Isabela Island, Galapagos- All We Hoped For and More

Everywhere you go in the Galapagos you hear people talking about Isla Isabela and more often than not, every local person will describe it as their most favourite island, "muy bonita!" Naturally our expectations were high and we were not disappointed in the least!

                                                       Penguins poke Josh's stomach! (Video)
To ferry to Isabela island from Puerto Ayora (Santa Cruz island) is very easy and you simply need to pop into any travel agency and purchase a ticket (typical price $30 but if you hunt around $25 per person). I recommend doing this at least the day before to secure a spot for when you want to leave, either early (6-7am) or afternoon (~2pm). The boats vary but are typically nice medium sized boats and you take a very short water taxi to them first ($1 per person). If you have motion sickness I would recommend taking something about 30-60 minutes prior to leaving (which I did every time) but I'm not sure it was necessary and it's not fun arriving to a new island drowsy! 

After a two hour ferry ride we arrived at the pier on Isabela island. A fairy tale land awaited us with sea lions sleeping all around (look close at the mangroves to see the pups), marine iguanas basking in the sun and spitting out salt, and five penguins romping around in the water creating such a comedic scene it could have been a cartoon! How lucky to see so many wonderful creatures all coexisting in harmony- the essence of the Galápagos Islands. 

The town Puerto Villamil is a short 1km walk from the pier but we opted to jump in a taxi due to the heat. Although taxis are only $1 anywhere in Puerto Ayora (Santa Cruz), they are $1 per person on Isabela. We arrived at La Gran Tortuga where we tried to swing a deal but Jose was a tough bargain and we paid $70 per night with breakfast (there are cheaper hostels on Isabela but this was the best deal for midrange as prices can go all the way up to $250 a night!) By the end of our three nights we decided it was an excellent value for the service and the outstanding breakfast. 

Not wasting any time as the sun was starting to go down, we raced off to Playa Grande beach for a swim and to hopefully see some more wildlife. The town is set up perfectly with access to the beach right at your fingertips and this was extremely enjoyable coming from Santa Cruz where every beach is a significant walk. To say that Isabela is rustic would be accurate and it has a quirky, almost run-down vibe that makes it the perfectly quaint beach town everyone is hoping for. Near the mangroves on the left side of the beach we were meters away from sea lions swimming but we had no luck spotting any more sharks like we had in Tortuga Bay (who knew I would want to be in the water with a shark so badly?!) 

Feeling sufficiently cooled off we set out to wander the town and find a bite to eat. I'm not going to sugarcoat it, Isabela is an expensive island with most restaurants trying to serve meals ranging from $15-25 for an entree but the atmosphere is lovely with a nice row of restaurants, each one trying to stand out with quirky light fixtures you might find at Ikea. To find a cheaper meal get off this main strip earlier in the day (locals typically have their biggest meal earlier in the day) and eat at a more local place where they have a set menu. We once ate at 5 Hermanas and had a huge meal of soup, endless fruit juice, fried fish, salad, and rice for $5 each! It was by far the best meal I had on Isabela. If you want to eat on the main strip, look for "cena" (said see-na) or "almuerzo" which is a cheaper set meal typically with fish, rice, and French fries that can be found for $7-10 in most restaurants. 

We awoke the next day excited to tour the town and get in the water. During our amazing breakfast we bonded with the others staying at the guesthouse and met the energetic Doug who was scouting out the Galapagos prior to his sons arriving so he could set up a sure fire itinerary. We agreed that if we can do activities independently we would like to and the three of us hatched a plan for the morning. 

Although we thought we might hike one of the volcanos called Sierra Negra, we learned that you are not permitted to do so by yourself and the cost is $35 per person. If you are interested I would research this further because I was under the impression that you could do it independently and that it's better because you are on your own schedule. With so many other things to do we opted out since our focus was mainly water based activities and our money was better spent on a different tour. 

Activities in Isabela: 

1) Concha de Perla:

You begin this short boardwalk trail near the pier on the left hand side and it was great! The ultimate destination is a platform that you snorkel off but the walk is exciting as you have to maneuver around groaning sea lions and skittish marine iguanas who run to the surrounding mangroves. Snorkelling was lovely and you will often see penguins, sea lions, marine iguanas, and a lots of fish as the water is very calm (protected by rocks) and clear. Apparently there is a cave you can swim through on the right hand side but we didn't find it. Having no luck seeing a penguin we moved on to snorkel around the pier. 

2) The Pier: 

I didn't initially realize that you could snorkel and swim around the pier because of the boats but at Doug's urging and excitement we followed him  into the water and were so glad we did! The beauty of the Galapagos is overwhelming at times and this was certainly one of those moments. Because of the low tide we were practically able to walk to Los Tintoretas which is a popular snorkelling spot on a tour that costs $35 per person. I'm not clear on whether we were technically allowed to do this but no one said anything and it was amazing! 

We swam out and laid in such a low pool of water that it felt like a hottub and the three of us were giddy with excitement laying there in the perfect turquoise water. As we returned we finally encountered penguins in the water and they are so cute we stayed out in the sun way too long watching them play and zip around. 

3) Los Tunneles tour 

Doing this tour was a difficult decision for us as it was our first organized event and expensive at $80 per person but everywhere we went we heard about it. Now we are the people telling about it because it is an amazing excursion! The tour consists of a boat trip to several snorkel spots amongst the lava tunnels in the ocean which are the perfect landscape for sharks, golden rays, sea horses, huge sea turtles and more! We had an excellent group of 12 people and the atmosphere was fun as the crew played electronica music while we enjoyed a relaxed boat ride. 

The highlight of the tour was seeing manta rays out in the open ocean that were 12 feet long and performing their version of a breech due to mating season. It was especially unique for Josh who jumped into the water for a close up and was excitedly shocked when there was one just below his feet! As we were hanging out with Harim and Joon later (we met them on the tour) they explained how special an experience it was because Harim has done over 700 (yes 700!) dives and seeing a manta ray that close for so long is rare as they often vacate quickly. Josh couldn't stop grinning the rest of the day and I enjoyed the experience from my vantage point as well!

We continued on towards the tunnels and jumped into the water with a hoard of golden rays. It was the most incredible experience I have ever had snorkelling before as we fell into formation with about twenty of them, peacefully gliding along much like birds would. Further into the tour we were taken into caves where several white tip sharks were sleeping and along the way seeing lobsters, sea turtles, and even an adorable sea horse. The sea life was mind blowing and to top it off we saw more penguins and they were as fun to watch on the rocks as they were in the water. They are one of the smallest penguins in the world as they have adapted to warm water but the threat of El Niño could drive them into exctinction and since it would be natural, there will be no conservation effort made.

After a quick lunch of sandwiches and fruit we continued the tour on land to find the bluefoot boobies and their nests. This was one of the creatures I was most excited to see on the Galapagos because their mating ritual is adorable with the males showing off the blueness of their feet. Their skin is transparent and the blue colour is what shows through when a booby is an excellent fisher demonstrating that he will be a good provider. We also saw a lot of young ones who will not achieve blue feet until they are older than 6 months. 

If you are going to do a tour it's not a bad idea to ask some questions like how big the boat is, how many people, does the guide speak English etc. and make sure to be insanely sun safe as this direct sun is more intense than most people realize. All in all a ten out of ten experience! 

4) Tortoise breeding center 

We missed the boat (oh annoying puns) on purchasing a ticket for Santa Cruz early enough so we ended up with a spare morning in Isabela. Although we had already gone to Rancho Primicias on Santa Cruz we decided to do a walking tour in Isabela and ended up here. The Villamil lagoon trail starts just past Iguana Crossing hotel - literally, the marine iguanas cross in droves from the lagoon to the ocean- and is a short 30 minute walk where you can see flamingos relaxing in the muddy water! 

I never tire of seeing baby tortoises or old ones for that matter because it is unfathomable that they can grow to be 500lbs! While we were walking around a guide approached us with huge leaves and instructed us to hang on to it and place it in the middle of a bunch of 4 year old tortoises to watch them eat. It was awesome to watch as they all clamoured over each other to access the leaf and to gnaw at it as they don't have teeth. Josh and I tried to be socialist and give equal amounts to all but the bigger ones were fairly bullyish and definitely won in the end. If you go I would recommend asking to do this as it made the visit special for us. 

5) Playa Grande   

It goes without saying that the beaches in Isabela are spectacular and since this beach is accessible (right in the town) it is  perfect. If you continue along past Iguana Crossing on the beach road you will reach Playa Amor which is even nicer. You can rent bikes to make the hot walk a little more manageable. Although we decided not to you could continue on this path to Muro de las Lagrimas (Wall of Tears) which is a 100 long wall of lava rocks built by convicts under extreme duress and abuse and it stands as a monument to this history as convicts played a role in the settlement of the Galapagos. Reviews from fellow travellers was to enjoy the walk because, "it's really just a wall." 

We ended our last night in Isabela having a lovely dinner with Harim and Joon, a couple from Korea that we met on the tour. As we were having dinner we all shared a laugh as Steve and Lisette appeared, a couple we had met on Santa Cruz who Harim and Juun had also met previously. The comedy is that these islands are ridiculous for running into the same people every day on different islands doing different activities! Although the gringo trail is basic there are a myriad of things to do and it is still shocking to run into people you flew into Santa Cruz with at every corner! We bonded with our new Korean friends over our love for spicey food and we were hysterical when they pulled out Korean hot sauce they bring with them everywhere! It was delicious so we promptly set up another dinner date with them- no not just for the hot sauce but for their fun company- and I see a trip to Korea in our near future.

We caught the afternoon boat back to Santa Cruz at 2:30pm and had to stay overnight (Capitan Max $60 per person including breakfast. Very nice place close to the pier) and continue on to San Cristobal in the morning. 

Note that there is no ferry between Isabela and San Cristobal and you can fly between them or ferry to Santa Cruz (~2hrs) and then onto San Cristobal (~2hrs) which is a big day but can be done if you take the early ferry at 6am. 

Isabela island was spectacular but at this point it's hard to say which one is our favourite. Each island offers such a different experience and I'm sure San Cristobal will be mind blowing too!