Concha de Perla, Isabela
Short answer
Concha de Perla is a sheltered natural pool beside the pier at Puerto Villamil on Isabela, reached by a short boardwalk through mangrove. It is free, needs no guide, and is one of the few places where you can snorkel with turtles and sea lions straight from shore. The tide decides whether it works.
On this page — 7 sections
You walk five minutes on a boardwalk with sea lions asleep across it — you step over them — and then get into water where turtles come and look at you. No boat, no booking, no charge.
Concha de Perla at a glance
| Island | Isabela, beside the Puerto Villamil pier |
|---|---|
| Guide | Not required |
| Cost | Free |
| Access | Boardwalk through mangrove, then steps into the water |
| Timing | High tide. At low tide it is shallow and cloudy |
| Bring | Your own mask — there is nothing to rent at the site |
- 1
Concha de Perla is a sheltered natural pool beside the pier at Puerto Villamil on Isabela, reached by a short boardwalk through mangrove. It is free, needs no guide, and is one of the few places where you can snorkel with turtles and sea lions straight from shore. The tide decides whether it works.
How you get there
- On foot from Puerto Villamil
- Walk or take a taxi to the pier, then the boardwalk. Sea lions sleep on the walkway and you go around them, not over them — two metres, even here.
It sits on Isabela, so how you reach the island decides how you reach this.
What you actually see
The pool
A natural basin protected from the swell, with steps down into it. Clear when the tide is in, and shallow enough that beginners are comfortable.
What comes to you
Green turtles, sea lions, rays over the sand and sometimes a penguin. You do not chase anything here; you float and it arrives.
The mangrove walk
Short, shaded, and full of birds. The sea lions on the boardwalk are the reason people take twenty minutes to walk five.
What goes wrong
We run these trips, so we know what people complain about afterwards. Better to read it here than find out on the day.
- Going at low tide
- This is the whole thing. At low water the pool is shallow, silty and cloudy, and people leave thinking it was overrated. Check the tide before you walk down.
- The water is cold
- It is sheltered but it is not warm, especially from June to November. A wetsuit top makes the difference between twenty minutes and an hour.
- No facilities at all
- No rental, no kiosk, no lifeguard. Bring the mask and the water from town.
Who this is not for
Saying this costs us bookings and saves the trip. If any of these is you, tell us and we will build the day differently.
- Anyone without their own snorkelling gear, unless you rent it in town first.
- Visitors who need changing rooms or facilities. There are none.
- People going at low tide — come back at high instead.
What lives here
- Green sea turtle — Reliable, and unbothered by people.
- Galápagos sea lion — Asleep on the boardwalk and playing in the pool.
- Marine iguana — On the rocks around the entry steps.
- Golden ray — Over the sand at the deeper end.
Nearby
Las Tintoreras
Isabela
What it is →Los Túneles
Isabela
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Isabela
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What it is →Los Humedales
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What it is →Punta Vicente Roca
Isabela
What it is →Every visitor site we have written up → · Isabela, the whole island →
Questions people also ask
Do you need a guide for Concha de Perla?
No. It is free and open, and you go on your own. That makes it one of the few sites on Isabela you can do without booking anything.
When is the best time to go?
High tide, without question. At low tide the water is shallow and cloudy and the visit is disappointing.
Can beginners snorkel here?
Yes. It is sheltered, shallow and calm — it is where we send people who have never used a mask.
Sources
Every figure on this page comes from one of these. If one of them changes and we have not caught up, tell us and we will fix it the same day.
Planning this trip yourself?
Send us the dates and what you actually want to see. A planner in Cuenca reads it and replies within one business day — not a template, and not a bot.
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