Visitor Information for the Galapagos Islands

Visiting the Galapagos Islands is a real experience for many, because not only do you get the chance to see evolution taking place right before your eyes, but you also get the opportunity to see a number of endemic and indigenous animals that you can see no place else on earth. The most unique aspect of visiting the Galapagos Islands is that you come face to face with an unbelievable wealth of wildlife like never before.

Located off the coast of Ecuador, the Galapagos is actually a national park that protects the inhabitants of these incredible islands. Home to the Galapagos Tortoise, the Galapagos Penguin, the Waved Albatross, Darwin’s finches, Marine iguanas, the Galapagos Hawk, the Flightless Cormorant and the Galapagos Flycatcher, these volcanic islands are just five million years old. The wildlife here is amazingly friendly, and often give you the chance to get up close and personal with them, unlike most other animals. One of the main reasons for this is the incredible lack of natural predators out here.

Offering some of the best scuba diving and snorkeling on the planet, these islands are also fascinating from a geological point of view as they were not part of the mainland Americas, but rather were formed from hotpots on the ocean floor. Formed from basalt, each of the Galapagos Islands is a shield volcano, with the exception of Isla Isabela, which is made up of 6 volcanoes.

Declared a protected zone, the Galapagos today is an important environmental and wildlife sanctuary. It houses many secrets that will help us in the future to unlock our planet’s history and preserve what we have. Conservation plays a key role in helping to not only protect and safeguard these islands from exploitation, but will also help to ensure that these islands are still standing for a long time to come.

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