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Sea Star Journey Yacht 5-Night Itinerary B

These six (6) days of adventure on your Galapagos Islands tour will undoubtedly leave you spellbound. Sailing on board the 16-passenger Sea Star Journey motor yacht, you will land on islands such as Isabela, Fernandina, Santiago, San Cristobal and Santa Cruz for an adventure of a lifetime that you will never forget. Reef sharks, tiny Galapagos penguins, Blue-footed boobies, iguanas and seals are just some of the fascinating wildlife that you will be treated to on this fascinating Galapagos Islands cruise along the “East-to-West Route.”

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“We loved the time at the lodge in Cuyabeno. It was so genuine and natural there and the crew was so knowledgable and helpful. Thank you so much for the recommendation of the real Amazonia-experience.”Elena

Highlights

Galapagos Islands, Isabela, Fernandina, San Cristobal (Lobos Island) & Charles Darwin Research Station.

Itinerary at a Glance

Day 1: Baltra Island: Airport // Santa Cruz Island: Charles Darwin Research Station
Day 2: Isabela Island: Las Tintoreras – Sierra Negra Volcano
Day 3: Isabela Island: Moreno Point – Elizabeth Bay
Day 4: Fernandina Island: Espinoza Point // Isabela Island: Tagus Cove
Day 5: Santiago Island: Espumilla Beach – Buccaneer Cove – Puerto Egas Beach
Day 6: San Cristobal Island: Lobos Island – Airport
Galapagos Map

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 - Thursday
Baltra Island: Airport // Santa Cruz Island: Charles Darwin Research Station

AM: In the morning, you will fly from Quito or Guayaquil (on the Ecuadorian mainland) to Baltra Island, in the heart of the Galapagos archipelago and the main point of entrance to this natural paradise. Upon your arrival at the airport, you will need to pay the national park entry fee, which goes to protecting both the Galapagos National Park and Marine Reserve.  A member of the ship's crew will welcome you and accompany you to your yacht: the Sea Star Journey M/Y.

PM: This morning we will head for one of the most visited spots in the islands. Located on Santa Cruz Island, the Charles Darwin Research Station is primarily an international scientific research station situated on the outskirts of Puerto Ayora. You will be taken to its visitor center to learn about the geology, climate, natural history and the conservation of the Galapagos Islands. However, the highlight of your visit here will undoubtedly be the research facility’s Fausto Llerena Tortoise Breeding Center, which breeds giant tortoises. These enormous and slow-moving reptiles can live up to 150 years and weigh between 250 and 300 kg. Approaching them in their humid and forested spaces is always an inspiring adventure. For decades, the Fausto Center was home to “Lonesome George,” who finally died in 2012 as the last of his particular species. The tortoises you will see here are accustomed to humans, so it’s an excellent spot for visitors to take photographs with them. Remember that looking at the animals is allowed, but touching is not, and it’s absolutely forbidden to jump over the walls or open the pen doors at any time.

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Lunch - Dinner
Day 2 - Friday
Isabela Island: Las Tintoreras – Sierra Negra Volcano

AM: In the morning we will take a short boat trip across the harbor of Isabela Island. After passing sea lions and pelicans that bathe in the sun on the fishing boats there, we will reach the small island of Tintoreras, where we will take an easy walk through the bizarre lava landscape with its huge colonies of marine iguanas. A colony of sea lions is also located here, and it’s common to see Whitetip reef sharks resting in the water near the shore. These sharks are called “tintoreras” in Spanish, giving the island its name.

PM: In the afternoon we will drive to the highlands of Isabela Island and start hiking up to the edge of the Sierra Negra Volcano’s crater. The volcano — reaching a height of around 1,500 meters and having an outer diameter of approximately nine kilometers (over 5 miles) — is the second largest caldera in the world. We will hike along the cone to a resting place in the northeast.  From the Sierra Negra Volcano, you will be able to see "Volcan Chico," another volcano that is about 90 minutes away on foot and known for its moon-like lava landscape.

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Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner
Day 3 - Saturday
Isabela Island: Moreno Point – Elizabeth Bay

AM: In the morning we will explore Moreno Point, a young volcanic landscape with numerous fresh-water pools and lagoons. You will be able to see flamingos, Bahama ducks and other birds here.

PM: This afternoon we will head to the mangrove area of Elizabeth Bay and visit the small islands offshore. You are likely to see dwarf penguins as well as schools of manta rays, turtles and other giants of the ocean – possibly even surfacing whale sharks. The mangrove woods are also home to various species of seabirds and herons.      

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Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner
Day 4 - Sunday
Fernandina Island: Espinoza Point // Isabela Island: Tagus Cove

AM: Fernandina Island is not only the westernmost island but also the youngest and most pristine island in the Galapagos. Huge fields of lava were created here by the La Cumbre Volcano’s 2005 eruption, which was followed on April 11, 2009, when the volcano flared up again, forming a cloud of ash and steam as hot lava flowed down the slopes of the volcano into the ocean. Nonetheless, an abundance of wildlife calls this island home, including the famous Flightless cormorants, penguins, pelicans, marine iguanas and sea lions. You can also find mangroves on Fernandina Island, in addition to a great diversity of wildlife – such as orcas and whale sharks (which can sometimes be seen while snorkeling and when they surface). We will make a dry landing on Espinoza Point, one of Fernandina Island’s visitor points. It is filled with fascinating scenery, such as cactuses growing on the surface of lava. One gets a sense of how life fought to begin when seeing these plants emerging from crevices in this barren landscape. Within this unique scenery, you will encounter numerous animals – the highlights being sea lions, Galapagos penguins, Flightless cormorants (especially in the spring and summer), and one of the largest iguana colonies in the Galapagos Islands.  In fact, on this small strip of land that constitutes Espinoza Point, you can find literally thousands of marine iguanas, which gather in large groups.

PM: After a dry landing, we will visit Isabela Island’s notorious Tagus Cove, which was historically used as an anchoring place for pirates, buccaneers and whalers.  Still exiting here is some graffiti that is believed to have been left by 19th-century pirates …a curious reminder of an intriguing past. Perched on the ledges of the cliffs around this deep blue bay, you can observe a large number of Blue-footed boobies, as well as marine iguanas, brown pelicans, brown noddy terns, swallow-tailed gulls and tiny Galapagos penguins (members of the only penguin species in the world to extend its range into the northern hemisphere along the equator). A steep trail also passes through an area of dry vegetation and volcanic landscapes with scalesia woods and cactuses.  

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Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner
Day 5 - Monday
Santiago Island: Espumilla Beach – Buccaneer Cove – Puerto Egas Beach

AM: Today we will land on the fourth largest island in the Galapagos: Santiago Island, also known as “James Island” or “San Salvador Island.” The old rusted machines and run-down buildings of former salt mine workers are still apparent on the island, though the last attempts to populate Santiago Island were given up on forty years ago.

While on Santiago, we will first visit Santiago Island’s Espumilla Beach, where marine iguanas relax and sea turtles nest. While snorkeling, you might come upon octopuses, morays and many types of tropical fish. There is also a Palo Santo forest close to this beach. From there we will go to Buccaneer Cove, which in the 18th and 19th centuries was a shelter for pirates, whalers, and sailors. The bay is surrounded by high tuff cliffs where many sea-bird nests. In the cliffs, you can try to find two rock formations that look like a monkey and an elephant.

PM: This afternoon we will make a wet landing on Puerto Egas’s beach of black volcanic sand, visited by Darwin in 1835 and still maintaining an abundance of marine iguanas. After a short walk of about 2 km along the coast, we will reach the rugged lava coastline of James Bay. The unique, truly striking layered terrain of Santiago’s shores is home to a variety of resident and migrant birds, including the bizarre Yellow-crowned Night-heron and an astounding array of marine wildlife – including lobsters, starfish and marine iguanas grazing on algae beds alongside Sally Lightfoot Crabs. Colonies of endemic fur seals swimming in cool water pools formed by volcanic rocks are another highlight.

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Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner
Day 6 - Tuesday
San Cristobal Island: Lobos Island – Airport

AM: In the morning we will visit Lobos Island, located across from San Cristobal Island. This is a seasonal nesting spot for Blue-footed boobies and Frigatebirds. You also can enjoy swimming and snorkeling with sea lions in the island’s calm bay.

From the dock on San Cristobal Island, we will take a short bus ride to the airport for your flight back to the mainland. Enjoy the last view of the “enchanted islands,” a unique paradise with fascinating natural highlights.

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Breakfast

Prices

Price per person
Room
6 Days
Galapagos Suite (DBL TWIN)US$ 5,799 PP
Galapagos Suite (DBL-TWIN balcony Suite)US$ 6,374 PP
Sea Star SuiteUS$ 6,949 PP
*Price per person based upon double occupancy.
*PP (per person)
Included in the price:
  • A cruise on board the Sea Star Journey motor yacht (M/Y)
  • Accommodations in a double cabin, with private facilities
  • All meals indicated in the itinerary
  • All transfers in the Galapagos Islands
  • Services of an English/Spanish-speaking naturalist guide on daily excursions and during briefings
  • Use of snorkeling equipment
  • Free purified drinking water
  • Use of kayak
Not included in the price:
  • Flights to/from the Galapagos Islands
  • Entrance fee to the Galapagos National Park ($100 USD per adult)
  • Galapagos Transit Control Card ($20 USD per person)
  • Bottled soft drinks and alcoholic beverages
  • Single cabin supplements
  • Tips and gratuities for the crew and captain
  • Personal items
  • Travel/medical insurance (highly recommended)
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Reviews

“I found Surtrek online as it proved to be an excellent, efficient company. Our 4 days in the Galapagos were expertly planned and we were never left without a guide - we were even walked to dinner each night and assisted with ordering!”Marian Lowenfish