Visiting Isla Isabela, One of the Youngest Islands of the Galápagos
Highlights of an Affordable, Land Based Trip: Exploring the Galápagos Islands Independently without a Cruise
Isla Isabela (Puerto Villamil) is the largest island in the Galápagos, it is connected to the other islands via intra-island flights or a two hour speed boat, twice daily, from Santa Cruz (8AM or 2PM). The boat ride is often choppy, a light meal or snack (versus heavy food) and sea / motion sickness antidotes are recommended. Even though it is the most massive island by size, it is much more quiet and relaxed than Santa Cruz (Puerto Ayora.) Puerto Villamil beach is one of the most iconic of the islands, white powder beach shaded by dry tropical forest and coconut palms, the perfect place to spend an afternoon lounging with a good book, simply napping, or taking in views of the incredible sunset.
I arrived by speed boat and stayed for three nights, welcomed by sea lions lounging around by the pier. I originally planned for two but quickly realized that they weren’t going to be nearly enough. The boat ride took exactly two hours ($50 round trip) and I took a taxi directly from the port to the hotel ($1). The town is small and easily navigable with sandy streets and dramatic lava colored black roads. The main strip contains most of the island’s restaurants and nightlife.
Day 1:
The first day I spent getting to know the environment, checked out the local tour offerings, took a walk to Centro de Crianza Arnaldo Tupiza — the tortoise breeding center and Laguna de Flamencos. There were not many flamingos in the area because the flock recently feasted here and the food supply was not as plentiful as a few days ago (there are only about 600 in the entire archipelago). I saw less than ten flamingos in three different areas, however, the ones that I did see had the most vibrant colored feathers than all the flamingos that I’ve seen in Aruba and Bolivia. It turns out that the bright pink color of these birds comes from beta carotene, a red-orange pigment that’s found in the algae, larvae, and brine shrimp that flamingos eat in their wetland environment.
I met L. on the walk to the flamingo lake, he’s a local working for the national park, taking care of plants and animals on the island. He has a thirteen year-old daughter that is currently going to school and studying German on Santa Cruz Island. We chatted for a bit and he made some suggestions of things to do on Isabela (see Day 3), so I decided to extend my stay for an extra day. He gave me a lift to the pier to see Concha de Perla (a shallow, calm swimming spot perfect for beginner snorkelers), en route, we stopped by a strikingly viewpoint of black lava fields with contrasting green vegetation, and he also shared with me his opinion about how love is the most important thing in life…
Day 2:
Los Túneles day tour was unforgettable. Our naturalist Rodolfo, Captain Alex, and co-pilot Jose-Luis were a capable team. They were attentive and patient, in our group were travelers from Australia, Ecuador, Michigan, Utah, and England. We were lucky to see a lone penguin (spheniscus mendiculus), sea lions, and Nazca boobies (sula granti) on Roca Union. We had a tasty lunch box in the boat with views of the stunning lava tunnels. On the land tour we saw blue-footed boobies (sula nebouxii), a female guarding her egg in the nest and a proud male doing the courtship dance and showing off his vibrant-colored webbed feet. In the water, we snorkeled with schools of native fish, giant tortoises, white-tip reef sharks, blacktip sharks, and also spotted a rare brown sea horse. N. (the Londoner who recently worked in finance) and I ended the day with a nice affordable seafood dinner on Main Street and a round of local Pilsner beer on the beach admiring the Southern Cross and brilliant stars in the sky.
Day 3:
Independent adventure day on Isla Isabela. There is a public local bus that leaves from the town’s central mercado every morning at 7AM, it costs $1 and it goes to the highlands and inner parts of the island. I took the bus to the entrance of Cueva de Sucre and I was the only person there (besides running into N. and the volcano day tour group for the first ten minutes), I had the place to myself for hours. Cueva de Sucre is a cave formed by lava tubes on the southern edge of a volcano. It turns out that these days, the tour of the volcanos also goes to the Cueva de Sucre, due to recent rumbles at Volcan Chico it is not possible to visit the north side of Sierra Negra, and therefore the tour operator added this site to the itinerary to fill some time. I was glad that I visited the caves on my own because I was able to take my time with photos and wander in otherwise restricted areas (shhh).
L. also recommended that I check out Finca Campo Duro on the way back from Cueva de Sucre, the leisurely walk past La Esperanza to the farm was about an hour. There were blossoming flowers and fauna along the way as well as a cattle ranch and other farms. It’s possible to volunteer at Finca Campo Duro and help out for a few weeks, the farm also serves coffee, snacks, and lunch. I explored the property a bit, walked with some tortoises and appreciated the fruitful cherimoya, maracuya, and mango trees. The Swedish volunteer I encountered on the way out kindly offered me a ripe mango to take home which I accepted with gratitude.
I hitchhiked back to Puerto Villamil on the back of a moto with R., a local resident who was up in the highlands feeding his livestock. Alternatively, there was a return bus sometime in the afternoon much later than I would have liked and it didn’t seem pleasant to hike many kilometers back to the village under the sweltering midday Ecuadorian sun. We chatted about the peace and tranquil lifestyle on the island while riding at a leisurely pace. I was dropped off close to center of town.
After a filling lunch on Main Street and a short rest at the hotel I set out for the Wall of Tears (Muro de las Lágrimas). It’s possible to visit the site by bicycle ($4 an hour rental or $20 for the day), however since my skills on two wheels are lacking, I went there on foot. The wall was constructed during 1946–1959, a time when the island was a penal colony, and it is a sad reminder of the history of the island. Prisoners were forced to build this rock wall, so named because of the number of convicts who lost their lives during its construction, perhaps for the sole purpose of distracting them from their loneliness and isolation.
From the official entrance of the Muro de las Lágrimas, which is about 2KM from the edge of town, the recommended duration of visit is about three hours. There are many enclaves to visit en route: a lava tunnel, beaches, lakes, and two unmissable viewpoints from above of rolling lush green hills and the picturesque coastline. Many giant tortoises also reside within the park. I was the last one in the area and stayed around until after the sun had set. There were no lights out there, so my footsteps quickened and my breath shortened as I skittishly hurried back to town in the dark at a brisk pace. It’s not dangerous on the islands and crime is unheard of, but I was uneasy walking in the park alone and in an unfamiliar environment (it’s never a bad idea to err on the side of caution!) Once in town I stopped by the barbecue stand on the street for a snack as a reward after a day of exploration on the island.
Day 3
Volcan (Sierra Negra and Volcan Chico) was a half day tour. Sierra Negas is an active volcano and it has the largest caldera of all the Galápagos volcanos. The last eruption in 2005 and lasted over a week. Weather is unpredictable and there are different climate zones on the island. It was blue skies and clear at the coast, while up near the volcano and highlands it was wet, the trail was muddy, and the visibility was very poor. The first stop was Cueva de Sucre which I had already visited, this time enhanced with introductions and explanation. We rode the bus further inland, and hiked for an hour to an hour where we were supposed to be able to see the caldera of the volcano which has the second largest crater in the world. We then lingered at the viewpoint, munching on our tour-included snacks, for half an hour hoping that the fog and clouds would clear but unfortunately it never did. The tour ended before lunch back at Puerto Villamil where the sun was shining. I took a stroll to the beach to savor the last moments on the island and had a light meal before the afternoon boat ride to Santa Cruz.
Isla Isabela is amazingly beautiful, and a visit doesn’t have to be costly. I was able to negotiate a lower rate for my lodging for the additional night directly with the place of accommodation. I had empanadas and chorizo rolls for $1 — $1.50, three-course lunch and dinner (yes, dinner!) deals on the main street ranged from $6 — $8 in which the entrée usually consisted of a delicious protein such as chicken, fish, or shrimp with rice and salad, served along with an appetizer, dessert, and fresh juice. Near the local mercado the prices were even more affordable.
Stay on the island for at least three nights, and you’d wish you had more time here…
Don’t miss: Los Tuneles, Wall of Tears (Muro de las Lágrimas), and Concha de Perla.
Other things to do: Snorkeling at las Tintoreras, islotes Cuatro Hermanos, overnight cruises to the west coast of the island.
I do not receive any benefits or incentives from the places or links that appear in this post.
