Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. Galapagos Islands: tours, photos, local flora and fauna

The Galapagos Islands on the world map resemble a scattering of pearls lost in the Pacific Ocean. This tropical paradise belongs to the republic. The archipelago consists of 13 main islands of volcanic origin, 6 small islets, 107 cliffs, and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. About 90% of the territory is a natural national park.

The Galapagos Islands became famous

The giant elephant turtles that gave the name to the archipelago. The weight of the shell of these amazing animals resembling prehistoric creatures reaches 200 kg, the length is 1.5 m.
A visit to the islands by Charles Darwin in 1835, after which, in the course of his research, he put forward a "theory of the origin of species." The scientist drew attention to different kinds unremarkable earthen finches.
Penguins listed in the red book. The habitat of these arctic flightless birds at the equator is surprising fact... Penguins have chosen their place in the tropics and fit perfectly into the local fauna due to the cold ocean currents, where they feel great.
Marine iguanas. The Galapagos is home to up to 300,000 of these lizards, found almost at every turn. Oddly enough, they spend most of their time in salt water, diving and finding food for themselves.
An unimaginable variety of flora and fauna in general. Here you can really see with your own eyes unusual and rare species, many of which are not found anywhere else on the planet.

Islands and attractions

The island is the largest, occupying an area of 4640 square kilometers and resembling a seahorse in shape. How does it attract tourists?

Here are the best scenic blue lagoons of the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador.
The island has 6 largest volcanoes, 5 of which are still active.
Only on the island of Isabela (and Fernandina) do local penguins lay eggs and hatch their offspring.
It is famous for its extraordinary beauty as the abode of iguanas, they are found here at every turn.
Tagus bay. While on holiday in the Galapagos Islands, be sure to visit here and climb to Lake Darwin.
On the island of Isabela, it is worth seeing the Wailing Wall with a sad story about the inhuman treatment of prisoners

The island is the second largest and most populous. Tourist excursions and cruises to the Galapagos Islands most often start from here, because the airport is located nearby. What is so special about this place?

The Darwin Research Station is located on the island.
At one of the highest points are located, formed as a result of volcanic eruptions.
Here, in the thickets of mangrove trees, there is the Black Turtle Bay, where these ancient giants mate.

The island is considered the youngest and ranks third in size. Why is this western sector of the Galapagos Islands interesting?

Here is located active volcano La Combre, which wakes up every few years.
Punto Espinoza is home to the world's largest marine iguana colony. Here they are found in hundreds.

Island San Cristobal famous for the versatility of the local flora and fauna, it is home to almost all species of animals and plants represented in the Galapagos Islands. Why is this corner of the archipelago interesting?

Here is the capital of the Galapagos - Puerto Baquerizo Moreno.
Frigatebury Hill is known as Frigate Hill, where you can watch these large birds.
Lake El Junco is the only freshwater source that never dries up. Here you can watch wading birds and other birds.
Cape Pitt is famous for its nesting birds of extraordinary beauty - blue-footed and red-footed boobies.

The island covers an area of about 60 sq. Km. It is the oldest island in the Galapagos, dating back 3.5 million years. Why is this corner interesting for tourists?

Here you can watch wavy albatrosses. It is on the rocks of Hispaniola, and nowhere else in the world, that these amazing rare birds nest.
The beach at Gardner Bay is very popular. The fine white sand here resembles scattered flour.

Island Santa maria was inhabited by one of the first. There are two main attractions here:

which attracts thousands of curious tourists. It was formed by the crater of an extinct volcano and is interesting in that teeth protrude from the water, resembling the shape of a crown.
In the Bay of Sharks in Punto Cormoran, you can tickle your nerves by swimming with reef sharks.
Post Office Bay is famous for the oak barrels found here, which in ancient times served as mailboxes.

The island is famous for its unusual forest of pear cacti, which grow up to 10 meters in height and resemble powerful trees. Seagulls, phaetons, petrels nest on rocks weathered over time.

Island Santiago (San Salvador) recognized the best place observation of fur seals, which are found in only three places in the Galapagos. James's Cove is the place where you are most likely to see these endemic animals. In addition, rock crabs, hermit crabs, four-eyed blend dogs, sea sponges live here.

The island is considered a geological center and is famous for its dark red sand beaches, which are popular with tourists. This unusual shade is due to the volcanic origin of the soil and high content it contains iron oxide.

Tourist memo

It should be borne in mind that it is under the protection and protection of the government, so the entrance to the territory is paid and is $ 100 per person.
It has its own rules of conduct and sightseeing. A total of about 64 trails and sites have been allocated for tourists, and it is forbidden to deviate from them.
The following types of entertainment are offered on the islands: riding on turtles, swimming with sea lions, penguins, seals, snorkeling, diving, surfing, kayaking, hiking, cycling, horse riding.
During excursions, observation and communication with the local fauna, it is forbidden to kindle fires, litter, make loud sounds and sudden movements that can harm them.
Of course, there are, and they offer a very different level of prices and services, from economy to luxury, but chic restaurants and social entertainment are unlikely to have a special meaning here. Therefore, instead of cocktail dresses and shoes, it is recommended to take comfortable cotton clothes and good photographic equipment here in order to capture the Galapagos Islands in a photo in all their amazing beauty.

How to get to the Galapogos Islands from Moscow?

For those who do not know where the Galapagos Islands are located on the world map, recall that they are located to the west of the continent. South America 1000 km from Ecuador.

There are two airports in the Galapagos Islands - on the islands of Baltra and San Cristobal, so you can only get here from mainland Ecuador by plane. The cost of a round-trip flight is on average about $ 350 - $ 400.

As surprising as it sounds, the Galapagos Islands have no indigenous population. Mainly Ecuadorian mestizos live here - the descendants of Spanish colonists and South American Indians who arrived here from the mainland in the second half of the last century.

And even earlier, English pirates felt good here in the intervals between robberies - the islands remained uninhabited for a long time after the discovery: they were too far from the continent (the distance between the archipelago and Ecuador is as much as one hundred kilometers). An important role was also played by the fact that the Galapagos Islands have almost no sources of fresh water.

Even now, the population is small and does not exceed 30 thousand people who live on only five islands: Baltra, Isabella, San Cristobal and Santa Cruz, which is only 3.3% of the total territory of the archipelago, while the islands are inhabited only partially - in the center or on the coast, near the marinas.

The Galapagos Islands consist of thirteen large islands, six small and one hundred and seven rocks and alluvial territories (the total area of the Galapagos is about 8 thousand km²). The archipelago is located in the Pacific Ocean, and is a province of the state of Ecuador (located 972 km west of it). If you look closely at the Galapagos Islands on the map (they are located from 1 ° 40 ′ N to 1 ° 36 ′ S, and from 89 ° 16 ′ to 92 ° 01 ′ W), then you can notice that they resemble a pentagon in shape.

The Galapagos Islands were discovered at the beginning of the 16th century, when the ship of Panamanian Bishop Thomas de Berlang accidentally deviated from the course. Scientists recently found out that the South American Indians had been here much earlier, because they found the remains of dishes and other traces of human activity.

Galapagos and volcanic activity

Like almost all archipelagos formed at a great distance from the continent, the Galapagos Islands are of volcanic origin, as they were formed in the area of a transverse fault that cuts the East Pacific Rise.

Volcanoes first appeared along this crack (from west to east), and after some time, about 5-10 million years ago, a volcanic plateau formed on one of the sites, and on it the Galapagos Islands, which have a complex configuration, meandering , rocky shores, and under water - a huge number of coral reefs.

Some of the local volcanoes are still active. For example, the most active of these, the Sierra Negra, located on the island of Fernandina since 1813, has erupted more than twenty times.

Since people do not live here, its eruptions are dangerous only for flora and fauna. Another active volcano, Wolf, which is located on Isabella Island, erupts less frequently and is the highest point in the archipelago: its height is 1707 m.

Galapagos climate

The climate of the archipelago is primarily influenced by ocean currents and winds. Despite the fact that the Galapagos Islands are located near the equator, due to the cold Peruvian Current washing the archipelago, the climate here is much cooler than in other regions of these latitudes: the average annual temperature is about 24 ° C (the hottest months are from December to June). Here, as in other equatorial regions, there are two seasons: rainy (December to April) and dry (July to October).

Archipelago life

Such a significant distance from civilization could not but have a positive effect on the wildlife of the archipelago - it is so unique and interesting that it is not found anywhere else in the world.

That is why in the 80s of the last century the water space around the islands was declared a "marine conservation area" (it should be noted that in size it is inferior only to the Great Barrier Reef, located off the coast of Australia), and UNESCO declared the Biosphere Reserve a national park, which is located on an area of almost 700 hectares.

And not in vain, because about sixty species of birds live on the Galapagos Islands, half of which are endemic, in the ocean depths not only a huge number of a wide variety of fish species live, but there are also many sea lions, seals, eels, stingrays, dolphins, huge flocks ( about 300 individuals) are swimming hammerhead sharks.

Despite its proximity to the equator, here you can see representatives of not only the tropical, but also the Antarctic world of wildlife - moss grows not far from the vines, parrots fly over the heads of Galapagos penguins, and dolphins swim next to seals. Some animals have long become symbols of the Galapagos Islands.

Penguins from the equator

Galapagos penguins are the only penguin species in the world that feels comfortable enough around the equator. These birds live mainly on the islands of Isabella and Fernandina, and nest in caves and lava voids.

Since the Galapagos Islands for penguins have a very hot and dry climate to survive, these amazing birds had to adapt. First of all it displayed:

On their size - the Galapagos penguins are considered the smallest penguins in the world: the growth of an adult bird is 50 cm, and it weighs about 2.5 kg;
In terms of numbers - no more than 2 thousand individuals live here (and their population decreases every year), and therefore these birds are considered the smallest species of the family and are even listed in the Red Book;
On the way of life - in the daytime, when the air temperature reaches its maximum values, Galapagos penguins sit in the water (they avoid it only during molt, which comes before the beginning of the breeding season), and go ashore at night when it becomes cooler.

Elephant turtles

The Galapagos tortoise lives on the territory of the unique reserve - the largest tortoise on Earth, which is rightfully considered one of the longest-living vertebrates in the world: wildlife Galapagos turtles can live for over a hundred years, and live even longer in captivity.

For example, the world's oldest known tortoise Henrietta from the Australian Zoo recently turned 175 years old (although the exact date of birth of this reptile is unknown, its approximate age was determined using DNA tests). At the moment, the Galapagos Islands have twelve of the fifteen subspecies of these reptiles:

Smaller ones, whose weight ranges from 30 kg in females to 50 kg in males, have long and thin legs, a long neck and a saddle-shaped shell, which allows, in case of danger, to penetrate into vegetation and hide in it. They prefer to live on small islands, where lowlands and a drier climate prevail;
Larger ones, weighing from 200 to 400 kg (the difference between males and females is not as significant as in small species), have a short neck, a dome-shaped shell, the length of which is from 120 to 180 cm. They prefer to live on large islands, in high-altitude regions with a humid climate.

In previous centuries, the population of these animals has decreased significantly. The main reason is, of course, people, since the Galapagos tortoise is able to live for several months without food and water, seafarers took them with them as "live canned food". If in the 16th century their population numbered 250 thousand individuals, then in 1970 it was only 3 thousand.

V Lately thanks to babies raised in captivity, the number of this species of turtles has increased slightly and, according to rough estimates, is about 19 thousand copies.

Location: Ecuador
Square: 8010 km²
Coordinates: 0 ° 30 "52.8" S 91 ° 02 "05.2" W

Almost 1000 kilometers from the Republic of Ecuador, located in the northwest of the South American continent, are the unique Galapagos Islands.

In dry scientific language, the Galapagos are 13 volcanic islands that have appeared as a result of almost incessant volcanic eruptions at the bottom of the sea. In addition, the archipelago includes 6 islands of non-volcanic origin and 107 rocks, and small islets of land, which were washed by the waves of the ocean.

According to the assumptions of scientists, which cannot be considered reliable data, the very first island of the world famous Galapagos, arose approximately "only" 7 million years ago. This suggests that the Galapagos archipelago, by certain standards, can be called relatively young. By the way, two islands wearing beautiful female names Fernandina and Isabela are still at the stage of formation, and it is rather difficult to predict what they will be like in a few hundred years. The fact is that at a depth below them volcanoes are constantly erupting, which means that these islands are constantly growing.

The total area of Galapagos today is almost 8,000 square kilometers; they are considered an integral part of the state of Ecuador. The islands are home to about 30,000 indigenous people, although it is rather difficult to calculate the exact number of inhabitants of the Galapagos: most of them are almost constantly at sea or lead the life of hermits on one of the rocky islands. It should be noted that the Galapagos Islands got their name in honor of ... the water turtle, more precisely, the water turtles: galápagos is the Spanish word for plural, literally translated into Russian as water turtles. This is where the data that will interest scientists, geologists, historians and volcanologists practically ends.

Searching for God

Further, the Galapagos cannot be described using only scientific terms and data, which, by and large, will be of little interest to a common man in the street or a tourist who decides to go to one of the most amazing places on our planet. To the place where the well-known scientist Darwin “discovered God”.

More precisely, namely in the Galapagos Islands, Darwin "discovered" evolution on our planet... I would like to immediately make a reservation that only ardent admirers of the teachings of Charles Darwin adhere to this point of view. Almost all historians are unanimous in the opinion that the famous theory of evolution was formed much later. And Mr. Darwin only used the knowledge gained in the Galapagos in his work.

“Everything is now very easy for me to explain! What I saw in the Galapagos Islands, namely animals and plants, is no longer found anywhere on the planet. However, many species bear some resemblance to those found elsewhere in the world. This means that evolution still happens everywhere, practically, in an orderly and the same way, "- something like this wrote Charles Darwin in his notes. Quite a strange theory, isn't it? Yes, yes, it is precisely such inferences for the most part that constitute the theory of evolution, to which at the moment the overwhelming majority of scientists are skeptical.

History of the Galapagos Islands

To say that the history of the Galapagos Islands is something remarkable, naturally, except for its origin, would be too presumptuous. The Galapagos were discovered by a Spanish priest in the spring of 1535. There is nothing surprising in this, in those days when Spain was experiencing a period of its heyday, the state often equipped various research expeditions led by the ministers of the church, because they were the ones who were supposed to carry the word of God to unenlightened nations.

Until 1832, the unique islands belonged to Spain, and then they were annexed to Ecuador. Until 1936, the islands, which were located at a considerable distance from the mainland, served as a place where convicts were serving their sentences, who died, for the most part, from various diseases or simply became savages. In 1936, the authorities of Ecuador, realizing what wealth is located very close to them, declared the Galapagos National Park, where the rich flora and fauna was under vigilant protection. 1978 became a landmark for the Galapagos Islands, they were noticed by the UNESCO organization, recognizing them as world heritage. Here is such a short and mostly unremarkable story told by guides to numerous tourists.

Flora and fauna of the Galapagos Islands

Alas, in one article it is almost impossible to describe the richness of flora and fauna that can be found in the Galapagos. One has only to make a reservation that the overwhelming majority of animals and plants that can be found on volcanic islands, in the coastal zone and on sheer cliffs are endemic. This says only one thing, they are not found anywhere else on our planet. Naturally, the symbol of the Galapagos Islands is the marine iguana, which is shown in almost all television programs dedicated to this unique archipelago. She is the only iguana who spends most of her time in the depths of the sea. At the same time, being cold-blooded, she is forced to bask in the sun. She does it with great pleasure on the coastal rocks: she is not afraid of any waves, because tenacious claws help her to hold on and take sun baths even on very slippery stones.

When describing the endemics of the island, one should not forget about the Galapagos cormorants, buzzards, holothurians and sea lions: all these animals, like many others, live only on the Galapagos. Numerous attempts by scientists to distribute them to other isolated islands, on which conditions were almost identical, ended in failure.

Naturally, forgetting about the Galapagos tortoise, or, as scientists call it, the elephant tortoise, would be an unforgivable mistake. After all, it was thanks to her that the huge archipelago got its name. Alas, at the moment it is on the verge of complete extinction and scientists are doing everything possible to preserve this rare and, at the same time, interesting species of turtles, which weigh more than 400 kilograms and are approximately 2 meters long. In nature, these turtles, which gave their name to a number of volcanic islands, live for about 100 years. Scientists cannot calculate their exact age. Not so long ago, a Galapagos tortoise died in one of the zoos, whose age was accurately recorded - 170 years. This endemic was previously very widespread in the Galapagos, but the enterprising Spaniards, having learned the features of these turtles, which could easily live in the stuffy atmosphere for several months without water and food, decided to make them ... live canned food. Hundreds of them were thrown into the holds, and, if necessary, killed and cooked, from an endangered species in our days, turtle soup.

Modern Galapagos

The most popular islands among tourists at the present time include: Hispaniola, Fernandina, Rabida, Pinson and Baltra. As mentioned above, the Galapagos are National preserve, therefore, in order to visit this place, which cannot be described otherwise than with pompous epithets, you will have to stop in Ecuador. There are many hotels there: from economy class to five-star hotels. Alas, it will not be possible to get to the Galapagos Islands on their own, unless the traveler decides to risk his life and overcome the distance of 1000 kilometers along the ocean, which is famous for its obstinate character and presence in it a large number sharks who want to profit from the meat of warm-blooded animals. Therefore, in order to get to the place where everything is the most amazing, fantastic and "extraterrestrial", you will have to rent a yacht that can take a traveler to the Galapagos in 5-9 days. It all depends on the number of passengers and, of course, on the tourist's wallet. The yachts provide a variety of entertainment during the cruise, diving in the Galapagos Islands, which are recognized as one of the seven wonders of the underwater world, fishing in the ocean and much more.

Prices for a cruise to the Galapagos range from $ 100 to $ 1000 per day on board. But such sums do not frighten off tourists at all. On the contrary, buy a ticket and enjoy the beauty of the Galapagos, see with your own eyes underwater world and its inhabitants - a big problem. Only in advance booked ticket will give the confidence that the traveler will be able to see with his own eyes practically what the great scientist and explorer Charles Darwin saw in 1835. By the way, the long journey, despite the entertainment, is still tiresome. Constant rocking, which leads to dehydration of a person suffering from seasickness, life on a ship is strictly according to the schedule: breakfast - lunch - dinner, diving, fishing - a little boring, but the expectation of something great and hidden from the eyes of millions of people, which will become available, once the yacht reaches the Galapagos is well worth the little inconvenience.

Exotic tourism is becoming more and more popular among lovers of unusual travel. And one of the most unique places on earth to take a break from the hectic pace of modern life is the Galapagos Islands, with their original nature and wildlife.

Galapagos Islands on world map

Those who travel along traditional tourist routes - etc. - cannot always quickly answer the question of where the Galapagos are located.

Where are they located and to whom do they belong?

The Galapagos Islands have several names, among which Turtle islands and Colon archipelago.

The first name comes from the word galapago - in Spanish they meant water turtles large sizes, found here in abundance.

Islands belong to the state Ecuador and are 972 km away westward from the coastline of this country. If the question is, in which ocean the islands are located, then we can safely answer that they are washed by the Pacific Ocean and belong to its eastern equatorial part.

The area of the islands is 8010 km², and the number of inhabitants exceeds 25 thousand people. Galapagos is separated into a separate province of Ecuador... The largest islands are:

San Cristobal;
Isabela(the height of the volcanic peaks exceeds 1700 m);
San Salvador (maximum height volcanic peak - 518 m);
Santa cruz;
Fernandina(the corresponding figure is 1134 m).

The capital of the archipelago is a small town Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, the largest locality on the island of San Cristobal. but most of Galapagossians live in Santa Cruz, where Puerto Ayora is located - the focus of tourist activity. on the islands of Isabela and Fernandina are still active, the rest are considered extinct.

Going on a journey by air, inquire about the location of the seats on the plane to choose the most convenient one.

Climate

Although the Galapagos are in the equatorial region, the climate here is quite cool due to the presence icy ocean currents... The average annual temperature rarely exceeds 23-24 ° C, and the water temperature is approximately 20 ° C throughout the year. From to temperature range ranges from + 19-26 ° C, and from - + 22-31 ° C.

A small amount of precipitation falls here - no more than 150 mm annually, and mainly in the period from December to. This rain season and the dry season starts at and ends at.

How to get from Moscow?

The fastest and easiest way to get from the capital of Russia to the Galapagos is by buying a ticket for a flight of Aeroflot, KLM, Luftansa, British Airways, Air France and others from Quito with obligatory transplant at one of the airports or. Direct message with Ecuador from the Russian capital does not exist: transit is available for tourists through Madrid, Miami, and other megacities.

Citizens of Russia can cross the Ecuadorian border without a visa and stay on its territory for up to 90 days without an appropriate visa application, but for a flight to the United States, a visa will be required.

Flights arrive at the most important international Airport Ecuador "Mariscal Sucre"... From Quito, you can reach the archipelago using the local airlines Ikar and Tame.

Final destination - San Cristobal Island(remember that planes do not fly here every day) and Baltra Island near Santa Cruz Island. The flight here from Quito will take 3 hours, from another local big city Guayaquil, if after traveling from you decide to travel around Ecuador - 1.5 hours.

Buses run from Baltra Airport to the ferry departure point to neighboring Santa Cruz by the Itabaca Canal. will not cost you anything... The crossing to the island takes no more than 5 minutes. On Santa Cruz, you will have two ways to get to Puerto Ayora: get on the bus (ticket costs $ 1.8, trip duration is more than 60 minutes) or take a taxi and comfortably get to the city in 40 minutes at a price of $ 18.

There are regular departures from Puerto Ayora cruise ships , which are the only option for moving within the archipelago.

The airport tax upon arrival in the country is $ 100. It is forbidden to import:

Animals;
Insects;
Flowers;
Fruit.

Uninhabited island formations

Of the numerous islands, most of them are uninhabited, but organized excursions allow you to visit these unusual corners.

Baltra

Baltra Island was created by the rise of lava formations and is located almost in the very center of the archipelago. Here is very arid climate, so that mainly representatives of flora such as burzers, prickly pears and undersized shrubs, as well as iguana lizards, live here.

The island has no tourist infrastructure and no hotels: it is exclusively a "gateway" to the Galapagos due to the presence airport.

Bartolome

The island was named after British Navy Lieutenant David Bartholomew. Although there are no residents at all, this small islet is extremely popular with travelers. It is an extinct volcano and impresses visitors with its unusual volcanic formations, the most famous of which is the classic cone-shaped tuff hill known as Pinnacle rock.

Here you can get to know the huge turtles and sea lions, as well as the traditional penguins of the archipelago. but you shouldn't swim: There are quite a few reef sharks swimming around.

Wolfe

This island borrowed its name from a geologist of German origin Wolf... Its area is slightly more than 1 km², and the island rises above sea level at 253 m. If you love birds, be sure to stop by here: only here you will find a sharp-billed ground finch, reminiscent of a vampire: the blood of gannets serves as food for it.

The fauna of the island includes marine iguanas and seals, frigates, local gulls, masked and red-footed boobies.

The ocean is teeming with playful dolphins and whales, and shark attacks are not uncommon.

Darwin

The island impresses with its miniature area of 1.1 km² and an altitude of 168 m. animal world, which visitors can admire, is typical of the Galapagos. It is home to sea lions, turtles and nimble lizards, red-footed boobies and their exotic cousins, the Nazca. Whales swim and frigates fly near the coast.

Genovez

He borrowed his name from the Italian, where Columbus was from. The island is elevated 76 m above sea level with an area of 14 km². Once upon a time in this place was huge crater, gone under the water: its tip formed the island.

The island is also known as "avian" thanks to the huge number of nesting birds, including frigates and local gulls, which fly out to hunt at night. The Palo Santo forest and the panoramic site "Steps of Prince Philip" deserve the attention of tourists. Genovez is also inhabited by:

Family members storm petrels;
Red-footed boobies;
Phaetons;
Pigeons.

Terns, smoky gulls and Darwin's finches also walk along the beach.

The island is allowed exclusively courts, the number of passengers with less than 40 people who dock at Darwin Bay. It is in this place that it is good to observe most of the flying inhabitants of the island and climb the path to the rock where they build their nests.

Marchena

The island, whose area exceeds 100 km², rises 343 m above sea level. the only ones its inhabitants are sea lions, lizards and local buzzards. There are excellent diving opportunities here, but tourists usually see the island from afar as they sail past to neighboring islands.

Pint

He borrowed the sonorous name from one of the sea-going ships of Christopher Columbus. It is completely uninhabited, with the exception of marine iguanas and seals, sparrowhawks and native gulls.

It is also home to the rarest species of sea turtles, considered completely extinct since 2012.

Pinson

Here on an area of 18 km² absent any sights, however, it is quite possible to admire the life of sea iguanas, buzzards and lions, ancient turtles, as well as occasionally admire the games of dolphins. The name of the island comes from the name of the brothers, who headed the crews of the ships "Ninya" and "Pinta" equipped by Columbus.

Rabida

He is known for his burgundy shade of soil due to the significant concentration of iron in the lava flows that cover it. This small island formation with an area of 4.9 km² is inhabited by pelicans, 9 species of finches, and blue-footed boobies.

Rare brown pelicans hatch their chicks right in the undersized salt bush growing on the beach: this is almost the only place on the planet where they let people close.

The Rabida coast is an excellent choice for diving, but be aware of the sharp teeth of sharks. "Zest" islands - a lagoon with high salinity water, which was chosen by the beautiful pink flamingos... On the trail, tourists can climb from the beach to a rocky peak of a reddish hue and admire the view of the ocean.

Santa fe

It is one of the oldest island formations in the archipelago with volcanic formations dating back more than 4 million years. Be sure to stroll through the most extensive in the Galapagos forest of cacti species Opuntia.

Do not be alarmed if you come across small dinosaurs: These are just two species of iguanas - rice rats and Barrington land iguanas, which are extremely rare elsewhere. Phaetons, Galapagos gulls nest on the rocks, petrels fly by, which is very interesting to watch.

Santiago

It is formed by two intersecting volcanoes and has become a permanent refuge for seals and turtles of all kinds. Among the birds, it is worth noting flamingos, Darwin finches and Galapagos hawks. Santiago makes a special impression because of lava flows spreading on the ground - the oldest of them is more than 750 thousand years old.

The most famous attraction of the island is Puerto Egas in the southern part of James Bay. Here you can go on an excursion to the old salt crater, following the path of the trolleys from its top to the coast. The ruins of buildings and the remains of mechanisms for the extraction of salt have been preserved nearby. In the depths of the crater, there is a tiny salt lake. The top offers a beautiful view of the orangey lava fields overgrown with grass and dwarf shrubs.

Also noteworthy:

Seal grottoes floating in majestic, rounded lava pools;
Buccaneers bay, once favored by filibusters. Here a majestic impression is made sandy beaches scarlet and steep rocky tuff peaks.

Plaza Sur

Plaza Sur is one of twin islands formed by a geological rise and inclined northward. Its area is approximately 0.13 km², and the only inhabitants are the cacti of the Opuntia species and the sesuvium plant, the leaves of which turn bright fire in the dry season. This gives the local nature an unusual look. Also, land iguana lizards often prowl here.

Seymour Norte

A small island with an area of just over 1 km² will be of interest to everyone birdwatchers.

The hiking trail is approximately 2 km long and runs through the center of the island, bordering the coast.

During the excursion, you can see natural whimsical corridors of natural lava, volcanic formations, meet shy iguanas, admire the rookeries of imposing fur seals and observe blue-footed boobies and unusual local seagulls.

Fernandina

It is the third largest island in this archipelago with an area of 642 km². One of the most interesting local attractions - lava fields that are the result of the activity of the volcano. Of the plants, only lava cacti and mangrove shoots have taken root here, and from the inhabitants you will be lucky enough to see marine iguanas, lions and local penguins.

Hispaniola

On an island with an impressive area of 60 km², you may be lucky enough to see flapping albatross- the coast, indented by rocks, is ideal for the take-off of giant birds from the peaks. The hooded mockingbird often sits right on the shoulders of tourists in search of food.

Gardner Bay and Punta Suarez- two local attractions - will acquaint you with marine iguanas and lions, tropical colorful fish and lava lizards of all shades of the rainbow.

In addition to volcanoes, nature has created another amazing phenomenon - waterfalls. There are waterfalls that are stunning to the eye with their huge water flow and scale. It is about such waterfalls that we are talking about.

Galapagos Islands - unusual world , strikingly different from more civilized holiday destinations. You will definitely remember your trip here for a long time.

Named after the species of water turtles that live here, the Galapagos Islands are located in the east of the equatorial Pacific Ocean, almost 1000 km west of mainland Ecuador. The archipelago of volcanic origin (by the way, very recent by geological standards) consists of 13 large islands and 6 smaller islands, and let Wikipedia calculate a very trifle. We are interested in its main islands in terms of tourism, all as one - with the Caribbean-Spanish names that excite the traveler's imagination: Isabela, Santa Cruz, Fernandina, San Salvador, Santa Maria and Hispaniola.

Isabela

Isabela (Albemarle) is the largest island in the archipelago. It is decorated with many picturesque lagoons, which are inhabited by flamingos, pelicans, frigates, hawks, cormorants and penguins, and the coastal waters are teeming with sharks, killer whales and other marine life.

Attractions: Urbina Bay - home to large colorful iguanas, penguins and the largest colony of giant turtles, Punta Morena impresses with a variety of flora in mangroves, Wolf Volcano - the highest point of the Galapagos Islands, Sierra Negra volcano - one of the largest craters in world (diameter 10 km.)

Santa cruz

Santa Cruz (Indefatigable) is the second largest and most populous island in the archipelago. It is here that The largest city in the Galapagos - Puerto Ayora, which is a tourist center with a well-developed infrastructure (which is a rarity in this region). Sightseeing: Research Station named after Charles Darwin (its most important task is to control the reproduction of turtles, of which there are 11 species on the island), twin craters located at one of the highest points of the island (in the space between the craters, unusual vegetation grows and many rare species birds). In addition, the numerous bays of the island are interesting, each of which is unique in its own way.

Fernandina

Fernandina (Narborough) is the third largest island located in the westernmost part of the archipelago. Interesting places islands - the volcano La Cumbre, Punta Espinosa (the world's largest colony of marine iguanas, as well as pelicans and flightless cormorants), Urbina Bay is famous for its beautiful coral reef, and Elizabeth Bay is home to penguins and pelicans.

Galapagos nature

San Salvador

San Salvador (Santiago, James) is a small island, the entire coastal zone of which is black rocks of volcanic origin. The island of San Cristobal (Chatham) is the capital of the archipelago Puerto Baquerizo Moreno and the airport. All the vegetation zones of the Galapagos are represented here - from the stunted desert to the luxurious pampas, in addition, this is the only island in the archipelago, on which there is an uninterrupted source of fresh water (a lake in the crater of the El Junco volcano). The island is home to giant turtles, seals, gannets and frigate birds. And Punta Pitt has beaches ideal for snorkelling, diving or just swimming.

Santa maria

Santa Maria (Floreana, Charles) is an island located in the southern part of the archipelago. Its main attraction is the Devil's Crown, a crater of an extinct volcano divided into three prongs and partially submerged in water. The surroundings of the crater are ideal for diving. In addition, sperm whales, killer whales and dolphins are found in the coastal waters of the island, and in the Bay of Sharks, which washes the shores of the town of Punto Cormoran, both relatively harmless reef sharks and whales are found. In the white sands of the local beach from December to May, turtles lay their eggs, pink flamingos and a variety of aquatic and terrestrial birds also live here.

Hispaniola

Hispaniola (Hood) is a medium-sized island in the south of the archipelago. This is the only place in the world where wavy albatrosses nest. The local beaches are popular with sea lions, seals, iguanas and mockingbirds.

How to get there

From Quito, you can get to the Galapagos Islands by Aerolineas Galapagos flights with a landing in Guayaquil. The duration of the flight from Quito to Galapagos is 3 hours, from Guayaquil to Galapagos is 1.5 hours.

Search for flights to Quito (closest airport to Galapagos Islands)

Weather in Galapagos Islands

The weather in the Galapagos Islands is determined by the nature of the ocean currents and winds. Two main seasons can be distinguished: the rainy season (December-April) and the dry season (July-October). From December to June it is hottest, from July to November the temperature drops slightly. The average annual temperature is around + 24 ° C.

Life in the Galapagos Islands

Galapagos National Parks

Galapagos National Park is the first and largest park in Ecuador. The main inhabitants of this unique place are giant turtles, gannets, cormorants, albatrosses and sea iguanas.

Currently, about 90% of the territory of the archipelago is under protection, so tourists should follow strict rules for visiting. Firstly, you should only walk along permitted paths (there are 62 permitted areas and paths between them). Secondly, all visitors must be accompanied by a guide from the park service. It is also forbidden to perform any actions that may harm wildlife, ranging from loud sounds and ending with making fires.

Paid (currently the cost is about USD 100 for adults and USD 50 for children). Payment is made only on the spot, directly upon arrival in the Galapagos, and only in cash. Prices on the page are for August 2018.