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See Blue-footed Boobies on your trip to the Galapagos

Galapagos Eastern Islands

Example 8 Day Cruise aboard Corals
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Enjoy this 8-day cruise through the eastern islands of the Galapagos, covering some of the most beautiful islands including Santa Cruz, North Seymour, Santa Fe, San Cristobal, Española and Floreana. Swarming with wildlife, volcanic wonders, and breathtaking landscapes, the islands of the Galapagos are an ideal place to spend a vacation! Have the chance to immerse yourself in the abundance of unique wildlife including frigatebirds, iguanas, and enjoy some friendly interaction with the island's playful sea lions.
Walking on a beach excursion in the GalapagosGalapagos Green Sea Turtle off the shores of Santa Fe IslandApproaching kicker rockOverlook at Pitt PointSee Blue-footed Boobies on your trip to the Galapagos
Highlights
  • Visit a sea lion colony and observe herons in Mosquera Islet
  • Walk through an endemic cactus forest and search for land iguanas
  • Swim and snorkel at Devil's Crown, home to sea lions and turtles
  • Hike across Española, the oldest and most isolated island in the Archipelago
Places Visited
Activity Level: Variable
Activity options vary depending on destination and operator. Activity level is determined by the range and intensity of activities you choose to participate in. Discuss with your Trip Planner which options are best for you.
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Full Itinerary

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Day 1: Baltra | Embark | North Seymour

Departure from Quito or Guayaquil to Baltra Island (2 ½-hour flight). Arriving in the Galapagos, passengers are picked up at the airport by natural guides and taken to a ten-minute bus drive to the pier to board the M/Y Coral I or M/Y Coral II.

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. You likely see courting blue-footed boobies displaying their unique feet while ëdancingí to a prospective mate. Sea lions, swallow-tailed gulls, crashing surf and distant views of the Daphne Islands top off a great visit.
Difficulty level: intermediate 
Type of terrain: rocky ground 
Activities: 2-hour walk / 30-minute snorkeling

Day 2: Charles Darwin Research Station | Mosquera Islet

Once home to the famous Lonesome George, the last tortoise of the Pinta race, the breeding and relocation center is named in honor of his long-time guardian. The center 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 Darwinís finches such as the woodpecker, cactus and vegetarian finches.
Difficulty level: intermediate
Type of terrain: flat
Duration: 1 ½-hour visit

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. Snorkeling or diving here one can often see sharks, rays, and barracudas.
Difficulty level: easy
Type of terrain: sandy
Duration: 1 ½-hour walk & snorkeling

Day 3: South Plaza | Santa Fe

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, 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, once again encounter land iguanas, some of which have hybridized with their resident marine cousins.
Difficulty level: intermediate
Type of terrain: rocky
Duration: 2-hour walk

After a fabulous snorkel in the turquoise waters of the protected bay, you may enjoy time with sea lions, turtles, reef sharks and spotted eagle rays. Landing onto a sandy beach you are immediately distracted by the abundant sea lions there with you. Begin a walk past a forest of island-endemic giant Opuntia cacti. Here, 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.
Difficulty level: intermediate
Type of terrain: rocky
Duration: 1 ½-hour walk / 1-hour deep-water snorkeling

Day 4: Lobos Island | Interpretation Center & Frigatebird Hill, San Cristobal

Dry Landing: Isla Lobos is approximately 20 minutes by boat from Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. Once on the island, the trail is about 850 meters and there is a rocky trail and a nice & easy sand trail too. There is a small population of blue-footed boobies and great frigatebirds nests at this site. You can also find a colony of sea lions. During the boat ride, you can see brown pelicans and several species of shorebirds.
Difficulty level: moderate 
Type of Terrain: rocky terrain - sandy 
Activities: 1 ½-hour walk

The interpretation center is full of interesting information and offers the perfect overview to the formation of the Galapagos, its significance in the world, threats, and conservation efforts. Followed by a hike to Frigatebird Hill (Cerro Tijeretas) have a great look at both species of frigatebird, with the bonus of a beautiful view of the bay below.
Difficulty level: easy /intermediate
Type of terrain: flat/stairs
Duration: 1-hour visit / 1-hour walk

Frigatebird Hill Involves a high-intensity walk amidst a beautiful landscape and a magnificent view at the foot of frigate birds nesting colony.
Difficulty level: difficult
Type of Terrain: Rocky
Duration: 1-hour visit

Day 5: Kicker Rock | Cerro Brujo | Punta Pitt & Islet

Kicker Rock Circumnavigation (San Cristobal Island) 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 to a sleeping lion.
Activity: Circumnavigation

From the pangas, as you head to shore, you are first humbled by the immensity of the stunning cliffs of ëSorcererís Hillí. Enjoy simply sharing the beach with sea lions, snorkeling from shore or take a walk to a hidden lagoon where you might spot black-necked stilts, ruddy turnstones, whimbrels and white-cheeked pintails.
Difficulty level: easy
Type of terrain: sandy
Duration: 1-hour walk / 1-hour snorkeling

Sea lions greets you as you land on the beach and prepare for the climb to a high point on the steep eroded tuff cone. This is the only place in the islands where you enjoy the chance to see all three of the booby species in the same place. The red-foots are perched on the Cordia lutea and small trees, the Nazcaís on the ground near the cliff edge while the blue-foots are a little further inland. Frigatebirds are all around and the views are breathtaking.
Difficulty level: difficult
Type of terrain: rocky
Duration: 2½-hour walk/ 40-minutes snorkeling or kayaking

Day 6: Suarez Point | Gardner Bay, Española

One of the highlight visits of the trip. Punta Suarez seems to have everything - a naturalist paradise. A slew of marine iguanas and sea lions greet you at the landing site from where the walk continues with close encounters of boobies, endemic lizards, gulls, and even a dramatic blow hole. The oldest extant island in the archipelago it is the only opportunity to commune with the endemic waved albatross during their breeding season between April and December. With luck, you can watch their complex courtship display.
Difficulty level: difficult 
Type of terrain: rocky ground
Activities: 2 ½-hours walk

One of the most stunning beaches in all of the Galapagos. The long, white, sandy beach, lapped by turquoise waters is home to a colony of Galapagos sea lions, indifferent to the humans that walk amongst them. The Hood mockingbirds, endemic to this particular island, are eager to inspect the visitors and satisfy their innate curiosity. Darwinís finches may also join the throng including the reclusive warbler finch. Snorkel from the beach, in the shallows of the bay
Difficulty level: easy 
Type of terrain: sandy 
Activities: 1-hour walk / 1-hour snorkeling

Day 7: Cormorant Point Or Champion Islet | Post Office, Floreana

Wet landing, on an olivine green, sanded beach. You hike from the black mangrove beds to a brackish lagoon, which usually holds one of the largest flamingo populations in the Galapagos. This island features some endemic plants such as Scalesia villosa, white and black mangrove, and holy stick. The trail continues to a beautiful white sandy beach, one of the most important nesting sites of Green Pacific Sea Turtles. It is important to avoid walking in the water due to the Sting Rays that may be hiding in the sand, which can be dangerous if accidentally stepped on. From the beach, one can spot sea turtles, blue-footed boobies plunging into the water, and small reef sharks floating along the shoreline in the search for food. 

This coral-sand beach marks the end of the trail, and you head back to the olivine beach you landed on, to swim or snorkel amongst sea turtles, reef fish, sea lions and, on a good day, white-tipped reef sharks. A small colony of penguins resides on Floreana and can sometimes be observed as well.
Difficulty level: easy
Type of terrain: sandy & flat
Activities: 1-hour walk / 1-hour snorkeling

Wet landing. Located on the north side of Floreana, the bay was named because in 1793 Captain James Colnett installed a wooden barrel which served as an informal post office for sailors passing through, who would take letters with them back to their destinations. Today, visitors continue the tradition by placing unstamped postcards inside the barrel, hoping that some other traveler, going to the letter destination, take it back for free. The chances are that the letter posted can take a long time to arrive at its destination. However, there have been cases where it has arrived before the sender. 

You may also encounter Darwin’s finches, Yellow Warblers and Lava Lizards. Great snorkeling opportunities with Green Pacific Sea Turtles. As well, the island is best known for its endemic vegetation: Scalesia villosa, Lecocarpus Pinnatifidus, and the Galapagos Milkwort. Snorkelers can practice on the main beach among playful sea lions.
Difficulty level: easy
Type of terrain: sandy 
Activities: 30-minute walk / 1-hour snorkeling

Day 8: Highlands Tortoise Reserve | Disembark | Baltra

  • 1 Breakfast
Dry landing. In the mountains of the Galapagos is possible to admire different kinds of birds, such as tree and ground finches, vermillion flycatchers, paint-billed crakes, yellow warblers, and cattle egrets (usually standing on the tortoises’ shells). The journey to the reserve offers great opportunities to see the contrasts that the island offers in reference to the variety of ecosystems. The road goes from the coast through the agricultural zone and straight up to the dense humid forests. Often, Galapagos Giant Tortoises are also seen on the way, wandering through pastures in the paddocks. This spot is a birdwatchers’ haven since almost every land bird present on the island lives or migrates here.
Difficulty level: easy 
Type of terrain: flat & muddy (depending on the season) 
Activities: 45-minute drive / 1 ½-hour walk

After the visit, passengers are transferred to the airport for their return flight to Guayaquil or Quito.

Ship/Hotel

Corals

Corals during the sunset
Corals Jacuzzi
Sun Terrace  Moon deck  Coral II

Dates & Prices

My Preferred Start Date

Per person starting at
$3,997 2-3 travelers
Standard Cabin
Two on Coral I and one on Coral II. Portholes, located on the Sea Deck. Average area of 75 sq ft. *Room design may vary depending on which yacht you will sail. Please contact your trip planner for actual cabin availability.
Standard Plus Cabin
Eight on Coral I and four on Coral II. Portholes, located on the Sea Deck. Average size 128 sq ft. *Room design may vary depending on which yacht you will sail. Please contact your trip planner for actual cabin availability.
Coral I Junior CabinCoral II Junior CabinCoral I Junior CabinCoral II Junior Cabin
Junior Cabin
Eight on Coral I and seven on Coral II. Picture windows, located on Earth & Sky Decks. Average size 129 sq ft. *Room design may vary depending on which yacht you will sail. Please contact your trip planner for actual cabin availability.

Child Discount

Children under 12 years old receive a 50% discount (25% for holiday season) when sharing a cabin with two full-fare paying guests. Child discounts are conditional and may not apply on certain departures. Please contact us for more information.

Children under 12 may receive discounts on Galapagos flight fares and entrance fees. Contact us for details.
Included
  • 7 Breakfasts, 7 Lunches, 7 Dinners
  • 7 Nights Accommodations
  • Accommodations as listed
  • Ground transportation as listed
  • Activities as listed
  • Meals as listed
  • Access to a 24-7 Emergency line while traveling
  • Gear Rental: Snorkeling Gear
  • Bilingual Naturalist Guide 
  • Adventure Life Pre-departure Services and In-Country Assistance (Quito Representative)
  • Transfers and Baggage Handling in the Galapagos
  • Shore Excursions, Swimming, Snorkeling and Glass Bottom Boat
Excluded
  • Gratuities
  • Travel Insurance
  • Personal Expenses
  • Flight costs (please request a quote)
  • Additional excursions during free time
  • Fuel and transportation surcharges (when applicable)
  • Galapagos Park Entrance Fee: $200 per adult, $100 per child under 12. Payable upon arrival to the Galapagos, only in cash dollars. Subject to increase by Galapagos Park Service.
  • Internal Flights: Mainland Ecuador - Galapagos - Mainland Ecuador: $475-675
  • Wetsuits are not included but are available to rent on board - $25 for 4-day and 5-day tours, $50 for 8-day, 11-day, and 12 day tours, and $75 for 15-day tours. 
  • Kayak available for $45/use

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This was our first trip to South America and we were a little nervous. But Adventure Life made things so easy! All our questions were answered before we left, and our guide, Vidal, was amazing! He gave us enough space to explore without rushing us along. He also knew where the best picture taking opportunities were, which was great.
Lindsay Gompf

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