The second half of our Galapagos adventure was spent on Isabela Island, which is larger in size but much smaller in population. For reference, the number of permanent residents on Santa Cruz Island, where we spend the first half of the trip, is ~15,000 versus ~2,000 on Isabela.
If we had it to do over again, we’d spend more time on Isabela! The feel of this island was much more laid back and less touristy, and you have easy access to the beach!
We kicked off our time in Puerto Villamil, the main town on Isabela Island, with one of the coolest tours I’ve ever done!
Volcan Trizillos
This tour involves repelling 105 meters (~500 feet) into an inactive volcano crater!
Yes, it seems a bit sketchy, but it definitely wasn’t. Everything was super secure, and once you got the hang of how the rope lines worked, it was easy. At the bottom (well, at least as far down as we were going to go… it kept going!), our guide pointed out the various remnants of the volcanic eruption, like quartz and lichens.
Don’t worry, though. There are plenty of water-based activities. We decided not to dive from Isabela. Honestly, the dive shop there wasn’t PADI- or SSI-certified, which was a red flag for us. Instead, we booked a snorkeling tour to Los Túneles, or The Tunnels.
Los Túneles
This tour is really a two-part tour: land and water. You don’t snorkel at “the tunnels” pictured below. First, there’s a land-based walking tour of this unique and aptly named area. This is important to know because several people showed up in only bikinis and flip-flops to walk around in the direct sun on volcanic rock… not ideal.
Anyway, this area had plenty of sea turtles, visible through the crystal clear water, and blue-footed boobies! This is one of those places where photos really don’t do it justice.
Oh, and another thing. If you’re easily seasick, I recommend Dramamine before you go. 🤣 To get into the Los Túneles area, you have to ride the waves, which is tricky because the boat needs to be in just the right position. The captains do this tour every day, so they (hopefully!) know what they are doing. But, on the day of our tour, I swear I thought I was going to watch the other tour boat in front of us capsize. It quite literally (at least in my mind) went completely horizontal! The waves that day were ~5 meters (~16 feet), and apparently, that’s a “calm” day. 😳 To get back out, they put everyone towards the back of the boat, kicked the motor into the highest gear possible, and just plowed through the waves. It was definitely an experience!
Snorkeling happens in two different areas. In both, we saw penguins, sea turtles, baby and big sharks, and tons of fish! The sharks were pretty crazy because the baby ones would swim right next to you, and later, there was a cave with at least 4 or 5 adult white-tipped reef sharks just hanging out in the sand. This tour was $110 per person, but we saw a lot of animals!
The only downside to a group snorkeling tour is the levels of swimmers, and our group certainly had all levels. Luckily, our guide didn’t mind Shane and I lingering a bit behind the group to avoid the chaos.
We also had good snorkeling luck at another spot near Puerto Villamil.
Concha de Perla
We went here twice, once in the afternoon and once in the early morning, about 8:30 am. I highly recommend going early in the morning. Other than one other couple, we had the spot to ourselves, and the sea lions were active in the morning! We swam with two!
To get there, walk back towards the pier for the ferries, then follow the sign and boardwalk through the mangroves to the swimming area.
Walking there takes about 15 minutes, but you’ll know you’re close when you start seeing sea lions hanging around. 😆 Also, legitimately watch your step. You never know where an iguana will choose to sleep!
Our final adventure was by bike to the Wall of Tears.
El Muro de las Lágrimas
Remember how we lived in The Netherlands for six years and also biked everywhere around Munich? WHEW, BUDDY, we are out of bike shape! It literally got to the point that we looked at each other and said, “Please do not make me put my ass back on this bike.” Everything hurt, and I mean EVERYTHING. 🫣
Nonetheless, we rented bikes and visited the Wall of Tears, or el Muro de las Lágrimas, about 5 km outside Puerto Villamil. The wall is within a national park, so a taxi can only take you so far. You’ll have to walk or bike the rest of the way. However, we chose to bike because there are several stops along the way, for example, la Playa del Amor, a volcanic rock beach covered with marine iguanas (we were obsessed with them if you hadn’t noticed). You can also stop to spot flamingos and visit the tortoise reserve.
So, why is it called the Wall of Tears? Let’s start with: Did you know the United States had a military presence on Isabela Island during World War II? I surely didn’t. Baltra Island, which now houses the airport, was a secret base during WWII to monitor activities around the Panama Canal. Isabela Island had one of three radar stations.
As WWII ended, Ecuador established a penal colony on Isabela (from 1945 to 1959). The Wall of Tears was built by the prisoners for no other purpose than manual labor.
The Wall of Tears is the main attraction but not the final destination. Keep following the trail up (maybe 30 minutes?), and you’ll reach El Radar, where the old radar station used to be. Now, it’s a beautiful viewpoint.
Oh, and by the way. I got a flat tire on my way home because, of course, I did. It’s no wonder my legs were on fire; I was biking with a flat!
And that about wraps up our time on Isabela! Like I said before, this island had a way more laid-back, beach town feel. So, mostly, we spent the morning checking out a new activity and the afternoon playing in the ocean until happy hour. Coco locos are THE drink (but not my fave).
We did have the very unfortunate experience (more so for him, obviously) of helplessly watching a person get caught in a riptide and drown. So, this is your public service announcement to take care at the beach and swim with caution, especially in places like here, where there are no beach lifeguards or readily available emergency services.
So, our overall thoughts on the Gálapagos?
I’ll cover that in the next post!
Nos vemos,
The Shwits 
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