The Galapagos Islands have long had the reputation of being out of reach of the budget traveller or backpacker. When planning my trip, I found a real lack of information online about how to visit the Galapagos Islands on a budget, without taking an expensive cruise or loads of expensive day trips.
A lot of bloggers suggest trying to get a last minute cruise deal as an effective way of seeing the Galapagos islands on a budget. I went there with this intention, but as it was the start of high season, the cruise deals I found weren’t that cheap.
If you’re looking at taking a trip to the Galapagos Islands, and a cruise is out of your budget, go anyway! I spent 2 weeks travelling the 3 main Galapagos islands on a budget and it was still one of my favourite travel experiences of all time.
Getting to Isabela island, Galapagos
Isabela is the only island of the 3 main islands that doesn’t have an airport. You will need to fly into either San Cristobal or Baltra airports and take a boat.
Boats between the 3 main Galapagos islands can be easily purchased at any tour agency in any of the main towns. The boats are a set price of $30 at most agencies. If you would like the convenience of getting your ticket in advance, you can purchase tickets online here. There are no direct boats between San Cristobal and Isabela, you will need to go via Santa Cruz.
The boats are not very big, and the ocean can be choppy. I would recommend taking medication beforehand if you’re prone to seasickness. The journey takes approximately 2 hours from Santa Cruz.
Arriving in Isabela island
When you arrive to Isabela, you will also have to pay $1 for the taxi boat to the pier, and $10 pier tax. Make sure you have this in cash.
To get from the port into the main town, Puerto Villamil, is very easy. There are shared taxis that leave for $1-2 per person. If you’re really keen to do your trip to the Galapagos islands on a budget, you can also walk into town in about 20 minutes.
How to get around in Isabela
Although Isabela is the largest (and one of the youngest) islands in the Galapagos, it is still very easy to get around. Puerto Villamil is a quiet, beachfront town with sandy streets. All of the restaurants, bars, tour agencies and accommodation are located walking distance from each other in the town.
Bikes can be hired throughout the town for $15 a day. If you want to keep your costs down, you can easily walk anywhere you need to go.
Where to stay in Isabela, Galapagos islands on a budget
Puerto Villamil has lots of accommodation options ranging from budget to high end. You can get a double room for around $30 online. We stayed at El Rincon de George (linked here) and loved it. It was great value for money, had a kitchen so we could cook our own meals and you could literally see flamingos in the lake from the rooftop. I highly recommend for a budget stay!
During low season, there is no need to book ahead. We heard of people getting rooms for $20 by just asking around at hotels. To keep your Galapagos trip on a budget, there is also a small but vibrant couchsurfing community in Isabela.
If the Galapagos has a backpacker island, Isabela is it. We met a few people during our time there that came for a few days, but extended their stays for weeks or more. There are a couple of restaurants in town that offer accommodation in exchange for working a few hours a day. If you’re keen to stay in Isabela a little longer, ask around about these options. The locals are really friendly and will point you in the right direction.
Free/cheap things to do in Isabela, Galapagos islands
There are so many things to do in Isabela that are amazing and won’t break your budget. It is also the best island of 3 to just spend some time at the beach doing not much at all. The vibe on Isabela is so relaxed and peaceful you will never want to leave.
Here is a list of some of the best things to do on Isabela.
Snorkel at Conche de Perla
I’m putting this first because I think it is by far the best free activity on Isabela. Conche de Perla is a sheltered lagoon with turquoise waters that is absolutely teeming with sea life. It is a short walk along the boardwalk from the pier, about a 20 minute walk from town.
We spent almost a week on Isabela and we came here nearly every day – it’s that good! You can see loads of colourful fish, sea lions, eagle rays, sea turtles, star fish, reef sharks, marine iguanas and more. Every time we went, we saw something new and amazing.
Conche de Perla is free to enter, you just need to bring your own snorkel gear.
Ride or walk to the Wall of Tears
The Wall of Tears is a rock wall constructed by prisoners when Isabela had a penal colony in the 1940s and 50s. The wall was constructed purely as a way to punish inmates through manual labour and stands as a sad reminder of what once was.
The wall itself is interesting, but not the highlight of this day trip. The journey takes you past secluded beaches, lakes with flamingoes and viewpoints where you can look over most of the island. An absolute highlight for me was the giant tortoises you can see on the road along the way.
To get to the Wall of Tears you can hire bikes from many shops in town. Prices are $5 an hour, $10 for 5 hours of $15 for the day. I’ve written a detailed about doing this day trip independently because I think it is one of the best things to do on the Galapagos islands on a budget. You can read it here.
Spend time at the beach
Puerto Villamil is by far the most beautiful town in the Galapagos. It is lined by a white-sand beach that runs for miles and is the perfect place to take a sunset walk or swim. Along the beach you can see loads of sea birds and marine iguanas.
About 1km out of town there is a surfing beach. You can hire surfboards in town and try your luck catching some waves with the locals.
Watch sunset from a beach bar
There are a few bars along the beach that add to Isabela’s backpacker vibe. My favourite was the Pink Iguana. They have a great happy hour, super friendly staff and a great location right on the beach. Head there late afternoon to take advantage of happy hour prices and watch the sun go down with a beer in hand.
See the flamingos at Poza de los Flamingos
This small lagoon is located right in town and is completely free to visit. Most times of the day you can walk down there and see flamingos fishing or gracefully wandering through the water. Isabela is the best island to see flamingos, with many places that they frequent. We found this small lagoon to be the most reliable place to see them up close.
The best tours of Isabela, Galapagos
Although this travel guide is to show you all the ways you can explore the Galapagos islands on a budget, there are a few tours that I enthusiastically recommend. These are the most recommended tours for Isabela.
Los Tuneles half day tour
This is pretty highly regarded as the best tour on Isabela and one of the best snorkelling destinations in the whole of the Galapagos. The marine life is insane. It’s hard to believe that there is a place as abundant with life as Los Tuneles. We saw eagle rays, white tipped reef sharks, seahorses, lots of colourful fish and more sea turtles than we could count.
Most tours will include a light lunch, transport, guide, wetsuit and snorkelling gear. You can book at one of the tour agencies in Isabela. Most agencies charge around $120-150, however if you shop around, we were able to get ours for $100. If you’d rather secure a spot in advance, take a look at this tour through Viator.
Make sure you bring decent shoes as the lava rocks can be sharp. Also, as with all boats in the Galapagos, I recommend seasick tablets.
Las Tintoreras half day tour
Las Tintoreras is another spectacular snorkelling spot that you can visit in Isabela. It is located not far from the pier, however can only be accessed with a guided tour. Along with other marine life, this is one of the best places to see the Galapagos penguin.
Most tour agencies in Puerto Villamil will offer a tour to Las Tintoreras which includes a guided walk and snorkelling time. Pahoehoe tours is a well rated agency and also offers a kayaking option for those not keen to get in the water. Check out their tours here.
Practical information for visiting Isabela, Galapagos islands on a budget
- There is only one pair of ATMs on Isabela. The ATMs are located on the main plaza and are Banco del Pacifico, which has a $4 withdrawal fee for most foreign cards. They were both working fine while I was there, but I heard that this isn’t always the case. It’s probably a good idea to bring cash, as cash is king on Isabela. Very few places will accept card and if they do, there is usually a substantial added charge.
- There are plenty of restaurants on Isabela that offer menu del dia. This is usually a soup starter and then a main course of rice, salad, beans and a meat option. Sometimes it also includes a drink. If you want to eat out but still keep costs low on your Galapagos trip, I would recommend going with the menu del dia. In Isabela they are usually $6 at most restaurants.
- If your accommodation has a kitchen you can use, there are a lot of small mini markets on the island where you can buy basic things to cook with. Vegetables are to be reasonably priced but the selection is pretty limited.
- A great way to keep your Galapagos costs low, is to bring your own snorkelling equipment. You can rent them from most tour agencies and shops in town for about $5 for a few hours. If you have your own, you will never be bored.
Interested in more tips for visiting the Galapagos islands on a budget? Check out my other posts here!
