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south america: galapagos

Voyager - Central Galapagos Islands 4 day/5 night

The Voyager Central Galapagos Cruise focuses on the Islands of Santa Cruz and Santiago. Here, you will explore Black Turtle Cove, Puerto Egas, Sullivan Bay and the unique Twin Creators. Distances are short between these islands making this cruise appealing to travelers concerned about seasickness.

The Voyager Central Islands Cruise can be combined with the Northern or Southern Islands to create an 8-day/7-night itinerary, or combine more itineraries to create longer cruises. View the Central Islands Cruise details below or click on the links to view details of other Voyager Galapagos cruises.

Western Galapagos Islands 4 Days/3 nights

Northern Galapagos Islands 5 Days/4 nights

Southern Galapagos Islands 5 Days/4 nights

Voyager Main Page

Day 1 - WED - Baltra to Black Turtle Cove

Upon arrival at Baltra Airport, travelers pass through an airport inspection point to make sure that no foreign plants or animals are introduced to the islands, as well as to pay the park entrance fee of $100 (unless it has been prepaid). A guide will meet you, help you collect your luggage, and escort you on a short bus ride to the canal to take a short ferry ride to Santa Cruz Island and then to our yacht the Galapagos Voyager (locally also known as Gran Poseidon). The crew and captain will welcome us, our cabins will be assigned and lunch will be served.

This afternoon visit Black Turtle Cove located at the northern side of Santa Cruz Island, this is a red mangrove lagoon very calm and quiet which made an ideal place as nursery for many sharks and rays. Its crystal waters permits to observe large groups of white-tip reef, black tipped reef and hammer heads sharks, schools of golden rays and spotted eagle rays. There are no landing sites so the visit is done by dinghy. Sea turtles are frequently seen and sometimes they are seen mating in the mangrove-lined waters. Pelicans and herons are also seen in this area.

Accommodations: Voyager
Included Meals: lunch and dinner

Day 2 - THR - Puerto Egas & Espumilla Beach

Puerto Egas is a black beach located at the west side of Santiago Island. Volcanic tuff deposits have favored the formation of this special black sand beach. This site is called Puerto Egas, because there was an attempt of the company of Hector Egas to start the exploitation of salt. It failed, because the price of salt in the continent was very low and did not justify its exploitation in Galapagos. Thus the project was abandoned. On our hike along the shore observe different species of birds, such as hudsonian whimbrel, Galapagos dove, Galapagos mockingbird, marine iguanas, sea lions and the Galapagos fur sea lion.

Espumilla beach is located at the northern coast of Santiago Island in James Bay. During the last presence of the “El Niño phenomenon,” one of the two lagoons of this site underwent a process of sedimentation, thus causing the disappearance of a representative colony of flamingos. The main attraction is the palo santo forest. The beach is an important site for nesting marine turtles. At the nearby Buccaneers Cove we have a great snorkeling opportunity.

Accommodations: Voyager
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 3 - FRI - Bartolome & Sullivan Bay

Bartolomé Island is situated across Sullivan Bay. It has an altitude of 114 meters, from where we can observe one of the most beautiful sceneries of the Galapagos Islands such as: Volcanic cones, lunar-like craters, lava fields and the famous tuba formed pinnacle eroded by the sea. There is very little vegetation on this island. It has two breathtaking beaches where marine turtles exist. At the base of the Pinnacle rock you can also find a very small colony of Galapagos penguins, and great snorkeling.

Later we head to Sullivan Bay for some volcanic learning. Along with some of the large western volcanoes of Isabela and Fernandina, Santiago is also volcanically active, with many young flows and cones to be seen, particularly along the south, west, and east coasts. These may even be spotted from the summit of Darwin Volcano and from space. A number of historic eruptions have been reported over the last two centuries. Santiago actually consists of two coalesced volcanoes: a typical shield volcano on the northwest end and a low, linear fissure volcano on the southeast end. Walk on the old lava flows and learn more about its volcanic origin. Afternoon sailing back to Puerto Ayora.

Accommodations: Voyager
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 4 - SAT - Twin Craters & Disembark Baltra

Passengers that leave the yacht today will be transferred back to the airport at Baltra, making a short stop in the highlands. The trail to the highlands leaves from Bellavista and passes through the agricultural zone near the National Park boundary, the Miconia Zone, and then leads to the Fern and Sedge zone. With clear weather (unpredictable) this area reveals beautiful scenes of rolling hills and extinct volcanic cones covered with grass and lush greenery all year round. The twin craters will be visited before the continuation to the northern end of Santa Cruz, from where the ferry crossing to Baltra will be made and the last couple of minutes by bus to the airport.

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 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.

Itinerary Notes: Use the itinerary as a guide only. Itineraries 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 small ship cruising unique.

Included: All transfers in Galapagos; matrimonial/twin cabin accommodation with private facilities; all meals; water; coffee and tea; all excursions as mentioned in the itinerary, English-speaking naturalist guide, snorkeling equipment.

Exclusions: Airfare from US to Quito; excess baggage charges; airport departure tax from Quito; National Park entrance fee ($100); transit control card ($10); wet suit rental; soft and alcoholic drinks; tips to local staff; and items of a personal nature such as laundry fees and insurance of any kind.

Room Configurations: The Galapagos Voyager does not have "single" cabins. There are no "share accommodations" or roommate match available. Single travelers will be required to pay a 75% surcharge of net rate.

Families & Children: We offer a 20% discount (on net rate) for children under the age of 12 years at time of travel. Children of all ages are accepted onboard but parents are held fully responsible for any accident or damage caused.

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 30% per person of the total amount is required at the time of booking. Final payment is due 60 days prior to departure. Cancellation policy is as follows:
121+ days prior to departure - $250 fee per person
120 to 61 days prior - 30% penalty fee
60 days or less proir - 100% penalty fee

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: There are numerous opportunities to swim and snorkel. 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) is available free of charge; wet suits available at additional cost. Daily excursions from the boat to the islands will be made in pangas (dinghies). It is compulsory to wear a life vest during all dinghy rides between the ship and shore. 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 roundtrip with lots of time to stop to study, photograph and enjoy the flora and fauna. Given the islands' volcanic origin, and the fact that most walking is done over pristine and irregular volcanic terrain, guests must be in suitable physical condition. Two types of shore landings are planned in the Galapagos Islands. On dry landings guests will step from the dinghy directly onto rocks or a dock. On wet landings, as the dinghy edges onto a sandy beach, guests step into knee deep water and wade ashore.

Qualifications: This trip will be enjoyed by anyone who is in good health and leads an active life.

For additional information and reservations, please contact us:

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