Semilla Verde Lodge & Spa

Step into another world and experience firsthand the beauty and awe of the Galapagos Islands during a stay at Semilla Verde (the “Green Seed”). This rural forest lodge offers a unique and intimate experience for friends, family, or group retreats. Escape from your busy life and enjoy the sea air, unique flora and fauna, and personal service while staying in one of the hotel’s six ensuite bedrooms. A natural alternative to mainstream hotels in town, Semilla Verde features air conditioning and private terraces in all guest rooms as well as two large lounge areas, 12 acres of native forest with walking trails, a fully equipped yoga studio and gym, restaurant, bar, laundry service, and WiFi.

Semilla Verde is located on the slopes of an ancient and extinct volcano on Santa Cruz Island, 650+ feet above sea level in a humid zone where members of the endemic Scalesia genus (i.e., Tree daisies) thrive. Enjoy a remote location where giant tortoises lumber through the lodge’s coffee plantations and where abundant bird life thrives in the forest canopy. Bustling Puerto Ayora is just 15 minutes away from this oasis.

Facilities
* Two lounges
* Yoga studio and gym
* Spa treatments
* Restaurant
* Bar
* Swimming pool
* Laundry service
* WiFi
* 12 acres of native forest with walking trails
* Hotel & tour package options

Accommodations
Semilla Verde Lodge is spread over three levels and offers three room types: Executive Double, Superior Rooms, and Standard Rooms. All six rooms are ensuite, have private terraces, and feature unique charm and quirks. Be enchanted by panoramic views of the Galapagos National Park, Galapagos Marine Reserve, and outlying islands.

* Executive Double – Located on the upper level, this spacious south-facing bedroom features a queen-sized bed, wooden floors, wall-to-wall sliding glass doors with a southern exposure, a private balcony, and a walk-in wardrobe. This room also offers air conditioning and window views in all four directions.

* Superior Double – Two Superior Double Rooms are located on the Lodge’s midlevel, with direct access to the main lounge, dining area, and terrace. With additional access to a private terrace via sliding glass doors, guests can enjoy expansive views of the cloud forest and the sea, or of the tortoise pond and gardens. Each room provides one or two beds and ensuite facilities with air conditioning.

* Standard Double – These three ground floor rooms provide access to a private terrace via wall-to-wall sliding glass doors, as well as to a second lounge with panoramic views of the coastline, flower gardens, and coffee plantations. Each room features queen-sized or twin beds, ensuite facilities, air conditioning, and direct access to walking trails.

Dining
Enjoy home cooking freshly prepared in the Semilla Verde kitchen. Meals can be vegetarian or include meat and fish options. At the end of an exciting day, exchange stories around the dining table with other guests.

* Coffee – Coffee lovers will love their stay at Semilla Verde, which boasts a 12 acre sustainable coffee plantation of 3000+ Arabica coffee (Coffea Arabica) trees. The volcanic soils, unique climatic conditions, and altitude of the lodge are conducive to growth of the highest quality beans. As the world’s first producer of “tortoise friendly coffee”, these trees have been planted alongside endemic and endangered Tree daisies (Scalesia pedunculata) without disturbing the traditional migration route of the tortoise. Enjoy unlimited coffee refills during your stay at Semilla Verde, and if you desire, purchase beans to take home!

Activities
* Day trips – Day trips with qualified naturalist guides are available to the most spectacular outlying islands and local attractions. Full day island excursions include a land and snorkel element, and provide masks, fins, and lunch on the boat. Examples of tours include full day boat trips to Bartolome, North Seymour & South Plazas, or Santa Fe Islands, a guided visit to Charles Darwin Station and the Highlands of Santa Cruz, or an excursion to Tortuga Bay Beach. Half day and self-guided options are also available.

* Yoga retreat – Semilla Verde’s yoga studio features beautiful bamboo flooring and full windows offering scenic views. The studio is stocked with yoga mats, cork blocks, straps, a sound system, iPod dock, and a heating/cooling ventilation system.

* Spa – Relax, renew, and revitalize with a spa treatment by one of Semilla Verde’s experienced therapists. Pamper yourself with a massage, exfoliation, body wrap, pedicure, facial, wax, or sauna treatment.

Sustainability Initiatives
Semilla Verde is committed to embracing and promoting sustainable initiatives and ecologically responsible decision making. Semilla Verde serves as a model of sustainability in the Galapagos via:
* Allocating funds from the hotel back into conservation efforts and the local economy
* Reforestation and coffee plantation projects – through its absorption of carbon dioxide, Semilla Verde has a negative carbon footprint
* Eradication of invasive plant species and reforestation of farmland
* Habitat for flora and fauna – the hotel design avoids disturbing migration routes of giant tortoises and provides habitat for birds, insects and plants
* Production of coffee and vegetables for the hotel employees and guests. Excess is sold at the local market.
* Sustainable tourism – Agro-ecotourism provides a sustainable work opportunity for the local community