The Wall of Tears, Isabela
Short answer
The Wall of Tears is a wall of lava blocks on Isabela, built by prisoners of a penal colony that operated until 1959. It served no purpose: the work existed to occupy the prisoners. Men died building it. It is reached by bicycle or on foot from Puerto Villamil, through the wetlands.
On this page — 7 sections
It holds nothing back and encloses nothing. That is the point — the wall was the punishment, not the objective. Its name is what the prisoners called it.
The Wall of Tears at a glance
| Island | Isabela, west of Puerto Villamil |
|---|---|
| Built | By prisoners of a penal colony that ran until 1959 |
| Guide | Not required |
| How you get there | Bicycle, on foot, or by taxi |
| The route | Through the wetlands, past tortoises and lagoons |
| Shade | Almost none on the way |
- 1
The Wall of Tears is a wall of lava blocks on Isabela, built by prisoners of a penal colony that operated until 1959. It served no purpose: the work existed to occupy the prisoners. Men died building it. It is reached by bicycle or on foot from Puerto Villamil, through the wetlands.
How you get there
- By bicycle
- The usual way, and the good one. Bikes rent by the hour in Puerto Villamil and the track runs flat through the wetlands. Take water — there is none.
- On foot
- Possible, and long. In full sun it is harder than people expect, and there is no shade and nowhere to stop.
- By taxi
- A pickup will drop you and wait. Sensible in the middle of the day, and the only option for anyone who cannot cycle.
It sits on Isabela, so how you reach the island decides how you reach this.
What you actually see
The wall itself
A long ramp of stacked black blocks against a hillside. It is bigger than the photographs suggest and the silence around it does most of the work.
The viewpoint above
Steps climb to a platform looking back over the wall and the coast. It is the one place where the scale of what was built by hand is legible.
The wetlands on the way
Lagoons with flamingos, boardwalks, and wild tortoises on the track. The ride out is at least as good as the destination and most people rush it.
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.
- People underestimate the sun
- There is no shade on the route and no water for sale anywhere along it. Midday rides end badly. Early morning or late afternoon.
- The bikes are basic
- Check the brakes and the tyres before you leave town. There is no help on the track.
- Some visitors find it flat
- It is a pile of rocks. Without the story it is nothing, and if your guide is not with you, read the story before you go.
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 who cannot cycle or walk a long flat track in full sun, unless you take a taxi.
- Visitors who want wildlife — the wetlands on the way give more than the wall.
- People who dislike sites whose weight is entirely historical.
What lives here
- Galápagos giant tortoise — Wild ones on and beside the track, especially in the wet season.
- American flamingo — In the lagoons along the route.
- Galápagos mockingbird — Throughout the dry scrub.
Nearby
Sierra Negra
Isabela
What it is →Concha de Perla
Isabela
What it is →Los Túneles
Isabela
What it is →Las Tintoreras
Isabela
What it is →Los Humedales
Isabela
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
Why was the Wall of Tears built?
For nothing. It was forced labour at a penal colony that operated on Isabela until 1959 — the work existed to occupy and punish prisoners, not to build anything useful.
Do you need a guide?
No. It is outside the guided visitor-site system and you can cycle or walk there on your own.
How long does it take?
Allow half a day by bicycle if you stop at the wetlands, which you should. The ride is much of the value.
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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