- Price$125per person
- IslandIsabelaGalapagos
- TypeDay tourduration on request
Come prepared for heavy rain or drizzle. In fog the group must stay together at all times and note landmarks in order to retrace the route.
Overview
Sierra Negra rises 1,124 m above sea level, 22 km from Puerto Villamil. Horses skirt the eastern rim of the caldera to Los Jaboncillos, and from there it is on foot to Volcan Chico and the sulphur mines.
From Puerto Villamil a vehicle can be hired for the roughly 45-minute drive to El Cura. From there horses run along the eastern side of the Sierra Negra caldera to Los Jaboncillos, and the route continues on foot to Volcan Chico.
Sierra Negra sits in the south of Isabela, 22 km from Puerto Villamil, at 1,124 metres above sea level (0.83 S, 91.17 W). Volcan Chico lies northeast at approximately 860 metres. Temperatures run around 16 C.
The weather is poor: come prepared for heavy rain or drizzle. It is easy to get lost in the fog, so the group stays together and notes landmarks to retrace the route.
For a shorter option, La Bocanilla gives a caldera view with little walking: 1.5 km from the Sierra Negra trailhead to the crater rim. Clear days show the whole caldera. The nearby Sulphur Mines are visited for the fumaroles and the mines themselves. Birds, tortoises and iguanas live here, along with introduced cattle and pigs. In this dry tropical zone a permanent programme removes introduced plants such as guava so native and endemic vegetation can grow back.
Highlights
- Caldera rim at 1,124 m above sea level
- Horses from El Cura to Los Jaboncillos
- Walk out to Volcan Chico
- Fumaroles and the Sulphur Mines
Wildlife you may see
Nothing is guaranteed — these are wild animals in a national park.
- Birds
- Giant tortoises
- Iguanas
Good to know
Most guests add the Sulfur Mines to this outing. Ask us and we will quote the two together. The source describes this as a location rather than a scheduled tour: the vehicle from Puerto Villamil is described as hired locally and the horses as taken at El Cura, with no stated operator arrangement. Temperature around 16 C. Extra fees on Isabela: water taxi USD 1 Santa Cruz / USD 1 Isabela; Isabela entrance USD 5 nationals / USD 10 foreigners.
