Isabela Galapagos Travel Guide & Itinerary (Under 50$/Day)

Dreaming of the Galapagos Islands but worried about the price tag? You’re not alone. Many travellers search for ways to explore this bucket-list destination without breaking the bank, and one of the biggest questions is: Is Isabela Island worth visiting if you’re on a budget? (Spoiler: it absolutely is!)

The truth is, travel in the Galapagos can get expensive quickly – with high-priced tours, expensive accommodation options, and food that’s often double mainland Ecuador prices. It’s easy to think you’ll miss out unless you spend big.

After travelling the Galapagos on a strict daily budget, we discovered that Isabela not only offers some of the most unforgettable wildlife encounters – think swimming with penguins and spotting wild tortoises – but also some of the best free and low-cost experiences across the islands. From bike rides past hidden lagoons to snorkelling spots you can access without a pricey tour, Isabela turned out to be our favourite stop in the archipelago.

If you’re a budget-conscious traveller who wants the full Galapagos magic – wildlife, volcanoes, dreamy beaches – without overspending, this guide is for you.

We’ll share exactly how we managed to explore Isabela on less than $50 a day, with insider tips, free adventures, and budget-friendly eats that made our stay not only affordable but unforgettable.

• Budget Isabela Galapagos Travel Guide
  • Isabela Galapagos Map
  • Is Isabela Worth Visiting?
  • Where We Stayed in Isabela on a Budget
  • How to Get to Isabela
  • How to Get Around Isabela
  • Free and Cheap Things to Do in Isabela
  • Snorkelling Tour
  • How Many Days in Isabela Do You Need
  • Isabela Galapagos Itinerary for under 50$ per Day
  • Where to Eat in Isabela on a Budget
  • Isabela Tips

Budget Isabela Galapagos Travel Guide

Isabela Galapagos Map

Is Isabela Worth Visiting?

Yes! Isabela was our favourite of the Galapagos Islands. Even if it is not connected to mainland Ecuador by plane, you should absolutely make it a priority to visit. While it’s the biggest island of the archipelago, it’s also the least visited of the three main islands.

It’s significantly less built up than Santa Cruz, and we absolutely loved the beach town vibe of the capital, Puerto Villamil. Additionally, we had our best wildlife encounters here. After all, you can’t swim with penguins every day! Of course, we also spotted tortoises, turtles, sharks, sea lions, marine iguanas, boobies, and everything else you could wish for from the Galapagos Islands.

Where We Stayed in Isabela on a Budget

We stayed at El Rincón de George and can fully recommend it. The location is great and the staff is friendly. It only costs around 16$ per person and night, which is hard to beat. The accommodation comes with a kitchen as well as free drinking water. The comfy rooftop terrace with great views is a bonus.

How to Get to Isabela

Isabela is not connected to mainland Ecuador by flights. The best way to get here is to take the ferry from Santa Cruz. It leaves at 7am and 3pm.

The pier is a 15-minute walk from the centre of the capital, Puerto Villamil. Taxis are available for 2$.

How to Get Around Isabela

The centre of Puerto Villamil is very walkable. You can also walk to more remote sights like the Wall of Tears or Concha de Perla. Alternatively, you can rent bicycles for around 10$ in town. We marked the spot where we rented our bicycles on the map.

Free and Cheap Things to Do in Isabela

1. Bike to the Wall of Tears

This was our favourite free day out on Isabela, as the route is the goal here. And the best? None of the sights costs any entrance fee!

We recommend heading to the furthest point, the Wall of Tears, first.

The Wall of Tears is a somber reminder of the island’s past, built by prisoners between 1945 and 1959. Standing about 8 meters (25 feet) tall, it’s more than just a wall of stone. Many locals believe the place holds a heavy, almost suffocating energy.

On a brighter note, you can enjoy great views across Isabela Island from the top. For even better views, you can climb to the higher viewpoint called the Radar (marked on our map), but beware that the path is quite steep.

Choose your own adventure on your way back. Your options are

• The Mirador Cerro Orchilla viewpoint (which we preferred to the Radar).
• El Estero, a beautiful mangrove area where we swam with a sea lion all by ourselves.
• Beaches like Playa del Amor and La Playita, where you can swim with marine iguanas.
• Túnel del Estero, a small lava tunnel.
• The Camino de las Tortugas, where you can spot wild tortoises.
• Various Pozas, small bodies of water, like Poza Redonda, Poza Escondida, and Pozas Verdes.

Drop us a comment if you want a whole blog post about this day trip!

Total cost: Free if you walk, 10$ if you rent a bike.

2. Playa Isabela

Playa Isabela is a hidden gem we stumbled upon completely by accident. We were on our way to snorkel at Conch Perla when we met a fellow traveller who told us that they were on their way to the sandbank at Playa Isabela, where penguins hang out during low tide. We followed them and were rewarded by a multitude of curious penguins just swimming around us in the shallow water.

Of course, we also saw sea lions, marine iguanas, blue-footed boobies, and sharks.

Total cost: Free

3. Concha Perla

Concha Perla is the undisputed snorkelling highlight of Isabela. It’s a lagoon where you can snorkel with the usual Galapagos suspects. We saw marine iguanas and turtles.

Total cost: Free if you have your own snorkel gear, we paid 3$ to rent it at our accommodation.

4. Port Villamil Beach

If you’re a beach enthusiast, definitely plan to spend some time at Port Villamil Beach – the 4 km (2.5 mi) long main beach of Isabela Island. It’s great for sunbathing (in fact, there’s not much shade), bathing, and surfing.

We just loved the beach bars and restaurants where you can sit in a chill atmosphere and enjoy the sea views – just beware that none of these places is particularly budget-friendly!

By the way: The sunset at Port Villamil Beach should not be missed.

Total cost: Free

5. Flamingos

If you take a look at the map, you’ll find many bodies of water around Port Villamil with “flamingo” in their name. We went to the one right next to our accommodation and could easily spot flamingos – in fact, we even saw some from our rooftop terrace.

Total cost: Free

6. Hiking Tour to Sierra Negra Volcano

Land-based activities on the Galapagos Islands are a lot more affordable than water-based activities. That’s why we opted to go on a hiking tour to Sierra Negra Volcano, and we couldn’t be happier with our decision.

First, we hiked up to the Sierra Negra volcano crater, the largest crater in the Galapagos Islands. Keep an eye out for tortoises on the way! Afterwards, we headed to Chico volcano. On our way, our guide taught us so much about volcanoes in general and on the Galapagos Islands in particular, which was so interesting.

Total cost: Around 35$-70$, depending on your haggling skills.

Here’s a full review of the hiking tour to Sierra Negra Volcano that we did:

Snorkelling Tour

Yes, snorkelling is not a budget-friendly activity in the Galapagos Islands, but it’s probably a once-in-a-lifetime trip, so we felt like we needed to include it.

There are two popular snorkelling excursions on Isabela:

1. Las Tinotreras
2. Los Tuneles

On both tours, you have the option to swim with penguins, turtles, sharks, rays, sea lions, and more. You will also spot some birds like blue-footed boobies and pelicans. If you’re on a budget, the Las Tinotreras is significantly cheaper as the boat ride is much shorter.

We opted for the Los Tuneles tour and have zero regrets, although it blew our budget. Here’s our full review:

How Many Days in Isabela Do You Need

By far the most expensive part of the Galapagos Islands is getting there. If you can afford a budget of 50$ per day, we recommend staying 3 days on Isabela to get the full experience without rushing.

In case you want to go on a snorkelling tour, plan for at least one more day – and also to ditch your 50$ budget.

Isabela Galapagos Itinerary for under 50$ per Day

Day 1 – Bike to the Wall of Tears

On your first take, head to the Wall of Tears. Take your time and explore, and enjoy all the sights along the way!

Total cost 36$

• 16$ Accommodation
• 10$ Food
• 10$ Activities

Day 2 – Playa Isabela, Concha Perla, Port Villamil Beach & Flamingos

First, head towards the ferry pier where you can check out the sand bank at Playa Isabela to the west and snorkel at Concha Perla to the east.

In the afternoon, you can look for flamingos and relax at Port Villamil Beach.

Total cost 29$

• 16$ Accommodation
• 10$ Food
• 3$ Activities

Day 3 – Hiking Tour to Sierra Negra Volcano

Grab your hiking boots and go on an excursion to the Sierra Negra and Chico volcanoes.

Total cost 61$

• 16$ Accommodation
• 10$ Food
• 35$ Activities

Where to Eat in Isabela on a Budget

While we found restaurants on the Galapagos Islands to be notoriously expensive, there’s a variety of budget-friendly food options:

• There are a ton of local eateries around the market where you can find a menu del dia for around 6$.
• Right next to the market, there’s an affordable bakery.

We managed to keep our food budget below 10$ per day, eating oatmeal for breakfast, something affordable from the bakery for lunch (also great to take with you on your adventures), and a cheap menu del dia in the evening.

Isabela Tips

ATMs in Isabela

Currently, there’s one Banco Pacifico ATM on Isabela. We used it and it worked fine for us.

Supermarkets in Isabela

We found some small shops dotted around the market. There are rarely any price tags, so you have to ask around if your aim is to get a good deal.

Internet in Isabela

Overall, the internet is not great on the Galapagos Islands. The WiFi at our accommodation worked well enough for video calls. We were also happy with the connection of our Airalo eSIM card.

Is Isabela Safe

The Galapagos Islands are remote and sparsely populated. Crime rarely travels here. Most travel advisories deem Galapagos safe – even if the rest of Ecuador is not. Of course, you should not throw carefulness overboard completely.

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