Palace Tours 12000 Biscayne Blvd. #107 Miami FL 33181 USA 800-724-5120 / 786-408-0610 Call Us 1-800-724-5120 M/V Corals Cruise East Galapagos (Route C) With a destination as exotic and fascinating as the Galapagos Islands, the best tours are the ones that give you choices as to how you can take advantage of all that these islands have to offer. With a cruise aboard M/V Coral I or M/V Coral II, that's exactly what you'll get. You can choose which of these two luxurious yachts you'll take on your trip throughout the Galapagos. You can choose what you'll do when you arrive--snorkeling, kayaking, hiking, or simply relaxing in these serene landscapes surrounded by beautiful views and wildlife. So the choice of how you want to experience the Galapagos Islands on your next vacation is all yours--but, with options like M/V Coral I and M/V Coral II, it's not a hard decision to make. Highlights: Meet giant tortoises, blue-footed boobies, iguanas, and many more exotic creatures! Enjoy the white sands and blue seas of the beaches! Let the impressive views from atop San Cristobal Island take your breath away! Itinerary Day 1 - Sunday: Welcome to the Galapagos Islands! PLEASE NOTE: All itineraries are approximate and subject to change based on availability and conditions at the destination. AM – Baltra Airport Departure from Quito or Guayaquil to Baltra Island (2 ½-hour flight). Arriving in the Galapagos, passengers are picked up at the airport by our 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. PM – Charles Darwin Research Station and Fausto Llerena Breeding Center (Santa Cruz Island) Dry landing. Visit to the Galapagos giant tortoises and land iguanas breeding program, where the famous Lonesome George (last surviving specimen of Pinta Island) lived for decades. The center is managed by the Galapagos National Park´s (GNP) staff with the collaboration of scientists from the Charles Darwin Station (CDS). Here, eggs taken from Pinzon, Santiago and Santa Cruz Islands hatch without the danger of introduced species. After artificial incubation; the “galapaguitos” (newborntortoises) are reared until the age of 5, when they are released in their native habitats, having the enough capabilities to survive alone. Since the 70’s, more than 2,000 specimens have returned to their native islands. In addition, the Darwin Station works in several scientific projects and botanical research, providing environmental education to local communities, schools and tourists. If time helps, it is possible to visit Puerto Ayora town. Difficulty level: easy Type of terrain: flat M/V Corals Cruise East Galapagos (Route C)(© www.palacetours.com) 1/8 Duration: 1½-hour walk Day 2 - Monday: Mosquera Islet - North Seymour Island AM- Mosquera Islet Wet Landing, Mosquera Islet is located between North Seymour and Baltra Island. This flat, sandy island has a large colony of sea lions. It is also an excellent site to observe shorebirds such as herons and lava gulls. There is no trail on the islet, the visitor can enjoy the open area. Most of the islet is covered with sand and barren lava rock. Very little sesuvium portulacastrum plants grow on the sand. Difficulty level: easy Type of terrain: sandy Duration: 1 ½-hour walk & snorkeling PM – North Seymour Island Dry landing. This is perhaps one of the busiest tourist destinations on the archipelago. Off of Baltra Island (where the airport is located) and not far from Santa Cruz, North Seymour is the most accessible for day trips out of Santa Cruz’s main port, Puerto Ayora. An approximately two hour walk amidst 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. Difficulty level: intermediate Type of terrain: rocky ground Duration: 2-hour walk / 30-minute snorkeling Day 3 - Tuesday: Santa Fe Island - South Plaza Islet AM – Santa Fe Island Wet landing. Santa Fe shows white sand beaches surrounded by sea lion colonies; through the island path, an endemic cactus forest is passed, home the Santa Fe land iguanas (the largest in the islands). This island is the habitat for a number of species, including the Galapagos hawk, Galapagos snakes, rice rats (one of the few endemic Galapagos rodents), a variety of finches and one of the four mockingbird species of the archipelago. Difficulty level: intermediate Type of terrain: rocky Duration: 1 ½-hour walk / 1-hour deep-water snorkeling PM – South Plaza Islet Dry landing on the northern part of the Islet. The walk begins with an impressive cactus forest* surrounded b y land and marine iguanas; as we reach its highest point, be on the lookout for tropicbirds, a Nazca and blue-footed boobies, swallow-tailed gulls.?In South Plaza there is a large colony of the smaller sized land iguanas. Approximately, there is a population of 300 individuals. They feed on all kinds of vegetation, but during the dry season survive on the fruits and flowers of Opuntia cacti. Due to their proximity with marine iguanas, this is the only place on Earth where we will find the Galapagos hybrid iguana. Difficulty level: intermediate. M/V Corals Cruise East Galapagos (Route C)(© www.palacetours.com) 2/8 Type of terrain: rocky Duration: 2-hour walk Day 4 - Wednesday: Farewell to the Galapagos! AM – Kicker Rock Circumnavigation & Cerro Colorado Tortoise Reserve (San Cristobal Island) Kicker Rock can be seen directly from the vessel. 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. Difficulty level: easy Type of Terrain: water Duration: 1-hour circumnavigation Cerro Colorado is a dry landing in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. Passengers visit the San Cristobal Giant Tortoise Breeding Center to learn about the National Park’s conservation programs. Enjoy a beautiful landscape on the way to the Reserve. Passengers will also have the opportunity to visit the village’s port, have a drink or shop for arts and crafts and other souvenirs. Difficulty level: intermediate Type of Terrain: sandy Duration: 40-minute bus drive to the Reserve / 1-hour visit San Cristobal Airport After the visit, you will go to San Cristobal Airport for the return flight to Guayaquil or Quito. Destination Information Baltra Island Baltra, also known as South Seymour Island, is one of the smaller Galapagos Islands. It houses one of the two airports serving the region. This island is currently not within the boundaries of Galapagos National Park, yet wildlife reintroduction efforts still take place here. North Seymour Island The 2km trail crosses the inland of the island and explores the rocky coast, passing colonies of blue-footed boobies and magnificent frigatebirds. Daphne Major and Minor can be spotted in the distance and body surfing sea lions play close to the shore. Along the shoreline marine iguanas, white coral and black lava rocks complete the visit to North Seymour. Highlights: Rare Galápagos snakes, nesting frigatebirds, swallowtail gulls and blue-footed boobies, land iguanas Animals: Galápagos snakes, land iguanas, lava gulls, lava lizards, magnificent frigatebirds, marine iguanas, mockingbirds Difficulty: Flat, easy trail Landing: Dry *Note that the listed activities may differ depending of the time of the day of your visit, cruise itinerary and National Park regulations. M/V Corals Cruise East Galapagos (Route C)(© www.palacetours.com) 3/8 San Cristobal This is the first island in the Galapagos Archipelago that Charles Darwin visited during his voyage on the Beagle. This islands hosts frigate birds, sea lions, giant tortoises, blue- and red-footed boobies, tropicbirds, marine iguanas, dolphins, swallow-tailed gulls. Its vegetation includes Calandrinia galapagos, Lecocarpus darwinii, and trees such as Lignum vitae.The largest fresh water lake in the archipelago, Laguna El Junco, is located in the highlands of San Cristóbal. Santa Cruz Island Given the name of the Holy Cross in Spanish, its English name derives from the British vessel HMS Indefatigable. It has an area of 986 square kilometers (381 sq mi) and a maximum altitude of 864 meters (2834 ft). Santa Cruz is the island that hosts the largest human population in the archipelago at the town of Puerto Ayora. The Charles Darwin Research Station and the headquarters of the Galápagos National Park Service are located here. Santa Fe Island Santa Fe is a volcanic uplift and hosts a forest of Opuntia cactus, which are the largest of the archipelago, and palo santo. Weathered cliffs provide a haven for swallow-tailed gulls, red-billed tropic birds, and sehar-waters petrels. The Santa Fe species of land iguanas are often seen, as well as lava lizards. There is a picturesque turquoise lagoon and calm waters where you can snorkel amongst sea lions. Highlights: Land iguanas, Galápagos hawks, playful sea lion pups Animals: Frigate birds, Galápagos hawks, land and marine iguanas, manta rays, sea turtles, sea lions, lava lizards, mockingbirds Difficulty: Steep and uneasy trail; strenuous hike Landing: Wet *Note that the listed activities may differ depending of the time of the day of your visit, cruise itinerary and National Park regulations.