A typical day goes like this: sunrise yoga on the property, an early breakfast, then off on the day's excursion. On the big island days you're on a boat for most of the day. Bartolomé has Pinnacle Rock, two crescent bays, penguins and white-tipped reef sharks. North Seymour is a nesting ground for great frigatebirds and blue-footed boobies. Santa Fe is one of the oldest islands in the archipelago, with endemic Barrington land iguanas, giant prickly pear trees and big sea lion colonies. Each of these days includes guided hiking and guided snorkelling. You get back to Santa Cruz in the early evening for dinner and an early night.

The Santa Cruz days are a bit gentler. You'll tour the highlands, including Los Gemelos (two huge sinkhole craters), the lava tunnels and the cloud forest. One morning is spent kayaking the Tortuga Bay mangroves, where you paddle over sharks. Another starts with a sunrise walk to Las Grietas, a swimming spot in a crack in the lava, followed by breakfast in Puerto Ayora and a wander through town. Day four has a free afternoon. You can head into Puerto Ayora, walk the biodynamic gardens or go down to the beach.

What sets this apart from a typical Galápagos trip is the base. Most visitors either live on a cruise boat or stay in a hotel in town. Here you're on a private estate in the hills, with 12 acres of walking paths where tortoises roam free. The organic, biodynamic garden grows the vegetables you eat and the coffee you drink each morning. At night there's nothing between you and the southern hemisphere sky. A single naturalist guide stays with the group all week and adjusts the talks and outings to what the group most wants to see.

Each departure has its own yoga teacher. Jess Gumkowski leads the November 2026 week. She's a yoga teacher, mindset coach and co-founder of YogiTriathlete, with more than twenty years in yoga, Ayurveda and endurance sport. Jackie Rosenheim, an E-RYT 500 and Certified Yoga Therapist from the San Francisco Bay Area, leads January 2027. Bethany Zebell, an eRYT 500 who manages a studio in Milwaukee, leads October 2027.

The Galápagos is mild all year, with daytime temperatures of roughly 21–29°C (70–85°F), and the highlands are cooler and damper than the coast. The yoga studio comes stocked with Manduka mats, blocks and straps. The villas lend out rubber boots, rain jackets, beach towels, water bottles and flashlights, so you can pack light. Weather can shift the excursions around, so expect a bit of reshuffling.

What's included

- 7 nights' accommodation in a villa at a private 43-acre retreat property on Santa Cruz Island - Three meals a day (dietary needs accommodated with notice) - Two meals out in Puerto Ayora - Twice-daily yoga (except where noted in the itinerary) - A dedicated Certified Galápagos Naturalist guide for the whole week - Full-day boat excursions to Bartolomé, North Seymour and Santa Fe or South Plaza - Guided snorkelling and swimming on island days - Santa Cruz highlands tour: Los Gemelos and the lava tunnels - Exclusive sunrise trip to Las Grietas - Mangrove kayaking at Tortuga Bay - Private cultural excursion with local artisans - 12 acres of private walking paths with wild giant tortoises - Manduka yoga mats, blocks and straps - Use of beach towels, rubber boots, rain jackets, water bottles and flashlights - Airport transfers to and from Baltra on arrival and departure days

What's not included

- Flights to Baltra, Ecuador (GPS) - $20 USD SICGAL inspection and migration card - $200 USD Galápagos National Park entrance fee (cash only) - Alcohol - Personal items and souvenirs - Gratuities (at your discretion) - Travel insurance (strongly recommended) - Transfers on days other than the arrival and departure days - Pre- or post-trip hotel nights (e.g. in Guayaquil or Quito)