The Galapagos Islands

Scalesia Lodge

The beautifully designed Scalesia Galapagos Lodge was recently inaugurated in September 2015 and offers comfort and first class service. It is located in the highlands of Isabela Island, about 20 minutes from Puerto Villamil. The lodge is located in the center of the island and it has 16 hectares (40 acres) of property in the middle of a magical forest with an spectacular view of Isabela’s coastline and the Pacific Ocean.

Isabela Island is the third most populated island in Galapagos and home to six large volcanoes. The island is divided into two sections; the northern half is famous for its wild and remote environment characterized by shallow waters, and the southern part casts a shadow over the North with its towering volcanoes and spewing fumaroles.

DAY BY DAY ITINERARY

About Isabela Island

Isabela Island is a hidden gem within a treasure. Shaped as a sea horse, Isabela is the largest island of the Galapagos and one of the younger ones. Isabela Island was formed about 1 million years ago by the joining of six shield volcanoes — from north to south — Ecuador, Wolf, Darwin, Alcedo, Sierra Negra, and Cerro Azul.

The island is primarily noted for its geology, providing excellent examples of a geologic occurrence that created the Galapagos Islands including uplifts at Urvina Bay and the Bolivar Channel, tuff cones at Tagus Cove, and Pulmace on Alcedo and Sierra Negra, one of the most active volcanoes in the world and the second largest crater worldwide (11km diameter).

The majority of Isabela residents make their living by fishing, farming, and tourism. In the 90s, development for tourism began. The number of hotels, restaurants and bar grew since then. However, the town still retains its relaxed attitude in contrast to Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz and Puerto Baquerizo Moreno on San Cristóbal. Puerto Villamil is probably one of the most beautiful townsite in Galapagos, with its long, white-sand, palm-lined beaches and several brackish-water lagoons frequented by pink flamingoes, common stilts, whimbrels, white-cheeked pintails, and gallinules.

In terms of wildlife, Isabela is home to the vast majority of all species found in the Galapagos. In the Puerto Villamil area you can find an abundance of blue footed boobies, pelicans, penguins, flamingos, herons, ducks, finches, tropical birds, sea turtles, sea lions, marine iguanas, manta rays, sharks, eels and tropical fish. Galapagos tortoises and land iguanas roam free around the Sierra Negra Volcano. Sally light foot crabs, hawks, owls, dolphins and whales, among other species are often spotted there as well.