day trip to isla de la plata

Isla de la Plata. Silver Island. Poor man’s Galapagos.

Living for a month in Montañita has been great, but honestly, the town is super small and I think all of us started to feel like we were trapped. Lucky for some of us in the yoga teacher training, one of the girls was proactive and researched and set up a day trip to Isla de la Plata for us on our free Sunday.

how to get to puerto lopez from montanita:

Our tour started in Puerto Lopez starting at 9am with Adventuras la Plata ($30). Getting to Puerto Lopez from Montañita could not be easier. The bus runs every half hour or so from town (keep in mind it’s Ecuadorian time… soooo it’s not always right on the half hour) and you’ll want to take the green bus which runs to Puerto Lopez. The ride costs $2.50 each way and takes between 45 minutes and 1 hour.

the isla de la plata tour:

Once in Puerto Lopez, you simply find your tour group (there are lots of different ones to choose from if you decide to go with someone other than Advenuras) and board your boat! The boat ride to the island takes about 60 to 90 minutes (we were treated to some banana bread), and if you’re lucky, you may spot a whale on the way! Once you reach the island, you’ll disembark to begin your tour around the island. Just a heads up– the incline is somewhat of a steep climb so flimsy flip flops probably aren’t your best option!

Our tour guide told us from when we left the boat that there would be no shortage of blue footed boobies. Once we made it up the incline and to the lookout point, we came across our first sighting. Every one of us in the group acted like those three birds were it and we all ended up taking a million pictures. With everyone taking turns to get the best shot, we probably were in that same EXACT spot for ten minutes.

Little did we realize, our tour guide was not joking at all and no matter where we walked, there was one soaring in the sky, a mating dance, or one guarding its nest. Speaking of mating and nests, the blue footed boobie makes their nests on the ground. Because of this, if you are there in mating season, some trails may be closed due to the nests. And speaking of the mating dance, y’all need to YouTube that ASAP because it is quite entertaining!

Overall we walked about five miles up and around the island taking in the views and wildlife.

My favorite thing I learned from our tour guide? The name Isla de la Plata… where did that name come from? Well, bird poop. Lots and lots of bird poop. Supposedly the poop hardens and in the night sky from above, it shines like silver. He very well could have been joking us, but I’m going to continue to believe it is a fact.

After a few hours hiking around the island, we headed back to the boat for lunch and we were all ready for a dip in the water after a couple of hours under the blazing sun. Lunch was two sandwiches (they easily accommodated vegetarian/vegan), watermelon, and water/soda. As everyone was finishing up, we were guided over one side of the island for snorkeling. And for me, my first time snorkeling! I was somewhat apprehensive, but with the gear being passed out, I really had no time to think about it as we were being told: “jump in!!”

Soooo for the first five minutes or so in the water, I was somewhat having a mini panic attack. My mask didn’t feel right and breathing through my mouth felt super strange (mouth breathing doesn’t come naturally I guess??). Soon enough, everything came together, and I swimming around sea turtles, schools of fish, and hugeeeee stingrays. So yeah, I quickly fell in love with snorkeling (before this month, I never knew I loved the sea so much!)

After the afternoon snorkeling (a couple different spots), we headed back to Puerto Lopez. To get back to Montanita, just take the same bus back. My day tour arrived back to Puerto Lopez around 4:15 and arrived back in Montañita around 5:30.

Would I recommend visiting? Absolutely! Especially for those who don’t have the time or budget to visit the Galapagos, you’ll still be able to get a glimpse into the array of Ecuador’s wildlife and beauty.