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Alcedo Volcano Isabela Island


Permitted Uses:  Special group* visits and hikes with a naturalist guide
Photography and filming

* Special visiting groups are those groups with academic interests, research or press, or a particular interest in doing walks in undisturbed environments.

The visitor site Alcedo Volcano is located in the central part of Isabela Island. The visiting area conforms to a path leading from the landing zone to the caldera of the volcano.

To carry out the visit to this site, you must make an application to the Galapagos National Park Service, then you must pass a thorough an exhaustive process of quarantine and only 12 visitors are permitted plus the naturalist guide.

The time of ascent to the caldera is between 6 and 7 hours and the total trip is 14km. The ramp from the beginning of the path to the first point on the rim of the caldera is about 1150 meters.


Click on the illustration to enlarge.

On the way there are two resting sites known as "Pega-Pega" and "The Guayabillo" that are located both in the transition zone and the wet zone of Alcedo Volcano, respectively.

Along the trail the attractions are diverse, from the large population of giant tortoises that congregate in pools, landscapes, active fumaroles, ancient craters, lava flows and numerous endemic birds. The species present in this volcano is the largest population in relation to other species in the Galapagos Islands. 

Both the Alcedo Volcano and Santiago Island were the places where they implemented the activities planned in the Isabela Project, as related to the eradication of goats.

Special Indications

  • The equipment installed by the GNP on top of the volcanic caldera was built with the aim of providing accommodation to the team of park rangers who work with the Isabela Project for the eradication of goats.

  •  Being a hard climb, you should wear comfortable and suitable shoes for long hikes, take plenty of water; on the climb or descent, take the necessary precautions to avoid accidents.