Whale-watching off Isabela Island

Isabela is the largest island in the Galapagos archipelago, and was named in honour of the Queen Isabela of Spain who sponsored Columbus' voyage of discovery in 1492. Many ships don't travel as far out as Isabela and so it remains one of the less-visited islands, lending it an air of adventure all its own.

Visiting Puerto Villamil, Isabela's port, is like stepping back in time 20 years to visit Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz. Where Santa Cruz now offers all the facilities and fun you'd expect from a growing tourist centre, in Puerto Villamil things are still nice and slow on the sandy streets and there's nothing much to do except swim and enjoy some of the local lobster - probably best not at the same time!

• Batfish
• Octopus
• Blue herons
• Whales

Then, once you're fully refreshed, you can head out to explore Isabela, which has one of the most diverse ecosystems in the Galapagos.

The nearest site to Puerto Villamil is the volcano of Santo Tomas. This large volcano (1490m) can easily be climbed and rewards you with a superb view of the Galapagos archipelago once you reach the summit. This isn't the highest volcano on Isabela, however - that honour goes to Wolf Volcano, at 1707m, and this is also well worth a visit. Alcedo tortoises are definitely one creature to look out for on any visit to the Alcedo volcano, as they are often to be found wallowing in the mud of the crater, which cools them in the heat of the day and also protects them from mosquitoes and ticks.

As well as the Alcedo tortoises, Isabela's fractured geography means it is home to several other sub-species of giant tortoises, each of which was separated from the other by barriers such as thick lava flows and so they all developed in isolation - a fascinating testbed for evolutionary biology!

Apart from giant tortoises, Isabela is also a great place to see dolphins and whales - with 16 species of whales alone recorded in the waters around the island.

Check out our Galapagos Calendar to find out the optimal time for visiting all of the islands.

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