Isabela Island

Isabela, the archipelago's biggest island, was produced by the union of five young volcanoes. While these volcanic regions have huge lava fields and little vegetation, the southern highlands, and other areas are densely forested, including the rare red mangrove. It is located between the islands of Anacapa and Santa Rosa, 19-25 miles off the nearby mainland coast between Ventura and Santa Barbara. Many indigenous Galapagos live in Isabela Island, particularly in Puerto Villamil, the island's major town.

Punta Vicente Roca and Elizabeth Bay are well worth a visit for their excellent diving and snorkeling. Swim with green turtles, white-tipped sharks, and massive seahorses. Along the Tagus, we can observe sea turtles, eagles, rays, sea lions, and, if we’re lucky, dolphins swimming in the vicinity. Pirates and whalers came through here in the past, and some of their names are still engraved into the jagged rocks. Puerto Villamil, one of the Galapagos' few human communities, is located in the island's south. It has some basic tourist amenities, such as hotels and restaurants. The Wall of Tears, which was erected by inmates, serves as a mournful reminder of the island's past as a penal colony.