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A Galapagos travel experience begins 960 kilometers off the coast of Ecuador. The Galapagos Islands are actually a part of Ecuador though some people believe they are an independent country, or a part of Colombia or Peru.
There are 13 major islands in the Galapagos Archipelago, which lies 960 km/600 miles from mainland Ecuador. In 1959, in order to preserve the original ecology and to control the introduction of new and potentially harmful species, 90% of the land surface and all of the ocean territory out to the national limits was designated an Ecuadorian national park.
Indigenous fauna here lives without natural predators. The birds, mammals, reptiles and especially the Galapagos Giant tortoises are virtually fearless. Visitors can walk along trails and pass within inches of numerous species. To minimize your impact on the fragile ecology, the park authorities have established rules which visitors must abide by and these are explained by qualified guides. On land, trails have been established and visitors are required to keep to the trails.
The Galapagos Islands are most famous for their role in naturalist Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution through natural selection. The impact of the Galapagos in the ideas about evolution appears early in the annotations:
"If there is the slightest foundation for evolution, the zoology of the Galapagos will be well worth examining..."
Today, much of the wildlife once studied by Charles Darwin is still alive and thriving on the islands, giving nature lovers and wildlife enthusiasts from across the globe a chance to observe some of the most rare and beautiful creatures on the planet in their natural habitats. The opportunities for wildlife observation are seemingly endless. The islands are world renown for its birds such as boobies, flightless cormorants, pelicans, penguins, and many others. The creatures on land and in the air represent only a portion of the life in and around the Galapagos. Underwater is a variety of vibrant tropical fish, giant rays, eels, dolphins, sharks and even whales.
Visitors can walk along trails and pass within inches of numerous species....
With so much marine diversity, naturalist guided tours on board Galapagos cruises and yachts, snorkeling, scuba diving and land based tours are the most popular activities in the Galapagos. Ask to make sure that your tour includes opportunities to journey into the blue, or visit one of the local dive shops in Puerto Ayora to rent equipment and explore local beaches and snorkel spots on your own. With dozens of pristine white sand beaches, and hefty surf swells, there is no shortage of surfing, swimming and sunbathing sites on the islands.
Although the Galapagos Islands are composed of more than 30 islands, islets and more, not all of the Galapagos Islands are open to tourists and certain locations will have more visitors sites than others. What’s more, most of the islands are extremely remote with very few small towns, making them accessible to visitors for short day visits only. Visitors should also know that many of the islands can only be accessed via cruise-boat tours with a proper guide and a relevant license.
The tourist hub of Puerto Ayora is located on Santa Cruz Island, and is where most of the Galapagos cruises begin and the majority of guides, agencies and information providers can be found. With an array of shops, restaurants, hotels and lodges, Puerto Ayora is the most convenient place to stay when you travel to the Galapagos Islands.
