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south america: galapagos

Legend - North-Central Galapagos Islands 4 day/3 night

The Legend North-Central Galapagos Cruise focuses on Santa Cruz and Santiago Islands and several small islands surrounding them. Visit a tortoise reserve on Santa Cruz Island, the stunning moonscape of Bartolome Island, flamingo lagoons, and the sea turtle haven of Bachas Beach. Distances are short between these islands making this cruise appealing to travelers concerned about seasickness.

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

Central-East Galapagos Islands 4 Days/3 nights

Western Galapagos Islands 5 Days/4 nights

South-East Galapagos Islands 5 Days/4 nights

Legend Main Page

Day 1 - MON - Baltra Airport to Santa Cruz Highlands

Arrive to Baltra Island, where you'll be transfered by a short 10-minute bus ride to Puerto Ayora to board the M/V Legend. Receive a warm welcome and introductory briefing from the crew and enjoy a delicious lunch. After a dry landing and 45-minute bus ride to the Santa Cruz Highlands, you'll spend the afternoon among famous giant tortoises in their natural habitat at a reserve. These enormous and slow-moving reptiles are responsible for the island’s name and therefore approaching them in their humid and forested abode is always an inspiring adventure. They can weigh between 250 and 300 kg and can live up to 150 to 200 years. Here, also walk inside surprising lava tubes and visit Pit Craters created from the collapse of surface materials into chamber fissures underground. It’s a great place to spot Vermilion flycatcher while walking in endemic Scalesia forest.

Accommodations: Legend
Included Meals: lunch and dinner

Day 2 - TUE - Egas Port & Bartolome

Most of the landscape at Santiago Island's Egas Port is comprised of layers of rocks and lava flows. Make a wet landing on a black-sand beach, visited by Darwin in 1835. The unique, truly striking layered terrain of Santiago’s shores is home to a variety of resident and migrant birds, including the bizarre yellow-crowned night heron and astounding array of marine wildlife including lobster, starfish and marine iguanas grazing on algae beds alongside Sally lightfoot crabs. Colonies of endemic fur seals swimming in cool water pools formed by volcanic rocks are also a highlight, and you'll have an opportunity to snorkel.

After lunch, visit Bartolome, a fascinating moonscape formed by different volcanic parasitic cones. Due to its geographical location, the lack of vegetation is immediately noticeable - keep an eye out for pioneer plants (the first to establish roots on new ground) like the endemic Tiquilia nesiotica, Chamaesyce (known as sand mat or spurge in English), lava cactus and Scalesia bushes. Hike to the island's summit for impressive views, including that of famed Pinnacle Rock, and encounted marine iguanas, lava lizards and blue-footed boobies. Beach time is a great opportunity to snorkel and see (perhaps swim with) Galapagos penguins, sea turtles and white-tipped reef sharks among a great variety of colorful fish. For many visitors, this may turn out to be the best of snorkeling experiences; the water here is generally clear, without too much surf and full of marine life.

Accommodations: Legend
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 3 - WED - Dragon Hill & North Seymour

Make a dry landing on Santa Cruz. Walk by a brackish lagoon where feeding flamingoes can be occasionally found. The trail leads across typical dry-zone vegetation up to Dragon Hill, an important nesting ground for endemic land iguanas, offering lovely views of the anchorage and neighboring islands. The forest is home to mockingbirds, Darwin’s finches, yellow warblers and Galapagos doves. In the afternoon, land on popular North Seymour. An approximately two-hour walk brings you through large nesting colonies of blue-footed boobies, magnificent and great frigatebirds, and swallow-tailed gulls for an in-depth encounter with sea bird breeding cycles and as well as sea lions. You will also encounter sea lions, land iguanas, and on a lucky day, you might even come across a Galapagos snake. There is another opportunity for a short snorkeling outing on this day.

Accommodations: Legend
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 4 - THR - Bachas Beach to Baltra

After a wet landing on the north side of Santa Cruz, head behind the beach to spot 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. Bachas 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. After spending the morning at the beach, 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 Legend offers limited single occupancy cabins at a 50% supplement (75% during 2013 holidays/high season). 50% discount for the third guest sharing the cabin with 2 full-fare paying guests, Junior and higher cabin categories only. One child sharing double with 1 full-fare paying guest receives a 25% discount. Double shared accommodation may be available in Standard Plus cabins.

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 hours, over sometimes rocky or muddy terrain (depeding on season). Snorkeling is available most days. 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 4-day Galapagos Legend North-Central Islands itinerary 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.

For additional information and reservations, please contact us:

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