Isabela

We are now back on the main Island of Santa Cruz, after three wonderful days on Isabela, the largest of the Islands. This quiet Island, with few tourists, provided us with both activity and tranquility. We stayed in Puerto Villamil, a friendly little town with streets of sand. We spent the first day walking on multi-coloured lava rock around the summit of the second largest crater in the world, Valcan Sierra Negra and a smaller active volcano, Volcan Chico. We traveled by horse for part of the journey, which was Phil´s first time as a cowboy! The next morning we had our most enjoyable snorkel, with sea turtles and rays, and fish of very colour. We spent the afternoon biking, on very well managed paths, by the vast beach front, where the sand is as soft as flour, and by internationally recognized wetlands. The wetlands are dense mangroves with small salt water pools in close proximity to the ocean. It is all so beautiful and humbling.