Montemar, Galapagos
I’m entering tortoise time, Montemar style. I’ve seen giant tortoises before but not lived with them. I watch them move unhurriedly towards their sleeping quarters for the night, then the wheezy exhalation as they drop their suspension like an old Citroen DS. The peace in this place is other worldly. I sleep deeply at night without ear plugs, the doors on my room open to a night sky with no light pollution. And and in the morning I and the tortoises slowly wake for the day ahead.
- Simon, Senderos
Key Facts
Villas: 2 private villas, 6 bedrooms in total, up to 12 guests. Book one villa or both as a buyout.
Villa categories:
- Villa Tortuga (up to 8 guests): 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 271 m² inside plus a 120 m² deck. Master with California king (convertible to twins), dual showers and private deck with hammock; two standard bedrooms (twins or California king) sharing a bathroom with tub, each with its own deck; junior bedroom with queen bed and private bathroom. Yoga and massage room, home office.
- Villa Lechuza (up to 4 guests): 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 77 m² with teak floors and a deck with hammock. Suits couples and small families.
- Buyout (up to 12 guests): both villas, exclusive use of the whole reserve.
Facilities: The villas have its own chef and housekeeping, and a weekly talk on the villas’ eco-architecture. Open-air yoga shala, organic coffee plantation, organic garden, giant tortoise ponds. Kayaks, bikes (regular and assisted) and snorkel gear are used on the private tours.
Internet: Complimentary Wi-Fi (Starlink) in both villas.
Excursions: Included, and the number grows with length of stay. Shared yacht day trips (up to 16 guests, lunch on board) to Bartolomé, North Seymour, Plazas and occasionally Santa Fe. Private full days on Santa Cruz with a naturalist guide: Tortuga Bay and the Charles Darwin Station, Las Grietas and Puerto Ayora, or Cerro Mesa and El Garrapatero beach. Every stay also includes a welcome walk and coffee tasting with the owners, early birdwatching with Roberto, yoga with Reyna and an Ecuadorian cooking class. At extra cost: diving (minimum age 10, one instructor to two beginners), a private sea safari, fishing, a giant tortoise science talk, a beach clean-up with Frente Insular, stargazing, massage and more.
Dates of operation: Year-round. Montemar closes when the owners travel.
Rates from: US$2,900 per person for a 3-night all-inclusive package (Villa Tortuga, 8 guests, 2027). Villa Lechuza for two from US$5,200 per person for 3 nights. Full buyout for 12 from US$2,700 per person for 3 nights. Rates are per person and fall as group size rises. Christmas and New Year carry a 15% supplement. Children under 12 receive 5% off outside peak season.
Rates include:
- Private use of your villa, hosted personally by the owners
- Private transfers to and from Baltra airport, with VIP lounge on arrival and departure
- All meals by your personal chef, with seasonal, local and organic ingredients
- Welcome walk and specialty coffee tasting, birdwatching with Roberto, yoga with Reyna, Ecuadorian cooking class
- Shared yacht day trips and private guided days on Santa Cruz, by package length (1–3 of each)
- Kayaks, bikes and snorkel gear on private tours
- Wi-Fi, housekeeping, VIP amenities and local taxes
Not included: Flights to Baltra, Galápagos National Park entrance fee and Transit Control Card, alcoholic drinks (beyond the hosts’ courtesy), fresh juices, massage, laundry, wetsuit hire (recommended May to December), gratuities and travel insurance.
Minimum age: None. All ages welcome. Diving from age 10.
Minimum stay: 3 nights, though we highly recommend longer (see below). 5 nights minimum over Christmas and New Year.
Senderos recommends: 5 to 7 nights. Six nights comes in two versions, leaning to the sea (three yacht days) or to the island (three days on Santa Cruz). Arrive early in the week so the tortoise science talk falls before the first excursions. Pairs naturally with the Andes at Hacienda Zuleta.
Affiliations: Certified B Corporation. LATA member.
Recognition: Finalist, Premios Verdes 2022 (one of three best projects from more than 3,000 across Latin America). TEDx Galápagos 2011 (“I live on an island”) and TEDx UCSG 2022 (“Knitting community”). Community awards from the Municipality of Santa Cruz, the Galápagos Chamber of Tourism, Frente Insular and the Ecuadorian Red Cross. Roberto was named to Natural Habitat Adventures’ Guides of Fame in 2010.
Sustainability
- Montemar is B Corp certified
- Rewilding through coffee: specialty coffee grown on the reserve pays to restore a former farm as giant tortoise habitat. Montemar supports the Giant Tortoise Movement Ecology Programme, which tracks the tortoises’ migrations.
- Sun and rain: 100% of water is harvested from the roofs and filtered on site; all electricity is solar, grid-tied to avoid batteries; solar water heaters.
- Built from the island: designed with Quito engineer Miguel Sango, the villas are 60% lava, bamboo and Spanish cedar from nearby, reducing imports and the risk of invasive species. Passive design (lava thermal mass, sun and wind orientation, ventilation chambers) means no air-conditioning or dehumidifiers. Sewage is treated on site and reused for irrigation; food waste is composted for the coffee.
- Community: Roots by Montemar is a collective of 15+ local artisans; close ties and participation with community group with Frente Insular, and Reyna heads the Scalesia Foundation for education in the islands.
Need to know:
- Not a cruise, not a hotel. Clients see the central islands by day yacht and come home each evening to privacy and space. Good for clients torn between a cruise and a land stay. Those set on the far western or northern islands (Fernandina, Genovesa, Española) will still need a cruise.
- The owners are an integral part of the experience. Reyna and Roberto host in person, and their conversations are what guests remember. When they occasionally travel, Montemar closes, so check availability.
- Built for the climate, so no air-conditioning needed. The highlands are cooler and greener than the coast (often misty June to November), and the villas were designed to stay comfortable on their own: thick lava walls that hold an even temperature, orientation to the sun and the prevailing wind, and ventilation chambers that keep out ground humidity. Guests sleep with the windows open behind screens, to fresh air and no light pollution. The occasional gecko or moth comes with the territory.
- Yacht days are usually shared (up to 16 guests, you own private guide accommpanies). An exclusive charter or an upgraded yacht available at a supplement.
- Cuisine. Much of the food comes comes from their own market garden or local suppliers. All dietary needs are catered for except kosher. Breakfast is ordered the night before and served when you like.
Perfect for:
Families (incl multi gen), couples and small groups who want to explore Galápagos with flexibility by day and come home to privacy, a chef and wild tortoises by night.
Gallery & Resources
Follow this link to Senderos Resources for access to:
- Images, our selection
- Fact sheets
- Presentations
- Videos
- Rack rates
- Excursion lists
- And other useful information
Contact us if you need anything else.
Getting there
less than an hour from Baltra airport, 20 minutes from Puerto Ayora
By Road
Montemar meets guests at Baltra with VIP lounge access. A short private transfer to the ferry crossing the Itabaca Channel, then a private transfer again climbs through the highlands to Montemar at El Carmen, Santa Cruz. The whole journey takes less than an hour. Puerto Ayora is 20 minutes away.
By Air
Daily flights from Quito (about 2½ hours, usually via Guayaquil) and Guayaquil (about 1 hour 45 minutes) to Baltra (GPS).
Weather
Galápagos has two seasons rather than four, and Montemar’s highland setting is a few degrees cooler and greener than the coast. Wildlife is excellent year-round.
- Warm season (December to May): sunny and humid, with short showers. Coast 24–30°C, highlands around 20–27°C. Sea 23–26°C, calmer, with the best snorkelling visibility.
- Cool season (June to November): the garúa brings mist and drizzle to the highlands while the coast stays dry and overcast. Coast 19–26°C, highlands around 15–22°C. Sea 19–22°C, wetsuit recommended, and the richest marine life of the year.