The Galapagos

Hiking

Hiking in the Galapagos Islands offers a variety of experiences, from easy walks to challenging journeys, all while surrounded by unique wildlife and landscapes. The Galapagos National Park, covering 97% of the archipelago, enforces regulations requiring hikes to be accompanied by an official guide to protect the fragile ecosystem.   While easy walks and moderate hikes are included in all daily land excursions and cruises, to sites such as to Pinnacle Rock with its iconic view of Bartolome's beaches, and Tortuga Bay, with its ever popular marine iguanas and sea lions, in this section we focus on longer hiking routes that are up to 16 km long and require corresponding stamina.

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The volcanic origin of the Galapagos Islands is apparent during a trip to the large shield volcano at the southeastern end of Isabela named, Sierra Negra (Black Mountain). The summit’s caldera rises to an altitude of just 1,100 m but is an impressive 10 km wide. During a hike up Sierra Negra and around its rim, visitors will learn about the island’s volcanic history, the formation of its different lava fields, their mineral composition, and recent eruptions. Without doubt. the most memorable part of the tour is the view from the top into the crater, where sometimes guests arrive to see early morning fog flowing down into the caldera and active fumaroles below - a truly memorable experience.

The tour begins with a pick-up from your hotel and a drive towards the village of Santo Tomás, from where the hiking trail begins. The path, which is quite wide and not too steep, initially takes you through guava scrub but later you will be walking over lava rock, so sturdy footwear is required.

Compared to most other day tours this is not a gentle outing, but a fairly fast paced hiking tour covering 16 km in total. Everyone hopes for good weather on this tour to enjoy fantastic views into the crater but, if a cloudless sky is present, its important to have appropriate solar protection and sufficient water, as the sun can be very intense on this hike.

Highlights - Isabela Island, Volcano Sierra Negra

  • Large shield volcano
  • Volcano summit
  • Volcano caldera
  • Fumaroles
  • Volcanic history

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