Isabela – Galápagos Islands

The seahorse-shaped island of Isabela, the biggest out of the Galapagos islands, was formed out of 6 originally separate shield volcano islands by lava flows. It is often named the favourite island by travellers, as it is home to the beloved Galápagos penguins. Sadly, we didn’t get to see them but we still had an incredible time and saw lots of Galápagos wildlife.

Now, let’s dive into what you can experience on Isabela!

Getting to Isabela

There are ferries to and from Santa Cruz to Isabela, however, not from San Cristóbal. This is a little confusing and important to remember, as you might need to calculate an extra day for your layover, if you are planning to also visit San Cristóbal. Ferries depart twice daily at 7:00 and 15:00. You can check the current schedule and book tickets in advance here or here. Alternatively, all tour agencies on the islands also sell ferry tickets. Prices are the same everywhere, a ticket costs $35 per person for the 2-hour ride between Santa Cruz and Isabela. Worth noting that the waters can be quite choppy, and many passengers suffered from seasickness. If you are prone to motion sickness, make sure to take some medication before the journey.

It is a 15-minute walk from the ferry port to the centre of Puerto Villamil. You can either walk along the quiet road or get a taxi at the port waiting for arriving passengers. The ride costs only a couple of dollars.

Isabela does not have its own airport with connections to mainland Ecuador, so you will need to plan accordingly.

Unlike other islands, there is an extra $10 entrance fee per person, which is collected in cash at the ferry terminal.

What to do on the island & animals to spot

We visited Isabela off-season and found that many restaurants and facilities aimed at tourists were closed. It was a stark contrast to the other islands and the atmosphere felt way more quiet than San Cristóbal and Santa Cruz. In the busy season, this can be a nice change of scenery. In the off-season the island definitely felt a little deserted.

We were there in penguin season in September, so we had very high hopes and could not wait to get to this island. We decided that this would be our last destination in the Galápagos, to have a perfect ending to our trip – sadly, we were out of luck this time. It turned out that in the week of our arrival, penguins started their mating season and migrated to a bay on the far north side of the island which cannot be accessed by any tour. Sadly, we did not manage to see any penguins in the end, although people who were there the week before told us that they saw some.

Besides the penguins, Isabela is also famous for marine iguanas and they are significantly bigger on this island than on the other ones. With a bit of luck, you can even observe them swimming and diving.

Poza de los Flamingos

This is a great spot, reachable by foot from the centre, where you can spot flamingos. We saw many white and pink ones digging the water for algae and we were often the only people at this little pond. Location

Concha de Perla (Pearl Shell)

This beautiful lagoon is an excellent snorkelling spot just a short walk away from the city centre. On the way you will walk through a beautiful mangrove forest! While snorkelling there, we saw sea lions, lots of turtles, colourful fish and a marine iguana. In some months you might even be lucky to see penguins here! Location

Wall of Tears

Isabela hosted the largest penal colony in the archipelago from 1946 to 1959 with around 100 convicts kept in the facilities. Despite the fact that most prisoners were convicted for small crimes, they were forced to do hard labour and to build this wall with their bare hands, with the sole purpose of punishment.

The remainder of the wall is a 3-metre-wide, 50-metre-long stretch that reaches 8 metres in height at some points. The site is located 6 km from the town centre of Puerto Villamil and can be reached on an interesting and diverse hiking route. On the way, you will pass by the oldest cemetery of the island, and walk along the western part of the Puerto Villamil beach as well as several lagoons surrounded by dense mangrove forests.

In the second half of the trail, you will pass through dense vegetation that transitions into a low-rise bushy area, typical for the volcanic landscapes of the Galápagos. Make sure to take a break at the Cerro Orchilla lookout for a really good view!

If you do not feel like walking the long trail, you can also approach by car until you reach the parking area, around 200 metres from the wall.

Here is the location of the wall, the trail from the town centre is conveniently marked on Google Maps.

Puerto Villamil Beach

This is the closest beach to Puerto Villamil, and is very easy to reach from the city centre. It is a perfect spot for a nice evening walk or just a relaxing afternoon watching the endless waves chasing tiny sanderlings. We also saw loads of blue-footed boobies here resting on the rocks by the beach from the observation tower – a really cool encounter! We also spotted marine iguanas, pelicans dive-fishing for their dinner and string rays hovering in the shallow water. On the east side, there’s a great place to surf. We didn’t go into the water this time, because the waves were quite strong and the water super cold. Location

Diving at Tortuga Island

This is the only dive site you can reach on a day trip from Isabela, all other sites are only accessible if you are on a cruise. We did not have the chance to dive here this time, but the small half-moon-shaped island is supposed to be a great spot to swim with hammerhead sharks and manta rays. It is the remainder of an extinct volcano (like many others in the Galápagos) and can be reached in about 45 minutes by speedboat. Location

Tours

Los Túneles tour

This was hands down our favorite tour on the Galápagos Islands and we definitely recommend booking it! The marine life here is just incredible – while snorkelling through the tunnels, we saw plenty of whitetip reef sharks, turtles, stingrays, a baby Galápagos shark and even a tiny seahorse attached to an underwater twig! It was particularly interesting to observe the whitetip reef sharks sleeping in the mud on the bottom. There were so many turtles at some point that we had to actively try to not bump into them while swimming. Also, watch out before you step on the ground to avoid accidentally stepping on a shark sleeping there! We recommend following the guidance of your tour guide, they have an otherworldly ability to spot things underwater (like the 1-inch brown seahorse attached to brown wood in muddy water)…

After snorkelling, we went for a walk on top of the lava rocks. The landscape is so unique and absolutely breathtaking! Here we saw some of the famous blue-footed boobies nesting and taking care of their babies – definitely our highlight of the tour. Depending on the season, you might also be able to spot penguins here. All in all, it was an incredibly beautiful day!

We booked at a local tour office and paid $110 for the tour. If you don’t want to leave it to chance and want to be sure to get a spot, book tickets online in advance here (Viator).

Tintoreras tour

This is typically a half-day tour from Puerto Villamil to the nearby Tintoreras with multiple departure options throughout the day. You will have probably seen this islet before, as all the ferries arriving at Isabela pass by these rocky lava formations. The highlight of the tour is the chance of seeing penguins. This heavily depends on the season, so we recommend asking around if groups on previous days managed to spot any penguins, before booking. You can also snorkel in the nearby waters and can usually observe sea turtles, stingrays, sea lions, and whitetip reef sharks. You can book tickets online in advance here (Viator).

Trillizos & Sierra Negra volcano tours

On the Sierra Negra tour, you will be taken to the crater of the still active volcano for 5-hour hike. The terrain is mostly flat, and you will walk around the perimeter of the crater to soak in the panoramic views and you will have the chance to examine the volcanic landscape and rock formations.

If you feel a little more adventurous, you can even descend into an ancient volcanic crater on the Trillizos volcano tour. Here you will see the impressive geological formations like quartz crystals and petrified lichens, created by eruptions around 600.000 years ago.

Best season to visit

The Galápagos Islands have two distinct seasons:

• The wet season (December to June) is the warmer season and also more touristy in general, especially around the Christmas holidays. The ocean is a bit calmer, and water temperatures are higher. Rain occurs almost daily and skies are often cloudy. Thanks to the rain, trees and bushes turn lush green.
• The dry season (July to November) brings cooler temperatures which are pleasant on land, but significantly colder underwater, with a higher possibility of choppy waters. July and August are particularly busy because of the holiday season, which also drives hotel and tour prices up, therefore, we recommend avoiding those months.

We recommend to pick a month with decent water visibility, as you might otherwise miss out on all the marine life that is underneath you. In general, visibility tends to be better in warmer months between December and May, however, marine life is more active in cooler months. Another consideration is water temperature. During our visit in September, the water was still so cold that it was borderline unbearable for us, even wearing wetsuits. We wouldn’t recommend going in the even colder months, but after all, you have to weigh it up based on your preferences.

Where to stay

The hotels here were a little more pricey compared to the other islands where we stayed, but still in an absolutely affordable range. You will most probably either stay in Puerto Villamil, the largest settlement on the island, or at one of the more remote lodges near the Sierra Negra volcano. The latter is a great way to enjoy a quiet retreat and stay close to nature surrounded by lush greenery.

We stayed at the recently constructed Hospedaje Jennifer ($) (booked on AirBnB) in Puerto Villamil and had a very comfortable time there. The hotel is newly built, modern and very clean. Other hotels we researched and would recommend considering:

• Paraiso de Isabela ($): A simple but more budget-conscious option, also with complimentary breakfast in a great location.
• Hotel Sula Sula ($$): A modern hotel offering complimentary breakfast. The location is just a block away from the local market in the town centre.

• Campo Duro Ecolodge ($$): a family-owned eco-lodge and campsite located directly in the lush greenery of Isabela.
• Scalesia Lodge ($$$): a luxurious retreat resembling of a resort-style hotel. They do not only offer accommodation but also planning service for your entire time in the Galápagos. You can find out more on the hotel’s website here.

Restaurant recommendations

As we were there off-season, many restaurants were closed. Anyway, we managed to find a couple of great options that we can recommend!

Albita Grill: as the name suggests, their speciality is grilled meat and seafood presented in an elegant way! Their menu del dia, a daily course meal typically consisting of a starter, main and fresh juice or/and dessert, cost around €7-8 and their seafood was great. Location

Mercado Municipal: this a local market with multiple restaurants, bakeries and people selling fresh produce. Restaurants are open until late in the evening, and it’s also a great spot to grab a hearty breakfast! Location

La Panadería: a small bakery with outdoor seating, a nice spot to grab a quick breakfast and some coffee. Location

There are also a couple of small grocery stores and pharmacies where you can stock up on necessities.