Monserrat

Itinerary

The Monserrat runs 4-day, 5-day and 8-day itineraries. The different 4 and 5-day itineraries are below. The 8-day cruise itineraries which run Thursday to Thursday are either itineraies B+C or D+A.

5 day itinerary 'A'

Sunday: Baltra. Mosquera
You'll arive at Baltra airport in the morning and will be met and transfered to the Monserrat for Lunch.
The small island of Mosquera is between North Seymour and Baltra. It consists of a long narrow stretch of white sand, rocks, and tide pools. Created by geological uplift the island has a flat look to it rather than the conical shape of the volcanically formed islands. Mosquera is a regular first or last day visit for boats operating out of Baltra. Mosquera’s calm waters offer excellent snorkeling opportunities and on a stroll down the beach you are likely to see brown pelicans, blue-footed boobies and colonies of sea lions. Ocassionaly Orcas have been seen here, feeding by sea lions.
Dinner and overnight on board.
Monday: Isabela: Muro and Volcan
In the morning, we will visit the highlands. The Sierra Negra volcano is considered the oldest of the volcanoes on Isabela. According to some geologists, the wider and shallower the boiler, the more ancient it is. At the beginning of the trail it is very often foggy with or drizzly. We will also visit the breeding centre to learn about the giant tortoise, their development and the Galapagos National Park's efforts to increase the tortoise population. We'll return to the yacht for lunch.In the afternoon, we will go to Tintoreras trail where you woild expect to see sea lions, rays, sea iguanas and the white tip reef shark. We will have the chance to do some snorkeling in this area.
Dinner and overnight on board.
Tuesday: Santiago: Sombrero Chino. Rabida
In the morning we'll visit Sombrero Chino. This is a small island located near the south-east of Santiago. It is an island composed of a tilted cone that forms the top, and lava tubes that run down to the coast. In the west you can see lava formations like pillows. These show that the lava flows were formed under the sea and then have been raised to the outside, and give us the explanation why it’s possible to find coral heads on lava. This visit provides an excellent opportunity for the interpretation of geologic features such as tubes and lava flows. Return to the yacht for lunch.
In the afternoon we'll visit Rabida which consists of a red sand beach, a coastal lagoon behind the beach and a walking circuit. The trail is about a kilometre long. The red colour of the rocks and the sand is caused by the volcanic material, which is very porous and by the action of the environment (rain, salt water and sea breezes), acting as oxidizing agents. The main attraction of the place is the red sand beach, its landscape, the vegetation of the arid zone and the presence of native and endemic species. Among the species that can be found here are pelicans, flamingos and sea birds; also the island has a small colony of fur seals.
Dinner and overnight on board.
Wednesday: Santiago: Punta Egas, Playa Espumilla and Caleta Bucanero
In the morning, we will visit Puerto Egas. It's a black sand beach located at the west side of James Bay in the northwest of Santiago Island. At the southern beach is Pan de Azucar Volcano which has deposits of volcanic tuff. That's where the black sand has come from. At the north side there is crater with a saltwater lagoon. During the warmest season, it dries and turns into a salt mine. This site is called Puerto Egas, because the last mining operation here was by the Hector Egas Company.
Return to the yacht for lunch
Espumilla site is located at the northern coast of Santiago Island in James Bay. We'll go here after lunch. The main attractions are the palo santo forest, the beach and the landscape. The beach is an important site for turtle nesting. The trail continues into the dry zone and close to the end we can see birds of different species.
Dinner and overnight on board.
Thursday: North Seymour. Depart Baltra
In the morning we will visit North Seymour Island. Here we do a circular trail leading through some of the largest and most active seabirds breeding colonies in the islands. Magnificent frigate birds and blue-footed boobies are the main attractions. After the visit to Seymour, your luggage will be waiting for you to start the one hour trip back to Baltra airport for your flight back to the mainland.

4 day itinerary 'B'

Thursday: Arrive Baltra. Santa Cruz: Charles Darwin Station
You'll arive at Baltra airport in the morning and will be met and transfered to the Monserrat for Lunch.
In the afternoon we go by land to the Highlands of Santa Cruz where we'll visit Rancho Primicias to view the giant Galapagos tortoises in their natural habitat.
Overnight and dinner on board.
Friday: Santa Fe. Plazas
In the morning, we'll visit Plazas Island. These two small islands are just off the east coast of Santa Cruz. A dry landing on a jetty brings us to an opuntia cactus forest where there are many land iguanas. A one km trail circuit leads us through sea lion colonies and along a cliff top walk where swallow–tailed gulls and other species nest.
Return to the yacht for lunch.
In the afternoon, we'll visit Santa Fe Island which is a 24sq km island that lies about 20km southeast of Santa Cruz and is very popular for day trips. Its English name is Barrington. There is a good anchorage in an attractive bay on the north. A short 300 metre trail takes you to one of the tallest stands of opuntia cactus on the island to look for land iguanas. Other attractions include a sea lion colony, excellent snorkeling, marine iguanas and of course birds.
Overnight and dinner on board.
Saturday: San Cristobal: Punta Pitt and Islas Lobos
In the morning, we'll visit Punta Pitt a unique volcanic formation. The area is a nesting site for all three species of the Galapagos booby and home to an endemic species of lava lizard. After this visit we will return to yacht for lunch.
In the afternoon heading up the coast from Wreck Bay and Puerto Baquerizo, you will see Isla Lobos across a small channel off the coast of San Cristobal. The basalt island outcropping lives up to its name of "Sea Lion Island" with a noisy population of frolicking and barking beasts. It is also a nesting place for blue-footed boobies and an excellent spot for snorkeling.
Dinner and overnight on board.
Sunday: San Cristobal: Interpretation Centre, Tijeretas. Depart San Cristobal
In the morning, we will visit its Interpretation Center where we can walk through the Galapagos Islands’ volcanic origins, its first human settlements and the great challenges we face ahead. After our visit and a little free time in town you return to the yacht for lunch. After the visit, the guide will take you to the bus where your luggage will be waiting for you to go to San Cristobal Island airport for your flight back to the mainland.

5 day itinerary 'C'

Sunday: Arrive San Cristobal. Loberia / Galapaguera
You'll arrive at San Cristóbal airport in the morning and will be met and transfered to the Monserrat Yacht for lunch.
In the afternoon, we'll visit the “Galapaguera”. This is a great place to see San Cristobal giant tortoises in a semi-wild habitat. This is one of the few places where we can find Calandrinia Galapagos, an endemic plant from San Cristobal. This breeding centre has been built to improve the status of the population of tortoises on the island, in a habitat with similar conditions to their natural environment. Afterwards, we will visit a beautiful beach in San Cristóbal, Puerto Chino one of the best beaches on the island. This is a gorgeous beach with soft white sand where we will have time to relax.
Dinner and overnight on board.
Monday: San Cristobal: Leon Dormida and Playa Ochoa
Today will start with a visit to the volcanic cone of Cerro Brujo, from where we can see a beautiful sandy beach which teems with sea lions, pelicans, blue-footed boobies, and marine iguanas. Return to the yacht for lunch.
In the afternoon we sail to visit Sleeping Lion, a little rocky island which because of a fanciful resemblance to a sleeping lion is named Leon Dormido. The English name, however, is Kicker Rock. The island is a sheer walled tuff cone which has been eroded into two smaller rocks. Finally we'll have some time at the beach at Playa Ochoa.
Dinner and overnight on board.
Tuesday: Espanola: Bahia Gardner and Punta Suarez
Española Island, often called by its English name of Hood, is the southernmost in the archipelago. It is a medium sized island of 61sq km and there are two visitors’ sites. In the morning, we visit Gardner Bay which is a beautiful white sandy beach at the east end of Española. There is good swimming, and a sea lion colony. An islet rock, a short distance away, provides a good snorkeling opportunity. You can often see white tipped reef sharks around it. After the visit we return to the yacht for lunch.
In the afternoon, we visit Suarez Point, which lies at the western end of the island. There is a trail of about two km in length which takes us across a beach full of marine iguanas, by masked and blue–footed booby colonies before reaching the main attraction, the waved Albatross colony which can only be seen on this island.
Dinner and overnight on board.
Wednesday: Floreana: Punta Cormorant and Corona del Diablo
The visitors’ area on Floreana is located at the north shore of the island. The trail is about 720 metres long and takes us to a lagoon, a viewpoint and a medium size fine sandy beach. At the lagoon we can find a flamingos colony and on the beach a nesting area for turtles. At Cormorant Point are two plant species which are endemic to this Island: Scalesia and Lecocarpus pinaffitidus. The beach where we land has a large amount of olivine crystals, giving it a greenish colour. There is another beach full of coral sand. At these sites there are host of rays which prefer places with sand and waves. Return to the yacht for lunch.
After lunch we’ll visit Post Office Bay and then Mirador de la Baroneesa, a vista point on the northside of Floreana, in La Olla Bay. It is a basaltic rock formation between Cormorant Point and Post Office Bay. You will take a panga (inflatable dinghy) ride to reach this point. From the panga you can observe several marine species such as golden eagle rays, sea turtles, sea lions, mullets and sometimes Galapagos penguins.
Dinner and overnight on board.
Thursday: Santa Cruz: Highlands. Depart Baltra
In the morning we’ll go to the Highlands of Santa Cruz where you will visit Rancho Primicias to view the giant Galapagos tortoises in their natural habitat. After the visit to Highlands the guide will take you to the bus where your luggage will be waiting for you to start the trip back to the Baltra airport for your flight back to the mainland.

4 day itinerary 'D'

Thursday: Arrive Baltra. Santa Cruz: Charles Darwin Station
You'll arive at Baltra airport in the morning and will be met by your tour guide and start off on a five minute trip from the airport down to the canal where you will take a five minute boat ride across to the island of Santa Cruz. From here you have a land transfer across the island (Aprox. 40 minutes) to the main port town of Puerto Ayora where you will board the Monserrat yacht. After checking into your cabin your lunch will be ready for you. In the afternoon we will visit Charles Darwin Research Station to learn about the efforts made to preserve the flora and fauna in the Archipelago.
Dinner and overnight on board.
Friday: Santiago: Sullivan Bay. Bartolome
In the morning, we visit Sullivan Bay lava field where we can set foot on Santiago’s last volcanic eruption, nearly 100 years ago. Here we can find shapes and textures of trees, which once existed here and Hornitos caused when pockets of gas or water trapped under the lava exploded. The Sullivan Bay lava is known a Panoehoe (Hawaiian for Rope). This thin-skinned lava's molten material cools down after an eruption causing the surface materials to buckle creating a rope like appearance. Panoehoe lava is rare to the rest of the world except for the volcanoes of Hawaii and the Galapagos Islands. Lunch back at the yacht.
In the afternoon, we visit Bartolome Island . From here we can see the most frequently photographed and hence most famous vista of the islands. There are two visitor sites and footpaths. One begins from a jetty from where we walk 600 meters to the 114 metre summit of the island from where we can take a picture with the famous Pinnacle Rock. The other visitor site is a small sandy beach in a cove. Here there is good snorkeling and swimming and the opportunity to swim with the endemic Galápagos penguins which frequent this cove.
Dinner and overnight on board.
Saturday: Santa Cruz: Bachas Beach and Cerro Dragon
In the morning, visit Bachas Beach on the North end of Santa Cruz Island. Bachas is a nice beach with soft sand and clear water. Here you will have the opportunity to walk a trail leading to two lagoons where you may come across Flamingos and other birds. This is also a nice place to snorkel which you will have the opportunity to do. Return to the yacht for lunch.
In the afternoon we'll visit Cerro Dragón. It gets its name because in 1975, it was one of the only places in the Santa Cruz Island where land iguanas were living in a healthy condition. At this site, there is a small lagoon with shrimps - good food for the flamingos!
Dinner and overnight on board.
Sunday: Santa Cruz: Black Turtle Bay. Depart Baltra
In the morning we'll visit, Black Turtle Cove. It's black salt water with different types of mangrove trees. It is one of the most important places for marine species reproduction, including turtles, white tip sharks and some groups of golden rays. After the visit, your luggage will be waiting for you to start the one hour trip back to the Baltra airport for your flight back to the mainland.