This 4 day cruise will immerse you in the beautiful scenery and immense wildlife of the Galapagos. On board your coral yacht you will find the perfect blend of classical beauty and exquisite style. Find yourself in the Amazing wildlife offerings of the Islands, including seals, tortoise, marine iguanas and many other endemic species. Prepare to lose yourself in the crown jewel of the natural world.
Optional Activities :
Trip Code: ECTSC4C
Location: Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
Ship: Coral I & II
Take a flight from Quito or Guayaquil to Baltra. The flight from Quito to the Galapagos is approximately 2 ½ hours and from Guayaquil approximately 1 ½ hours. Arriving in the Galapagos, passengers are met at the airport by our naturalist guides and driven ten minutes by bus to the pier to board the M/Y Coral I or M/Y Coral II.
In the afternoon you will arrive at Charles Darwin Research Station. Once home to the famous Lonesome George, the last tortoise of the Pinta race, the breeding and relocation centre is named in honour of his long-time guardian. The centre is set in the Galapagos National Park Service where various interpretative buildings are available to visit. The grounds, with large stands of native vegetation, are one of the better places to spot some of the seldom seen Darwin’s finches such as the woodpecker, cactus and vegetarian finches.
In the morning you will arrive at Mosquera Islet. This tiny, low lying islet, covered in coral sand, is set between North and South Seymour Islands. It is home to a group of sea lions that come to laze on the soft white sand. It is a good spot to observe shorebirds as well as herons, lava gulls, and boobies. Snorkelling or diving here one can often see sharks, rays, and barracudas.
In the afternoon you will head for North Seymour Island. This flat, uplifted, island is an important spot to see both magnificent and great frigatebird males courting the females by clicking, bill-clapping, shuddering and flapping their wings, all while showing off their grossly inflated, bright red, gular pouch. We will also likely see courting blue-footed boobies displaying their unique feet while ‘dancing’ to a prospective mate. Sea lions, swallow-tailed gulls, crashing surf and distant views of the Daphne Islands top off a great visit.
in the morning you will arrive at Santa Fe island. After a fabulous snorkel in the turquoise waters of the protected bay, we may have enjoyed time with sea lions, turtles, reef sharks and spotted eagle rays. Landing onto a sandy beach we are immediately distracted by the abundant sea lions there with us. We begin a walk past a forest of island-endemic giant Opuntia cacti. Here we search for another island-endemic the Santa Fe land iguana, paler than its cousins on other islands. Galapagos hawks and even endemic rice rats are also things to look out for.
In the afternoon you will head for South Plaza Islet. Sea lions, swallow-tailed gulls, and land iguanas are all present at the landing site. The small island is covered with a carpet of a red succulent studded with Opuntia cacti. At the cliff edge, we spend time watching birds fly past at eye level in the updraught. These include frigatebirds, flocks of Galapagos shearwaters and of particular note, flights of displaying red-billed tropicbirds. Back at sea level, we once again encounter land iguanas, some of which have hybridized with their resident marine cousins.
In the morning you will arrive at Kicker Rock. In the sea northeast of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno is this ancient and eroded volcanic tuff lava named Leon Dormido or Kicker Rock it is formed by two rocks approximately 148 m, named for its resemblance of a sleeping lion. It serves as home to many of the typical Galapagos sea animals, such as birds, sea lions, blue and Nazca boobies and frigate. With rare sightings of swallow turtle gulls, tropic birds, and pelicans.
In the afternoon you will arrive at Cerro Colorado Tortoise Reserve. In the moist highlands of San Cristobal, we will visit the giant tortoise breeding center “La Galapaguera” to witness the most iconic creature of the archipelago in its various life stages. The tortoises wander in a semi-natural habitat which lends itself to good photographic opportunities. The aim of the reserve is to help restore populations of the threatened San Cristobal tortoise back into the wild. In town, there are shops to purchase local handicrafts and souvenirs.
After your visit, you will go to San Cristobal Airport for a return flight to Guayaquil or Quito.
Galapagos 4 Day Cruise C | Coral I & II from USD 1,787 | ||
Selected Sundays |
Shipboard accommodation
All meals whilst on board including snacks
All shore excursions
Guiding and lectures by Galapagos Naturalist Guide
English-speaking Expedition team
Fuel surcharge
Welcome and farewell cocktails
Exclusions
Return airfares from mainland Ecuador
Galapagos National Park Entrance Fee (US$100 per person subject to change)
Galapagos Transit Control Card (US$20 per person subject to change)
Visa Fees (if applicable)
Travel insurance
Gratuities for the crew
Optional activities whilst on board
Available upon request
Contact us for more details
Season and Availability
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Chimu Adventures undertakes a number of sustainability measures within its operations including:
1) Only using local guides and office staff to both maximise local employment opportunities and minimise carbon footprints. Local guides also ensure you benefit from the intimate knowledge, passion and culture of the country you’re visiting.
2) Where possible, using locally owned and operated boutique hotels to maximise the return to the local community.
3) Chimu’s “Pass it on” programme has provided funding to hundreds of local community projects in Latin America. Our aim is to empower local communities, helping them to develop their own infrastructure for the future. Since 2006, we have been working with Kiva (a well-known Non-Governmental Organisation), providing hundreds of loans to local businesses all over South America.
4) In our pre tour information we provide a range of tips and advice on how to minimise your impact on both local environments and communities.
5) Chimu Adventures’ offices also take a number of sustainability measures including carbon offsets for company vehicles and most staff travel. Chimu Adventure’s internal processes are also structures to create a paperless office and to reduce waste. There are also internal programmes to help staff minimise their carbon footprint such as our staff bike purchase assistance plan which encourages office staff to commute to work via bicycle. Currently almost half of our office based staff commute to work via bicycle.