Ecuador - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 634

EATING AND DRINKING
Compared to Puerto Ayora, it's surprisingly di cult to find
a decent cheap meal, unless you're fine with sandwiches,
burgers and snacks.
Batidos y Jugos Mi Grande Villamil. A good place for
fresh juices and shakes as well as burgers and breakfasts
for $1.50-3.
Ì Casa Blanca Café Malecón, at Melville. Good place
to start the day or while away the evening. They serve
traditional tamales or humitas (mashed corn), burgers
and a range of cocktails. $3-5.
Iguana Rock J Jose Flores, at Av Quito. After dinner,
head here, three blocks inland, to shoot pool, have a few
beers and dance until the early hours at the town's most
popular bar.
Mockingbird Café Española, at Ignacio de Hernández.
A rustic, homely place with friendly service, ideal for a
snack ($2) and a spot of internet surfing.
La Playa Av de la Armada. If you don't mind spending a
bit more, this is the pick of the town's upscale restaurants,
specializing in delicious seafood with mains at $7-12.
Rosley Española, at Ignacio de Hernández. This local
favourite is one of the few places in town that offers
a $2.50 two-course set lunch and dinner of standard
Ecuadorian fare - chicken stew, fried beef and grilled fish.
Tongo Reef Bar Malecón. One of many cheap, simple
snack bars along the waterfront, serving big breakfasts,
burgers, sandwiches and fruit juices for $3-5.

centre has details of the giant tortoise's
life cycle and the programme to boost
the populations of the five subspecies
endemic to Isabela. To avoid the round
trip, take a taxi ($2) to the centre and
walk back past the lagoons.
Continuing along the coast to the
west, it's a pleasant but longer walk to
reach the Wall of Tears, built by a penal
colony in the 1940s. It may be just
a wall but the story of the convicts
who were forced to build it in the 1940s
is interesting (a taxi here costs $5 or
a guided tour $20). Southeast of town
is a set of islets called Las Tintoreras ,
named after the reef sharks that frequent
them. This is a very good snorkelling
spot, with opportunities to watch sea
lions, turtles, penguins and white-tipped
sharks, which sometimes rest in the
canals. There's also a short trail around
the islets.

6

Volcán Sierra Negra
A trek around the volcano is the highlight
of a trip to Isabela. You can trek there
yourself, but it's far better and safer to
take a guided tour. There are two routes
- the shorter known as Volcán Chico takes
about four hours, usually on foot and
horseback. You can see small lava cones
and impressive views over the north of
the island and Fernandina. The visibility
tends to be better on this side. The longer
trek to Las Minas de Azufre (Sulphur
Mines) takes around seven hours and is
tougher, especially in the rainy season.
However, the extra effort is rewarded
with a more spectacular experience. The
walk around the crater, which is the
second largest in the world after
Ngorongoro in Tanzania, is followed
by a descent into the yellow hills of
the sulphur mines, which spew out
pungent sulphuric gas. Note that the
longer trek is less popular so you may
need to book ahead.

ISLA ISABELA
This is by far the largest island in the
Galápagos and the most westerly of
the populated islands. It also has the
most dramatic landscapes because of its
recent volcanic activity. Puerto Villamil
is the only town with accommodation
on the island.

Puerto Villamil
Much smaller than Puerto Ayora,
with a sleepy, intimate atmosphere,
this town is an ideal place to relax for
a longer stay. There are also plenty of
attractions close to town to keep you
busy for a couple of days.
Five minutes' walk west of town is a set
of pozas (lagoons), where flamingos are
commonly seen. Continue walking along
the trail for twenty minutes to reach the
Centro de Crianza de Tortugas (Tortoise
Breeding Centre; daily 9am-5pm; free),
which has 850 tortoises separated into
eight separate enclosures. An information

TOUR OPERATORS
Tours of Isla Isabela cost around $25. A good tour operator is
Nautilus (Antonio Gil, at Las Fragatas; T 05 252 9076). Tours
of Volcán Sierra Negra are around $40. Wilmer Quezada is
a particularly good local guide ( T 098 687 8626, T 05 252
9326) or use Nautilus (see above).