Estrella del Mar Galapagos Cruise

Galapagos Student Trip

I have been lucky enough to visit the Galapagos many times, mostly when taking student groups. It used to be some 8 or 9 years ago that I could take them on a 2.5 week tour, do the Amazon jungle, Andes and even a week-long cruise on the Galapagos. However, in recent years, the week-long cruises have become so expensive that my students simply could no longer afford such a trip. Sure, you could do a half-week cruise instead, but apart from the still hefty price tag, the dirty secret of those cruises is that you can't venture out far from the inner islands and those site can be visited much more cheaply with day-trip boats.

So lately, I have been combining Ecuador and the jungle with a mostly land-based Galapagos experience. We stay in Puerto Ayora in a budget accomodation, visit the Sana Cruz Highlands and Tortoise Reserve, visit the Charles Darwin Station and enjoy the wonderful Tortuga Bay beach (in walking distance from Puerto Ayora). We also do a day or two of volunteer work for the Darwin Station or National Park and take day cruises to Bartolome, North Seymour and/or Plazas- all great visits that you also get when you book a long cruise. We top this off with a three day trip to Isabela Islands where we hike/ride up Volcano Sierra Negra (a highlight of the trip), snorkel and so forth. Needless to say, the students are having fun (even though they have to give talks, write a term paper etc.- after all, it's for university credit).

Organizing such an itinerary is no mean feat. Booking anything in Ecuador is not that easy (the flight to Galapagos on TAME alone can be a hard to organize) and I rely on an agency called Galapagos Experience, run by the national park guides Paul and Gaby McFarland. They do all the time-consuming leg work that I don't have time for and they do it very reliably (google "Galapagos Experience McFarling" if you want to see what they do). And if you want to be inspired for your own Galapagos student field trip, look up Eastern Michigan University's Study Abroad web site

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WillyAnnArbor, 25th May 2018

Estrella Del Mar - Amazing Galapagos Experience

My husband and I just returned from a 5 day cruise onboard the Estrella del Mar (otherwise cited as Estrella de Mar, but the boat itself is marked with the the name "del Mar".)

Our experience was fantastic. The crew and guide, Esteban, were friendly, experienced, knowledgeable, and fun to spend the week with. The boat was comfortable without being extravagant. We spent most of our time exploring the islands or resting on the shade or sun decks, although our cabins were perfectly adequate for resting each night. The food was delicious and they were easily able to accommodate vegetarians with a variety of buffet items at each meal.

The islands are simply incomparable. We had the opportunity to visit San Cristobal, Espanola (Hood), Floreana, Isabela, and Santa Cruz. We found it easier to fly into San Cristobal as the flight to/from Baltra includes a 15 min bus transfer, a 10 minute ferry crossing, and another 45 min bus transfer. Just be aware.

The wildlife and scenery is amazing. 5 days is a good length of time to visit - unlike others, I would not say "don't bother with a shorter trip" - with 5 days we enjoyed a wide variety of island settings, wildlife sightings, and adventures. May is an ideal time to visit as we were able to see many eggs and hatchlings, particularly among the Boobies and Albatross.

I'll sum up my review by saying that it was a fantastic trip, and I cannot recommend the experience or the Estrella del Mar highly enough! The only reason I do not rate it as "excellent" above is that the boat is considered a superior tourist/comfortable class accommodation, and while this was excellent for us, those seeking a luxury yacht might find it somewhat disappointing.

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ColoradoHollyW, 2nd June 2009

Amazing Galapagos

I have traveled extensively in Africa and done a lot of game viewing but the Galapagos is so totally different. If you are an adventure traveler this is a must see destination. On a safari you get close to wild animals but in the Galapgos you have to litteraly step over them! You can view some of my photos at www.ascexpeditions.com. Do the 7 night cruise and no the shorter ones - you dont want to miss any of the imain slands and their unique wildlife. I was on the MV Evolution, a 32 passsenger mega yacht. The crew were super friendly and the guide was excellent. the food was outstanding! I heartily recommend it.

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Mike N, 4th April 2009