Galapagos DIY
Things to Do in Isabela
The common boat tours on Isabela are to Tintoreras and Los Tuneles (check out TripAdvisor.com for descriptions of these). The following are sites you can visit that do not require a boat:
Concha Perla - 2-3 hours
This is a snorkeling area on the east side of the southern end of the island. It is walking distance from town - just follow the main road until it ends and follow a trail (there is a sign at the trailhead) which is a boardwalk to the bay. You will likely step over sea lions on your way. There is a dock and steps into the water. We went on a busy Sunday afternoon and it was crowded (maybe try going during the week). There are mangroves to the left and a reef straight out. There are lots of small fish (sargent major, parrotfish, damselfish, pufferfish, batfish, butterflyfish). We also saw a huge stingray that was about 6 feet across and swam with a couple of spotted eagle rays and a sea lion. Definitely a must see! Some people saw a turtle while we were there.
Sierra Negra/Volcan Chico - 6 hours
Sierra Negra Volcano stands almost 4,500 feet high. The crater is about 6 miles across - the second largest on earth - and the last activity was in 2005. We bought a tour (this was our only tour on the trip) for this trip and it was $40 per person. This tour included transportation to the trailhead, which is about a 30 minute ride, the naturalist guide, and a lunch (cheese sandwich, juice, and fruit). I would rate the 11 mile hike as strenuous, but it may be moderate to young, active people (like my 16 year-old son). Take lots of water, snacks, and protection from the sun/sunscreen. They recommend 2 liters of water per person. There is a restroom at the trailhead (no toilet paper so bring your own and hand sanitizer).
The first 30 minutes of the hike is mostly uphill, and then it is rolling hills. The trail itself is very nice, wide, and even, though dusty. It doesn't take long to get to the caldera. After hiking about 2 hours, you will reach a shelter with benches. Some people opt to hang out at the shelter while others will continue on to Volcan Chico. This is the roughest part of the trail over rocky terrain with no shade. You will venture across lava flows and fumaroles to closeby Volcan Chico, and from the vista you can see Fernandina island. This takes about 2 hours to go to Chico and back to the shelter. Then another 1.5 hours to get back to the trailhead. Whew!
Laguna Salinas - 30 minutes
This is a small salt flat right in town (west side). Look for signs off the main road. Here we saw flamingos and other wetland birds.
Trail to Wall of Tears (Muro de las Lagrimas)- 3-4 hours
This trail goes along the west coast of the south end of the island. There are lots of marked stops - this was my favorite part of the whole trip. You can take a taxi to the trailhead, but we walked and it doesn't take long (30 minutes). You can walk all the way to the Wall of Tears (check tripadvisor for information about this), but we weren't interested in that, so we walked only to El Estero.
The first beach in the park is La Playita. This is a rocky intertidal area with sea cucumbers (Lollyfish and Stichopus fuscus), spiny green sea urchins, pencil urchins, beadlet sea anemones, and lots of crabs (sally lightfoot) and marine iguanas. This is where we first saw blue footed boobies! Also sea lions and pelicans and fish like the Galapagos 4-eyed blenny.
On down the path is Playa del Amor where there are LOTS of marine iguanas; we came across two males fighting and that was fascinating to watch. Here, there are tidal pools of damselfish. Next to this area is a lava tunnel that you can walk into (Tunel del Estero).
Walk further and you will get to El Estero. This is an area of beautiful mangroves and crystal clear water that you can wade in. At the beach are more blue footed boobies, pelicans, and frigate birds. Just past El Estero along the trail was a tortoise. At this point, we turned back. This was about a 7 mile hike round-trip.
Trail to Centro de Crianza Arnaldo Turpiza - 2-3 hours
Also on the west end of town, this is a trail across wetlands and to tortoise breeding center. In the wetlands, we saw lots of birds such as flamingos, black-winged stilt, white-checked pintail, semipalmated plover, sanderling, commone gallinule, yellow warbler, mockingbirds, and the Galapagos heron. There are also many marine iguanas. Walk further to get to the tortoise center where there are educational displays and a museum. There is also a gift shop where you can buy ice cream!
