Isabela is the largest island in the Galapagos, with an area of 4,586 square kilometers, more than four times the size of Santa Cruz. Puerto Villamil, its main town, is small, with a long white-sand beach of roughly 4 km along the seafront. These are my guides to the island, from volcano tours and Los Tuneles to hikes, beaches and snorkeling.
Hi, I'm João. I stayed on Isabela on my first Galapagos trip, in 2022, about 10 days across the three main islands. More about me
Best places
Things to do
The full list, the free list and the beaches.
Tours and day trips
Volcano tours and a full day of snorkeling.
Snorkeling and diving
The spots and dive sites around the island.
My hotel picks
My picks from the hotel guides, chosen for location, guest ratings and value.
Some links here are affiliate links. You pay the same, and I earn a small commission.
Villa
Casa Baronesa Waterfront Villa
Casa Baronesa is a waterfront villa in Puerto Villamil, a few steps from Puerto Villamil Beach, with a garden, free Wi-Fi, a shared kitchen and a balcony with sea views.
Photo: Booking.com
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Comfort hotel
Cormorant Beach House
I stayed at Cormorant Beach House. It has 10 rooms on the Puerto Villamil coast, by a white sand beach.
Photo: Booking.com
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Budget hotel
Casa Soleil Aparthotel
Casa Soleil Aparthotel is in Puerto Villamil, about 450 meters from the beach. It has fully equipped one- and two-bedroom apartments, each with a kitchen, a living room, a patio and a terrace.
Photo: Booking.com
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Travel Insurance: Through this link you get 5% off Heymondo travel insurance, so you can compare and book before you go.
Isabela questions, answered
Where do you stay on Isabela?
Puerto Villamil is small, and my stay there, at Cormorant Beach House, was beachfront and walkable. It has 10 rooms on the coast, by a white sand beach. My hotel guide lists 15 hotels in Puerto Villamil, from beachfront villas to guesthouses. This is from my Isabela hotel guide and my 10-day itinerary.
How do you get to the Wall of Tears?
By bike or on foot, and it is most commonly done by bike, rented in town for US$15 to 20 a day. It is a 12 km round trip: ride about 12 minutes along the beach to the entrance of the Humedales park, then about 45 more minutes to the wall. It is open from 6h to 18h. Ask for a repair kit and a pump, because there are thorns and my front tire was punctured. This is from my Wall of Tears article.
Can you hike Sierra Negra on your own?
No. The tour has to be done with a naturalist guide from the Galapagos National Park: you book with an agency and they hire the guide. It is a 15 km hike to the caldera rim and on to Chico Volcano, about 6 hours in total, and my article lists US$40 to 60. I did it. This is from my Sierra Negra article.
What is the Los Tuneles tour?
A full-day snorkeling tour of 6 to 7 hours to lava tunnels and arches, with a naturalist guide and a boat. My article lists US$100 to 140. The boat ride took around 1.5 to 2 hours, and I saw a nursery of black-tip reef sharks, many turtles and some adult white-tip reef sharks. This is from my Los Tuneles article.
What is the Trillizos volcano tour?
A private half-day tour of about 4 hours into a cave in the Sierra Negra volcano. It costs US$80, and the rappel kit, gloves, helmet and headlamp are included. I did it on my first trip. A couple of months before I went, a tourist slipped on the last ladder and broke some bones, so be careful. This is from my Trillizos article and my guide to how many days to spend in the Galapagos.
Where can you snorkel close to town?
At the Concha de Perla Lagoon, a lagoon full of mangroves 1 km from town, about a 15 minute walk, open from 6:00 to 18:00. Bring your snorkel kit. When I went there were a dozen marine iguanas on the wooden deck, and cleaning fish bit my feet. This is from my Concha de Perla article.
Can you rent a car on Isabela?
No. You cannot rent a motorcycle or a car, so everything is done by taxi, bus, boat, bicycle or on foot. This is from my guide to the tours on Isabela.
Each answer names its source, so you can check the latest rules and advice before you travel.
