Yes, I’ve always had a bucket list of places where I wanted to travel — Alaska, Hawaii, Caribbean Islands and Italy.
And yes, over the years I have been fortunate enough to visit them all, plus many more spectacular destinations. I am also certain that there are cities and countries I never thought about visiting or places I know nothing about.
So when the opportunity arose to travel to the Galapagos Islands for a yoga retreat, even though I wasn’t sure I could even place them on a map, I jumped at it.
Flying to South America, then to the middle of the Ecuadorian waters of the Pacific Ocean, this once-in-a-lifetime trip took almost 24 hours, four planes, two buses and a boat to finally arrive on Santa Cruz, the main island of the 127 in the archipelago, then onto our final destination of Montemar Eco Luxury Villa — or as I like to call it: Paradise. After a long day of travel, owner and former naturalist guide Reyna Oleas told us to breathe deeply and embrace the moment, because here, unwinding isn’t just an activity, it’s a way of life.
Every corner of Montemar (montemar.ec) is designed to blend natural elegance with comfort — from the handchosen local materials to open, light-filled spaces that breathe with the land. At Montemar, architecture doesn’t compete with nature, it flows with it.
Setting out for our first walk around the 43-acre paradise in the highlands of Santa Cruz, we were welcomed by giant tortoises in their natural habitat. They roam freely around the property, cooling off in the pond, dozing in a mud pit and sauntering along the paths, munching on the abundant vegetation. They are not bothered by humans because they, like all the wildlife on the Galapagos Islands, have no predators. Humans living here choose to protect wildlife and the environment.
Every detail of our journey told a story, from Chef Juan’s dishes crafted with ingredients from Montemar’s community garden to the sustainable practices that infused our entire experience. We savored the rich flavors of the Galapagos through food grown with purpose and care.
Bartolome Island, with its spectacular Pinnacle Rock, became one of my favorite destinations. After a boat ride that included lunch and breathtaking views of the countryside, we hiked 375 wooden steps to witness jaw-dropping volcanic landscapes and Sullivan Bay's black lava flows. The descent led us past lounging lava lizards to Pinnacle Rock Beach, one of the Galapagos' premier snorkeling spots. Swimming in this vibrant underwater universe, we encountered colorful tropical fish, playful sea lions, sea turtles, reef sharks and stingrays. On shore, we spotted the tiny Galapagos penguins, the second smallest in the world, and my favorite — the magnificent blue-footed boobies who look like they stepped in a can of bright blue paint.
Each morning, after a spectacular sunrise, yoga class was held outdoors, surrounded by wild horses, giant tortoises, beautiful birds and the sounds of nature. Another excursion took us to Isla Tortuga and Tortuga Bay, one of the top five beaches in the world. Enveloped by pristine white coral sand and turquoise water, we walked along the beach with land iguanas and Charles Darwin’s finches to the mangroves where we kayaked with giant sea turtles, reef sharks and brown pelicans.
We learned about the importance of the highlands, including lava tunnels, a tortoise reserve with more than 6,000 of the giant creatures (sadly, down from 60,000) and Los Gemelos (twin volcanic craters), where our guide led us in a search for the 13 species of Darwin’s finches — we found eight. And the flat North Seymour Island, created by the uplifting of submarine lava, is a bird watcher’s paradise, home to nesting grounds for the majestic frigate birds along with the swallowtail gulls and their babies.
We toured South Plaza, the smallest island in the archipelago and home to a large collection of marine and land animals — it’s the only island in the Galapagos where land and marine iguanas share territory, but no one knows why. A large colony of sea lions also inhabit this island, and many of Darwin’s finches nest under the prickly pear cacti.
A before-sunrise water taxi and a long hike along a rocky pathway led us to Las Grietas (the Grotto). The product of an earth fracture, this natural inland pool was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, as we floated between high volcanic walls in the cool, clear water. Our reward for this very early excursion was breakfast at locals’ hangout El Descanso del Guia in Puerto Ayora. Our last day in paradise also included a trip to the Charles Darwin Research Center, shopping and a BBQ lunch of grilled langostinos, veggies and fruit.
Each day, we woke to giant tortoises exploring the wild beauty of the Galapagos, then sunk into spaces designed for deep connection and peace. The Galapagos Islands are truly paradise — and Montemar is a gem among them.