Southern Isabela Island: Puerto Villamil and Sierra Negra Volcano
This is the best day on the expedition for any keen hikers. Early this morning, we got a wake up call to start getting ready for a wonderful six-kilometer hike up to the rim of Sierra Negra Volcano on Isabela Island. This wonderful caldera is one of the largest calderas in the whole world, and it last erupted on the 22nd of October 2005. With a beautiful sunrise, the hikers started disembarking the Islander to take a bunch of the open-back trucks that are the sole means of transportation on the island. We all walked up to the rim of the caldera to observe the evolution of the cooling new lava flows of the area. These young lava flows are still steaming and still very hot inside: it will take several months for anyone to be able to walk on these new lava rocks without getting their shoes melted! Fumaroles could also be seen dotting the new landscape.
We all came back on board after this energetic hike and restored energies with a great lunch, ready to continue the day exploring the lovely little village at the base of the volcano, Puerto Villamil. Home to about two thousand inhabitants, it is a very pristine and inviting little town with sandy roads and an appealing white sandy beach lined with shady palm trees. Many of our guests took this option and swam right after lunch to relax their muscles after the great morning hike.
Another group of enthusiastic guests decided to start a little later to visit the Tortoise Breeding Centre where the endangered tortoise populations of the two southern Isabela volcanoes are actively being restored. Here we could all observe different morphotypes among the Isabela tortoises as well as sizes ranging from tiny hatchlings to fully-grown adults. Our exciting day came to an end with a spectacular sunset over the beach of Puerto Villamil, which we enjoyed seated with cold drinks in a local and colorful bar run by a family from Isabela.
Some of the children from the local environmental education centres in town came to share information about the conservation work they do in Isabela, which we were all fascinated to hear about.
This is the best day on the expedition for any keen hikers. Early this morning, we got a wake up call to start getting ready for a wonderful six-kilometer hike up to the rim of Sierra Negra Volcano on Isabela Island. This wonderful caldera is one of the largest calderas in the whole world, and it last erupted on the 22nd of October 2005. With a beautiful sunrise, the hikers started disembarking the Islander to take a bunch of the open-back trucks that are the sole means of transportation on the island. We all walked up to the rim of the caldera to observe the evolution of the cooling new lava flows of the area. These young lava flows are still steaming and still very hot inside: it will take several months for anyone to be able to walk on these new lava rocks without getting their shoes melted! Fumaroles could also be seen dotting the new landscape.
We all came back on board after this energetic hike and restored energies with a great lunch, ready to continue the day exploring the lovely little village at the base of the volcano, Puerto Villamil. Home to about two thousand inhabitants, it is a very pristine and inviting little town with sandy roads and an appealing white sandy beach lined with shady palm trees. Many of our guests took this option and swam right after lunch to relax their muscles after the great morning hike.
Another group of enthusiastic guests decided to start a little later to visit the Tortoise Breeding Centre where the endangered tortoise populations of the two southern Isabela volcanoes are actively being restored. Here we could all observe different morphotypes among the Isabela tortoises as well as sizes ranging from tiny hatchlings to fully-grown adults. Our exciting day came to an end with a spectacular sunset over the beach of Puerto Villamil, which we enjoyed seated with cold drinks in a local and colorful bar run by a family from Isabela.
Some of the children from the local environmental education centres in town came to share information about the conservation work they do in Isabela, which we were all fascinated to hear about.
