The M/Y Monserrat is a new yacht designed to complement unforgettable excursions to the Galapagos Islands while providing comfort and leisure for the resting adventurer. With elegant wood paneled interiors, this first class vessel provides spacious social areas that include dining room, lounge, bar and sundeck, making your trip a magical journey both on board and on the islands. All social areas have a direct view to the sea. In June 2007, recent renovations in the cabins included carpeting, original paintings, and new bedding. The bathrooms were upgraded with granite surfaces and glass shower doors.

The MONSERRAT is named for its elegant accommodation, excellent cuisine and for the great space of its social areas. The Yacht is amongst the fastest power vessels in the Galapagos, making for a more comfortable experience to its passengers.

Most importantly, the MONSERRAT is now part of the Good Environmental Practices Program of Rainforest Alliance and will complete the Smart Voyager Certification by the end of 2007.

The two powerful Detroit Diesel engines make the traverse quick. Monserrat features 6 Double Cabins and 2 Matrimonial Cabins with private bath, hot and cold water, lower twin beds and air conditioning. The large spaces in cabins, living rooms and bathrooms fit the elegance and comfort required to make your holiday in the Galapagos Islands an enjoyable experience.

Length:	28 M – 91 feet
Beam:	6.6 M. – 22 feet
Capacity:	16 passengers
Crew:	8, plus 1 naturalist guide
Speed:	8 – 9 knots cruising
Class:	First Class
Equipment:	2 Detroit Diesel engines, FURUNO VHF DSC, ICOM HF DSC, FURUNO RADAR, FURUNO SONAR, FURUNO GPS.

Itinerary 2008

THURSDAY:

San Cristobal – Loberia

Also Known as Chatam, this island of 558 sq km is the fifth largest in the archipelago and has the second largest population. The provincial capital of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno is found on the south west point of the island.

PM: Arrival in San Cristobal Airport and greeting by our naturalist guide. Transfer to the Monserrat Yacht (approx 10 mins).

Check in and Lunch on board

On the afternoon, we visit Loberia where you can see a big sea lion colony and marine iguanas. This will be a great introduction to our voyage through the Galapagos Islands.

FRIDAY:

Española Island

This Island, often called by its English name of Hood, is the most southerly in the archipelago. It is a medium sized island of 61sq km and there are two visitors sites.

Punta Suarez, lies at the western end of the island. A wet landing is necessary. There is a trail of about two km in length which takes the visitor trough a beach full of marine iguanas, by masked and blue–footed booby colonies before reaching the main attraction, the waved Albatros colony.

Gardner Bay is a beautiful white sand beach at the east end of Española. It is reached with a wet landing and there is good swimming, and a sea lion colony. An islet rock, a short distance away, provides with good snorkeling. You can often see white – tipped reef sharks around it.

SATURDAY:

Santa Fe – Plazas

Santa Fe is a 24sq km island 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 meter trail takes you to on of the tallest stands of opuntia cactus in the island to look out for land iguanas. Other attractions include a sea lion colony, excellent snorkeling, marine iguanas and of course birds.

Plazas: These two small islands are just off the east coast of Santa Cruz. A dry landing on a jetty brings you to an opuntia cactus forest where there are many land iguanas. A one km trail circuit leads visitors through sea lion colonies and along a cliff top walk where swallow – tailed gulls and other species nest.

After returning on board, we cruise for Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island where you will have the chance to disembark on the evening after dinner

SUNDAY:

Santa Cruz Island

In the morning we visit Charles Darwin Research Station, where if we are lucky we can see famous Lonesome George, the last specie of its kind from Pinta Island. At the center, we will visit a Galapagos Tortoise breeding center, giant tortoises, as well as land iguanas. Here you can appreciate how tortoises from different islands evolved to adapt to their specific environments.

Transfer out to Baltra Airport for passengers returning to mainland Ecuador and transfer in for passengers arriving from mainland Ecuador.

Return to the Monserrat for Lunch

On the afternoon we will board a coach to visit the highlands of Santa Cruz (35 mins) where we can see the famous Giant Galapagos Tortoises on the wild. Here we will be walking around their natural habitat while they roam through the plains. If there is the chance, we will also visit the Gemelos, two collapsed craters that remind us of the volcanic origins of the archipelago.

MONDAY:

Today we visit Sullivan Bay and Bartolome

This 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

After resting on board the Monserrat, we visit Bartolome Island with an area of 1.2 sq km. 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 (dry landing) from where we walk 600 meters to the 114 mt. summit of the island. The other visitor site is a small sandy beach in a cove (wet landing). Here there is good snorkeling and swimming and the opportunity to swim with the endemic Galapagos penguins which frequent this cove.

TUESDAY:

Today we visit Tower Island (Genovesa)

This 14 sq km island is known more often by its English name of Tower. The Monserrat cruises through the entrance of Darwin Bay into the flooded caldera of this extinct volcano to anchor in a naturally protected harbor. This island is well worth the long trip. It is the best place to see a red footed booby colony, as well as giving the opportunity to visit colonies of masked boobies, great frigate birds, red billed tropicbirds, swallow- tailed gulls, and many thousand of the petrels.

In the morning we will visit Prince Philip’s Steppes where we will follow a pathway along to visit the different bird colonies. And after lunch, we will visit the coral beach at the head of Darwin bay to do some more exploration as well as snorkeling and relaxation.

WEDNESDAY:

Today we visit Bachas Beach and North Seymour.

This morning we will visit Bachas Beach, a white coral beach, favorite by sea turtles for a nesting site. Behind one of the beaches there is a small brackish water lagoon, where occasionally is possible to observe flamingos and other coastal birds, such as black-necked stilts and whimbrels. We will have a chance to swim and snorkel back to the Monserrat.

On the afternoon we will visit North Seymour Island. Here we will visit 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.

THURSDAY:

Sleeping Lion / Interpretation center

Early this morning we 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.

After our arrival to San Cristobal, we 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.

Transfer to the airport to fly back to the mainland for departing passengers.
Passengers continuing the tour will come back to the Monserrat for Lunch.

*Itineraries are subject to change without prior notice.

NIGHTS	LOWER DECK	UPPER DECK
7	USD 2.100	USD 2.300
4	USD 1.450	USD 1.575

Prices subject to change without prior notice.

• Please add fuel surcharge according to the cruise length since June 1st 2008.
• SINGLE SUPLEMENT IF NOT SHARING: 70%
• CHILD DISCOUNT: 25% (Child must be under 12 years)

All rates are subject to change. In case of increase in fuel prices, a fuel surcharge will apply.

Rates Includes:
transfers in Quito or Guayaquil, 2 night accommodation in Quito or Guayaquil – first class hotels (included breakfast), Galapagos Cruise (5D or 8D), accommodation in double cabin, meals while in the Galapagos, naturalist guide while on yacht, visits according with the itinerary.

Not included:
Domestic airfare: (Quito/Guayaquil/Galapagos/Guayaquil/Quito), international airfare, international transfers, airport taxes, travel insurance, lunch and dinner while in towns or cities, entrance to Galapagos National Park($100), Galapagos Transit Card, services not indicated