Galápagos Islands Travel Guide

Isabela
  • Land Surface:
    1,771 square miles
  • Max. Elevation:
    5,600 feet
  • Visitor Sites:
    7
Santiago
  • Land Surface:
    226 square miles
  • Max. Elevation:
    2,975 feet
  • Visitor Sites:
    4
Fernandina
  • Land Surface:
    249 square miles
  • Max. Elevation:
    4,900 feet
  • Visitor Sites:
    1
Baltra
  • Land Surface:
    10.5 square miles
  • Max. Elevation:
    328 feet
  • Visitor Sites:
    0
Santa Cruz
  • Land Surface:
    381 square miles
  • Max. Elevation:
    2,835 feet
  • Visitor Sites:
    8
San Cristóbal
  • Land Surface:
    215 square miles
  • Max. Elevation:
    2,395 feet
  • Visitor Sites:
    7
Santa Fé
  • Land Surface:
    9.3 square miles
  • Max. Elevation:
    850 feet
  • Visitor Sites:
    1
Floreana
  • Land Surface:
    67 square miles
  • Max. Elevation:
    2,100 feet
  • Visitor Sites:
    4
Española
  • Land Surface:
    23 square miles
  • Max. Elevation:
    676 feet
  • Visitor Sites:
    2
Genovesa
  • Land Surface:
    5.4 square miles
  • Max. Elevation:
    250 feet
  • Visitor Sites:
    2
Rábida
  • Land Surface:
    1.9 square miles
  • Max. Elevation:
    1,204 feet
  • Visitor Sites:
    1
Seymour
  • Land Surface:
    0.73 square miles
  • Max. Elevation:
    92 feet
  • Visitor Sites:
    1
Bartolomé
  • Land Surface:
    0.46 square miles
  • Max. Elevation:
    374 feet
  • Visitor Sites:
    2
Sombrero Chino
  • Land Surface:
    0.08 square miles
  • Max. Elevation:
    160 feet
  • Visitor Sites:
    1
South Plaza
  • Land Surface:
    0.05 square miles
  • Max. Elevation:
    75 feet
  • Visitor Sites:
    1

Introduction

Insulae de los Galopegos. The Enchanted Isles. Archipiélago de Colón. Or simply “the Galápagos.” Whichever appellation you choose to give them, the thirteen major islands and more than a hundred smaller islets that make up the Galápagos Islands are assuredly one of nature’s most astounding places. And the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) agrees: The islands were among the original twelve locations to be listed as World Heritage sites in 1978.

The Galápagos Islands are located in the Pacific Ocean, about six hundred miles west of the coast of Ecuador. Ongoing seismic and volcanic activity, several ocean currents, and extreme isolation came together to create this one-of-a-kind place. Consisting of volcanic peaks that have risen to the surface throughout an area that stretches for 3,093 square miles, the islands — and their surrounding waters, which are now a marine reserve with World Heritage status are home to unique species. Birds that cannot fly, an Equatorial penguin, lizards that feed in the ocean, tortoises that weigh more than five hundred pounds, and a garúa season are just a few of the unusual, natural phenomena here that intrigue the mind, engage the senses, and entice the soul. More than 80 percent of the land-based animals that inhabit the islands are endemic, and about 30 percent of the plant species are found only here and nowhere else on Earth.

Today, about 97 percent of the land area and all of the waters surrounding the islands up to a seventeen-mile boundary have been set aside by the Ecuadorian government as a national park, helping to ensure that wild Galápagos will be preserved for the world to treasure and enjoy.

Currently, however, the Galápagos Islands are at a crossroads. Introduced plant and animal species, immigration from the Ecuadorian mainland, increasing visitor numbers, and illegal fishing and poaching threaten their delicate ecosystems. It is imperative that both the tourism industry and travelers to the islands themselves take measures to ensure that the Galápagos remain as natural and untouched as possible to protect this exceptional archipelago. The International Galápagos Tour Operators Association (IGTOA) and its members are doing just that by contributing to critical conservation projects.

After Charles Darwin’s visit to the Galápagos Islands in 1835, he came to call them a “living laboratory of evolution.” After yours, we’re sure you’ll come to refer to them as “my favorite spot on Earth.”

Need help planning a trip?
Get help from one of IGTOA's Members.
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