In my family’s 3 week trip to Vietnam, the majority of the photos we took were in our 3 days in Vinh Hy Bay. Not only is it a serenely beautiful part of the country but it also has a unique rural and cultural charm as its off the tourist radar. We were lucky to have a wonderful guide who had the knowledge of a local but the eyes of a tourist (a German who has been living in Vietnam for many years).
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I have put together this simple guide to help you plan your trip to Vinh Hy Bay as I could not find a lot of info online for planning before we went! Because Vinh Hy Bay is a little off the beaten track there isn’t a whole lot of information available about what to see and do either. Therefore, I have provided some useful details in my post Itinerary: 3 days in Vinh Hy Bay here. Please take a look to help you plan your visit. Or see my Vinh Hy Bay Photo Essay if you need some more convincing!
I hope this helps you to venture to this part of Vietnam as we were so happy we did!
Getting there and away:
Vinh Hy Bay is a bit out of the way and therefore a little tricker to get to than most spots in Vietnam.
The bay is approximately 1 hour drive from Camh Ranh Airport (you can also take a boat from near the airport to the bay! From the airport get transport to My Thanh Bridge – speedboats are available to transfer passengers to Vinh Hy bay from here.) We left Vinh Hy via Camh Ranh airport to travel back to Hanoi and it was an incredibly lovely drive along some of the most stunning coastline in Vietnam.
You can also get to Vinh Hy Bay via train but the closest train station is also some distance from the Bay at Thap Cham Station. We took an overnight sleeper train from Da Nang which took about 12 hours. Trains from Vinh Hy Bay to Hanoi leave from Thap Cham at 02:40; 03:54, 12:11; 16:36 and 22:05 while trains from Thap Cham to Saigon leave at 00:46, 11:12; 20:40; 21:19; 22:32 and 23:45.
The official Vietnam Railways website is https://dsvn.vn/#/ but you can also book through Baolau.
Accommodation:
You can see all 11 hotels available in Vinh Hy Bay on booking.com. The options are pretty limited! We stayed at Chanh Ranh House which was clean and comfortable and looked over the bay.
Food:
Restaurants
There are 2 restaurants in the bay with English menus (one of which is owned by Chanh Ranh House) both have good basic local fare. We preferred the other one – called Madame Hoang.
Vinh Hy is also known for its seafood restaurants (Vinh Hy Bay’s primary source of income is as a fishing village). Many of them are only open in the weekends on off season and all of them have a wider range of seafood in the weekends. We went to Quán Hải Sản Phước Thủy which is really just an open air kitchen with some plastic outdoor tables set up. But it was really nice.
The absolute BEST place to eat in the area is Doai Vegetarian Restaurant. Its a bit of a trek from the village in a rural area next to Nui Chua National Park. We went with our guide as part of our tour and had a set meal all of which was delicious. The setting is also spectacular as the restaurant is hidden in the forest and the outdoor seating sits on a wooden platform built around a rocky outcrop with stunning view of the bay.
Cafes and Bars
Ginger beer is a specialty in the village so make sure to stop at one of the cafes and give this a try! We liked the Ginger Beer at La Mer because there were also lots of weird and wonderful things preserved in jars.
Fresh Juices are always a good option in Vietnam and there is a great juice stall set up at the local playground in the evenings for your juice fix.
Also worth a stop is Yêu Biển bar which is a converted campervan parked up outside Chanh Ranh House. The drinks are very overpriced though so I suggest sticking only to Happy Hour!
Getting around:
Vinh Hy is pretty tricky to get around as a foreigner that doesn’t speak Vietnamese. The majority of international tourists that come through are travelling on motorbikes. You can also hire a driver but we found it was best to hire a guide which then means you don’t have to worry about your transport either and you can take advantage of all the forms of transport available (see my top tip below).
Vinh Hy Bay is very small so you can easily walk around the town itself. Boat and electric golf carts are other popular ways to travel considering the area you are in.
Top Tip:
If budget allows and you want to learn about the local culture, fruit, indigenous people and nature then I suggest hiring a private guide. I don’t always think this is the best way to travel (in fact I rarely hire a guide or go on a tour) but in locations such as this it was really helpful to have someone show us around, adapt itineraries and information based on our interests and give us insider tips.
In Vinh Hy Bay we found a wonderful tour company and guide: Vinh Hy Blue Skies where we received a fascinating private tour, had pre-arranged transport and yet had plenty of time to explore on our own, relax and find our own way.
I hope this guide has been helpful and gives you the information you need to take the road less travelled on occasion!
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Vinh Hy Bay is a local paradise in Vietnam. It’s relatively unknown to international tourists unless they are visiting the insanely luxurious Amanoi Resort. I didn’t think anywhere in Vietnam could be off the beaten track but Vinh Hy certainly was! We started off our journey by travelling overnight in one of Vietnam’s sleeper trains (7 of us sharing a cabin on a cramped overnight journey – myself sharing my narrow bed with my 2 month old baby in her travel bassinet) which definitely felt like the start of an adventure and a bit of a change from our last few days getting room service and lounging by the pool in our 5 star hotel (It was great! Click the link to book!). We wanted to go somewhere that tourists don’t usually venture and Vinh Hy bay sure did not disappoint. See my Vinh Hy Bay Photo Essay for inspiration to venture off the beaten track.
Because Vinh Hy Bay is a little off the beaten track there isn’t a whole lot of information available online with practical information about your stay. Therefore, I have provided some useful details in my post Planning a Trip to Vinh Hy Bay to help you plan your visit.
Otherwise, please take a look below for some insight into all Vinh Hy Bay has to offer!
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES
Ninh Thuan Rock Park
This is a gorgeous walk and viewpoint covered in..you guessed it. Rocks. Such picturesque rocks EVERYWHERE. The standout is the end of the short 20 min walk which comes out into a clifftop view of the ocean. There is also a little swing for the perfect photo op! There is nothing to do here except relax and enjoy the view but I hear there’s plans for a cafe in the near future.
Nua Chua National Park
About 15 minutes from Vinh Hy Bay you will find Nui Chua National Park and you can cross a suspension bridge to wander a local ethnic minority (Raglai) village situated inside the national park. From here you will then walk through the forest experiencing the fresh mountain air. Doai Vegetarian Restaurant is a short walk away via a peaceful stream and interesting flora and fauna. Stop for lunch (if you have booked in advance) or a cool drink.
Visit a Grape Farm
This area of Vietnam is known for its grape farms. Not wineries. Grape farms. We visited one in the Thai An valley. All you can see is vines for miles around but then you can find man-made holes along the edge, duck underneath to come out underneath the vines and the grape farms have set up little plastic tables. They produce a grape liquor which you can taste test along with grape cordial for the kids and they serve these along with lots of grape snacks. My kids were in heaven with all these free taste testers and the novelty of the child size location where the adults have to duck under the vines. The sealed bottles make for good souvenirs.
Walk a rocky pathway to a hidden beach
At the northern end of Vinh Hy bay the road abruptly ends and there is a hidden pathway covered in spiky cacti and branches. To walk along it you need to scramble over rocks and slip and slide down loose dirt. You come out on a little scenic beach with calm water good for swimming. Unfortunately a local business owner likes to take tour groups out here for lunch on a boat (and pretend its only accessible this way) so the path is not maintained or signposted but you can find it if you know what you are looking for.
Take a speedboat out around the bay
The scenery around Vinh Hy bay is best explored via boat. Taking a speedboat out allows fantastic views of the surrounding cliffs and hidden beaches along the coast. There are many little beaches here where you can swim and snorkel and relax in a beautiful part of the bay away from the fishing boats that sit in the water around the village itself.
Observe local village life around the bay
Vinh Hy bay has lots of winding narrow streets leading off the main street. Its in these quieter areas where most of local life takes place. We took some time to walk around and check out the market and the local homes and relaxed at the main square and playground where the village comes alive in the evenings.
Hang Rai Sea Cave
Hang Rai is an area of rock that has become a tourist attraction mainly because of a stunning picture a photographer took of water cascading over the top which is all over the internet. The funny thing is that the main part of Hang Rai actually sits far out of the water. Its a large rock you can climb on and see how it resembles the surface of the moon. The Hang Rai made world famous is actually a small coral reef area and rock to the left side of this one and only visible at low tide. Its also not signposted or obvious at all. The waterfall effect that looks so beautiful in the photograph is very difficult to capture as it requires being there at exactly the right time. The place is cool though and worth a walk through. There are some crazy looking rocks in this area. We didn’t have time to explore and see if we could view the other part of the rock but if you do I suggest bringing your togs! It looks like people climb right in and sit in the natural rock pools the tide creates here.
Next time I visit I would love to spend some time at Cam Lap Promontory also as this is nearby. Nui Chua National Park also has some good multi-day hiking trails but I wasn’t prepared to undertake this with young children in tow! I hope this guide has been helpful and inspires you to take the road less travelled on occasion.
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Even if you love adventure, sometime you just want to have a relaxing beach holiday and let the stress wash away. I found the best of both worlds in Vietnam – culture, sightseeing, food, adventure AND great weather, beaches and luxury.
Da Nang was the perfect place to stop and rest a few days to do nothing except chill out by the pool and beach and most importantly RELAX. My Khe Beach which runs a long way down the coast of Da Nang was rated by Forbes as one of the world’s most attractive beaches.
Top Tip for a Da Nang Beach Vacation:
Choose where to stay carefully – the beach here is beautiful and you can find resorts and hotels all along it however some are quite far away from anything else of interest. If you want seclusion this might be wonderful but if you don’t want to rely solely on your resort and hotel for everything you may want to find somewhere more central to stay.
Where to stay:
We stayed at Paris Deli Danang Beach Hotel but you can find tons of great options on Booking.com. Paris Deli has relatively affordable premier seafront rooms with bathtubs and Japanese toilets plus there is a daily included buffet breakfast. The hotel also has a rooftop pool overlooking the ocean.
We chose this hotel because it is across the road from the beach, has a nice pool and therefore a resort-feel while still being walking distance from many restaurants and bars and the Dragon Bridge.
Getting there and away:
Da Nang is a large city with a busy airport so its very easy to get here from any city in Vietnam. There are multiple flights a day from Hanoi and Ho Chi Min City. Da Nang Train Station also has trains travelling the length of the country.
Getting around:
We chose a hotel right by the beach as we wanted to be able to come back and forth from here with ease however if you are staying further away taxi’s and private drivers are readily available and affordable. If you would like to visit the river and the dragon bridge (the light show at 9pm on the weekends is a highlight) its only about a 30 minute relaxed walk from the part of the beach we stayed at.
Food and Drink:
Esco Beach – This beach bar was right across the road from our hotel and we spent a LOT of time here. Great cocktails, happy hour, an infinity pool overlooking the ocean, comfy seating and to top it all off they have a fire show most nights at 9:30pm with some amazing performers.
Moc Quan Seafood – This is a fantastic seafood restaurant very close to the beach but more of a local haunt with more reasonable prices. Expect to have to queue for a while – it can get very busy but there is lots of space inside. For those with kids they have a small children’s play area which is a bonus.
Paris Deli Danang Beach Hotel – If you are staying here the hotel food is actually quite decent and affordable so there isn’t much reason to leave! There is also no added surcharge for room service so go crazy and just order in. The Pho and the Club sandwich are particularly good.
Bladi Restaurant – This is a Moroccan restaurant which will suit you if you are a bit tired of the local cuisine. The food was excellent and the waiter was quite rude (entertainingly so). Its a bit pricey though with very small portions.
Mỹ An Garden Coffee – A very local and affordable spot for coffee. It’s a nice escape from the heat with a lovely little garden and pond.
What to expect:
Expect to do nothing and just see where the day takes you.
If you do need something else to do other than just spend time at the beach and in the city, there are some great day trips you can take. You could visit Hoi An (see my post here on Hoi An); Sunworld Amusement Park (see my post here on Sunworld); My Son Sanctuary or take a road trip around Son Tra peninsula.
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Peru is full of wonderful places – all of which get overshadowed by Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley with Cusco as the gateway. I’m not saying these areas don’t deserve all the attention but there are some slightly more hidden gems in Peru that are worth exploring. I travelled through Peru and Bolivia with Peru Hop and I was so impressed by this organisation! It allows for travellers to move through some of the smaller towns fast overland bringing business to these places and doing all the hard work for travellers trying to figure out how to plan their journey. Plus you meet some great friends along the way. It’s like a Hop-on-hop-off tourist bus but covering significant distances and included tours on the way so you know there is no chance you will miss the bus and you can fit in more than if you had to organise your travel and your activities separately.
Top Tip for Visiting Paracas, Huacachina and Nazca:
I highly recommend staying a night or two in all of these places if you can – Peru Hop makes it easy to tweak your itinerary as you see fit but also gives you the option to fly through these places as fast as possible if you are lacking in time. We spent way too much time in the Galapagos and in Colombia so we were forced to do this the fastest way possible – yay to Peru Hop for giving us this option!
Where to stay:
Peru Hop gives you discounts with certain businesses (including accomodation) so its good to keep that in mind when choosing accomodation. Otherwise I recommend looking at your options on booking.com. These are small towns so you are not overwhelmed with choices.
Getting there and away:
To visit these locations you can start the trip in Lima, Cusco, Arequipa or La Paz in Bolivia and you can adapt your journey to suit with multiple route options and the option to stay extra nights and catch the next bus. All of these places have plenty of flights in and out and connections around the country while Lima and La Paz have international destinations.
Getting around:
The beauty of Peru Hop is that everywhere you need to go is included. You are picked up from your accomodation (or nearby) and dropped off at your accomodation and taken on tours along the way. The only exception is if you want to take a flight over the Nazca lines (which I highly recommend) and can’t fit a night in Nazca into your schedule. In this case you can:
Book a local bus in the morning between Huacachina and Nazca and book your Nazca lines flight
Skip the Huacachina to Nazca leg of ther peru Hop bus and travel from Huacachina into Ica via taxi to catch your local bus (we left Huacachina at 8am and our bus arrived in Nazca at 11am)
Your Nazca lines tour operator will meet you at the bus terminal in Nazca and take you to the airport for your flight (we booked an 11:30am flight over the Nazca lines)
Catch your Peru Hop bus again when it leaves Nazca at 7pm (Our Nazca lines flight time left us plenty of time afterwards to have a late lunch; wander around Nazca and do some shopping before having to catch the bus).
What to bring:
Make sure to pack some comfortable gear to sleep in on the bus from Nazca as you will be on it overnight. It tends to get quite cold on South American buses due to the AC so make sure to also bring a long sleeved top and a blanket or silk sleeping bag.
What to expect:
We took the route from Lima – Paracas – Huacachina – Nazca – Cusco
You will be picked up at 5:30am from your hostel in Lima to depart Lima at 6am. At 10am you will arrive in Paracas and have a short stop to get a coffee or a snack before the included visit to the Paracas National Reserve at 11am. This reserve is absolutely beautiful and you are able to spend some time admiring the landscape before the bus leaves to continue onto Huacachina at 1pm.
You will arrive in Huacachina at 2:15pm which gives you time to check in to a hotel and get organised before the 4:30pm Dune Buggy and Sandboarding Tour that is organised through Peru Hop. The tour ends at 6:30pm. Huacachina is a bit of a party town so its a good idea to head out to party after this but if thats not your thing or you are still an early riser I recommend hiking up the sand dunes for the sunrise in the morning.
As noted above we left Huacachina in the morning and skipped the next leg so that we could take a flight over the Nazca lines without staying the night in Nazca. The flight was so worth it but the early morning bus ride and the flight in a small airplane was not the best idea when hungover. I felt so sick. If you do catch the Peru Hop bus they leave in the afternoon and make a stop at the Nazca viewing platforms instead before continuing on to Nazca.
From Nazca you overnight on the bus and continue on to Arequipa or Cusco.
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Hoi An is like Vietnam that has been dressed up and put on a pedestal. Everything is picturesque and traditional and laid out for you in a small area so you don’t need to walk too far. Except for the beach – we didn’t visit the beach here as we decided to have a bit of a beach break in Da Nang instead. Hoi An is where we wandered and soaked up all the beautiful lanterns and lights and culture.
GENERAL INFO
Getting there and away:
Hoi An is only about 1 hours drive from Da Nang Airport. Da Nang airport is a major hub and there are plenty of affordable flights around Vietnam from here particularly from Hanoi and Ho Chi Min City. Da Nang Train Station also has trains travelling the length of the country.
Getting around:
Once you have reached Da Nang, the easiest way to get into Hoi An is by private car – your hotel in Hoi An will arrange this for you. A transfer very affordable here (even more so than in the rest of the country) so I definitely recommend paying for the convenience in this instance.
If you wanted to visit some attractions outside of Hoi An then you can fit them in as part of a transfer also. We hired Mr. Tim (Private Car with Driver – Watsapp +84 (0) 775 518 084) who we found online to take us from Hoi An back to Da Nang with 2 out of the way stops – he waited for us and continued to Da Nang when we were ready.
Once in Hoi An, you can walk to all of the attractions in the ancient town and this is a great way to see the town as Hoi An is a great place to wander around.
Accommodation:
There are so many nice, affordable hotels all over the ancient town. Do a search on booking.com and you will come up with plenty of viable options. We stayed at La An Central Boutique Villa which was perfect as it was right next to the night market and the river and it had a pool which was very necessary in the sweltering heat.
Food:
Hoi An is a particularly pricey place to eat but there are definitely some great spots if you are prepared to pay a little more than usual!
Madam Kieu – We had a lovely drink by the water here. They also played Cocomelon songs for my daughter to keep her entertained while we were here so big ups to the staff.
The Soul – This restaurant is attached to a nice hotel. It’s pricey but well located, beautiful and has really tasty traditional Vietnamese dishes.
Pho Xua Restaurant – This is one of the few really good budget options in Hoi An – plus its very close to the Fujian Assembly Hall so you can time a visit to this with lunch or dinner. The Pho here is excellent. 35 Phan Chau Trinh Street.
Top Tip:
My top tip for Hoi An is to time your visit for the monthly Lantern festival (although Hoi An is such a drawcard that its pretty festive every night). During the lantern festivals hundred of lanterns are lit and boats are out on the water while people release lanterns into the water. The largest and most spectacular lantern festival is the first one of the new year.
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES
Get some clothes tailor made
Hoi An is famous for its hundreds of affordable and very capable tailors and they are so fast. You will find tailors everywhere and its a great opportunity to get something custom made. In high season you may need to wait 2-3 days for your clothing to be made so make sure this is the first thing you do. In low season, the tailor we went to produced 2 custom blazers in less than 24 hours.
Visit the Hoi An Night Market
The Night Market is located on An Hoi Islet right in the midst of the action. It opens at 6pm and closes around 10pm and it’s bustling atmosphere is perfect for nighttime when the temperature drops just slightly and you can brave coming out of your hotel. Many of the shops on either side of the market sell lanterns and they are beautifully lit and displayed. If you want to pose for a picture with the lanterns you will have to pay. The vendors here make most of their money charging for photographs rather than selling lanterns but we purchased one of the beautiful silk lanterns to take home as a souvenir.
There are stalls in the middle selling all types of knick-knacks and this is a great place to practice your bargaining. You can also have some local snacks (such as grilled octopus or banana crepes) here as there are a few street food stalls or you can eat at one of the many restaurants or bars in this part of town.
Be wowed by the Fujian Assembly Hall
The Fujian Assembly Hall is one of the most opulent buildings in all of Hoi An and is well worth a look – you can go inside and take a look there is no fee.
Explore the Ancient Town
Walk along the riverside and the streets around the ancient town taking in the atmosphere and doing some shopping in the little stores. Explore the cobbled lanes around the Japanese Covered Bridge and watch the boats in the water of the river.
Visit Sunworld Amusement Park
Sunworld Amusement Park is about 40 minutes drive from Da Nang or 1 hour drive from Hoi An. It is a very strange (but quite typical for Asian countries) theme park. The entry price is very expensive for Vietnam and its probably not worth it unless you make a full day of the theme park but there are a few worthwhile attractions here such as a very very high cablecar (the theme park is situated up a mountain), a stunning bridge called the Golden Hand Bridge and a few good rides.
Visit My Son Sanctuary
My Son Sanctuary is a UNESCO world heritage site very close to both Da Nang and Hoi An (approximately 1 hour’s drive). It is a well preserved ruin of the ancient base of the Champa Kingdom. Its a bit of a walk to the ancient site and around in heat and it gets quite busy so I recommend visiting early in the morning/ Exploring the area should take about 2-3 hours. There is a traditional dance show performed every morning also that is worth watching.
Take in the Bamboo Circus Show
I didn’t personally go to this as I had to look after my kids and the circus is adult only but a couple of my family members went to see the bamboo circus and said it was absolutely phenomenal. It is a great local show to take in and also see the bamboo performing centre which is stunning too.
If you have an extra day to spend in the area I would head to the beach or out to the Cham Islands (there are lots of day tour options or you can head out onto the Islands and stay overnight). We didn’t do either this time around but would love to fit this in next time.
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Recently, myself and my family went on a Halong Bay Cruise. We are not big cruise people, but since this was only 2 nights and is the best way to see Halong Bay we went for it. The only other time I have taken a Cruise was in the Galapagos Islands.
The main reason we chose this cruise was the range of activities on offer which we felt would be suitable with young children, the reviews were in general very good, the boat was luxury without being ridiculously expensive and the area the boat visited was Lan Ha Bay which is much quieter and less frequented than the main Halong Bay area. See my post here for information about the cruise we went on and what we did.
When choosing a cruise there are 5 main things to think about:
Location
Firstly, assess how important location is for you. Halong Bay is a large area with not a huge amount to ‘do’ other than enjoy the view. You can visit the very famous (and overrun with tourists and trash) part of Halong Bay which has the most impressive and numerous cliffs OR the quieter areas of Lan Ha Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay which really aren’t much different just less frequented by tourists.
Time
The other important choice to make is how much time you have to visit. You have the choice of a day trip, 1 night cruise and 2 night cruise for your Halong bay trip. We chose a 2 night cruise as its a very long way from Hanoi for a day trip (especially with kids) and I feel with a one night trip you don’t get a lot of time to relax on the boat (or much time for activities as we only did very short excursions on the first and last day).
Activities
Make sure to select a trip with activities you actually want to do. When booking a cruise you can always see its itinerary (although this is subject to change) and select from there. I disregarded a few cruises as the activities didn’t seem like things my kids could stay occupied doing or many be a bit too strenuous physically for my 3 year old or for me carrying a 3 month old. For example, the cruise we went on had the option to skip biking to a village and take an electric car instead without missing the entire activity.
Convenience
For us, travelling in a large family group, it was more convenient to take a cruise as everything is organised for you (including getting from one place to another) and everything is designed to be pretty relaxing and activities not too strenuous. However, you may decide not to take a cruise at all. Most tourists visit Halong Bay via a cruise but it is also possible to stay on Cat Ba Island – you can get there via ferry.
Cost
We went for a pretty luxury cruise because it seemed like a time you would actually use a lot of the hotel’s (in this case boat’s) features (ie. your only options for food, activities and spending your free time are on the boat). Also, all the cruises were pretty pricey (for Vietnam) so we saw no harm in spending a bit more for a luxury experience. However, there are much cheaper options and as you spend a lot of your time on a day boat theres really no harm going for something basic but maybe take some extra snacks and things in case the food is awful.
I hope this guide helps you to select a cruise (or not a cruise) to visit Halong Bay. Enjoy!
There are so many different cruises available in the Galapagos islands that It can be really difficult to choose just one: See my post here on How to: Plan your Itinerary to the Galapagos to narrow down what you would like to do.
Here is our itinerary for our cruise so you can see what the places we went were like – Bear in mind that the underwater visibility, wildlife and weather will vary from day to day so areas that may have been perfect on my trip may be a little less so on another. Everywhere we went was AMAZING and out of this world though so I’m sure you cant go too wrong!
We took the Golondrina which is one of very few very budget backpacker boats in the Galapagos but is the one with the best itinerary (in our opinion).
DAY 1
On the first day, we met the cruise at Baltra Airport to embark on the yacht and got settled. After having lunch on the boat we headed to Mosquera Island. This Island has a long stretch of soft white sand and many rock and tide pools. It has a flat look rather than the cone shape of the volcanically formed islands of the Galapagos.
Mosquera Island is a great place to stroll on the beach, snorkelling and enjoy the animal life. You are most likely to see sea lions and many shorebirds here. It is a quieter island with less tourists than some of the nearby locations.
DAY 2
On the morning of the second day, we visited Vicente Roca Point on Isabela Island via a small motorized boat. You are not permitted to land on the coast here. Vincente Roca Point is a large bay consisting of two seperate coves with amazing sea life. You may spot seahorses, sea turtles, rays, puffer fish, sunfish, sea lions, sharks, penguins, blue-footed boobies and nazca boobies.
Note: Although Isabela Island is technically inhabited (it has a very small rural settlement) the island itself is HUGE and there are many very isolated locations with lots of wildlife on the other side of the island that are inaccessible by land and too far for a day trip by boat as they are reached from the other side of the island (such as Vicente Roca Point) so this is a good location for a cruise to visit.
In the afternoon, the cruise visits Espinoza Point on Fernandina Island where you have a short hike along the coast to see lava flows and lava cactus, marine iguanas (during nesting time January to June), penguins, pelicans, and cormorants. After hiking there will be time to do some snorkelling from the beach.
DAY 3
On Day 3 your cruise will disembark at Urbina Bay on Isabela Island (again an area inaccessible by land). This bay lies at the foot of the Alcedo volcano. At Urbina Bay you will take a 2 hour walk passing shells and coral visible above the water along with a lot of wildlife: land iguanas, darwin’s finches, giant tortoises and flightless cormorants. After the hike you will snorkel surrounded by penguins and flightless cormorants.
In the afternoon, the cruise visits Tagus Cove on Isabela Island. We again take a walk here that begins from the shore and takes you high up a hill to provide incredible views over Darwin’s Lake (a round salt water crater) through a small forest. After the walk, you will take a boat around the cliffs and then snorkel in the cove. Around the water you are likely to see wildlife such as penguins, flightless cormorants, boobies, pelicans and Sally Lightfoot Crabs.
DAY 4
On the 4th day the cruise will visit Puerto Egas on Santiago Island. We will take a motorboat to land on the beach here. The beach here has gorgeous black rock formations and lots of wildlife. You are likely to see the Darwin finches, Galapagos hawks, marine iguanas, Sally Lightfoot crabs, fur seals and sea lions. You will be able to swim and snorkel from the beach here.
After lunch you will visit Sombrero Chino which for me was the highlight of this cruise. This is an island that looks like a wide brimmed hat and is very picturesque. The beach area is flat and rocky with lava tunnels and lava cactus all over the place. You will do a short walk then swim and snorkel here and the snorkelling is absolutely excellent.
DAY 5
Lastly, before departure your cruise will take you to the Charles Darwin Reasearch Station on Santa Cruz Island. Although this Galapagos tortoise breeding centre is in the main town of Puerto Ayora and easily accessed on an independent journey it was a useful last stop for us as we could leave straight for the town from here and didn’t need to return to the airport with the others on the cruise. Had the cruise finished elsewhere, we would have been dropped at the airport afterwards.
Let me know if you have been to any of these locations or if you have any suggestions for the best itinerary stops on our next cruise!
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Isla Isabela is the largest Galapagos Island but it only has a very small population and feels very secluded. It’s a great spot for wild, beautiful landscapes and up close and personal wildlife encounters. If you aren’t able to do a cruise on the Galapagos then the next best thing is to spend some time on Isabela Island. Its also a great option if you don’t like organised tours (like me). I don’t mind them on occasion but I definitely prefer to explore on my own.
GENERAL INFO
See my post here on travelling the Galapagos Islands for general information about the Galapagos.
As always, I recommend comparing accomodation and prices on booking.com. We stayed at Hostal Cerro Azul which was great as it had a kitchen for us to cook in and lots of places to relax.
There is no airport on Isabela Island – the only way in or out is via the small passenger ferries which travel at set times twice a day. Landing on Isabela Island requires an extra $10 docking fee (ontop of the cost for the ferry).
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES
Concha Perla
Concha Perla is a secluded little snorkelling spot right next to town. To get here, walk 10 mins out of town towards the main dock. Just before you reach the wharf; there is a little slightly hidden boardwalk with a sign that leads to Concha Perla – a short way along this boardwalk you will end up reaching a small ladder leading into the water.
Los Tuneles
Los Tuneles is a great snorkelling spot close to Isabela Island – tours head here daily. We took a half day tour with Rosadelco and it was well worth the trip! We saw seahorses, octopus, mating turtles, stingrays and dived into a cave filled with sharks. On the way back we also saw giant MANTA RAYS which was the coolest thing ever. They were larger than our boat.
Sierra Negra
Sierra Negra is the second largest active volcano in the world and it last erupted in 2005. Rosadelco (the same company as the tour above) takes a tour here so you can hike the volcano. It’s about a 5 hour hike with 45 minutes travel across the island each way. The landscapes are gorgeously wild.
Tortoise Breeding Centre and Pozas de Las Diablas
The Isabela Tortoise Breeding Centre and Pozas de las Diablas (some ponds with flamingoes) are just a short walk outside of town. You walk along a boardwalk that passes the 3 ponds with flamingoes to get to the breeding centre.
Playa Grande
Relax at the beach right in front of the town. Plenty of wildlife can be observed here such as sea lions, penguins and iguanas.
Bike to Muro de las Lagrimas
Hire some bikes for the day to bike to Muro de las Lagrimas to see a wall that prisoners built (at one point there were prisoners on Isabela Island). Supposedly thousands of prisoners died during the wall’s construction. The wall is about 5 km from town. There is a beautiful lookout point here above the wall. Follow the path leading up the mountain on the left side of the wall up until the final lookout post.
On the way back there are lots of stops to take along the bike trail: Cerro Radar, Cerro Orchilla, Tunnel de Estero (best visited at low tide), Playa de Amor, Pozas Verdes, and La Playita. There are signs along the way.
This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to book a stay or purchase an item I may earn a commission at no cost to you.
San Cristobal is the alternate ‘main island’ of the Galapagos. Not as populous as Santa Cruz but still feels like a centre of civilisation. San Cristobal is particularly picturesque – the town is right on a nice beach and it feels like a good place to have a vacation.
GENERAL INFO
See my post here on travelling the Galapagos Islands for general information about the Galapagos.
As always, I recommend comparing accomodation and prices on booking.com.
If you need to get into San Cristobal town from the airport its only a 20 minute walk into town. You may not want to walk with your luggage so taxis are also available.
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES
Las Tijeretas
This is a lookout with beautiful views out to sea which leads down to a calm, sheltered cove where you can swim or snorkel. To get here, start from the Centro de Interpretacion and keep walking up the path that goes past. Follow the signs to Las Tijeretas on the right. When you reach the split in the path keep walking straight and up the stairs to reach the lookout. Once you have had enough time soaking in the views you can take the stairs down to the cove. The walk takes about 30 minutes.
When returning from the jetty at the cove, take the path rather than the steps back up. When this joins back to the previous path head right to walk back to town (this path goes along the waterfront past Punta Carola).
Punta Carola
Punta Carola is a beach just outside of town. It’s a beautiful sandy beach which is home to many sea lions lazing by the water. It’s a great spot to watch the sea lions going about their day or have a dip in the water. Playa Mann (closer to town) is also nice but smaller than Punta Carola.
Tour to Kicker Rock
Many companies take tours to Kicker Rock from Isabela Island. Kicker Rock is a rock that forms a narrow crevice which you can snorkel through. this Tour is most popular as you can see sharks swimming below you between the rocks – often these will be Hammerheads. It’s unlikely to see Hammerheads anywhere else unless you are diving. The day we went the water here was not very clear (nature is always a game of chance) but the tour was still great and we did spot a few sharks far below and come across some blue-footed boobies. We also stopped at a really lovely little beach where we saw pelicans and sea lions. The tour starts early (approx. 8am) and ends at 3 or 4pm.
THE ONLY ERIKA IN THE VILLAGE 