Puerto Villamil

Puerto Villamil is a city on Isabela Island in the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador .

location and size

Puerto Villamil is located on the south coast of Isabela Island, the largest of the Galapagos Islands, southeast of the Sierra Negra volcano . Large fields of lava from earlier volcanic eruptions extend between the city and the volcano. To the north of the city rises the Volcán Chico with a height of 860 m, which last erupted in November 1979.

With around 2200 inhabitants, Puerto Villamil is the third largest city in the Galapagos Islands after Puerto Ayora and Puerto Baquerizo Moreno . The city is the seat of the district administration ( Cabecera Cantonal ) of the Cantón Isabela district .

history

Puerto Villamil was founded in 1897 by Antonio Gil and named after the first governor of the Galapagos Islands, José de Villamil (1789–1866). During the Second World War there was an American military base west of the city, on the site of which President José María Velasco Ibarra set up a prison camp for 300 felons from the mainland in 1946 . It was dissolved in 1959.

fauna

The Poza de los Flamingos lake in the west of the city is known for its flamingos. A breeding station for turtles ( Centro de Crianza de Tortugas ) was set up not far north of the city . Marine iguanas are numerous on the beach and at the harbor , and around the city you can often see giant turtles in the undergrowth and on the paths .

Buildings

The modern church of Cristo Salvador rises in the center of the village , with colorful wall paintings depicting the landscape and fauna of the island of Isabela. A multicolored relief on the market hall also shows animals from the island.

To the west of the city, 5 km away, the remains of the prison camp and the Muro de las Lágrimas wall, built by convicts from volcanic rock, are preserved. The wall, whose name means "Wall of Tears" in German, is about 100 m long, up to 7 m high and 3 m wide, and most of the stones were transported here from the Sierra Negra volcano by the convicts without the help of machines.

tourism

The long sandy beach of Puerto Villamil is well suited for surfing, diving and snorkeling. In the city there are several hotels, restaurants, tour operators and a bike rental shop, especially in the main street. The port is also set up for the mooring of yachts.

Transport links

The small port of Puerto Villamil was created southeast of the city center. From here there is a twice daily boat connection with Puerto Ayora on the island of Santa Cruz . The small airport north of the city is served by Seymour Airport, the most important airport in the Galapagos Islands on the island of Baltra .