The Best Things to do on Isabela Island-Galapagos

If you’re are planning a land-based Galapagos Itinerary make sure you include a stay on Isla Isabela. It’s a stunningly beautiful part of South America! To help make the most of your visit I’ve put together this post on the best things to do on Isabela Island Galapagos.

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Isabela Galapagos island is the largest in the archipelago, and its five active volcanoes make the landscape dramatic.

There’s plenty of things to see, and if you’re looking for animals on Galapagos islands, you won’t be disappointed.

You’re more likely to see a sea lion lying on the benches around town than you are a human.

The main town of Isla Isabela Galapagos is Puerto Villamil. It’s a small size, laid back attitude and sandy roads make a stay here feel like your relaxing in paradise.

The beaches are stunning, and there are some excellent snorkelling sites nearby.

Things to do on Isabela Island Galapagos

To see the best of Galapagos Isla Isabela plan to stay for 3-4 days as they’re several day trips not to miss as you’ll discover in this guide.

Puerto Villamil

Almost everyone who visits Isabela does so as part of an island-hopping land-based Galapagos Itinerary. Most people choose to stay in the centre of Puerto Villamil as that’s the central tourist spot in Isabela and where you’ll find the majority of hotels and restaurants.

Puerto Villamil is on the south-east corner of the island, and much of the town is on the strip in front of the ocean. When you wander around you’ll feel like your stepping back in time. There’s a lagoon with flamingos to enjoy, sandy roads where marine iguana’s pass you by and beaches where sea lions bask in the sun.

The main street Avenida Antonio Gil is where most of the hotels and restaurants are, and it’s easy to walk from one end of town to the other.

Pozo Villamil

At the far end of Avenida Antonio Gil are the Iguana crossing hotel and the start of the trail that leads to the Isabela island tortoise breeding centre.

It’s a beautiful walk that takes you through the mangroves and around Pozo Villamil.

Along the way, you’ll probably see plenty of marine iguana’s sunbathing on the path. At first, they can seem a little daunting as they’re much more significant than you think, but they are harmless. I guarantee you it won’t take you long to become fascinated by them.

When you get to the lagoon, there’s a wooden boardwalk with several viewing platforms over the water. Even though this is an Isabela tourist spot, you’re unlikely to see that many people its always peaceful here.

The lagoon is an excellent place to spot water birds, and you’ll often see flamingos wading in the water. A trip here is one of the best free things to do on Isabela island. 

Continuing along the wooden boardwalk towards the tortoise centre is worth doing. The mangrove vegetation provides excellent shading from the sun, and there’s a couple of seating areas to relax in along the way.

A kilometre or so further on you’ll reach the Centro de Crianza de Tortugas.

Centro de Crianza de Tortugas

If you have yet to see a Galapagos island giant tortoise, then it’s worth taking a visit inside. Like on other Galapagos islands, Isabela’s tortoise breeding center is doing incredible work to restore the population of the Giant tortoise.

It’s free to visit, and a volunteer will give you a guide. You’ll be able to see the tortoises in all stages of life, from the wee baby ones to the adults who graze in the open pens outside.  

After your visit to the tortoise centre, continue approximately half a kilometre further as there’s another lagoon which often as flamingos.

If the walk to the tortoise centre is a little too far you can catch a taxi there for approximately $1.

Pozo Salinas

Behind the main square in Puerto Villamil near the hotel La Laguna is another lagoon where you can occasionally see flamingoes.

It’s a pleasant spot to check out if you’re in the centre of town as the sun sets and easy to walk to before dinner.

Concha de Perla Isabela, Galapagos

At the other end of Avenida Antonio Gil near the pier where you catch the ferry to Santa Cruz Island Galapagos is Concha de Perla.

To get there, follow the signpost to the trail. It’s off to the left just before the immigration point at the port.

The wooden boardwalk takes you through the mangroves and if you keep your eyes peeled along the way you might spot a few marine iguanas and sea lions.

Often they both lie on the walkway so you may have to step carefully across them, which is a fun experience in itself.

At the end of the path, there’s a small platform where you can leave your belongings (best not to bring anything valuable) before going snorkelling.

Incidentally, if you are worried about leaving things unattended, [easyazon_link identifier=”B01NBSHBEO” locale=”US” tag=”passportand0e-20″ cart=”n”]these dry bags[/easyazon_link] are brilliant.

They’ll keep your items dry and act as a buoyancy aid so you can wear them in the water and ensure that your belongings are safe.

The water can be quite cold, so its best to wear a snorkelling top and don’t forget to bring your mask. You can hire them in town, but if your travelling to the Galapagos on holiday, I’d recommend you bring your snorkelling gear with you. The hire costs mount up over the week.

It’s best to go to Concha de Perla in the late afternoon as your chances of spotting dolphins, rays and possibly reef sharks are higher.

Muro de las Lágrimas – Wall of Tears 

Visiting the wall of tears is one of the free and historical things to do in the Galapagos Islands. It’s approximately 7km from Puerto Villamil, and the easiest way to get here is by bike.

You can easily hire bikes around town, and most of the hotels have bikes for rent. If you are walking, it will take a couple of hours, but there are plenty of things to see along the way.

You can often see Giant wild tortoises along the way, and the scenery is spectacular at specific points.

The wall is a poignant and significant landmark on the island. Prisoners who were sent here in the 1940s and 50’s built the wall by hand.

The only purpose of the wall was to make the inmates suffer. They had to carry the massive volcanic rocks from various places around the island to build the wall. There were many injuries and even some deaths, which is why it’s called the wall of tears.

How to get to Wall of Tears

To get there follow Avenida Antonio Gil and continue you straight ahead passed the trail to Pozo Villamil. There’s a signpost at the start of the trail. You can’t get lost as its one continuous road along the coast.

At the start of the trail to the wall of tears, you have to sign in at the gatehouse. The path is open till 6 pm although there is no gate so you won’t get trapped if you arrive back late.

Playa del Amor and La Playita

After visiting the wall of tears walk back along the beach to Puerto Villamil. The fine silica sand is beautiful and the perfect place to relax and watch the sunset.

It’s also a great place to watch birds such as pelicans swoop into the ocean to catch fish. Playa del Amor is the first beach you’ll come to, and you’ll see that part of it is closed off.

Marina iguanas lay their eggs here. Hence, certain areas are out of bounds. However, if you continue to La Playita, you can take a swim and relax on this gorgeous beach.

Day trips on and around Isabela Island Galapagos

Sierra Negra volcano 

Isabela Island has several active volcanoes, and a trip to Sierra Negra is one of Isabela tourist spots not to miss.

The hike up Volcán Sierra Negra is challenging at times, and you do require a certain level of fitness, but it’s well worth the effort.

A lot of trips to Galapagos island attractions need a national park guide and climbing Sierra Negra is one of them. Tours depart from town, and it takes around 30 minutes to get to the base of the volcano.

The scenery on the way changes dramatically from the sandy/ beach of the city, through to a more rainforest type environment. The trees were particularly impressive, they reminded me of those in the enchanted wood stories or the flower fairies, with twisted branches and moss draping from them.

It’s an 8km trail to the top, so the 16km hike is not to be taken lightly, that said most visitors to Isabela Island take the challenge. The guides allow you to walk back in your own time so you can frequently rest if you need to and of course, it’s downhill.

The hike up Sierra Negra

From the car park its approximately a 5 km walk to the first crater. This first section is the most challenging as its a steady climb for much of the way. It’s often foggy at the first crater, but the view is spectacular even with the mist in the background.

From here the scenery becomes baron and unlike anything I’d ever seen before. The volcano last erupted in 2005, and much of the area is still black.

There’s little shade in this section, and the sun is fierce, so don’t forget to bring your suntan cream and a hat. Occasionally there is a small sign of life with cactus plants slowly reemerging.

This section of the walk is a little challenging as the ground is unstable. The mineral rock crumbles beneath your foot as you try and negotiate the path.

The area is entirely baron, and you can see two distinct lava trails, one which was red from the eruption in 2005 and the other is completely black from the eruption in 1979.

On the black side, occasional ferns are beginning to grow. Yet, the landscape still feels sparse and somewhat like your on another planet.

There are, however, some interesting holes to see where the lava burst through the ground. You can put your hands into some of the smaller ones and feel the heat which still comes from the active chamber below.

A few more kilometres on you reach the summit of Volcán Chico, a sub crater which has a magnificent view over the island. Keep your eyes peeled for the Galapagos hawks that glide around here; they add to the magic of this whole experience.

Don’t miss out book your tour to Sierra Negra Volcano through Tripadvisor here.

You can also book your tour to Sierra Negra Volcano through Expedia if you prefer.

Los Tuneles tour

Another spectacular landscape not to miss from Galapagos Isabela island is Los Tuneles. The snorkelling on this trip is also the best you’ll see on the island.

The half-day tour takes you to a world of unique and spectacular lava rock formations. Sailing through these on a boat is almost like being on a Disney ride except the landscape is real.

The lava formations that look like tunnels are in an uninhabited part of the island approximately an hour from Puerto Villamil.

The area is so isolated that many animals from the Galapagos islands have made these waters their home.

It takes around 30-40 minutes to get here by boat, and most tour companies stop at least once, for some snorkelling.

Our guide came in the water with us and showed us where to find sea horses in the mangroves and reef sharks lurking in the rocks—the reef sharks where huge not like the baby ones you often see when snorkelling. We also saw several rays and a couple of sea turtles. 

After some fantastic snorkelling, the boats make their way to Cabo Rosa, which is the name of the tunnels. As the ship slowly navigates through the lava formations, it feels like you’re entering Jurassic Park.

You’ll get the opportunity to take several short walks on the volcanic rock to explore and observe the landscape and wildlife. The water beneath the tunnels is so bright and shallow that we could easily see the sea turtles and parrotfish swimming.

The blue-footed boobies were also basking in the sun alongside several iguanas. It was a truly spectacular experience. Hence a trip to Los tunnels is one of the Galapagos tours not to miss from Isabella island.

Book ahead to make sure you don’t miss out on a tour to Los Tuneles at this link.

Nature Galapagos tours offer a cheaper price, but the tour is a couple of hours shorter. You can book there trip here.

Los Tintoreras Galapagos

Things to do in Galapagos islands usually involve water and a Los Tintoreras tour is no exception. The trip is similar to Los Tuneles although the spot is only a five-minute boat ride from town.

While there are some lava rock formations here, they are not comparable to Los Tuneles. However, the snorkelling is excellent.

On a walk around these small islets, you can see some of the best Isabela island animals. Blue-footed boobies sit on the rocks and marine iguana’s bask in the sun.

It’s also a great place to spot Galapagos penguins and marine turtles. The sea here is calm and crystal clear, so you don’t have to get in the water to experience the magnificent marine life.

From the rocky outcrops, you can often see white-tipped sharks, parrotfish, sea turtles and marine iguanas swimming in the channels. Of course, if you choose to go snorkelling here the corals and colourful fish and beautiful.

You can reserve your place on a tour to Los Tintoreras at this link.

Isabela Galapagos Hotels

I highly recommend staying at Isabella beach house, which as the name suggests, is right on the beach. The harbour is only a 5-minute walk away, and the views are simply stunning.

Hot showers (not always guaranteed in the Galapagos), clean rooms, American breakfast and beautiful surroundings. What’s not to like?

The staff are friendly and dietary requests such as gluten-free can be catered for if necessary. You can hire bikes to explore and relax in the garden at the end of the day to watch the gorgeous sunsets.

Check price and availability for your stay by clicking here.

If you prefer self-catering Sandy feet house is an excellent choice. It’s a home away from home. It’s on the beach and just a few minutes from the shops.

There’s a fully fitted kitchen, and there are laundry facilities if you need to wash some clothes. There are books, DVD’s and board games to entertain you or the children and the terrace or garden is perfect for relaxing in.

The property has wifi, and the host can help you organise transport from the airport if necessary.

Check price and availability for your stay by clicking here.

How to get to Galapagos Isabela island.

There is an airport on Isabela Island Galapagos. However, there are no direct flights from the mainland.

Emetebe is the only airline to operate domestic flights to Isabela, and you can fly from either Santa Cruz or San Cristobal.  

You can also transfer to Isabela Island by speed boat from Santa Cruz island. I’d highly recommend splurging the cash for a flight to Isabela in one direction as its an excellent experience in itself.

Not only is it much quicker than the speed boat, but the experience of flying on such a small plane is also unique. The scenery is spectacular as its a low flying aircraft, and it’s rare that you get a chance in life to step out onto a runway and collect your bag from the luggage compartment.

Of course, transferring by speed boat is much cheaper. From Santa Cruz boats leave at 2 pm and take approximately two and a quarter hours to reach the pier at Puerto Villamil. To return to Santa Cruz, there’s a daily boat at 6 am. You can purchase ferry tickets online at Transmartisa.

Further Reading about the Galapagos Islands

If you are visiting Santa Cruz, you may wish to read this article on the best things to do in Santa Cruz Galapagos. The post also has information on where to stay and what to see in Puerto Ayora.

You can also learn more about planning a Galapagos Land itinerary here.

If you are travelling to the Galapagos and plan to do plenty of snorkelling you’ll find this guide to the best snorkelling gear for 2020 useful.

Don’t forget to pack an underwater camera, if you don’t have one you can read my reviews of the best ones here.

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