Ever since Charles Darwin published "On The Origin of the Species" and made his name a household word, the Galapagos Islands have been inextricably linked with strange and fantastic animals. The entire island chain and the seas around it are part of an Ecuadorian national park, and while tourism to the Galapagos is controlled, it is still possible to go there and see the amazing birds, reptiles, mammals and fish of the Galapagos first hand.

Entry and Getting There

The Galapagos Islands are situated roughly 600 miles west of Ecuador, and for tourists the only way to reach the islands is by air. Flights usually depart from the Ecuadorian capital of Quito to Guayaquil before going on to one of two islands, either Santa Cruz or San Cristobal.

Ecuador issues a 90-day tourist stamp to Americans upon arrival, so there is no need to worry about a visa. However, a national park fee is automatically levied upon arrival in the Galapagos, and this fee must be paid in cash. Check at Galapagospark.org to confirm how much that fee is before departing for Ecuador, and set aside that exact amount in US dollars.

Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz Island isn't the largest of the Galapagos Islands, but it is the main population center and a good introduction to the wonders of the islands. The Charles Darwin Station has exhibits explaining the ecology of the Galapagos and its own turtle breeding area. The interior boasts lava tunnels (some almost two miles long), hiking trails and the El Chato Tortise Reserve. Some of the beaches are suitable for snorkeling and shore diving, while others like that at Tortuga Bay are surf beaches.

The Other Islands

If a vacation in the Galapagos is to extend past Santa Cruz to take in other islands in the archipelago, it is best done on a cruise. Boats range from luxury yachts with a capacity for roughly a dozen passengers to larger vessels with spartan accommodations and the capacity to big ships like the 100-passenger Galapagos Explorer II and Galapagos Legend. Because the government tightly regulates the number of people who can visit a particular island at a time, smaller boats have the ability to go places that the big ships do not, but itineraries vary considerably and some of the cheaper cruises never leave the inner islands. Some cruises offer additional activities, like sea kayaking, and the Galapagos is also a major destination for live-aboard scuba diving cruises.


The peculiar characteristic of Galapagos wildlife is not that it is strange in appearance (although the giant tortoises are certainly that), but in their behavior. By a strange quirk of fate, no big predators evolved on the islands, so on land the creatures show no fear of humans. Penguins, blue-footed boobies, sea lions, iguanas and mockingbirds alike are unconcerned with the persistent fear that humans might try to eat them, creating the opportunity for wildlife encounters unlike anywhere else in the world.

Sea Life

Excepting amphibians like the sea lion, sea creatures around the Galapagos have natural predators. What makes sea life around the island special is not behavior, but diversity and numbers. The Galapagos sit at the crossroads of multiple oceanic currents, making it the sort of place where a scuba diver can cram a lifetime's worth of big fish sightings into just a few days. Dolphins, whale sharks, schools of hammerhead sharks and manta rays are all common sights in the waters of the Galapagos.

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