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This is the lesser known Copacabana – not the bustling suburb in Brazil but a tiny little town on the shores of Lake Titicaca, nestled between Peru and Bolivia’s capital La Paz. It’s a part of Bolivia that doesn’t quite fit with the land-locked; poor, grimy, busy, superstitious image of the rest of the country. Instead, it makes you feel like you are at a seaside resort (admittedly a budget one). The blue of the lake can be seen from most of the town, the houses seem bright and cheery and you can take a ferry from here to La Isla del Sol – ‘The Island of the Sun’ which definitely sounds like a place I want to be!
GENERAL INFO
Getting there and away:Copacabana is one of the stops on Bolivia Hop – a perfect combo of a tour group, a hop on hop off bus and an intercity bus! See my post here raving about Peru Hop as to why this is a winning combo.
Accommodation:The best place to stay is La Cupula – It’s very pricey for Bolivia but worth the splurge. You can book La Cupula on booking.com. La Cupula also has pet Alpacas which is definitely reason enough to stay here.
Food:The restaurant at La Cupula is pretty good. Also we had a basic edible meal at a little hut down by the water.
Getting around:You can walk from one end of the town to the other in about 20 minutes so theres no need for any other forms of transport. If you want to head over to La Isla del Sol you will need to take a ferry. You can organise this through Peru hop or your hotel.
Top Tip:There is not a whole lot to do in Copacabana except unwind and relax. Stop here to take some time to recharge. There are some easy hikes, lots of fresh air, quiet to read and sunbathe. If you head over to La Isla del Sol there is even less to do.
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES
Copacabana has a charming little cathedral that houses a black madonna (the patron of Bolivia). Its an interesting walk through town to visit.
The is a great little hike up Cerro El Calvario. Its only about a 30 minute walk to reach the top and its very steep but you have great views over Lake Titicaca from here. Its a popular walk with locals too so the track is quite busy.
Feeding the Alpacas at La Cupula is one of the best things to do here! Get a bag of food from reception but watch out as these Alpacas are very greedy. They provide tons of entertainment.
The main thing to do in Copacabana is to take a boat to La Isla del Sol. Its about a 1 hour boat trip to the island and there is a fee to visit the island (You can take the Bolivia Hop boat at 2pm and the island fee is included. This boat leaves from the White Anchor). From the Sun Temple where the boat lands, you can take a leisurely one hour walk to the small island town of Yumani to get back on the boat at around 4pm. Alternatively you can choose to spend the night on one of the accomodation providers on the island. Check booking.com for options.
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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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Peru is a great place to visit as many of the key tourist attractions are so close together! If you need some more Peru inspiration to convince you to visit I suggested taking a look at my Sacred Valley Photo Essay.
As always – I suggest booking your accomodation through Booking.com – I find it always has the widest range of options, best deals and plus you can support me indirectly by booking through them.
Here are the locations that I consider must-sees:
Machu Picchu
You cant take a trip to Peru without seeing Machu Picchu. I don’t even need to explain how magical this place is and in fact I can’t – you will just have to take my word for it and go and see for yourself! See my post of Visiting Machu Picchu for more info!
Arequipa Arequipa is on my list not because I have been there and loved it but because its the one place in Peru I DESPERATELY regret not going to. I usually make peace with the fact I can never fit in everywhere I want to go but I really regret not visiting Arequipa. It will be my first stop next time I get to visit Peru.
Rainbow Mountain
A mountain that looks like a Rainbow – how much more of a spectacular view do you want? Visiting Rainbow Mountain is like travelling to another planet. See my post on Visiting Rainbow Mountain to see what I mean!
Paracas
Paracas is views for days – beautiful orange cliffs and sand. It feels like you are in a desert but it’s the beach instead. Paracas is also the location where you can take a boat to see the Ballestas Islands which are filled with wildlife and often referred to as the poor man’s Galapagos. It’s also only a stones throw from Lima so super accessible.
Huacachina
Huacachina is a backpacker’s dream. It’s a tiny little town just outside Ica, built around a beautiful lake oasis surrounded by desert. It’s overrun with tourists BUT the location is pretty cool and you can take a tour into the desert top speed on 4WD dune buggies and then go sand-boarding down some mega steep dunes. Plus, the town has some major nightlife (like other backpacker hotspots) so after you have had your adrenaline rush you can party all night.
Cusco
Cusco is visited by almost everyone that goes to Peru as its the most convenient jumping off point for the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. However, its a charming town in its own right and worth spending some time enjoying its cool mountain air, wandering its cobblestone streets, visiting its museums and finding surprises around every corner. See my Itinerary: 6 days in Cusco and the Sacred Valley to see how you can fit in some time in Cusco itself into your itinerary.
The Sacred Valley
Visiting the Sacred Valley is like stepping back in time to the ancient world of the Incas. You can see towns and villages that are little changed from these ancient times and examples of the ancient civilisation at its height including the way the farmed, lived and prayed. See my post Visiting the Sacred Valley for details on how best to visit this rural valley.
Lake Titicaca
The Peruvian side of Lake Titicaca is home to a group of people that live on islands made out of reeds. They travel on amazing reed boats and almost everything on every island is made from reeds. You can take a day trip out to one of the islands or stay overnight! When we went it was really bad weather but still so fascinating to see how different the lives of these people were!
Nazca
Many people believe that the Nazca lines were created by Aliens or were made with the purpose of communicating with aliens. If that’s not enough to peak your interest – then I don’t know what is! Nazca is in the middle of Peru so its pretty out of the way to get to but Peru Hop can help with that. The town has viewing platforms and a small airport from which you can take a 1 hour flight on a small plane to fly over all the Nazca lines (yes that is how big these things are – you can only see them properly from the air.
The Amazon via Iquitos
The Peruvian Amazon is just a small part of the Amazon jungle but its relatively easily accessible and well-set up for tourists (Well as well as the Amazon jungle can be set up for tourists!). We stayed in Treehouse Lodge, a unique treehouse in the canopy of the jungle and spent our days in a boat on the Amazon river wildlife spotting. See my post Itinerary: 3 days in the Peruvian Amazon for more info on visiting.
I hope I have inspired you to visit more of Peru and see what this welcoming country has to offer!
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Rainbow Mountain is a new tourist hotspot in an area completely overrun with tourist hotspots. Why has it only become popular in recent years? Because it was only discovered recently! That blows my mind. Only around 10 years ago (sometime in the early 2010’s) the colours of Rainbow Mountain were discovered due to the reduction of snow around the area – a result of global warming.
However concerning the phenomenon of global warming is, Rainbow Mountain is one small positive to come from the changes we are seeing in this world – we have this new beautiful place to enjoy – so PLEASE DON’T RUIN IT!
For an idea of how to plan your itinerary for this region of Peru please see my post here on Cusco and the Sacred Valley. Or you can see below for details on visiting this rainbow wonderland.
Top Tips for Visiting Rainbow Mountain:
Check the weather forecast before your trip The weather is very changeable and the mountain could be covered in snow! Most (if not all) tours will let you amend your tour day if you need to up to 2 days in advance. If you have the opportunity to you should build some flexibility into your trip for this.
Leave nothing behind! Although this should be a given everywhere you go -the carelessness of tourists was really obvious for me here as you need to travel so far into the mountains to reach Rainbow Mountain and despite the area having been completely covered in snow only 10 years ago we picked up a bag full of plastic rubbish on our way up to the mountain. Rubbish really doesn’t seem to be a huge problem at the tourist sites of Peru because places like Machu Picchu are so well-maintained and patrolled but Rainbow Mountain seemed to attract the kind of people that don’t seem to care about the natural environment if its not easy for them. I know you are half asleep and feeling the altitude sickness on this hike but common courtesy is still important. Also taking a bit of plastic back with you is not going to weigh you down.
Getting there and away:
I suggest taking a day trip to Rainbow Mountain – there are many tour companies who do this route and although it does involve a very early morning start there is no need to stay overnight in the area unless you want to camp and do some further hiking around the mountains.
We went with Rainbow Mountain Travels which was a great choice as they are the tour that reaches the mountain earliest – unfortunately this also means the earliest tour start at 3am (But its a 2 hour drive until your breakfast stop so you can sleep a little more in the van). As we were the fastest walkers in our group this meant that we were among 4 people who reached the mountain first and had plenty of time to enjoy its serenity (and take pics!) before the rest of the group and the other tour groups showed up.
Getting around:
Once you get there – you will need to walk. It’s not a long hike but take it easy as you are very high altitude here. You can also take a mule along the route if need be but they are very slow and will not get you all the way. You will still need to do the last little climb yourself. There is an initial platform for photos and then you can continue climbing right to the top.
The view from the highest viewpoint at Rainbow Mountain is phenomenal
Some tours will advertise a 30 min detour or extra trek to the red valley afterwards. The red valley is well worth seeing! However we just climbed straight up the side of the mountain next to Rainbow Mountain for killer views of the Red valley and enjoyed it ourselves (Our guide was nowhere to be seen – probably helping the stragglers) so I’m not sure where the 30 min trek or the extra fee came in to the equation.
Food:
Plenty of breakfast and lunch are provided by your tour so you don’t need to carry any food with you. However, I do recommend carrying some coca candy or something that helps with altitude sickness as Rainbow Mountain is very high up at 5, 200m above sea level. Also you definitely need LOTS of water. There is a snack shop at the start of the trail if you want to support the locals.
What to bring:
Water in a reusable bottle so you don’t leave anything behind
Lipbalm with sunblock
Coca candy (totally legal and won’t give you a high but these can help with altitude sickness).
A rain-jacket and warm layers that can be removed as you will get very warm when hiking.
Very comfortable walking shoes or hiking boots
Camera and Go Pro
I know the site has soo many pop-ups BUT I highly recommend buy everything you need for travel from Temu the prices are soo cheap and most of the stuff is really good quality (or at least as good a quality as you would purchase from another more expensive site).
What to expect:
Expect to be amazed that the photos you have seen are exactly what Rainbow Mountain is like! No clever editing here. Its so beautiful and unlike anything else you will have ever seen. Make sure you head to the very top for some extra views and to hike up to the view over the Red Valley also as its just as beautiful in my opinion.
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Machu Picchu is everything that you think it is and then more. I have always wanted to visit this magical place and I definitely feared that the hype would leave me disappointed. However, the whole place just feels magical even when it is crawling wth tourists or pouring with rain or covered with workers restoring the walls. It helps if you have a tour guide that can explain some of the more fascinating facts of the history of this place while you are standing there within the ancient walls.
For an idea of how to plan your itinerary for this region of Peru please see my post here on Cusco and the Sacred Valley.
Top Tip for Visiting Machu Picchu:
I believe the best way to visit Machu Picchu is by walking the 1 day Inka trail which involves 1 day of hiking to reach Machu Picchu and then 1 day spent exploring Machu Picchu. You can also just visit Machu Picchu for the day or do a longer Inka trail but I feel the first option has the best balance and ensures you have enough time at Machu Picchu itself.
Where to stay:
We stayed at Hostel Machu Picchu Land in Aguas Calientes. There is nothing spectacular here but Hostel Machu Picchu Land was clean, tidy, comfortable and cheap. All you can ask for really! It’s always best to check booking.com for the best accomodation deals.
Getting there and away:
The train from Cusco – Ollantaytambo – Machu Picchu is the best way to travel between these locations. It also stops at KM 104 for the start of the Inca trail. You can book your journey on the train to fit around your plans at https://www.perurail.com/.
Getting around:
From the town of Aguas Calientes there is a bus that ferries tourists to and from Machu Picchu. It is possible to walk this route but it is long and hilly. Once at Machu Picchu your only form of transport is your feet and you will be doing a lot of walking so I highly recommend just taking the bus. If there is a long queue to get back down and you need to catch a train you can walk down to town in less than an hour.
Food:
Purchase some snacks in advance for Machu Picchu (as there are no places to purchase food within the ruins).
What to bring:
I suggest only bringing a small a small pack or day pack to Machu Picchu as you are restricted as to the amount you can carry on the train and particularly if you are doing the Inka trail you really don’t want to have to carry too much on your back. Here are the key items you should bring with you:
Water in a reusable bottle (for inside Machu Picchu as no plastic bottles are allowed).
Snacks
A change of clothing
A rain-jacket and a jumper as weather conditions can change very rapidly at Machu Picchu
Prior to your tour you will be asked to attend a briefing session at the tour offices. This is a great idea to make sure that the itinerary meets expectations and go through any health and safety requirements.
You will then be picked up early in the morning the next day to take the train to the start of the Inka trail. You will do 3 hours of hiking and then stop at the ruins of Winay Wayna. From here, you will continue on to the Sun Gate at Machu Picchu – arriving in the afternoon. This is a great photo spot high above Machu Picchu which you are unlikely to have time to walk up to if you visit the ruins for a day.
Once you have walked down from the Sun Gate and taken a few pre-sunset pics of Machu Picchu (its very quiet in the late afternoon and a great time to get a few pictures in) then you will head into Aguas Calientes to have dinner and stay the night.
The next day, you will rise early again and queue for one of the first buses up to Machu Picchu (the first bus is at 5:30am). Once inside the ruins you will have an informative guided tour of the complex from your tour guide. Afterwards, you have the option to climb Huayna Picchu which is a very steep and strenuous 2 hour return trip rewarding you with amazing views. You will then have more time to explore Machu Picchu on your own before heading back down to Aguas Calientes to take the train out of town.
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There is so much to see and do in this Peruvian wonderland that I thought there was no way we could fit it into a 6 day itinerary. But we did!
This Cusco itinerary is perfect if you are on a VERY tight timeline. There is definitely more to see and do but this plan covers the must see locations in the most efficient way so you can fit as much in as possible. Be aware that you will have lots of early morning starts in the Sacred Valley and combined with the altitude this will make you VERY tired.
GENERAL INFO
Getting there and away:
I definitely suggest getting to and from Cusco using Peru Hop. It is affordable and helps you to see much more of the country than you would have had you flown to Cusco from Lima. There are some cool places in Peru that you can discover with Peru Hop: see my post here. You can also use Peru Hop/Bolivia Hop to travel from here to La Paz in Bolivia. However, flying is also an easy option if you are lacking in time or to cover one way of the journey.
Accommodation:
Cusco is not cheap but I recommend getting a place as close to the hustle and bustle as you can. Also beware of hills – your accomodation may be super close to the main square but it is likely up a hugre hill and takes a lot longer to walk than expected. I got fit walking around Cusco though!
As always I recommend booking.com – it has the best search function and you can easily see the location and narrow down hotels by a lot of different features.
Food:
La Boheme: A French Creperie in the centre of Cusco with both sweet and savoury crepes. A great option if you are looking for a light meal.
Kion: A Chifa restaurant in central Cusco. Very pricey but has great cocktails.
El Albergue: Traditional Peruvian Cuisine in a beautiful setting at Ollantaytambo train station.
Top Tip:
Drink Coca tea and suck Coca candies to prevent Altitude Sickness. Altitude Sickness is no joke and affects everyone so differently. You really have no idea if its going to hit you or not and how badly and it can be serious stuff. Neither me nor my husband felt it too much other than being a little more tired and out of breath (and even that was only on Rainbow Mountain at 5,000 metres above sea level) but we had a woman on the bus to Cusco with us who passed out in Arequipa and need to be taken to hospital.
DAY 1
On your first day in Cusco take some time to get acclimatised to the high altitude before doing too much strenuous activity.
The best place to start exploring Cusco is at the San Pedro Market. This is a great place to purchase souvenirs but shop around before buying and start haggling at half the given price or less. There are also lots of places to purchase snacks and drinks here.
From here, if you aren’t done with shopping you can visit the Artisan market at the end of Avenida del Sol.
It’s also worth doing some admin tasks for the rest of your visit on this day. Purchase some snacks for Machu Picchu (as there are no places to purchase food within the ruins) and check the weather forecast for Rainbow Mountain in case you want to change your tour day (many tours will let you amend your tour date up to 2 days in advance). Pack a smaller pack to cover what you need for the next 3 days and leave the rest of your luggage at your Cusco hotel.
If you still have time left in your day, you can people watch in Plaza de Armas – but don’t stay out too late as you have your first of multiple early starts the next day!
DAY 2
Today you should plan to take the one day Inka Trail to Machu Picchu. I find the one day Inka trail to have a good balance of adventure, great views, trekking and enough time at Machu Picchu without having to sleep in the jungle and take up too much of your time in the Sacred Valley.
It’s a good activity option for your 2nd and 3rd day as although it is physically strenuous its a lower elevation than Cusco. It also somewhat separates your early starts so you don’t have too many in a row.
We did this tour with Exclusive Inka Tour who paired us with a great guide and were quite amenable to the few changes I wanted to make to the standard itinerary (with some insistence from my end). Your tour will pick you up around 4am and take you to catch the 6:10am train from Ollantaytambo to KM 104. You will do a full day of hiking ending at the Sun Gate at Machu Picchu and descending into the ruins. You then get a short amount of time in the complex to take pictures before heading down to the town of Aguas Calientes to stay the night. Usually dinner at a local restaurant is included in your tour.
DAY 3
The first bus to Machu Picchu from Agaus Calientes in the morning is at 5:30am and any good tour operator will have you up and queueing early so that you can get on one of the first few buses. Go to the bathroom before you go into Machu Picchu as there are none inside the complex. Once inside, you will have a guided tour through the complex and are then left to explore on your own. I highly recommend booking tickets to climb up Huayna Picchu mountain (Purchased in advance of the day; the walk is a 2 hour round trip). If you purchased tickets, you will have a specific time-slot to climb soon after your guided tour.
View from the top of Huayna Picchu
Spend the full day at Machu Picchu. Your ticket allows you a half day pass and you won’t get kicked out but we purchased an afternoon ticket also so that we could leave the complex to use the toilet and then come back in. Machu Picchu will capture your attention for this long I promise – it also allows you to wait out any rain or cloudy weather (as we had in the middle of the day) and take more photographs afterwards.
The last train out from Aguas Calientes is at 6:20pm to Ollantaytambo. Don’t arrange for your Machu Picchu tour to collect you from the train and take you back to Cusco: stay the night in Ollantaytambo. Use the extra time you have just gained to have a beautiful meal at the train station restaurant El Albergue in Ollantaytambo (you need to book – the train arrives here just after 8pm).
The perfect view of Machu Picchu
DAY 4
Today is the best day to tour the Sacred Valley as you are already there! We suggest hiring a private tour guide as its super affordable, they really know their stuff, you can then choose where you would like them to take you and the area is rural so you can’t get to a lot of the sites without a tour anyway.
On our one day tour (we highly recommend all of these sites) we visited the following locations:
Ollantaytambo Ruins (need about 1 hour 30 mins here)
Moray (1 hour drive from Ollantaytambo Ruins – need about 40 minutes here)
Maras Salt Mines (30 mins from Moray – need about 40 minutes here)
Pisac (1 hour 30 mins drive from Maras – need about 1 hour here for the ruins and 40 minutes for the market).
After Pisac you should return to Cusco – this is another 1 hour drive.
DAY 5
Today you will have another extremely early start to climb up Rainbow Mountain. There are hundreds of tour providers. We went with Rainbow Mountain Travels which was a great choice as they are the tour that reaches the mountain earliest – unfortunately this also means the earliest tour start at 3am. It’s a 2 hour drive from Cusco to Rainbow Mountain and the tours provide breakfast nearby. Take the trek to the mountain slowly if you need to, make sure you go right up to the top for the best photographs and views and do the slight detour for views of the red valley afterwards if you can manage it – its well worth the extra climb and descent. You will have lunch and then arrive back at Cusco in the afternoon.
DAY 6
You will probably want to sleep in and relax today so plan to take it easy and not squeeze too much in. If you have the energy, you can walk up past the Saqsayhuaman ruins to Cristo Blanco for great views (of the city and free views of the ruins). Head back down into the centre via Hatunrumiyoc Street (take a pic of the 12 angled stone, admire the beautiful street) to Cusco Cathedral.
In the Afternoon, visit the Iglesia de Santo Domingo (Qurikancha) Don’t bother with the paid part just go inside the church. There is a nice view over the plaza here.
Use this advice to plan your ultimate trip to Peru!
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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.
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Santa Cruz Island is the main inhabited island in the Galapagos Islands. It’s main town Puerto Ayora is warm, charming, very walkable and home to so much wildlife you will feel like you don’t even need to venture further afield (until you see the rest of the Galapagos!).
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 Vista al Mar which was lovely and right next to Laguna de las Ninfas.
It’s also worth mentioning that if you need to get to or from Seymour Airport that this is on a different island. Commuting here requires taking the airport shuttle from the airport, then a water taxi over to Santa Cruz, then a taxi or bus into Puerto Ayora (or the reverse to get to the airport).
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES
Visit the Charles Darwin Research Station
Here you can observe the Galapagos Giant Tortoise and learn about the Galapagos Tortoises. The Research station also functions as a breeding centre so you will see tortoise babies also!
Have Dinner on Fish Fry Road
This is a collection of street food stalls selling and cooking fresh seafood. Head here for dinner and a beer. It’s pretty touristy but still more affordable than eating at a restaurant (and the seafood is amazing!).
Snorkel and Swim at Las Grietas
Las Grietas is a calm, deep inland lagoon where you can swim and snorkel. There isn’t a huge amount of wildlife here but if you snorkel you can see some big fish and it’s a cool place to explore.
To get here, take a water taxi to Punta Estrada/Las Grietas. Once dropped off there is a clearly marked path along the boardwalk and past some pink salt flats. Follow the path until it ends at Las Grietas (a 15 minute walk). There are 3 pools in the lagoon. You can carefully climb over the rocks at the end of the first pool into the second and then again over more rocks for the third pool (or dive down and swim through the underwater cave). There are often lots of fish swimming in this third pool (when it’s quiet). To get back to Puerto Ayora wave down one of the water taxis waiting offshore.
Sit at the waterfront after dark
If you wait patiently you will see nocturnal marine animals attracted to the lights shining in the water along the waterfront. It’s calm and peaceful and even better if you bring a beer and take some time to relax under the stars or walk along the waterfront.
Visit the Fish Market
The best time to go to the Puerto Ayora Fish Market to see the action is 4pm. You can watch the local fisherman bringing in their catch and see the animals it attracts. The market gets swamped by birds, pelicans and sea lions hoping for a freebie. From late afternoon a little barbeque stand will cook any of the fresh fish for you.
Walk through Laguna de las Ninfas
Laguna de las Ninfas is a quiet estuary surrounded by 3 different types of mangroves and many birds. Its a very short walk from the pier (less than 15 minutes). Make sure to take some insect repellant.
Hike to Playa Tortuga
The hike to Playa Tortuga is short and relatively easy (apart from the extreme heat – I suggest going early in the morning) and the reward is well worth the trip. There are a couple of beaches here – the first is stunning and filled with marine iguanas but is too dangerous for swimming and there is also a calm lagoon for swimming in.
To get here, walk all the way to the west end of Charles Binford Street. At the end of the street there is a staircase up a short hill where the kiosk is to sign in and enter the park (it opens at 6am). There are no toilets at the beach so go here if needed. You will then walk along an easy, flat cobblestone path for about 40 mins. At the end of this path, turn right and walk for approximately 15 minutes and you will have reached Playa Tortuga. Continue up the sand another 1 km or so and you will find a beautiful shaded lagoon half hidden behind the last section of beach. The walk is approximately 1 hour 30 minutes each way.
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Ecuador is one of the somewhat underrated countries in South America. Its too peaceful to be notorious like Colombia and Venezuela and its not a tourist hotspot like Peru, Brazil, Argentina and Chile. The Galapagos Islands are famous of course – but they are so out-of-this-world that they feel like a country in their own right and therefore sometimes left out of references to Ecuador as a tourist spot. Also, the Galapagos aren’t huge on the backpacker trail which is often how South America is explored as they are just so damn expensive to visit.
I hope to show you in this post why you just have to get to Ecuador right now as it is such a chill place with a great vibe! Oh and make the Galapagos Islands a must do even if you have to sell a kidney (JJ but not really).
Otavalo
Otavalo is an easy breezy mountain town. There’s not a lot to do here but relax! You may just pass through on your way to/from Colombia but Otavalo also has an amazing indigenous market which is the largest in South America and a gorgeous and easy hike around Lake Cuicocha nearby. Definitely worth a stop. See my post here for more info about visiting Otavalo.
Quito
Quito seems like any other big South American city from the outset (although I feel they all have something special and unique about them) but its actually quite charming. Relatively safe, quaint and relaxed. There are also some cool spots to visit around Quito such as the Equator (cheesy I know!). See my post here for things to do in Quito.
Baños
Baños is unexpectedly cool – don’t come here and expect to chill out in the mountains. It’s Ecuador’s home of adventure! Also, you need to be fit to manage all the hiking and biking and holding onto swings as you fly out over the valleys. As I said…adventure. Who’s up for it? Find out what I’m doing in the picture below here.
The Galapagos Islands
The jewel in Ecuador’s crown is the Galapagos Islands. It’s one of those places you visit and can’t believe its real. I really don’t need to go into detail about why you need to visit the Galapagos – just look at any photo and you’ll see. You can see all the beautiful things I spotted in the Galapagos in my photo essay here – I hope it inspires you to visit!.
What are you waiting for? Find a place to stay in Ecuador and get going!
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.
For practical tips on visiting the Galapagos Islands, please see my post here. If you just want to look at all the pretty pictures or are hoping for inspiration on where to take your next trip, please continue!
Everything about the Galapagos is gorgeous – you can’t stop taking photographs.
I hope these photographs have given you some insight into this magical place.
THE ONLY ERIKA IN THE VILLAGE 