Overview

Time to explore the island of Isabela, located on the westernmost side of the archipelago, which is the biggest in size and is influenced by the cold marine ocean current that brings all of the marine wildlife. Biologically speaking, this island is the jewel of the crown.  We will guide you through the island's many attractions and also give you some time to relax on your own.  You will use this free time to go to the beach, snorkel and take fantastic walks along the beach.

Waking up every morning in this South Pacific paradise with a nice climate and fantastic beaches will bring a few surprises. Flamingos, Giant tortoises, and Sea turtles will bring a lot of excitement to your experience. We also go looking for sharks in Tintoreras where we also have a chance to find the Galapagos penguins, one of the smallest on the planet. Our guides will give you an in-depth insight into the island. Besides the close encounters you normally have with the wildlife here, the comment we get from our visitors is “I wish I could stay longer…”

3 Nights 4 Days Available on request
Inclusions/Exclusions
What we'll give. What we won't

What is included in the tour

  • Tourguide English/Spanish speaking
  • Hotel in Puerto Villamil (3n)
  • Breakfast (3 mornings)
  • Walking tour to Flamingo Lake and Turtle Center / Half day tour with guide
  • Snorkeling Tour - Concha y Perla // Half day tour with guide
  • Boat tour to Tintoreras, Isabela// approx. 5 hours.
  • Speedboat: Puerto Ayora - Isabela - Puerto Ayora
  • Transfer in & out from Baltra Airport

What is NOT included in the tour

  • Air Ticket Quito/Guayaquil to San Cristobal/Baltra, Galapagos (can be booked in stage 3)

  • Entrance fees Galapagos National Park 100.00 USD+ TRANSIT CARD 20.00 USD+ ISABELA Entrance fee 10.00 USD. To be paid upon arrival.

  • Snorkeling Tour – Los Tuneles // Aprox. 6 hours, with guide, (can be booked in stage 3)
  • Any meals/services not mentioned in the inclusions
  • Alcohol, soft drinks, beverages, etc.
  • Personal expenses like tips, telephone calls, laundry, etc.
Highlights
What makes this tour special
  • Stunning South Pacific Beaches
  • The worlds second largest volcano crater
  • Amazing snorkling
  • The most northern living penguins in the world
  • Fantastic Carribien beaches
Itinerary

Day 1. Isabela           Transfer Baltra to Isabela

One of our guides will meet you at the Airport of Baltra. We will together catch a bus to the port to pass the Canal de Itabaca, the narrow channel which separates Baltra from Santa Cruz. We catch a ferry-boat that will take us the 15 mins over the canal. Here a new transportation waits for us to take us to the city of Puerto Ayora and our hotel (45 mins). 

PM: 2 o clock we embark on a speedboat to continue with a 2-hour boat ride to Isabela. A short walk from the dock to the hotel. After check-in, our guide will take us for a walk around the village so we can identify shops and places to eat. Dinner in the village and then relax and sleep at your hotel. 

Airfare to the Galapagos not included.

Day 2. Walking tour to the Giant Tortoise Breading Center. Snorkeling in the bay 

Breakfast at the hotel. Today we will do two half-day tours to make up an interesting full day. In the morning we go for a walk to find Flamingos. Giant Tortoise Breeding Center in the afternoon, end the day with a snorkel in the bay. 

AM: From the hotel, we walk along the picture-perfect beach over the paths and bridges to the marshlands, the locals call it Flamingo Lake. Along the way, we expect to see many seabirds, such as flamingos, ibis, shorebirds, and also marine iguanas resting in the brackish water. We later reach the "Centro de Crianza Tortugas Gigantes", a research station that breeds giant tortoises. Isabela is home to 5 different species of Tortoises, as we see them at different stages we will have a chance to learn how some of them are on the verge of extinction, after an interesting visit, we slowly walk back to the town where we can have lunch (not included) or maybe have a quick siesta. 

PM: Snorkeling day for beginners and tourists. We walk towards El Embarcadero, a beautiful walk through a mangrove area that takes us to a shallow bay perfect for swimming and/or snorkeling. In this bay, it is common to find schools of fish, playful sea lions, and the occasional Galapagos penguin. If lucky eagle rays are known to rest at this place.  We slowly return to the hotel in town, thinking once again about how interesting and full of life this place is.

Day 3. Boat tour to Tintoreras 

AM: Breakfast at the hotel. Today we have a half-day boat tour of one of the marine highlights of Isabela. We leave the port in a smaller boat to explore Tintoreras, a set of small islets within Villamil's bay. We first have a long ride along the coast where we will be looking for the Galapagos penguins, the only tropical penguin that nest in the northern hemisphere. The Galapagos Islands are the northernmost point where you can find wild penguins. After the ride, we disembark into an almost barren lava landscape to go back in time, to the early processes of how life really started on the planet.  Depending on the season the lava will be inhabited by big male marine iguanas that are displaying their beautiful colors to attract females. To end the tour, we get into the water for a long snorkel where we will encounter a very diverse set of marine wildlife, of course once again the playful sea lions, sea turtles, and various species of rays. Tintoreras is a much-appreciated trip, definitely a highlight. 

Day 4. Transfer out    Transfer to Santa Cruz-Guayaquil-Quito 

AM: Early wake up to catch the speed boat and return to Santa Cruz, no time for breakfast, the hotels will provide lunch boxes to eat at the speedboat.  Our transport will pick up us at around 04:30 am to go to the pier. The boat trip takes about 2 hours and it’s still a bumpy ride. After a short rest in Puerto Ayora, we continue to the airport in Baltra depending on your flight times and programs. 

Transfers: Book them separately when you make your booking. Transfers from Guayaquil/Quito include airfare with one checked-in bag.

Note: There is a 1-dollar boat-taxi ride to and from the marina to embarking on the speedboat. And in Isabela it’s a 10$US port tax to be paid upon arrival. Not included. Have them available in cash.

Hotels
Where will we stay?

On this tour you will stay in the following hotels:

STANDARD

Puerto Vilamil, Isabela            Hotel Iguana 3 n. // no www.

SUPERIOR

Puerto Vilamil, Isabela            Hotel La Laguna  3 n.  // https://lalagunagalapagoshotel.com