General Description:
Built in 1991, elegantly furnished, and sleek on the water, the Estrella del Mar is one in a series of ships that cruises the Galapagos with style. She and her sisters, the Dorado and the Cruz del Sur have air-conditioned cabins with upper and lower berths and hot shower. Her spacious interiors, from the comfortable lounge to the dining room are designed to please. Her ample sun decks provide wonderful open and shaded space to take in the Galapagos breeze and equatorial sun.
| Motor Yacht Estrella del Mar - Specifications |
| Type |
Motor
Yacht |
| Length |
66
feet |
| Beam |
20
feet |
| Speed |
9 knots |
| Accommodations |
16
passengers in 8 double cabins with private baths |
| Crew |
7
+ Naturalist guide |
Intinerary:
| Itinerary: Estrella Del Mar Tour 8 days - 7 nights |
|
| MONDAY: |
Cristóbal (airport) – Sea Lion Island |
| TUESDAY: |
Española: Point Suarez – Gardner bay |
| WEDNESDAY: |
Floreana: Post office bay – point cormorant |
| THURDAYS: |
Isabela: Villamil port |
| FRIDAY: |
Puerto Ayora: Charles Darwin Station - Highlands |
| SATURDAY: |
North Seymour – Bartolomé |
| SUNDAY: |
Plazas – Santa Fe |
| MONDAY: |
San Cristóbal: Interpretation Center – Airport |
Itinerary Estrella del Mar Tour 8 Days - 7 Nights:
Monday: flight San Christobal – La Galapaguera – Isla Lobos
Flight to the Island San Christobal where you will begin your cruise after a short ride to the harbor. At first you will visit “La Galapaguera” where turtles in their natural habitat can be observed. Afterwards you visit the island Lobos, which is situated close to San Christobal. There you will encounter several sea lions and blue footed boobies.
Tuesday: Española Island—Punta Suarez—Gardner Bay
One of the oldest of the islands, Española is small and flat with no visible volcanic crater or vent. Punta Suarez is one of the most outstanding wildlife areas of the archipelago, with a long list of species found along its cliffs and sand or pebble beaches. In addition to five species of nesting seabirds there are the curious and bold Española Island mockingbirds, Galapagos doves and Galapagos hawks. Several types of reptiles, including the brilliantly colored marine iguana and the oversized lava lizard, are unique to this island. When heavy swells are running, Punta Suarez is also the site of a spectacular blowhole, with thundering spray shooting 30 yards into the air.
Gardner Bay is on the eastern shore and has a magnificent beach. This beach is frequented by a transient colony of sea lions, and is a major nesting site for marine turtles. Around the small islets nearby, snorkelers will find lots of fish and sometimes turtles and sharks. On a trail leading to the western tip of the island you'll pass the only nesting sites in the Galapagos of the waved albatross, huge birds with a 6-foot wingspan. These huge birds nest here from April to December and represent the majority of the world’s population of this species.
Wednesday: Floreana - Pto. Cormorant / Devil's crown / Post Office Bay
Floreana Island is perceived as one of the most exotic Islands of the archipelago.
At Punta Cormorant you land on a green olivine sand beach. Following a 100 m long path you will soon reach a lagoon with flamingoes, white-checked pintail ducks and other shorebirds. The trail goes on to a white beach made of grinned coral, so it looks like flour. This is the green sea turtle’s nesting place. North of Punta Cormorant and eroded volcano, Devil’s Crown, is a snorkel’s delight. To the west, Post Office Bay keeps the legendary post barrel that whalers used to send their mail.
Thursday: Isabela – Puerto Villamil
You will continue your cruise to the east and son reach the island Isabela which is the biggest of the Galapagos Archipelago. South-east on the island the village Puerto Villamil is situated. Here we discover the wonderful lagoons close to the village, which boast a huge variety of birds.
Friday: Santa Cruz/Estacion Charles Darwin - Highlands
Santa Cruz is the second largest island in the Galapagos. The small town of Puerto Ayora is the economic centre of the archipelago, with the largest population of the 4 inhabited islands (approx 10.000). Santa Cruz is also the only island where six different zones of vegetation can be seen: Coastal, Arid, Transition, Scalesia, Miconia, and Pampa Zones. The Charles Darwin Research Station and the Galapagos National Park offices are based here.
We will have an opportunity to visit some of the best scientists of their kind. Scientists, park rangers and park managers among others, who make huge efforts to preserve this Unesco World Heritage Site, conduct the conservation of the islands. The station is also a tortoise breeding and rearing centre, where tortoises of different subspecies are prepared for reintroduction to their natural habitats. The most popular inhabitant of this island will probably be Lonesome George. He is the only surviver of the specific turtle species.
The lush greenery of the Santa Cruz highlands is a welcome contrast with the arid scenery of the smaller, lower islands. Points of interest are the famed lava tunnels, a fun and geologically informative visit. The trip to the highlands ends with a visit to the Twin Craters. The vegetation around these is very special and is renown for its about 300 fern species and the many sunflowers. For those who have only booked a five day cruise this will be the end of your trip. We take you to the airport at Baltra from where you will fly back to the mainland.
Saturday: Island Seymour North – Island Bartholome
You will visit the Island Seymour North, which is most of all renown for its frigatebirds and their intensive courting rituals. The island is also inhabited by other frigate birds and blue-footed boobies, as well as endemic black lizards and sea lions inhabit its shores.
Arriving at Bartholome we will ascend a lookout point from where you can admire the spectacular panorama of the Sullivan Bay and the famous needle shaped rock, the so called Pinnacle Rock. The beaches at the foot of the Pinnacle Rock boast some fine snorkeling spots from which you can discover the marvelous underwater world with a good chance to encounter penguins or the softly gliding turtles.
Sunday : Plazas South - Santa Fe
Located on the east of Santa Cruz, the main characteristics on the small island South Plaza are the Opuntia cacti and the carpets of red sesuvium, a succulent plant that turns green in the rainy season. The cactus is the main food of land iguanas, which are usually found resting at the cactu's shade. The island contains one of the largest sea lion colony of Galapagos, swallow-tailed gulls and red-billed tropicbirds nesting, and boobies roosting on the south cliff of the island.
Santa Fe has one of the most beautiful coves of all the visitor sites in the archipelago. A turquoise lagoon with two small white sand beaches are protected by a peninsula where sea lions rest. A trail runs along side the coast and then crosses through an Opuntia Forest. These prickly pear cacti are the largest ones in Galapagos. The Santa Fe species of land iguanas are larger and of a paler yellow than on the other islands. After the hike you can swim or snorkel in the bay in company of sea lions.
Monday: San Christobal/Punta Pitt and Leon Dormido – flight back
After breakfast we pass the shattered rock “Leon Dormido” also known as Kicker Rock, wo serves as nesting place for many sea birds. Experienced captains navigate around this rock easily. Punta Pitt is a cone shaped vulcano. This is the only place to find red footed boobies nesting. Blue footed and masked boobies, fregate birds, swallow-tailed gulls and red-billed tropicbirds can be found here.Transfer to the harbor Baquerizo Moreno to drive to the airport and flight back to Guayaquil or Quito.
Prices per person for 2008:
Price 8 Day Cruises USD 2500.- Per Person
Price 5 Day Cruises USD USD 1680.- Per Person
Price 4 Day Cruises USD USD 1330.- Per Person
Price 8 Day Charter:
USD 4.0120.-
Price includes:
All transfers, 8-day cruise on board of the Estrella del Mar in double accommodation with all facilities, all meals during the cruise, multilingual naturalist guide, snorkelling equipment, purified water free for drink, coffee or tea.
Not included:
Flights mainland to/from Galápagos USD 410.-, Entrance fee to Galápagos National Park USD 100.-, beverages, tips, personal items, travel insurance, International flight airport tax (USD 41.- per person).
 Motor Yacht Estrella del Mar Deck Plan
If you need any additional information please write us:
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South America 
