In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · Ecuador
Isabela
Isla 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.
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.
- Country
- Ecuador
- Local name
- Isla Isabela
- 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
- Stay
- 3 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Bring small notes: $50 and $100 bills are often refused.
- Daily spend
- Budget $40–70 excl. bed · Mid $70–130 excl. bed · High $130+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Claro and Movistar (plus CNT) sell prepaid SIMs in malls and shops with a passport; Claro has the widest coverage.
- Emergency
- Police, fire and ambulance 911
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · US plugs work without adapters.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: 10% service often included; add a little for good service.; Galápagos naturalists and crew: US$10–20 per person per day in total, split per the boat's guidance.; Drivers and day guides: US$5–10 a day.
- Water
- Not safe from the tap in most places (Quito and Cuenca's water is treated but pipes vary); drink bottled or filtered.
- Toilets
- Put paper in the bin, not the bowl; bus terminal toilets charge a few cents.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Set lunch or dinner menu (rice, beans, meat) | $8–10 |
| Simple plate at a local restaurant | about $2 |
| Beer at a beachfront bar | $6–8 |
| Taxi in town / to the airport | $1 / about $5 |
| Bike rental, one day | about $10 |
| Tortoise breeding centre entry | about $10 |
| Snorkel or dive trip | $100–140 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- IBB · General Villamil Airport (Isabela)
- Small airstrip near Puerto Villamil; inter-island flights by small aircraft, seats limited, book ahead (check)
Typical fares
- 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
Get 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 and do
Known for
- Giant tortoise breeding centre
- Las Tintoreras and Concha de Perla snorkelling
- Los Túneles lava canals
- Sierra Negra and Volcán Chico hike
- Wall of Tears (Muro de las Lágrimas)
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Los Túneles | Boat from Puerto Villamil dock, about 45 min each way, with snorkelling stop | About 5–6 h |
| Sierra Negra and Volcán Chico | Guided tour or horseback from Puerto Villamil to the crater rim | About 6–7 h |
| Minas de Azufre | Vehicle to the trailhead, then about 1.5 km down into the caldera and back upVehicle to the trailhead, then about 0.9 mi down into the caldera and back up | About 5–6 h |
| Santa Cruz (Puerto Ayora) | Public speedboat, departures around 07:00 and 15:00, about 2 hPublic speedboat, departures around 7:00 AM and 3:00 PM, about 2 h | About 3 h with taxiboats |
Sleep
- 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.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| How much is it? | ¿Cuánto cuesta?KWAN-toh KWES-tah |
| Where is the dock? | ¿Dónde está el muelle?DON-deh es-TAH el MWEH-yeh |
| I would like to book a tour | Quisiera reservar un tourkee-SYEH-rah reh-ser-VAR oon toor |
| Is the sea rough today? | ¿Está bravo el mar hoy?es-TAH BRAH-voh el mar oy |
| Can I pay by card? | ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?PWEH-doh pah-GAR kon tar-HEH-tah |
| Thank you | GraciasGRAH-syahs |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake; women often one cheek kiss; avoid: Skipping the greeting before a question
- Time: Allow for 'hora ecuatoriana' socially; avoid: Assuming tours leave late — they do not
- Photos: Ask people first; avoid: Photographing children without permission
- Dress: Layers in the Andes; avoid: Beachwear in city centres
Scams and watch-outs
- 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.
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.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Isabela yet. Suggested stay: 3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Giant tortoise breeding centre
- Las Tintoreras and Concha de Perla snorkelling
- Los Túneles lava canals
- Sierra Negra and Volcán Chico hike
- Wall of Tears (Muro de las Lágrimas)
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Galápagos National Park — visitor sites: www.galapagos.gob.ec/
- Ferry Galápagos — Santa Cruz to Isabela schedule: www.ferrygalapagos.com/
- Wikivoyage: Isabela (Ecuador), revision 5303747 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5303747
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
IsabelaIsla Isabela
A esta dirección, por favor
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire and ambulance911
No embassies on Isabela; consulates and embassies are in Quito and Guayaquil (check addresses).
Cash matters: bring small US dollar notes, as ATMs are scarce on the island.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/isabela-ecuador). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.