Isabela Wetlands (Los Humedales)

About the site

Isabela Wetlands (Los Humedales)

The Wetlands of Isabela, Los Humedales in Spanish, are a chain of lagoons, mangrove swamps and small beaches that stretches west from Puerto Villamil along the south coast of the island. All four species of Galápagos mangrove grow here, red, black, white and button, and the area is one of the best places in the islands to see wetland birds.

The visit follows a road and a network of short trails and boardwalks that branch off to the different ponds and viewpoints: Poza Escondida and Poza Redonda, the Estero with its lava tunnel, Playa del Amor, where marine iguanas rest on the rocks, and the stairs up Cerro Orchilla, a lookout over the bay, the town and the volcanoes Sierra Negra and Cerro Azul. The route continues to the Wall of Tears, about five kilometers from town.

White-cheeked pintails, common gallinules, black-necked stilts and whimbrels feed in the lagoons, flamingos are often seen in the brackish ponds near town, and Darwin's finches, yellow warblers and mockingbirds move through the scrub. With luck, a giant tortoise crosses the path.

The walk is easy and flat. Many cruises visit the Wetlands in the same outing as the Wall of Tears or the Arnaldo Tupiza breeding center; there is little shade, so a hat, sunscreen and water are useful.

Highlights

• Birdwatching
• Giant Mangroves