Known for being the “Seahorse Island” because of its form on the map, Isabela is the biggest land mass in Galápagos and the most popular Island to visit. The six remaining active volcanoes on the island are what give the island’s profile the form of a hippocampus. The Wolf Volcano, which stands at a height of around 1,707 meters, is the island’s highest point.

Along with its land and wildlife story there is also a human one to tell. Isabela’s Island has had many names, it’s actual one is named after Queen Elizabeth who was the first lady to reign in the United Kingdom. The island of Isabela’s first guests were pirates and balladeers. They may use the Galápagos Islands to replenish their food and water supplies or to hide from Spanish sailing ships. Giant turtles would gather in Tagus Cove on Isabela’s Island as a favored landing spot to harvest their meat.

The island includes multiple brackish lagoons that are home to dozens of flamingos, also known as flamingos, and other birds who take advantage of these sites to drink and remove the salt from their wings due to the mix of seawater and precipitation. Galápagos land birds inhabit Isabela in a very diverse range. Birdwatchers should keep an eye out for Galapagos Finches (including the highly endangered Mangrove Finch), Flamingos, Galápagos Doves, Pintail Ducks, many waders and shorebirds, and Galapagos Hawks. And if it could get any better, this Island is also a region with abundant resources for the cultivation of coffee, citrus, papaya, pineapple, cassava, bananas, sugar cane, corn, and other fruits.