If visiting the Galapagos, Isabela is an island to definitely explore. It’s the youngest and largest island in the Galapagos. Also, Isabela has the most volcanoes and tortoises of any Galapagos Island. On my 9-day Galapagos trip, I stayed in Puerto Villamil for 3 days of tours with Intrepid Travel Group. I enjoyed a hike to the caldera of a volcano, snorkeling, kayaking and seeing wildlife galore. So, read on to discover more about my Isabela Galapagos itinerary and highlights.
Isabela Island became formed by the merger of 6 shield volcanoes, with all being active except one. We hiked to the caldera (world’s second largest) of the most active volcano, Sierra Negra. Interestingly, the island’s highest point Volcan Wolf at 1,707 m lies on the equator. Even more, Isabela has the most Galapagos tortoises. The rugged terrain with lava flows and topography created barriers for them, causing them to evolve into sub-species. Today, many remain in the calderas of the volcanoes in Isabela.
3-Day Isabela Galapagos Itinerary and Highlights
On my 9-Day Galapagos trip with Intrepid Travel we took a charter speed boat from San Cristobal via Floreana to Isabela Island. We stayed in Puerto Villamil at the San Vicente Hotel. This port is the largest town on the island and a perfect hub for seeing the sites.
Overall, we enjoyed the island by land and sea at Las Tintorearas (Shark Alley), Tortoise Breeding Center, hiking to the caldera of Sierra Negra, snorkeling and kayaking. Here’s more detail on our itinerary.
Day 1: Isabela – Las Tintorearas (Shark Alley), Snorkel and Tortoise Breeding Center
Early in the morning, we took a small Zodiac (panga) ride to Las Tintorearas (Shark Alley). It’s named after the Whitetip Reef Sharks that live there. This island is mostly a lava field with marine iguana nesting sites, reef sharks & Galapagos penguins (cold/dry season June – November). On the island we saw the iguanas and some blue-footed boobies. Since we were there in April, it was offseason for the penguins. Overall, we walked for about 45 minutes on the island.
Then, nearby we snorkeled off the boat. Here we saw lava tubes and a lot of sea cucumbers and tropical fish. Like everywhere else in the Galapagos we saw giant green sea turtles and colorful fish. However, here we also saw a Whitetip Reef shark. It wasn’t conspicuously in sight. Because our guide knows the area well, she swam down and spotted one in a lava cave. So singularly, we all dove down and got a peak at this beautiful white tipped shark peacefully drifting still in the reef.
Arnaldo Tupiza Tortoise Breeding Center
In the afternoon we went to the Arnaldo Tupiza Tortoise Breeding Center. Here we saw turtles of all sizes from babies to centenarians. Overall, the center has approximately 1,000 tortoises getting ready to live on their own. There are numerous informative exhibits and displays to learn about the largest tortoises in the world.
Fun Fact: Galapagos tortoises live up to 175 years old and continue to grow their entire life until death. This explains why they become so big, reaching more than 500 pounds.
Afterwards, we walked on a path by the Flamingo Lagoon to the beach. We saw a couple flamingos from a distance. Plus, we saw various other water birds and many marine iguanas, especially as we got closer to the ocean.
Then, I explored the waterfront beach at Puerto Villamil. The town is more developed than San Cristobal’s port with more restaurants and shops. So, it isn’t as laid back, but the beach is wonderful to explore. And the town is safe even at night. Most importantly, don’t miss seeing the sunset on the beach in Puerto Villamil. There are plenty of restaurants and bars along the beach.
Day 2: Isabela Island – Sierra Negra Volcano Hike
We awoke early for the 45-miinute drive to Sierra Negra Volcano, one of the most active volcanoes in the Galapagos. It reaches a height of 1124 m and joins Alcedo Volcano to the north and Cerro Azul volcano to the west. It experienced the most recent eruptions in 2016 and 2018. The caldera is the second largest in the world at 10 km in width.
Our group headed up the mountain for a 45-minute walk (not too steep) to the eastern rim of Sierra Negra’s caldera. Wow, this is awesome and don’t worry if it’s fogged over. For us, it began to clear as we arrived and became even clear later in the day. Then, we hiked through the lava fields on the northeast side of the caldera in the Volcan Chico. This is a fissure zone, where most eruptions from Sierra Negra happened. It feels like you are walking on Mars here. Truly surreal.
Overall, we hiked from 8 am – 2 pm with one short lunch break. The hike is moderate with some elevation gain, and it is a good 4 – 5 hours of walking. So, you need some physical endurance to do the hike.
Check out my YouTube Video on Isabela
Day 3: Isabela Island Kayak and Boat Transfer to Santa Cruz Island
Our morning started with a wonderful group kayaking adventure in Puerto Villamil’s harbor. We headed over to one of the small islands and explored the shorelines for marine iguanas. We saw numerous iguanas and sea lions. The water is a lovely turquoise color. As a novice kayaker, I paired up with another person. We enjoyed it with no trouble. However, one kayak turned over, spilling the 2 girls in the water from a large wave. It was all in good fun, but I learned from them a tip.
Kayaking Tip: Remain perpendicular to the tidal waves approaching to stay afloat.
After kayaking, we boarded our transfer from Isabela Island to Santa Cruz on a speed boat. In about an hour, we arrived at Santa Cruz Island.
Puerto Villamil Accommodations and Restaurants
We stayed at the comfortable Hotel San Vicente with a nice, shared patio to relax. The rooms are clean and spacious. It’s just a 10-minute walk to the beach. Their breakfast is hearty and delicious with good coffee grown on the island. We enjoyed an incredible group lunch at Shawarma Hot Restaurant located near the beach area. The food and service are wonderful with al fresco seating. As the name implies, its falafels are great, but so too are the more typical meals like my chicken with coconut sauce. Also, we enjoyed the Isabela Sunset Bar for drinks and a wonderful sunset experience. Don’t miss a sunset experience in Puerto Villamil!
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