Galapagos DIY
Isabela Island
As mentioned before, you can take a boat to Isabela from Santa Cruz. Because I get seasick, we opted to fly there. While Isabela does not have a commerical airport, there is an airstrip and you can use the local Emetebe airlines to get there from Santa Cruz or San Cristobal. We had a very good experience with Emetebe. We planned in advance by emailing them and sending money for the tickets via wire transfer. It is about $200 per person roundtrip. We flew to Isabela from Santa Cruz and then from Isabela to San Cristobal. All went well and it's a great view.
Getting there
Be Prepared
Be sure you have plenty of cash when you arrive on Isabela. There are no international ATMS (only national ones). Most places take cash only. Our hotel accepted only cash and we didn't realize that until we got there; thankfully we had enough to cover it and our meals while there.
Isabela is the largest of the Galapagos Islands and is the shape of a seahorse. The main town on the island is Puerto Villamil. Isabela is less developed than Santa Cruz and San Cristobal. There are dirt roads through town. The town is right on the coast and there is a beautful sandy beach just a few minutes walk from most hotels. If you are visiting both Santa Cruz and Isabela, I suggest you skip Tortuga Bay on Santa Cruz and go for the beach on Isabela. This island is one of the most volcanically active place in the world and a visit to Sierra Negra and Volcan Chico should be on your itinerary.
Things to Do
Isabela was my favorite island. There is lots of nature close to town. The first thing to do is get a copy of this map (can also print from internet before you leave). While it is not to scale, it shows most of the places you will want to visit on the southern end.
For details on places to visit in Southern Isabela, go to this page.
