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MalenaN Says: Muro de las Lagrimas (The Wall of Tears) is situated about 7km west of Puerto Villamil. During World War II there was a Military Detachment here (and in some other places of Galapagos Islands too) operating a radar station, which was part of the of the surveillance system...
Complejo de Humedales and the road to the wall
MalenaN Says: One morning I went for a walk along the sandy road west of Puerto Villamil. I came to a sign indicating that this was where the area Complejo de Humedales y Muro de las Lagrimas started. To Muro de las Lagrimas it was 5km and there seemed to be many interesting places to...
MalenaN Says: Long ago whalers and pirates hunted tortoises to keep on board their ships as the tortoises could survive a long time without food and water. In this way the sailors had access to fresh meat while they were at sea. Hunting continued after the islands got populated. Not only...
Boardwalk and path to Crianza de Tortugas
MalenaN Says: The boardwalk and path to Crianza de Tortugas begins just west of Puerto Villamil. The boardwalk goes over a wetland area with several lagoons where you can see flamingos and many other birds, among others Black-necked Stilt, Moorhen and White-cheeked Pintail. The lagoons...
Rent snorkel equipment in Puerto Villamil
MalenaN Says: In the southwest corner of Parque Central, on Antonio Gil, there is a small booth were you can rent snorkel equipment for $5 per day (July 2011). You can also rent snorkel equipment, and wetsuits, at the harbour. I went to the harbour to rent the equipment as I was going to...
The Bay Tour and Las Tintoreras
MalenaN Says: I booked the Bay Tour at Hostal La Jungla the evening before going on the tour and it was $25 (July 2011). At 9 o’clock in the morning I was picked up at the hostel and in Puerto Villamil we picked up four other tourists. At the harbour we were met by a guide and went aboard...
Rent a bicycle in Puerto Villamil
MalenaN Says: In the morning of my last day on Isla Isabela I took a walk along the road that runs parallel to the sea west of Puerto Villamil. I came to an information board about Comlejo de Humedales y Muro de Las Lagrimas and saw that it was another 5km to Muro de Las Lagrimas. It was...
Tour to Volcán Sierra Negra and Volcán Chico
MalenaN Says: Volcán Sierra Negra on Isla Isabela is situated 27km northwest of Puerto Villamil. The volcano is 1490 metres high and has got the second largest volcano crater in the world, the caldera is 10km in diameter. Volcán Sierra Negra is an active volcano and it had its latest...
MalenaN Says: There is a population of about 400 - 500 flamingos on the Galapagos Islands. They can mainly be seen on Floreana (Punta Cormorant), Isla Isabela (Villamil), Isla Santa Cruz (Las Bachas Beach), Santiago and Isla Rábida.When I visited Floreana on the cruise with Cachalote...
Assenczo Says: One of the tours most aggressively touted on Isabella if this expression fits this gentle frontier town at all, is the tour of the lagoon. It is located just off the boat peer and hence does not seem exciting at the beginning but it delivers the goods – literally speaking....
Assenczo Says: At a point, in the backyard of hotel Iguana -the last building along the beach street going west, or at the sign “iguana crossing point”, (no worries, you might miss the sign but not the iguanas) one can cross it and follow a path approximately 2km through dense mangrove...
Assenczo Says: Puerto Villamil is the main port of call of the largest of the Galapagos Islands – Isabel. The town and its development are restricted by the marsh area behind it where one can find flamingos as one of the more spectacular birds to mention. The marsh itself starts...
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MalenaN Says: I liked my room at The Jungle Hostel. It was on the second floor with two windows from where I could see the sea. There were two beds, a table, a TV, a bedside table with a lamp, hangers and a bathroom with hot water. And it was very quiet. The price of the room for one...
Helpfulness
One day I went to La Choza, in the corner of Antonio Gil/Las Fragatas, as it looked like a nice place. I was not very hungry and ordered a cheese sandwich and a coca-cola for lunch. The cheese sandwich arrived warm and it had a few slices of cucumber and tomatoes on it, and a hair. I told them about the hair and said I wanted a new sandwich. I think it was the same sandwich they brought to me again, after removing the hair and putting it in the microwave again. The sandwich was $1 (July 2011). The coca-cola, a 0.5 litre bottle, was $2. Well, I didn’t go back here but found a better place for lunch the next day.
The next day I had almuerzo (set lunch) at one of the restaurants on the west side of Parque Central. First I got a soup (sopa de carne) and then a plate with fried fish, rice and some salad. Included in the price was also a juice. The price for the lunch was $3 and it was so much better than the lunch I had had the previous day.
There are several restaurants on the south side of the park and one evening I went to Cesar’s Restaurant. I arrived early and had to ask if they were open or not. After a while more people started to arrived and they were all foreign tourists. Grilled fish was $7, a big bottle of beer $3 and service $1 (July 2011). The meal tasted good.
Another evening I went to Restaurante Tres Hermanos, next door to Cesar’s Restaurant. I had seen that there seemed to be a better mix of customers there, just a few foreign tourists. I arrived at 18.30 and the restaurant was open, but I was told that if I returned half an hour later I could have grilled meat (carne asado) or grilled fish, as they were soon starting the grill by the street. Carne asado I could wait for so I went for a walk and came back about half an hour later. A big piece of grilled meat was served with rice and a sauce with beans. For the meal plus an orange juice I paid $8.
Written Jan 13, 2012
Speedboat between Puerto Ayora and Puerto Villamil
MalenaN Says: Before coming to Galapagos I had read that it is good to buy the ticket for the speedboat a day in advance during high season. As I visited in July and was going to be aboard a boat the day before my departure I was a bit worried not to get a ticket, but the travel agent I...
Never buy a ticket for a boat called ANDY
Assenczo Says: Transport between the islands stands on two pillars – regular so-called lanchas and charter ones. The first servers Isabella Island by connecting it to Santa Cruz Island which is most probably your point of departure and the charter ones can offer the same service at other...
Helpfulness
Where the road west of Puerto Villamil makes a fork, where one road leads to Hostal La Jungla and Crianza de Tortugas and another one to Muro de las Lagrimas, there is a sign saying “Iguana Crossing, Please drive slowly”. That’s a sign I have never seen anywhere else, but of course this is Galapagos. On one side of the road is the ocean and on the other side there are some shallow lagoons, so you will see iguanas crossing here.
Down at the beach in Puerto Villamil you must be careful too and watch where you put your feet if you walk on the lava rocks. The marine iguanas have the same colour as the rocks, and at least I almost stepped on an iguana.
Written Jan 12, 2012
Helpfulness
Walking along the beach can be a rewarding experience; especially when the discoveries made are not to be found on the special wildlife-to-be-seen check list. Here is one specimen that surely looks exotic enough with its defence bone spikes sticking out and conveniently thrown out on the sands for close examination. The look of it suggests the name porcupine fish!?
Updated Feb 2, 2011
Puerto Villamil, Isla Isabela, Galapagos Islands
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