Galapagos Islands

The Galapagos Islands offers a glimpse of nature at its best. Situated in the Pacific Ocean, the Galapagos Islands, considered as the most preserved archipelago in the world, is a cluster of 13 islands that holds the world’s most unique and unusual wildlife, partly as a result of the islands’ isolation from the rest of the South American continent. The islands’ creatures are so stunning and unusual, in fact, that they became the basis for Charles Darwin’s formulation of the “theory of evolution by natural selection.”

A crash course on geology and the formation of the world is available to anyone willing to observe and listen. Virtually any form of wildlife in the islands can teach visitors how the earth and its inhabitants were formed. The islands were declared a National Park in 1959 and it is widely recognized as a Man and Biosphere reserve as well as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Galapagos wildlife is perhaps best known for their fearlessness of human visitors, partly because of the lack of natural predators in the islands. This has also contributed to the evolution of wildlife into its various forms. There are fourteen distinct forms of the giant tortoise, as well as other extraordinary kinds of wildlife such as the marine iguana, the thirteen species of finches, and the four species of mockingbirds, among many others. Plants are equally diverse and remarkable. The island has its own endemic species of pepper, cotton, tomato, and guava, along with other flora which has become the basis for intensive scientific studies.

US and Canadian citizens do not need a visa to visit the Galapagos Islands through the Republic of Ecuador. The islands enjoy good weather all year round. However, it also has its share of peak and low tourist seasons, factors which may need to be considered when planning a trip to Galapagos in the future.