THE WETLANDS – DAILY TOUR

Full Day:

ISABELA – THE WETLANDS

• The Wetlands is a complex of trails, adjacent to Puerto Villamil. There are nine tracks that include the following sites: The Wall of Tears, Cerro Orchilla, El Estero, Poza Escondida, Poza Redonda, Tunnel del Estero, Playa del Amor, Bay of Tunos and Poza de los Diablos, La Playita, Poza verde, Cemetery and tortoise breeding.
  In Isabela Island can be found Coastal wetlands and marine wetlands.
• The Wetlands are coastal mangroves and brackish water lagoons formed by seepage of seawater and freshwater underground tributaries coming from the upper parts of the island. They are also an important feeding area for the Galapagos penguin and one of the main nesting sites for green turtles.
• Marine wetlands in the bay of Puerto Villamil is protected from waves by lava flows and islets as a natural breakwater, which forms an area of calm water, sandy bottom of organic origin and certain parts with rocky substrates.
• The wetlands of Isabela Island are essential for the maintenance of biological diversity of Galapagos, as home to several species that depend exclusively on the wetland in order to fulfill their life cycle, flamenco, Bug, stilt, oystercatcher, Gallinula, ghost crab, and fiddler crabs.
• There is also one of the most extensive mangrove areas of the archipelago, contributing significantly to the conservation of island biodiversity.
• Poza de Los Diablos: The Poza de los Diablos located next to the road that leads from Puerto Villamil to the Wall of Tears is the largest lagoon in Galapagos, and is also one of the main reproduction sites for flamingos. Here it is common to see these svelte birds next to the many mangroves found in the wetlands.
• Wall of Tears: The Wall of Tears is a historic site in Isabela. Between 1946 and 1959 Isabela was a penal colony, where prisoners were made build a wall with huge blocks of lava as punishment. The wall is 100 metres long and 7 metres high. Due to the arduous labour and harsh conditions in which the prisoners lived, this site is known as the wall of tears.
  A set of stairs provides a bird’s eye view of the wall and the surrounding landscape. You can still see the cement foundations of the USA base dating back to the Second World War.
• Cerro Orchilla a lookout which you can access via a staircase; from this site you can see the bay and the town of Puerto Villamil.
• El Estero is a 227m path of lava rocks, 1.5 meters wide. It consists of a picnic site where the people come to do leisure activities. On this site you can see the four species of mangrove found in Galapagos and a small majagual forest. It forms part of the stories and legends of the penal colony era on Isabela.
• La Poza Escondida is a path of stone and wood, where the main attraction is a mangrove forest and at the end of this path is a this pool.
• Poza Redonda is a path of 50 meters long, of lava plates leading to a pool formed inside a collapsed lava tube.
• Tunel del Estero. A path 75m long and with adequate lava plates ending in a staircase inside a lava tunnel. Above the tunnel you can see the intertidal landscape that offers a tapestry of Galapagos Sesuvium between “El Túnel del Estero” and Love Beach.
• Love Beach has a rocky sea access, is a site frequently used by the community of Isabela.
• Los Tunos Viewpoint and Pozas Verde are paths with several lookout points that allow observation of birds and plants.
• La Playita: Is a path that leads to a small beach that is part of the greater beach in Villamil.
  You can see several ancient tombs in the cemetery, tombs that have been built with unusual materials, represent a historical account of Isabela and its first inhabitants.
• The main attraction of these sites is the variety of flora and fauna can be observed. This tour is also very popular by bicycle, we can arrange a fully guided bike tour.

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