Galápagos Islands

A volcanic archipelago on the equator, the inspiration for Darwin's theory of evolution, where giant tortoises, marine iguanas and sea lions are right at your feet, and one of the world's top wildlife destinations.

The Galápagos Islands correspond to Ecuador's Galápagos province, in the Pacific about 1,000 km west of the mainland. The archipelago consists of more than ten major volcanic islands and many smaller islets; the vast majority of the land belongs to the national park, surrounded by a marine reserve, and the whole is a World Natural Heritage Site. Darwin's 1835 visit made this place a symbol of evolutionary theory, and animals such as giant tortoises, marine iguanas, land iguanas, blue-footed boobies, Galápagos penguins and sea lions show almost no fear of humans. Only four islands are inhabited: on Santa Cruz, Puerto Ayora is the tourism center, with the Charles Darwin Research Station, the highland giant tortoise reserve and Tortuga Bay; San Cristóbal is the provincial capital, with sea lion beaches and dive sites; Isabela is the largest, with volcano hikes and flamingo lagoons; Floreana has the smallest population. Uninhabited islands, such as Pinnacle Rock on Bartolomé, the frigatebirds of North Seymour and the albatrosses of Española, can only be visited with a licensed guide or on a cruise. Visits are either multi-day cruises or island-hopping from the inhabited islands; we recommend at least 5–8 days. Fly from Quito or Guayaquil to Baltra or San Cristóbal. Entry requires a transit control card and payment of the national park entrance fee (currently US$200 for foreign adults), and strict biosecurity inspections apply. Visitors must follow the rules: keep your distance, do not feed animals and do not leave the trails.

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