This adventure will take place in the Galapagos Islands, where nature remains as it was and where we will fully immerse within it.
Days will be filled with discovery, exploration and reflection. This truly unique UNESCO World Heritage Site offers an unblemished example of a wild and natural world, a perfect place to disconnect from the outside world and reconnect with yourself.
This 7 night, 8 day bucket list adventure includes naturalist-guided trips to the Charles Darwin station, Bartolome Island, and North Seymour Island. With a small, private group, enjoy kayaking on Tortuga Bay, snorkeling, swimming, a tour of the highlands (pit craters, lava tunnels, and a cloud forest), yoga classes, nature-inspired accommodations on Santa Cruz Island, and most meals. The star of this retreat is the rich biodiversity of the protected native wildlife, many of whom are unafraid of humans. Swim with sea lions and sharks, spot Galapagos penguins and flamingos, and watch the dance of marine iguanas and blue footed boobies on volcanic rocks. If nature, science, or wildlife inspires you, there is no better place to be than the unparalleled Galapagos Islands.
Situated in the Pacific Ocean some 1,000 km from the South American continent, these 19 islands and the surrounding marine reserve have been called “a living museum and showcase of evolution.” Located at the confluence of three ocean currents, the Galapagos are a melting pot of marine species. Ongoing seismic and volcanic activity reflects the processes that formed the islands. These processes, together with the extreme isolation of the islands, led to the development of unusual animal life such as the land iguana, the giant tortoise, and the many types of finch that inspired Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection following his visit in 1835. The Galapagos Islands are home to some of the highest levels of endemism species found nowhere else on earth. About 80% of the land birds, 97% of the reptiles and land mammals, and more than 30% of the plants you will see are endemic. More than 20% of the marine species in Galapagos are found nowhere else on earth. Favorites include the giant Galapagos tortoise, marine iguana, flightless cormorant, and the Galapagos penguin—the only penguin species to be found in the Northern Hemisphere. To learn more about the islands, history, species, and conservation, visit The Galapagos Conservancy (www.galapagos.org).
Set in the highlands just 15 minutes from town, we’ll sleep like babies listening to the birds in the morning and watching the giant tortoises that roam the property. Semilla Verde is private, quiet, and fully equipped with a beautiful yoga room and terraces with views to the coast. Each morning, we’ll enjoy breakfast together here and then begin our daily explorations!
Read the excellent Trip Advisor Reviews of Semilla Verde HERE.
Carrie has been teaching for over 15 years. Her background included NO physical activity, she never even threw a ball until aged 40! Now you will find her on her mat, playing tennis, hiking, and spending time with her Portugese Water Dog, Grappa. In 2004, Carrie left a job as a talent agent in NYC and moved out to Pennsylvania. Carrie entered into her first teacher training in 2006 with Cyndi Lee at OM Yoga Center in NYC. She found connection with her teachers, Erich Schiffman and Leslie Kaminoff. Frequent trips to NYC, studying at Kula Yoga Project and Laughing Lotus, helped her discover not only a love of flow but of anatomy. In 2016, Carrie began collaborating with Dr Chloe Costigan, DPT. They are now co-founders of MoveRight Method Yoga, a yoga practice that utilizes the tenets of physical therapy exercises to build strength, flexibility and awareness for a safe & sustainable practice. To practice Flow with CMY is to explore alignment based, core-deep, sweaty Vinyasa that synchronizes the body and breath as poetry in motion. Carrie excels at intuitive, athletic, playful sequencing. To learn more about Carrie, please visit her site, carriemorganyoga.com.
This Yoga Adventure is in collaboration with One Yoga Global (OYG). Registration and payments will be processed through OYG. To register, please click HERE.
Refund less deposit ($695) before October 1, 2023. No refunds after October 1, 2023. In case of cancellation, you may transfer your deposit or your reservation to another person as long as you notify One Yoga Global 21+ days in advance. Due to arrangements made with our vacation hosts, there can be no exceptions to this policy. Participants will be required to sign the application and liability waiver to participate on this trip.
If you place a deposit, the balance due will be set to charge in equal installments starting the month after deposit through October, 2023 unless other arrangements are made.
Travel Insurance is HIGHLY recommended.
Per Person Rates
There are 14-15 spaces available in double occupancy rooms. We can offer one room as single occupancy. We will be staying at Semilla Verde. Click here to see the excellent Trip Advisor reviews of this property.
To view the rooms, please click HERE or on the corresponding room category.
The main hotel and Finch Wing each have one exclusive top floor room. These are the most spacious rooms with private terraces and best views.
Sky View Room – Top floor the new Finch Wing, King bed and twin bed
Ocean View Room – Top floor room in the main hotel. Queen bed and twin bed.
Double Occupancy: $4595 per person
These spacious rooms in the new Finch Wing offer a King bed or 2 twin beds, private bath and balcony overlooking the property.
Sunrise Room
Sunset Room
Double Occupancy: $4395 per person
These spacious and newly updated rooms in the original hotel building offer a Queen and twin bed, private bathroom and access to living space and large terrace.
Forrest View Room – main level room with private balcony
Tortoise Pond 1 – downstairs room opening to the gardens
Garden View – downstairs room that opens to the gardens
Double Occupancy: $4195 per person
Single Occupancy $5395
These 2 rooms have all the amenities as all other rooms, they are just a bit smaller and are offered at a lower price. Queen or 2 twin beds.
Tortoise Pond 2 – main level room with small balcony
Plantation View – downstairs room overlooking the gardens
Double Occupancy: $3995 per person
Single Occupancy Room: $5195
This Yoga Adventure is in collaboration with One Yoga Global (OYG). Registration and payments will be processed through OYG. To register, please click HERE.
Our trip will begin when we meet in Baltra the mornings of Saturday, February 10 or 17. Some will arrive via Guayguil, Ecuador, some via Quito, Ecuador. Some may need an overnight in one of these cities to hop the smaller plane to Baltra the morning of the 10th or 17th, and some may choose to spend an extra night or two in charming town of Quito. From Baltra, we will be transferred to our home away from home–Semilla Verde.
A day trip to Bartolome Island, the crown jewel of Galapagos. Some features include Pinnacle Rock, crescent beaches, Galapagos penguins, white tipped reef sharks, sea turtles, guided snorkeling, and hiking. Lunch is served on board our tour boat, and we’ll return to Semilla Verde for evening yoga and dinner.
A day trip to North Seymour Island, where we might see great frigate birds, blue-footed boobies, land iguanas, sea lions during our guided snorkeling and naturalist-guided hiking excursions.
An excursion to Tortuga Bay where we can kayak, snorkel, and hang out with the marine iguanas.
The Charles Darwin Station in Puerto Ayora where we have the option to shop for souvenirs, and have a drink in the red mangrove patio with the iguanas and sea lions.
A Santa Cruz highland tour where we can explore the lava tunnels, a cloud forest, and Los Gamelos (two giant craters that were formed when the magma chamber underground emptied and the land caved in).
A morning at Garrapatero Beach for snorkeling, swimming, exploring, beach yoga, and relaxing.
A visit to the South Plazas Islands, home to one of the largest sea lion colonies in Galapagos as well as red-billed tropical birds, swallow-tailed gulls, and more endemic wildlife.
Please Note: All outdoor activities are weather permitting. Everyone’s safety will remain the priority when arranging the daily agenda.
All yogis will be met at the Baltra airport and escorted to a short boat taxi ride across the channel to Santa Cruz Island and a private taxi ride from the desert to the highlands where you will soon be nestled in your home for the week.
Your final destination airport on the Galapagos Islands is Baltra (GPS). All flights stop on mainland Ecuador before arriving on the islands. This necessary stop will include an additional baggage screening with SICGAL (which will cost $10 US in cash) to ensure that any food or animals that may be of danger to the Galapagos ecosystem stay well away from the islands. After the screening, your bags will be zip-tied locked and you will be allowed to check in for your final flight to Galapagos.
Depending on your origination location, you may be required (due to airline routing/timing) to stay a night in either Guayaquil (GYE) or Quito (UIO). If you have extra time we recommend an extended stop in Quito to stroll around and explore this colonial South American gem. If your time is limited, you are better off flying into Guayaquil just for the evening. Guayaquil is closer to the islands but does not have the easy charm of Quito.
If you arrive into Guayaquil late we recommend the Holiday Inn or Mariott at the Guayaquil airport. It is only a few minutes travel from your terminal. There are only a few flights from Quito and Guayaquil to the islands per day. LATAM and Avianca will get you where you need to go and any of their flight times to the islands are open and OK to book. These flights can be booked on most travel booking sites.
Please CLICK HERE for a document with travel booking advice.
Ecuador and the islands may seem worlds away, and will absolutely feel like that when you arrive, but there are a few ease-of-travel things that we want you to know. Ecuador and the islands use the US dollar, so for many of us, no money-changing is necessary. There are ATMs in the airports in Ecuador and Puerto Ayora on the islands, but we do recommend that you bring about $300 in cash.
There is a fee required to enter the Galapagos National Park. Once you disembark at Baltra you will go through a combination passport control/park fee collection point. You must pay the fee, which is $100 US in cash when you arrive on the islands. There is no visa needed for US citizens to visit Ecudaor. You simply need to ensure that your passport is valid for at least 6 months from your date of arrival. Citizens of all other countries should check with their consulates as to their visa requirements, if any.
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