy ride along a shoreline full of marine wildlife, such as blue-footed booby, brown noddy, terns, flightless cormorant and depending on the season, a large number of Galapagos penguins, which are only 35 cm. tall - the only penguin species in the world to extend its range into the northern hemisphere along the equator. They are monogamous and lay their eggs in small cracks of lava, on the lower parts of the island near the shoreline not reached by the ocean waves. The population of penguins on the islands is about 2,000 individuals, most of which live on this western portion of Isabela; others are scattered farther south on the island. Take the opportunity to snorkel in deep water. Graffiti believed to have been left by 19th-century pirates is a curious reminder of an intriguing past.

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

Day 3 - FRI - Elizabeth Bay & Urbina Bay

Begin today with an Elizabeth Bay dinghy ride along the coast surrounded by mangrove forest. Spot flightless cormorants, Galapagos penguins and a nesting area for sea turtles. In the afternoon, make a wet landing on a volcanic “black” beach. Depending on the season, find giant tortoises, land iguanas and the unusual flightless cormorant. After a short walk inland, snorkeling time is allotted, giving you yet another chance to swim with sea turtles, sea lions and countless tropical fish. Urbina Bay features a wide variety of plant life that changes depending on the season. Observe the beautiful colors of plants that attract different insects, birds and reptiles. Explore the uplifted coral reef that resulted from 1954 volcanic activity, with a spectacular view of Alcedo Volcano.

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

Day 4 - SAT - Buccaneer Cove, Espumilla Beach & Sullivan Bay

This visitor site on Santiago Island is surrounded by mangrove forest, which makes for a pleasant walk, taking you to a magnificent viewpoint of the entire bay. See Darwin finches, mockingbirds and white-checked pintail. There’s also a lagoon where flamingoes can occasionally be seen. Buccaneer Cove was a safe haven for pirates, sailors and whalers during the 18th and 19th century. It is very scenic with steep cliffs made of tuff formations and the dark reddish-purple sand beach. Santiago's Sullivan Bay is of important geologic interest, featuring extensive lava flows believed to have been formed during the last quarter of the 19th century. Opportunities for walking, snorkeling, swimming and deep-water snorkeling are available on this day.

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

Day 5 - SUN - El Chato to Baltra

Make a dry landing on Santa Cruz Island. Reach the Santa Cruz Highlands and visit a private farm, Primicias (El Chato), where giant tortoises are found in their natural habitat. The road to the reserve is one of the best places to observe land birds. Tree and ground finches, vermillion flycatchers and cattle egrets inhabit the area. Say farewell to your fellow travelers and 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 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 1 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 Western 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: The 5-day Corals Western 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