The Galápagos Islands are youngsters in the span of geologic time, and Islas Fernandina and Isabela are among the most active volcanoes on the planet. Both land-based trips and cruises combine time spent discovering uninhabited islands and snorkelling by sea.

If you’re curious to witness real-time volcanic activity, I can recommend a day’s hiking on Isla Isabela’s Volcan Sierra Negra, which last erupted in 2018. From Isabela’s main town of Puerto Villamil, you’ll travel by truck to the volcano and begin the 15km hike to the caldera. While not particularly steep nor strenuous, the conditions range from muddy to gravelly and require a moderate level of fitness for the daylong trek. You’ll climb through the more temperate greenery at the base to the alien-looking lava expanse of the caldera, and onward to the parasitic vent of Volcan Chico, where fumaroles steam. To actually feel and see volcanic activity alters your perspective as you explore the varied geology of the islands. The best time to hike is during the dry season, from June through November.

For a more serene look at the islands’ volcanic history hike an easy ten-minute loop through the highlands of Isla Santa Cruz for a peek at the forested dormant twin craters of Los Gemelos, or climb the short trail to the 650m edge of El Junco, the extinct volcano on Isla San Cristóbal whose crater lake affords excellent views down to the coast.

Other good hikes on the islands include:

From the beach at Bartolomé Island, a path leads up an ascending set of stairs that take you over the volcanic landscape and to a lookout across the bay dominated by Pinnacle Rock. Seen in countless movies and postcard perfect pictures, it’s one of the best views in the archipelago.

Cerro Tijeretas on San Cristobal Island is reached by a short hike past the Interpretation Centre. The vista offers an amazing view over the bay below and there are trails down to the water and around the area.

The Punta Suarez loop trail on Española Island is a short one-mile trail that puts you in the middle of exotic landscapes and beaches. Sea lions, blue-footed boobies and waved albatrosses are found along the trail and towering cliffs frame the landscape and coast.