After a two hour ferry ride from the party island of Santa Cruz, we were welcomed by the beautiful azure waters and the beautiful islets near the harbor of Isabella. The islets were filled with pelicans, frigates, and blue footed boobies. It was just gorgeous scene and was quite enchanting.
Isabella is the most undeveloped on the islands that we visited. We were met at the harbor by the guide coordinator and was picked up in a bus that was not in the best of shape. It was rather rustic, but campy. On the way to the hotel, we passed by very modest homes, little mini marts, and school yards. The people seemed friendly but have mixed feelings on welcoming more turistas to their home. We were a source of income but still strangers. I can understand their feelings - This island of 3,000 people hosts about 1,000 tourists in the high season (December to March). That’s a lot of people in a short amount of time.
Meanwhile, they are just trying to live their daily lives - hanging out with their friends, running errands, playing basketball. It was Christmas after all, and everybody was off.
Accommodations. We
ended staying at the Hotel Cally which seems to be in the other end of town. This was not that far of a drive since Puerto Villamil is a small town. We had a convenience store next door, and the beach was walking distance.
We stayed in room number 1, which is at the ground floor and near the streets. This was not a big deal since the sidewalks roll up at night, so other than soft conversations from the patio, it was very quiet – also NO STAIRS.
We stayed in room number 1, which is at the ground floor and near the streets. This was not a big deal since the sidewalks roll up at night, so other than soft conversations from the patio, it was very quiet – also NO STAIRS.
Rooms are neat and clean, but very basic. There were two beds, a fridge and a TV. Hubby did not like
the lack of hot water, but it was already quite hot and humid, so I did not see the need for it. Personally, a cold shower – or three - seems to be more appealing!
The big thing was a non-working air-conditioner. It was only on the first day – so don’t
panic. Still -- OMG! In the middle of the night, I feel like I was being slow roasted. Thank goodness the
hotel hopped on fixing it the next day (Shout out to Cecilia!). It was still
hot though. It feels like the AC was not working, but it was.
Food. I really appreciated that the Hotel Cally served a delicious freshly made breakfast every day. As we get our coffee and juice, we were served granola, fresh fruit, and yogurt, followed by eggs and toast. It was simple, but good and nourishing - I loved it! It was perfect meal to start a day.
For our other meals, since Puerto Villamil is a small town, we found that finding healthy food is quite challenging. I've learned to look for the "Classe Touristico" sign for assurance, but I could not easily spot one. Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of restaurants serving Ecuadorian food, pizzas and even smoothies. With my health situation and sensitive stomachs, we just need to keep it safe.
The bars though were rather tempting...
On our first evening, our tour package included dinner at the Isabella Grill. The place is characterized as a steakhouse, and seemed to be popular with locals and tourists. The popular platters seem to be a grilled seafood that seems to be served on a mini-grill on the table. Although that seemed enjoyable, we were still trying to figure the place out, so we chose "safer" options -- like pasta and pork chops.
Since Hubby and I have very sensitive stomachs, we decided to try a different spot the next day. After some exploration, we decided to go to Iguana Crossing. This was a higher end hotel at the other end of town.
We liked this place a lot more: high quality service, good wine list, and the food was excellent! Iguana Crossing can easily be a place in Monterey or Half Moon Bay in California. We went back there a couple more times. Besides, the views were awesome.
Next up: The Tours....
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We liked this place a lot more: high quality service, good wine list, and the food was excellent! Iguana Crossing can easily be a place in Monterey or Half Moon Bay in California. We went back there a couple more times. Besides, the views were awesome.
Next up: The Tours....
Related Links:
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