Hotel Albemarle

Hotel Albemarle is located on Isabela Island in the Galápagos. The hotel has attractive architecture and a beachside setting.

On the island of Isabela in the Galápagos, nature shapes each adventure: travelers can hike through a labyrinth of tidal pools and lava-rock tunnels, snorkel with tropical fish, stroll past pink flamingos, and gaze into the twisted roots of a mangrove forest to spot whitetip reef sharks. The Galápagos are known for their amazing and much-protected ecosystems, and Isabela is a prime example. As one can imagine, the mere 2,000 people who live on the island are much affected by the strength of the local ecosystem: the police even stop for roaming iguanas in the street.

Hotel Albemarle is pleasant with its plantation-home-like columns and huge, arched windows. Located directly on the beach, there is just a narrow and convenient dirt road between the hotel and the shore, which travelers stroll down to find themselves in the center of town for shops and restaurants. Or they may want to take a ten-minute walk towards the lagoons to meet some wild iguanas at Iguana’s Crossing, the only controlled intersection in town, where lizards rule the road. The nearby boardwalk can be taken all the way to the Giant Tortoise Breeding Center, where baby tortoises are kept healthy before their epic march to the sea.

Back at the hotel, tropical touches likes wood-framed sinks and showers make the accommodations feel luxurious. Rooms have either floor-to-ceiling windows or spacious balconies that overlook palm trees. Those travelling with a family or group might opt for a suite, which feature living rooms, kitchenettes, breakfast counters, and even private in-room Jacuzzi tubs. All rooms have air conditioning, cable television, complimentary toiletries, and wireless Internet access.

A kid-friendly hotel that boasts its own playground on the sand, there is a homey feel to Hotel Albemarle, despite its stately architecture. A small and attractive pool ripples next to an outdoor dining area, but, being the town’s closest hotel to the ocean, Hotel Albemarle often sees guests walking straight from their rooms into the surf.