Skip to content
Voykit
Set your trip — dates, party, bagsPlanner

Draft data. Times, fares and step counts are desk estimates awaiting field checks. Unknown times stay unknown. How we verify

Major city · Ecuador

IsabelaIsla Isabela

Go for 3 nights: 2 h speedboat from Santa Cruz, $30 each way, and the island's best wildlife needs a full day each.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
USD
Best months
Dec–May (warm, calm seas); Jun–Nov for wildlife and cooler water
avoid Jun–Nov rough-sea days can cancel boat trips; check sea state before booking Los Túneles
Airport
IBB
Nights
3
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 6Above 2,500 m (Bogotá, Quito, Cusco, La Paz) keep the fir…
  • South America ↗Above 2,500 m (Bogotá, Quito, Cusco, La Paz) keep the first day light; sleep lower where you can (Sacred Valley before Cusco) and descend if headache comes with vomiting or confusion.
  • South America ↗A yellow fever certificate is required on arrival in French Guiana, and asked for on some routes into Bolivia, Paraguay, Suriname and Guyana, or when arriving from Amazon areas — vaccinate at least 10 days before travel and carry the card.
  • South America ↗Overnight buses are the norm in Argentina, Chile and Peru, but pick top-tier companies and keep valuables on your body; on-board thefts from overhead racks are the common loss.
  • Ecuador ↗Check entry rules for your passport with Ecuador's Ministry of Foreign Affairs or an Ecuadorian consulate.
  • Ecuador ↗The Galápagos has its own entry controls: a transit control card bought at the airport before departure, a national park entrance fee, and inspections for food and plants. Check official Galápagos rules before booking.
  • Ecuador ↗Several coastal provinces (including Guayas, where Guayaquil is) are under official warnings and periodic states of emergency; read your government's advice before routing through them.

Isabela is the largest Galápagos island, larger than the rest combined, with six volcanoes and one small town, Puerto Villamil, on the south coast. Almost everything sits within walking or $1 taxi distance of the town: the tortoise breeding centre, Las Tintoreras sharks, Concha de Perla snorkelling and the Wall of Tears trail. The two big-ticket trips, Los Túneles and Sierra Negra, each take a full day, so three nights is the practical minimum and four is comfortable.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Isabela, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • Sit-down mealSet lunch or dinner menu (rice, beans, meat)$8–10
  • BeerBeer at a beachfront barHappy hour 17:00–20:00, two drinks for $10 at some bars.$6–8
  • Museum or sight ticketTortoise breeding centre entryguided tour is mandatory; guides wait outsideabout $10
  • Budget bedHostel or guesthouse bed, a night, per personUS$10
  • Mid-range bedDouble room with private bathroom, a night, per roomUS$60
  • High-end bedDouble room with private bathroom, a night, per roomUS$120

A day, not counting the bed: Budget US$45 · Mid US$90 · High US$180

Prices in local money; change the currency in the header to see yours next to them. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Giant tortoise breeding centreLas Tintoreras and Concha de Perla snorkellingLos Túneles lava canalsSierra Negra and Volcán Chico hikeWall of Tears (Muro de las Lágrimas)
Airports
IBB General Villamil Airport (Isabela) (Small airstrip near Puerto Villamil; inter-island flights by small aircraft, seats limited, book ahead (check))

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Isabela: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

29°C

22°C

8 rd

Feb

30°C

23°C

10 rd

Mar

30°C

23°C

9 rd

Apr

30°C

22°C

7 rd

May

29°C

22°C

5 rd

Jun

27°C

20°C

3 rd

Jul

26°C

19°C

2 rd

Aug

25°C

18°C

2 rd

Sep

25°C

18°C

2 rd

Oct

26°C

19°C

3 rd

Nov

27°C

20°C

4 rd

Dec

28°C

21°C

6 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

Puerto Villamil is small enough to cross on foot in about an hour. Taxis charge a standard $1 in town and about $5 to the airport; a line waits at the dock when speedboats arrive. Bikes rent for about $10 a day, useful for the Wall of Tears trail where the sand is soft. Streets are largely unpaved and some lack signs.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Los Túneles

go

Door to door: About 5–6 h

Boat from Puerto Villamil dock, about 45 min each way, with snorkelling stop

Lava canals and bridges with blue-footed boobies, turtles, rays and sharks; roughly $100, book a day ahead.

Sierra Negra and Volcán Chico

go

Door to door: About 6–7 h

Guided tour or horseback from Puerto Villamil to the crater rim

Largest crater in the Galápagos; about $45 guided, more for private or horseback. Camping or going unguided needs park office permission first.

Minas de Azufre

caution

Door to door: About 5–6 h

Vehicle to the trailhead, then about 1.5 km down into the caldera and back up

About $65; not every agency runs it daily, so shop around for your date.

Santa Cruz (Puerto Ayora)

go

Door to door: About 3 h with taxiboats

Public speedboat, departures around 07:00 and 15:00, about 2 h

$30 each way plus $1 taxiboat each end; buy at least a day ahead.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Puerto Villamil centre

Walkable to the dock, main square, restaurants and the beach; most guesthouses and hotels sit here.

Beachfront west of the square

Hotels facing the sand and the flamingo lagoon; 10–15 min walk to the dock.

Along the boardwalk to the tortoise centre

Quieter, near the 1,200 m boardwalk and lagoon; a $1 taxi or 20–30 min walk to town.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
$40–70 excl. bed
Mid
$70–130 excl. bed
High
$130+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Double room with private bathroom1 × 3 nights × US$60US$180
Food, local transport, entries2 × 3 days × US$90US$540
Speedboat Santa Cruz ↔ Isabela, both ways2 × US$60 · plus $1 taxiboat each end and $1.50 port fee leaving Santa CruzUS$120
Isabela entrance fee on arrival2 × US$10 · foreign visitors; $5 for EcuadoriansUS$20
Los Túneles day tour2 × US$100US$200
Sierra Negra guided hike2 × US$45US$90
eSIM or local SIM data2 × US$25 · coverage is weak on IsabelaUS$50
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeUS$120
Trip total≈ US$220 per person per day, bed includedUS$1,320

2026 estimate in US dollars; Galápagos flights and park entry excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Set lunch or dinner menu (rice, beans, meat)$8–10
Simple plate at a local restaurantabout $2
Beer at a beachfront barHappy hour 17:00–20:00, two drinks for $10 at some bars.$6–8
Taxi in town / to the airport$1 / about $5
Bike rental, one dayabout $10
Tortoise breeding centre entryguided tour is mandatory; guides wait outsideabout $10
Snorkel or dive tripone dive centre on the island$100–140

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Puerto Villamil is a small, low-crime town and walking it at night is normal. The real risks are the rough inter-island crossing, strong currents and sun on exposed hikes, and thin medical services: serious cases are evacuated to Santa Cruz or the mainland.
  • The Santa Cruz–Isabela speedboat is often rough: sit at the back, take seasickness precautions, and arrive 30–60 min early for the agricultural bag search.
  • Foreign visitors pay a $10 Isabela entrance fee on arrival ($5 for Ecuadorians); the Santa Cruz departure also carries a $1.50 port fee plus $1 taxiboat each end.
  • Internet and mobile coverage are much weaker than Santa Cruz or San Cristóbal: Claro has 3G in town, Movistar only 2G, and few restaurants offer Wi-Fi.
  • Sierra Negra and Volcán Chico tours need rain gear, sunblock, sturdy shoes and a full water bottle; the walk is about 16 km and 4.5–5 h.
  • Snorkelling inside the Las Tintoreras shark lagoon is not allowed; swim at the beach behind it instead.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire and ambulance (ECU 911)
911

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

IsabelaIsla Isabela

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

A esta dirección, por favorTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire and ambulance911

Embassy

No embassies on Isabela; consulates and embassies are in Quito and Guayaquil (check addresses).

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Speedboat Isabela → Santa Cruz: $30 plus $1 taxiboat, about 2 h
  • Taxi Puerto Villamil → airport: about $5
  • Water taxi to Las Tintoreras: about $3 per person

Say or show

  • ¿Cuánto cuesta? — How much is it? (KWAN-toh KWES-tah)
  • ¿Dónde está el muelle? — Where is the dock? (DON-deh es-TAH el MWEH-yeh)
  • Quisiera reservar un tour — I would like to book a tour (kee-SYEH-rah reh-ser-VAR oon toor)
  • ¿Está bravo el mar hoy? — Is the sea rough today? (es-TAH BRAH-voh el mar oy)
  • ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta? — Can I pay by card? (PWEH-doh pah-GAR kon tar-HEH-tah)
  • Gracias — Thank you (GRAH-syahs)

Cash matters: bring small US dollar notes, as ATMs are scarce on the island.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Isabela. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Dec–May (warm, calm seas); Jun–Nov for wildlife and cooler water · avoid Jun–Nov rough-sea days can cancel boat trips; check sea state before booking Los Túneles · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. An airport-to-bed path that says whether a late landing still works
  2. Walking clusters with bag rules
  3. Day plans checked against opening hours
  4. Field-verified times and fares

Meanwhile

Back to Ecuador

Sources