Puerto Villamil is a blissfully relaxed fishing village and the main port of the largest Galapagos Island, Isabela.
In recent years, with more regular boat trips
and flights between islands, Puerto Villamil has began to become more developed to adapt to the increased
numbers of visitors, but it is still markedly different to the towns on the more visited
islands.
Puerto Ayora, and to a lesser extent, Puerto Baquerizo Moreno might surprise some people by how modern and developed they are but Isabela’s main port is far more primitive. With no mainland flights serving its tiny airfield, Isabela is still charmingly rustic, and its peaceful main town Puerto Villamil still has a real desert island feel.
Puerto Ayora, and to a lesser extent, Puerto Baquerizo Moreno might surprise some people by how modern and developed they are but Isabela’s main port is far more primitive. With no mainland flights serving its tiny airfield, Isabela is still charmingly rustic, and its peaceful main town Puerto Villamil still has a real desert island feel.
There are obvious differences – such as no banks or ATMs –
but sometimes it’s the small things that make the difference, like abandoned ships at the roadside!
They also employ a novel approach to traffic calming in Puerto Villamil, not that the meagre amount of vehicles really warrants it. Lengths of rope are stretched across the road leading from the dock to the town - they're surprisingly effective speed bumps!
On our visit, long stretches of the Puerto Villamil beach were virtually deserted throughout the day. Less charming were the evening mosquitoes, which we weren't expecting after a bite-free week on Santa Cruz.
Just a two minute walk from the main square, the road trails
off into a small path which runs into the undergrowth towards the Wall of Tears
– an unsettling monument built by prisoners once held in the island’s former
penal colony.
We found this shell of a house surrounded by coconut trees on the beachfront just moments from the main square – a dream piece of real estate if ever there was one.
Even in the dusty main square, and the adjacent roads made from black lava rock, cars are a rarity. There are
none of the white pick-up truck taxis that circle Puerto Ayora. There are just a few hundred vehicles on the
island, many of which are used as taxis or to take visitors to the volcanoes in
the north of the island.
There are no ATMs on Isabela and just one small
supermarket. In the main square there is a small shop selling some basic snacks
and alcohol which closes for siestas.
There are a handful of small bars dotted along the beach, including Bar de Beto – an open-air, eco-friendly bar that opens straight onto the beach.
There isn’t the same variety of dining options that you can
enjoy in Puerto Ayora, but there are a handful of options on the main square.
La Fogata – alongside the incongruously modern church - is an unpretentious and
good-value pizzeria. Caeser’s seemed a very popular option and came
recommended, but we found it to be pretty average.
Unquestionably one of the highlights of Isabela are the
friendly sea lions. Stroll down to the landing dock at any time of day and
there will be a collection of them either basking in the sun or dozing on the
shaded part of the Puerto Villamil dock, taking over all the available benches!
It’s easy to hop down into the shallow water around the pier – I spotted a
penguin darting around under the water.
Just moments from the dock is the wonderful Concha De Perla – a small bay that becomes a natural swimming pool at low tide, marked by a lone tree standing on the ridge of rocks. It’s just a short walk through the mangrove to the bay, home to some colourful fish and the occasional playful sea lion.
The easiest way of getting to Isabela from mainland Ecuador is to fly into Santa Cruz and travel from there. $30 one way boat trips leave from Puerto Ayora daily. The journey takes around two and a half hours - the journey can be very bumpy and conditions are pretty cramped, so be sure to take sea sickness tablets beforehand.
Alternatively there are flights with Entebbe from Baltra and San Cristobal, thought these cost in excess of $100.
