M/Y Bonita was renovated in September 2019 and explores the Galapagos through three different itineraries. The yacht, a Lata Achievement Award runner-up, has eight crew members and one naturalist guide on board.
The ship houses 16 passengers across nine cabins, including king, twin, and triple-sized cabins. All cabins include a private bathroom with hot and cold water, air conditioning, a telephone for internal communication on board, a speaker, and eco-friendly shower products. Located on the main deck is a living room with panoramic windows, a bar, a mini-video library, thematic books, and board games. The dining room is also on the main deck and serves three daily meals, including vegan and vegetarian options. The sundeck has 360-degree views of the ocean with lounge chairs, a sunroof, and cocktail tables.
The ship includes safety features such as two survival rafts for 15 passengers each, 50 life jackets, six lifebuoys, a flare gun, hand lights, smoke signals, and fire protection and prevention equipment.
Rates include airport assistance, Galapagos transfers, accommodation, meals, visits, excursions, snorkel gear (mask, tube, wetsuit, and fins), kayaks, paddleboards, and unlimited drinks (water, coffee, tea, and soft drinks), and beach towels. Local flights to and from the Galapagos, the Galapagos National Park entrance fee, the Galapagos Transit card, alcoholic beverages, tips, local taxes, and travel insurance are not included.
Itinerary A, the northern route, lasts seven days and explores Santa Cruz, Santiago, Isabela, and Fernandina. Highlights of this trip include Dragon Hill, the only location in Santa Cruz where large land iguanas can be seen, and snorkeling right off the island in shallow, sheltered water. Here, there are large schools of fish and reef sharks. One of the last stops on this trip is at the Charles Darwin Station, where guests will learn about the biodiversity of the Galapagos and the efforts to preserve the native species. This trip is primarily hiking and snorkeling but includes panga rides, paddle boarding, and kayaking.
Itinerary B, the western route, lasts five days and visits Santa Cruz, Floreana, Espanola, San Cristobal, and Lobos Island. The first stop on this trip is the highlands, where Galapagos Giant turtles roam. A popular destination on this trip is Floreana island, where there is a vast history of German settlers in the early 1900s, including assassinations, disappearances, and unsolved mysteries. Visitors hike along the small beach and lava tunnel, then afterward, can snorkel in Post Office Bay, where there are sea turtles, rays, and Galapagos penguins. Near the end of the trip, guests will visit the Interpretation Center, which is dedicated to human life in the Galapagos. Afterward, they will hike near Kicker Rock, a towering volcanic formation.
Itinerary C, the southern route, lasts five days and explores Plazas, Santa Cruz, Genovesa, Santiago, Bartolome, and Seymour. Black Turtle Cove is a popular destination on this route as it is famous for its green sea turtles, shallow channels, small caves, and mangrove forests. This itinerary also stops at the highlands and Sullivan Bay, known for its preserved lava and snorkeling along the coral sand beach.
Narrative text and photographs courtesy of Galagents.