Estrella del Mar Hotel
Av. Charles Darwing y 12 de Febrero Detras Del Edificio de Tame, Al Lado Del Cuartel de Policias, 200350 Ecuador
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About
4.0
#19 of 34 hotels in Santa CruzLocation
Cleanliness
Service
Value
Finding an ideal family-friendly hotel in Santa Cruz does not have to be difficult. Welcome to Estrella del Mar Hotel, a nice option for travellers like you.
Rooms at Estrella del Mar Hotel provide air conditioning and a refrigerator, and getting online is easy, with free wifi available.
While staying in Santa Cruz, you can check out a popular sushi restaurant like Galapagonia Sushi Bar, which is serving up some great dishes.
There is no shortage of things to do in the area: explore popular history museums such as Maprae.
Estrella del Mar Hotel looks forward to welcoming you on your visit to Santa Cruz.
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Property amenities
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Wifi
Beach
Non-smoking hotel
Room features
Air conditioning
Refrigerator
Room types
Ocean view
Non-smoking rooms
Good to know
HOTEL STYLE
Centrally Located
Budget
Location
Av. Charles Darwing y 12 de Febrero Detras Del Edificio de Tame, Al Lado Del Cuartel de Policias, 200350 Ecuador
Getting there
Great for walkers
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
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Detailed Reviews
We really enjoyed staying at Estrella de Mar. We had room #12, which had a great view, and room was spacious. Room did have a mini fridge. Great location, we could walk to many restaurants, dock. Ebike office was also nearby. It was also quiet, and felt safe. Staff were friendly. It would have been nice to have purified water in hotel.
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Date of stay: September 2021
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip: room #12 had good view
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We just returned from a land based trip to Galapagos Islands. We stayed at the a budget hotel called Estrella Del Mar - it was basic but appeared clean, hot water and ac in our rooms. Central location in town next to police station. Norwegian owners. We had one of 4 rooms with an oceanview which was truly heavenly. We awoke to sounds of sea lions barking and water slapping the rocks below our balconey. You can see marine iguanas, crabs, sea lions and a variety of birds from your balcony. We were given adjoining rooms - room 12 (oceanview) which only had a fan but with the adjoining door opened to room 8 with ac, both rooms were cooled. Actually, all rooms had access to the balcony to view the ocean. No English spoken by hotel staff. We spoke to a scuba diving group and some college professors staying in our hotel - a variety of guests. Breakfast was included in the hotel price of $45.00. Breakfast is always 2 eggs and 3 pieces of homemade bread with jam and coffee and wonderful juice. This is probably the best budget hotel on the island.
Since we wanted to make plans on short notice we opted for a land based trip arranged by Moonrise Travel based on Santa Cruz Island. Steve & Jenny Divine run this travel agency and can arrange any type of tour. Steve was born in Ecuador but parents were American. He is also a level 3 guide (the best). He has lived on the island most of his life and knows everyone and everyone knows him. They arranged a land-based tour for us for $595.00 for 4 nights, 5 days. Three days on boat tours, 1/2 day with Steve at Charles Darwin center and 1/2 day with Steve on arrival with tour of his turtle farm and pit craters. Steve ,of course, speaks excellent English and Spanish and you think you are with a college professor on his tours. Motel price and all meals was included. Breakfast at our hotel, lunch on boat and dinner at hotel Lobo Del Mar (next door to ours) Steve met us at the airport and helped up with the complicated trip by water taxi and bus to the our hotel.
We went on 2 slow boat tours on the Sante Fe and one fast boat tour. We met a variety of folks from England, Germany and China on our boats. Most people preferred the slow, larger boats as the ride was smoother and more relaxing. Moonrise Travel can arrange ANY type of tour and you can request the level of guide you want - the best is level 3 - great English and college trained. Steve Divine is a level 3 and if you could get him to give you any type of tour you would be amazed at his knowledge (he has lived on the island for about 40 years) .
Also enjoyed - Turtle Bay beach, pit craters, Darwin Center, watching the pelicans at the fish market, buying Taugua (carved ivory-like figurines of turtles, birds, fish, etc for $3.00 up.
Hope this helps future travelers. Enjoy.
Travelers - Bob, Brenda and Jimmy (UNC student)
North Carolina
Since we wanted to make plans on short notice we opted for a land based trip arranged by Moonrise Travel based on Santa Cruz Island. Steve & Jenny Divine run this travel agency and can arrange any type of tour. Steve was born in Ecuador but parents were American. He is also a level 3 guide (the best). He has lived on the island most of his life and knows everyone and everyone knows him. They arranged a land-based tour for us for $595.00 for 4 nights, 5 days. Three days on boat tours, 1/2 day with Steve at Charles Darwin center and 1/2 day with Steve on arrival with tour of his turtle farm and pit craters. Steve ,of course, speaks excellent English and Spanish and you think you are with a college professor on his tours. Motel price and all meals was included. Breakfast at our hotel, lunch on boat and dinner at hotel Lobo Del Mar (next door to ours) Steve met us at the airport and helped up with the complicated trip by water taxi and bus to the our hotel.
We went on 2 slow boat tours on the Sante Fe and one fast boat tour. We met a variety of folks from England, Germany and China on our boats. Most people preferred the slow, larger boats as the ride was smoother and more relaxing. Moonrise Travel can arrange ANY type of tour and you can request the level of guide you want - the best is level 3 - great English and college trained. Steve Divine is a level 3 and if you could get him to give you any type of tour you would be amazed at his knowledge (he has lived on the island for about 40 years) .
Also enjoyed - Turtle Bay beach, pit craters, Darwin Center, watching the pelicans at the fish market, buying Taugua (carved ivory-like figurines of turtles, birds, fish, etc for $3.00 up.
Hope this helps future travelers. Enjoy.
Travelers - Bob, Brenda and Jimmy (UNC student)
North Carolina
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We thought this hostal is hard to beat for the location and views but you really need to request a room with a sea view. We stayed for a week in room 9. We ‘catered’ for ourselves for breakfast and lunch, good coffee available free and supplies from the supermarket. No kitchen facilities, but we moved our table onto the balcony and it was the best ‘restaurant’ in town! The rooms are spacious, clean, comfortable, staff friendly and helpful and the hostal is in a great location for access to the town. But, don’t forget, you definitely want a room with a sea view!
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Date of stay: March 2019Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
What would your dream house have? A master bedroom with private bathroom? A balcony overlooking a pristine view of the Pacific Ocean where you can observe sea lions, red crabs, marine iguanas and tortoises in their natural environment? Cool breezes and the sound of surf all night negating the need for the roar of an air conditioner? And maid service to boot?
Then this may be the place for you.
If your dream house has a big lobby to walk through, overpriced bar and or restaurant, lots of lots of fellow inhabitants, and a big price tag, you might want to look for a "hotel".
This place is perfect for a place to sleep, relax, and a base of operations. Are you coming to the Galapagos to use the hotel all day? Yes, get a nice hotel with a lobby to sit in.
It is perfectly located in the heart of the town. You will lack for nothing within a 10 minute walking radius... bars, restaurants, shopping (tourist and supermarket), the famous fish market. Five major tourist attractions are within walking distance of this place... you can easily organize two days of adventures from here within paying a dime for organized tours.
Angel at the desk will give you a suggested intinerary if you ask. He is a great guy! Gracias, Angel!
I booked well in advance through Booking.com and it was a flawless process. Once I had my booking I communicated via e-mail to confirm directly, and Angel replied immediately. When I arrived in Ecuador some days in advance, I called to confirm. Great communications!!!!
In August 2016 I paid $50 a night. I was more than happy with that price.
Things to consider... the hot water in the shower is a bit variable or slow in coming at times. No big deal for me. And they don´t speak English, which may hinder some of you in picking this place if that sort of thing intimidates you. I speak enough Spanish to communicate, so it wasn´t a problem for me. If you´re going all the way to the Galpagos you must be adventurous enough to communicate with folk in foreign lands, right?
Also, there are outside lights on other properties (the police station is next door) that ensure your room is not pitch dark all night. If you need that, bring a sleeping mask. I used "exhaustion" as a sleep aid :)
Funny story... I was sitting in a bar having a beer when it occurred to me "what am I doing here when I have a much better option back at my room?" Went to the supermarket, picked up my own drinks, and returned to my own balcony for the view, the breeze, and the free wifi. Marvelous.
Check out the photos others have posted. As great as they look, being there was even better. I had Room 9 which was upstairs, ocean view, end of the balcony. I was so happy when I saw what I had scored, and equally happy every day of using it.
If I ever return to Galapagos, it´ll be here. Room 9. Unless you booked it already :)
Then this may be the place for you.
If your dream house has a big lobby to walk through, overpriced bar and or restaurant, lots of lots of fellow inhabitants, and a big price tag, you might want to look for a "hotel".
This place is perfect for a place to sleep, relax, and a base of operations. Are you coming to the Galapagos to use the hotel all day? Yes, get a nice hotel with a lobby to sit in.
It is perfectly located in the heart of the town. You will lack for nothing within a 10 minute walking radius... bars, restaurants, shopping (tourist and supermarket), the famous fish market. Five major tourist attractions are within walking distance of this place... you can easily organize two days of adventures from here within paying a dime for organized tours.
Angel at the desk will give you a suggested intinerary if you ask. He is a great guy! Gracias, Angel!
I booked well in advance through Booking.com and it was a flawless process. Once I had my booking I communicated via e-mail to confirm directly, and Angel replied immediately. When I arrived in Ecuador some days in advance, I called to confirm. Great communications!!!!
In August 2016 I paid $50 a night. I was more than happy with that price.
Things to consider... the hot water in the shower is a bit variable or slow in coming at times. No big deal for me. And they don´t speak English, which may hinder some of you in picking this place if that sort of thing intimidates you. I speak enough Spanish to communicate, so it wasn´t a problem for me. If you´re going all the way to the Galpagos you must be adventurous enough to communicate with folk in foreign lands, right?
Also, there are outside lights on other properties (the police station is next door) that ensure your room is not pitch dark all night. If you need that, bring a sleeping mask. I used "exhaustion" as a sleep aid :)
Funny story... I was sitting in a bar having a beer when it occurred to me "what am I doing here when I have a much better option back at my room?" Went to the supermarket, picked up my own drinks, and returned to my own balcony for the view, the breeze, and the free wifi. Marvelous.
Check out the photos others have posted. As great as they look, being there was even better. I had Room 9 which was upstairs, ocean view, end of the balcony. I was so happy when I saw what I had scored, and equally happy every day of using it.
If I ever return to Galapagos, it´ll be here. Room 9. Unless you booked it already :)
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Date of stay: August 2016Trip type: Travelled solo
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip: Three rooms on second floor with ocean view and balcony
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
If you're traveling the Galapagos on a budget, I don't know how you could beat this place. Right on the water. Air conditioning. Good wifi. They supply drinking water. Try to book a room that has a balcony looking out to the ocean! They will store your luggage if you need them to. Staff while we were there did not speak English. Our Spanish is pretty limited, but we didn't have any problem.
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Date of stay: October 2015Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I stayed here for two nights before heading to Isabela. Lovely little quiet hotel on the water, and inexpensive compared to the other hotels in town. On December 29th, before I left for Isabela, I made a reservation for tonight - January 2nd. I arrived on the afternoon speedboat to find they had no record on my reservation and the lady (owner, I think) who took my reservation flat out denied it. She had even gone so far as to say that she couldn´t put me in the same room, but a different room, which was fine by me.
Great hotel if you want to walk up and take your chances, but not if you want to book in advance and not have your reservation honoured.
Great hotel if you want to walk up and take your chances, but not if you want to book in advance and not have your reservation honoured.
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Date of stay: January 2014Trip type: Travelled solo
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip: The water view rooms are great value
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Our original trip to the Galapagos Islands booked for May had to be changed to August due to a serious illness. We pre-paid for the hotel in cash through Jenny Divine at Moonrise Travel Agency as was required. Though we notified them of our change in plans 3 weeks before our original arrival date, the hotel refused to change the reservation saying they were fully booked in August (3 months later). When a Spanish-speaking friend of mine telephoned the hotel requesting the same dates they incredibly had a room available and required no advanced payment. The hotel and Moonrise Travel refused to refund our money. Please stay somewhere else. DO NOT use Moonrise Travel. DO NOT pay for hotels in advance - it is only required by hotels and travel agencies targeting Americans. There are much better hotels to stay at for a fraction of the price. Try Hotel Gardner that's where we ended up staying and we loved it.
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Date of stay: August 2008Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Check-in / front desk
Service
Business service (e.g., internet access)
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Angel A, Gerente at Estrella del Mar Hotel
Responded Jan 23, 2015
Lamentamos cualquier tipo de inconveniente antes sucedido, no respondemos por abusos de intermediarios, gracias a sus comentarios seguimos mejorando, esperamos en alguna otra oportunidad pueda disfrutar de las mejoras. Recordemos que nos encontramos dentro en un Parque Nacional por lo que el coexistir con la diversidad faunística es parte del día a día en las islas, en Estrella de Mar tratamos de mantener al natural nuestras instalaciones con las precauciones necesarias para el huésped.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
This is a very basic and simple hotel, as are all on the island. I did a lot of research before booking and the prices are usually $12-$50/ night for hostal/ hotels, or $300 - $500/ night for the more expensive "luxury" hotels. This one has a better view than most of the luxury hotels and has everything you'll need. Since you won't likely be spending much time in your room, I can't even imagine what the "luxury" hotels have that you may want, that this one does not.
Beds are surprisingly comfortable, mini-fridge, very decent A/C units...
The owner, Angel, is very kind and easy to work with - a man of his word. Wonderful and friendly staff too.
Community balcony with 180 degree views (better than all others on the island but 1 a half hour away form town)
Wi-fi is only in the lobby (unless you get a room right next to it).
The only things that might be lacking compared to a standard US hotel, are more because of the island and not because of the hotel (like not flushing paper and the very occasional power loss).
This hotel is right next to the police station, not that you'll encounter any crime; and is very close to the port, without the foot traffic of it.
I will certainly be back and won't stay anywhere else.
Beds are surprisingly comfortable, mini-fridge, very decent A/C units...
The owner, Angel, is very kind and easy to work with - a man of his word. Wonderful and friendly staff too.
Community balcony with 180 degree views (better than all others on the island but 1 a half hour away form town)
Wi-fi is only in the lobby (unless you get a room right next to it).
The only things that might be lacking compared to a standard US hotel, are more because of the island and not because of the hotel (like not flushing paper and the very occasional power loss).
This hotel is right next to the police station, not that you'll encounter any crime; and is very close to the port, without the foot traffic of it.
I will certainly be back and won't stay anywhere else.
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Date of stay: February 2016Trip type: Travelled with friends
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stayed here for 5 nights, first room was a triple room, very basic but clean, this had the shared balcony over looking the sea, managed to change to the end room, number 10 I think, this was even better as windows on two sides over looking the sea, this is a much better room I think it's the best the hostel has.
I have read that some write that everybody has access to the common balcony, I would say this is not strictly true, yes you could come and look out but the balcony is really for the front 4 rooms as the chairs etc are placed outside each room.
It's definitely worth paying for one of the sea facing rooms.
The showers are a bit hit and miss and you need to let the water run for about five minutes before you get hot water.
There is free coffee and hot and cold drinking water, they could do with few pieces of cutlery and more cups, there is nowhere to clean these after use other than the sink in your bathroom. They did have paper cups but these did not get replaced during our stay.
This hostel is not cheap by main land Ecuador prices but nothing is on the Galapagos, however it is in a great location, minutes from the Main Street where there are a great choice of bars and restaurants and only about five minutes to the harbour which comes alive at night with marine life.
Overall I think this is a good choice of hostel.
I have read that some write that everybody has access to the common balcony, I would say this is not strictly true, yes you could come and look out but the balcony is really for the front 4 rooms as the chairs etc are placed outside each room.
It's definitely worth paying for one of the sea facing rooms.
The showers are a bit hit and miss and you need to let the water run for about five minutes before you get hot water.
There is free coffee and hot and cold drinking water, they could do with few pieces of cutlery and more cups, there is nowhere to clean these after use other than the sink in your bathroom. They did have paper cups but these did not get replaced during our stay.
This hostel is not cheap by main land Ecuador prices but nothing is on the Galapagos, however it is in a great location, minutes from the Main Street where there are a great choice of bars and restaurants and only about five minutes to the harbour which comes alive at night with marine life.
Overall I think this is a good choice of hostel.
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Date of stay: July 2016Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This is a basic hotel with spacious rooms and private bathrooms which is kept exceptionally clean. It is one of very few hotels which has a seafront location and this is by far the cheapest one I could find. We arrived at 08:30 on the morning ferry from Isabela and the hotel had our room ready for us at about 10am. There are good hot water showers and there is also free drinking water, tea and coffee. There are chairs on the balcony outside the seafront rooms where you can watch the turtles, sea lions and birds. Room five is a corner room with a really fantastic view.
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Date of stay: April 2016Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Rooms
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Si por favor escribenos al correo estrellademar
Hola Carolina.
la direccion del hostal Estrella de mar es Avenida Charles Darwin y 12 de febrero junto a la policia Nacional. estamos ubicados en el centro frente al mar. saludos.
LOCATION
EcuadorGalapagos IslandsSanta Cruz
NUMBER OF ROOMS
8
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Frequently Asked Questions about Estrella del Mar Hotel
Which popular attractions are close to Estrella del Mar Hotel?
Nearby attractions include Rancho Primicias (0.3 km), Santa Cruz Fish Market (0.3 km), and Galapagos Path (0.2 km).
What are some restaurants close to Estrella del Mar Hotel?
Conveniently located restaurants include Ayora Resto Wine, FraFre GastroBar, and Tj Restaurante Galapagos .
Does Estrella del Mar Hotel have any great views?
Yes, guests often enjoy the ocean view available here.